Read Online A Story of Now by Emily O'Beirne - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Emily O'Beirne
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the coffees a little too eagerly. “I owe you one.”
Smooth , Claire thinks but doesn’t say.
“Thanks.” Mia is clearly a little surprised. She carefully takes the coffee.
The guy turns from confident to awkward in about two seconds flat, obviously not sure what to say now that he’s delivered the planned line and beverage. “Uh, okay, well…” He runs a nervous hand through his hair. “I’ll see you at lab later?”
“Yeah, see you.” Mia gives him a parting smile and puts the coffee on the grass next to her. She points at it. “And thanks again.”
Claire watches him stride away, quickly putting distance between himself and his backfired manoeuvre. “Cute. The move, not the guy, of course. Though he’s not bad, if you like them earnest.” She turns to Mia. “You were supposed to ask him to sit, you know.”
Mia just shrugs.
Claire covetously stares at the abandoned cup. “I’ll give you every cent I have for a sip of that coffee.”
“You can have it.” Mia passes it to her. “I just had one.”
“Seriously?” Claire raises one eyebrow. “You’re giving away caffeine?”
“Seriously. Just never tell Pete.”
“Done.” She clutches the coffee and takes a long, long drink. Lying down on the grass, she rests the cup next to her and throws one arm over her forehead to shield her eyes from the glare. “So, you with Mr. Coffee?”
“Nope. We hang out sometimes.”
“Oh, sleeping with him?” Claire grins, thinking Mia is being coy.
“Nope.”
“What?” Claire frowns and lifts her arm from her face. “Then how did you get him to do that? Am I not seeing something here?”
“I don’t know. I bought him one a few weeks ago.” Mia screws up her face. “I guess he thought he’d pay me back.”
“Just out of the blue like that? Wow.” Claire shakes her head and appraises Mia’s angular, makeup-less face and her mess of dark, wavy hair. “I mean you’re hot and all, in a kind of casual, no-fuss way, but hot enough for unprompted beverage deliveries from a non-boyfriend? That’s impressive pull.”
Mia raises a warning eyebrow. “You want to give that coffee back?”
“No.”
“Then shut it.”
Claire obediently shuts her mouth. For a minute, anyway. “He’s totally hot for you, though. You know that, right?” She smirks at Mia.
“I’m well aware of his interest, thanks.” Mia leans over and plucks at Claire’s hair. “You know, I nearly didn’t recognise you. I was looking at you thinking, ‘How do I know that girl?’ When did you change your hair?”
“A week ago.”
“And what prompted this radical makeover, if I may ask?”
“Well, Mia, I was running out of ways to disappoint my mother. And then it came to me.”
Mia laughs and drops Claire’s hair.
Claire pulls a strand over her face and examines the new shade again. She’s not used to it herself. Though, she has to admit, she kind of loves it. She never thought she could have dark hair. And she never thought she could wear bangs, either. It’s so much more exotic than the boring long, straight hair she had all her life. Even better, her mother still doesn’t quite approve. She probably would have only been satisfied if Leo had returned it to exactly what it was before.
“You look like that girl from that movie.”
“That’s what everyone has been saying. Only no one can remember which girl from which movie.”
Mia tips her head to one side and stares at her. She laughs. “Neither can I. You know, it actually looks good,” she teases as if maybe it shouldn’t.
“Uh, well, thanks, Mia.” Claire throws a twig at her. “Do you have classes today? Or are you just hanging out on campus for fun?”
“Classes.” Mia checks her watch and stacks her books. “Soon, in fact.”
“What are you studying, anyway?”
“Biomedicine.”
“Really? Wow.” Claire raises her eyebrows and looks at the books again. She figured Mia was studious, what with doing her homework at the pub,
Smooth , Claire thinks but doesn’t say.
“Thanks.” Mia is clearly a little surprised. She carefully takes the coffee.
The guy turns from confident to awkward in about two seconds flat, obviously not sure what to say now that he’s delivered the planned line and beverage. “Uh, okay, well…” He runs a nervous hand through his hair. “I’ll see you at lab later?”
“Yeah, see you.” Mia gives him a parting smile and puts the coffee on the grass next to her. She points at it. “And thanks again.”
Claire watches him stride away, quickly putting distance between himself and his backfired manoeuvre. “Cute. The move, not the guy, of course. Though he’s not bad, if you like them earnest.” She turns to Mia. “You were supposed to ask him to sit, you know.”
Mia just shrugs.
Claire covetously stares at the abandoned cup. “I’ll give you every cent I have for a sip of that coffee.”
“You can have it.” Mia passes it to her. “I just had one.”
“Seriously?” Claire raises one eyebrow. “You’re giving away caffeine?”
“Seriously. Just never tell Pete.”
“Done.” She clutches the coffee and takes a long, long drink. Lying down on the grass, she rests the cup next to her and throws one arm over her forehead to shield her eyes from the glare. “So, you with Mr. Coffee?”
“Nope. We hang out sometimes.”
“Oh, sleeping with him?” Claire grins, thinking Mia is being coy.
“Nope.”
“What?” Claire frowns and lifts her arm from her face. “Then how did you get him to do that? Am I not seeing something here?”
“I don’t know. I bought him one a few weeks ago.” Mia screws up her face. “I guess he thought he’d pay me back.”
“Just out of the blue like that? Wow.” Claire shakes her head and appraises Mia’s angular, makeup-less face and her mess of dark, wavy hair. “I mean you’re hot and all, in a kind of casual, no-fuss way, but hot enough for unprompted beverage deliveries from a non-boyfriend? That’s impressive pull.”
Mia raises a warning eyebrow. “You want to give that coffee back?”
“No.”
“Then shut it.”
Claire obediently shuts her mouth. For a minute, anyway. “He’s totally hot for you, though. You know that, right?” She smirks at Mia.
“I’m well aware of his interest, thanks.” Mia leans over and plucks at Claire’s hair. “You know, I nearly didn’t recognise you. I was looking at you thinking, ‘How do I know that girl?’ When did you change your hair?”
“A week ago.”
“And what prompted this radical makeover, if I may ask?”
“Well, Mia, I was running out of ways to disappoint my mother. And then it came to me.”
Mia laughs and drops Claire’s hair.
Claire pulls a strand over her face and examines the new shade again. She’s not used to it herself. Though, she has to admit, she kind of loves it. She never thought she could have dark hair. And she never thought she could wear bangs, either. It’s so much more exotic than the boring long, straight hair she had all her life. Even better, her mother still doesn’t quite approve. She probably would have only been satisfied if Leo had returned it to exactly what it was before.
“You look like that girl from that movie.”
“That’s what everyone has been saying. Only no one can remember which girl from which movie.”
Mia tips her head to one side and stares at her. She laughs. “Neither can I. You know, it actually looks good,” she teases as if maybe it shouldn’t.
“Uh, well, thanks, Mia.” Claire throws a twig at her. “Do you have classes today? Or are you just hanging out on campus for fun?”
“Classes.” Mia checks her watch and stacks her books. “Soon, in fact.”
“What are you studying, anyway?”
“Biomedicine.”
“Really? Wow.” Claire raises her eyebrows and looks at the books again. She figured Mia was studious, what with doing her homework at the pub,
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