She squawked.
“Last night? I wasn’t—” My face heated at the memory of Cooper’s lips sucking on my—
“I had an upset stomach.”
“Uh-huh, yeah, sure. So you weren’t riding the two-finger cowboy?”
My eyes flicked down, and I was suddenly very fascinated with my breakfast. “I have no idea what you’re talking about?”
“You know, buttering the biscuit.”
“No.”
“Feeding the beaver?”
“I said no.”
“Double clicking the mouse? Polishing the pearl?”
“Greg, would you—”
“Teasing the tuna taco?”
“Eww.”
“Dialing ‘O’ on the pink telephone?”
“Greg!”
“Okay, okay. No shame, girlfriend. I know it’s been a long time since you’ve had any ‘bow chicka wow wow’ with anyone.”
“I didn’t do anything.”
“So it was a dream. Don’t try to hide it, babe. I know you too well.”
“Fine. I had a dream.”
“Sweet.” He grinned. “It’s better than having one of your nightmares.”
It was better. Last night was the first time I didn’t feel like my heart was being torn to shreds.
“So,” he leaned forward, studying me, “who’s the guy? Anyone I know?”
I moved the eggs around my plate, avoiding his eyes. I had to be really careful with Greg. He was a human lie detector.
“No.”
He arched an eyebrow.
Crap!
He clicked his tongue and then proceeded to name every guy in our chemistry class that he thought was hot.
“Sean.”
“Epstein? Uh, that would be a no.”
“Rick.”
“I told you it’s not anyone you know.”
“Kellan?”
“Seriously? You think Kellan is hot?”
“Clean him up a bit. Get rid of those dreadlocks. Yeah.” He munched on his toast, thinking. “Okay, not Kellan. Hmm. Travis?”
“No!”
“Why not?” He looked insulted. “He’s sex on legs. And I happen to know that he likes you.”
And probably every single girl on campus.
Everywhere he went there was a girl hanging off his arm. The only time he didn’t was when he was hanging out with Greg. Although I’d been relieved to see that Greg had finally gotten the hint about Travis, I was surprised that I didn’t have to peel him off the floor. Now here he was, trying to hook me up with his man-crush friend.
“He’s cute if you go for that Brad Pitt look. But I didn’t dream about him.”
“Yeah, you go for the more intellectual type, like Cooper.”
My hand froze in midair. A piece of egg plopped into my orange juice.
“It’s Cooper! You had a wet dream about Cooper!”
“I didn’t!”
“Did too.”
“Not.”
“Too.”
Penny squawked.
“See, even Penny knows you have the hots for Cooper.” He went to the window and pressed his fist against the glass. “Don’t leave me hanging, Penny.”
I laughed as Penny’s claw tapped against the glass. “Did you teach her how to do that? I thought you didn’t like her.”
“Penny and I have a special love-hate relationship. You know like you and Cooper . . . without all the sex.”
“There is no sex, Greg. And there was no dream.”
“Uh-hum, yeah. I believe you.”
“Can we please change the subject?”
“All right, all right. You’re no fun.” He went to the counter and poured coffee into two mugs. “Are you at least sleeping better at night? Be honest.”
He placed a mug in front of me then lightly touched the dark circles under my eyes. “I worry about you.”
Taking ahold of his hand, I smiled. He was such a sweetheart. It was hard to stay mad at him. “I took some last night. And I slept pretty well, relatively speaking.”
“Ooh, maybe I should take some.”
I glared.
“Just kidding! Seriously, you should take them every night, get them into your system.”
I shook my head. “I took them every night last week, and I could barely concentrate in class.”
I’d kept nodding off in my afternoon classes, especially in my philosophy class. The professor was so boring with her countless Powerpoint slides. She basically regurgitated the week’s assigned readings through the entire lecture. It was hard to keep my eyes open.
“I don’t think I’ll take them anymore. They’re giving me weird side effects.”
“You mean the orgasms?”
“Greg! That’s not what I meant.”
The odd feelings I’d had during the first day of the semester didn’t go away. They actually got stronger. I’d walk into a classroom or a building, and a chill would sweep over me. My palms would sweat and my heart would pound faster. It was like I was having a panic attack. It was strongest when I was in Cooper’s class. But the moment he walked in, a peacefulness would sweep over me like a warm blanket.
What was even more bizarre was that I felt like I was being watched in his class. At first, I thought it was Travis. But when I’d look in his direction, he was always goofing off with Greg. And for one totally insane moment, I thought Cooper was watching me. I’d tossed that thought out of my mind because like I said, the man avoided me like I was the plague.
“You know you can talk to me about anything right?” Greg’s face was serious. I knew exactly what he was thinking. He was worried that the pressure to perform well in my classes was getting to me as well as my money problems.
“I know. That’s why I love you more than my guitar.” I grinned.
“Ooh, I got upgraded. Last year you loved me more than your iPod.” He gave me a playful shove before grabbing his backpack. “Oh, by the way, Rainbow said that Lou’s back in town. Do me a solid and get me a double espresso, will ya? Travis and I are doing an all-nighter for Cooper’s class. Professor Hottie is messing with my social time. I haven’t had time to prowl for a nightclub in this town yet. How can I find a hookup without some decent clubbing music? Anymore of this nonsense and I’m going to have to drop the class.”
It happened again.
The moment I placed my hand on the door handle at Jitters, a shiver coursed over my back.
With pills or without them, I was definitely going insane. I was at the point where I was seriously thinking about going to the university’s counseling center.
I peered through the glass door, wondering what it was about being here that would make me so nervous. It was your typical campus coffee shop. People sipped on iced coffee. Others had ice cream cones in their hands. Students sat around tables, studying, laughing, and chatting with their friends. Even the few brave souls who weathered the heat and sat on the outside patio looked like normal college students just minding their own business. But my body was reacting like I was the star in some slasher film or something. I couldn’t get my racing heart to slow down.
A flash of light reflected off the glass door, catching my attention. I turned and gazed at a building across the street. Over the entrance, a sign made of cut glass glittered under the sun.
Club Vortex.
“Can I help you?”
A girl wearing an apron with the word Jitters across the chest smiled. She carried a tray of empty coffee cups and waded napkins.
“I’m sorry. I’m blocking your way.” I opened the door for her.
“Thanks. Are you looking for someone?” she asked as I followed her inside.
“Yeah, the owner, Lou. Is he—”
The moment I stepped into Jitters, images flashed through my mind: blinking rainbow lights, a crystal strobe whirling, music pounding from loud speakers. They were so strong I staggered and had to grip a chair at a nearby table to avoid bumping into her.
“Lou! Someone’s here to see you!”