inviting Fleur.
“Dating in London is challenging.”
“It’s not like it was even a date. I sat with him for like a nanosecond.”
“He looked interested.”
I pulled off an end of my croissant, stuffing it in my mouth. “I guess. The whole thing was just confusing.”
“That’s London.”
“He’s twenty-seven.”
“That’s a little old.”
“It’s eight years.” I sighed. “Well, as far as he thinks, I’m twenty-three. So it’s only four.” I groaned. “You’re the expert. Help me. What do I do next?”
Mya drew off her sunglasses, setting them carefully on the small Starbucks table. “He’s playing the game.”
“Yeah, that’s kind of a problem, then, considering I don’t know the rules.”
Mya leaned back, studying me. “I’m surprised you didn’t have a boyfriend in the U.S. You’re cute. What was wrong with those American boys?”
I laughed. “I’m not great with guys.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. I just get uncomfortable. Like in high school, there was this guy I liked. He was really popular, captain of the soccer team, really hot. We had like five classes together and I still couldn’t manage to talk to him. Finally senior year came around and our chem teacher assigned us as lab partners. I spent the whole time planning out exactly what I was going to say to him. There may have been note cards involved.” Mya snorted. “One day I got so nervous I knocked over one of our experiments.”
Her eyes widened.
“Oh, yeah. I started a fire. So for the rest of senior year, he knew me as the girl who started the fire in our chem class.”
Mya cracked up.
“It was bad.”
“You seem to at least be doing better here. No chemical fires.”
I threw my napkin at her. “Laugh all you want. It sucks being this inept with guys. I do want a boyfriend. I just have no idea how to actually get one.”
“I can only help you so much. I haven’t dated a ton, either. We need to call in the big guns. You need Fleur.”
I grimaced. “Trust me, that’s the last thing I need.” I hesitated. “What’s the deal with you and Fleur? Why’d she come out last night?”
“I think she’s lonely.”
I found it hard to believe anyone who looked as gorgeous as Fleur could ever be lonely.
“It’s a bad situation. A lot of their friends jumped ship with the breakup. I don’t think she has anyone besides Samir and his crowd.”
“Maybe she would have more friends if she was a bit nicer. She still barely speaks to me as it is, and I live with her.” She was marginally nicer to Noora. I figured she just hated Americans. Or it was something I’d done.
“She’s hard to get close to, yeah. But once you get to know her, she’s not that bad. And despite all the shit with Costa, she’s really good with guys.”
“Whatever. I don’t think there’s anything to help me with anyway. I’m not going to go back to Cobalt like some loser. If he was interested in seeing me, he would do something about it.”
Mya waved her hand dismissively. “There are a ton of other guys in this city. If this guy isn’t the guy, you’ll find someone else.”
I was going to need all the help I could get.
* * *
Mya and I separated at Starbucks. She had some shopping to do and I had been dying to go to Hyde Park. From my dorm room window I could just see the tops of the trees. I’d started going on these little walking adventures, exploring the city I’d come to love. Since my visit to Westminster I’d added trips to Buckingham Palace, Harrods, the National Gallery and the Tower of London. Sometimes Noora came with me—she seemed to enjoy doing touristy stuff as much as I did.
I crossed the street, walking through the oversized iron gates. It was still early for London and the park was fairly empty. I loved the city when it was like this. It felt like it was my own secret place to explore. I wrapped my coat tighter around my body, trying to ward off some of the morning chill. It might have
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