[2022 Wattys Winner] When love cynic Madison Watson starts university, she vows to follow three simple rules.
One: Work out at least twice a week.
Two: Get an internship.
Three: Stay away from men.
But after a chance encounter with th...
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"What?" I exclaimed.
The tall blond fidgeted nervously. "Noah ..."
"I don't mean really date him," Noah said. "Just hypothetically speaking. Like, if he was the last guy on earth. Or if you had a gun to your head. If the pickings were really, really slim—"
The blonde widened his eyes. "Wow. You're really selling it."
"I'm just saying." Noah turned back to me eagerly. "Would you go on a date with him? He'd pay. Naturally."
"Naturally," the blond repeated under his breath.
A small part of me wanted to berate Noah for forcing me into such a horrible predicament in the first place. It was a lose-lose situation; whether I said yes or whether I said no, I came out of the exchange looking some type of way. A type of way that wasn't the loner, elusive, don't-talk-to-me vibe that I was going for.
My resting bitch face needed work.
Reluctantly—I may or may not have audibly sighed—I turned to evaluate his friend.
Sure, he was handsome. In a predictable kind of way. He loomed over my pathetic five-foot-five frame, and his broad shoulders and striking smolder made him the perfect candidate for the leading man in almost any cheesy film. I honestly wouldn't have been surprised if he was some rising star that I hadn't yet heard of; that sort of thing was to be expected at Camden.
But pretty boys were a nightmare. I knew that better than anyone. The boy's blue eyes twinkled with mischief, his demeanor still cool and self-assured even under my intense stare. Upon seeing a flicker of smugness, too, I decided no. I would never date him.
"I'd consider it," I lied.
It was best not to make enemies so early into uni.
Instead of looking flattered, the subject of my evaluation smirked. Actually, confidently, and not at all ironically smirked. His amused gaze pierced mine for a moment longer, then left to meander aimlessly about the hall—as though I was the one being evaluated. It was only when I was out from under his stare that I realized I'd been holding my breath.
"That's fair." I flinched at Noah's soft touch as he repositioned me, angling me toward the other boy lingering in the doorway. He was cute, I supposed, in a Seth Cohen kind of way. Not my personal brand of eye candy, but I could see how others would find him endearing. "What about him?"
His friend groaned. "This is stupid. You know what she's going to say."
"How do you know?" Noah asked.
"Dude—"
"Yeah," I said, my interest slightly piqued. "How do you know?"
Noah's friend opened and closed his mouth like a goldfish, releasing a nervous puff of air. His eyes darted between me and his friends before he gave in to a pitiful sigh. "Isn't it obvious?"
