|14| Night Walks

The rest of my shift passed in fragments. Orders blurred. Conversations overlapped. I caught flashes of Dean’s profile when I wasn’t looking for him, which annoyed me more than I cared to admit. He barely touched his food. Ruby ate in huge chunks, as if she was not savoring the meal but the situation.

When the terrace finally thinned, Antonia waved me over. “Take a break, Lisa.”

I slipped into the narrow corridor near the storage room, pressing my palms against the cool wall. My chest rose and fell unevenly. I wasn’t upset, I told myself. Just unsettled. When I returned from my break, Dean and Ruby were nowhere to be found. I breathed a sigh of relief.

I clocked out as fast as Antonia would allow.

She pressed some leftover churros into a paper bag like contraband, and told me not to work myself thin. I promised I wouldn’t and stepped outside before she could read my face too closely.

The evening air was cooler than I expected. The streetlights along the driveway hummed softly, illuminating polished stone and trimmed hedges. I was halfway through adjusting my bag when something unfamiliar caught my eye.

A sleek black Rolls-Royce Boat Tail idled near the curb. It was out of place among the modest sedans lining the curb. I appreciated its beauty and instantly missed my dad. He would have rated it a solid 9.5. I moved closer.

The rear door opened. Dean stepped out. I blinked twice and wondered if my eyes were playing tricks on me.

He stood a few feet away, hands shoved into his pockets. Without the crowd, without Ruby beside him, he looked younger. 

“I was hoping you’d come out soon,” he said.

My first instinct was disbelief. My second was irritation. My third was curiosity, which annoyed me the most.

“You were waiting?” My heart skipped a beat, then scolded itself.

“Yes.”

I glanced past him toward the car. A chauffeur sat behind the wheel, staring straight ahead, professionally uninterested.

 Dean rubbed the back of his neck. “I didn’t plan to stay long. I wanted to talk to you. I’ve been looking for you since we first met at Salamanca.”

That disarmed me more than I wanted to admit.

“I couldn’t find you after the game yesterday. I figured if I didn’t wait this time, I wouldn’t get another chance to speak to you.” He continued.

I shifted my weight. “So you decided to stalk restaurant sidewalks?”

He chuckled. “Only when the girl I’m looking for works nearby.”

I hesitated. “You were just inside,” I replied. “With Ruby.”

“I know.” He glanced toward the car awkwardly. “How is your leg?”

“I'm as fit as a fiddle. I wanted to thank you again for helping me find my way to Newton prep.”  The silence that followed was nerve-racking. 

“What are you really doing here, Dean?”

I studied him, searching for the arrogance and careless charm everyone whispered about, but found nothing but restraint. He chose his words carefully.

 “Let me drop you off.”

“I’ll walk,” I said quickly. 

Dean raised an eyebrow. “At this hour?”

“I like walking. It helps me think.” I lied through a smile. There was no way in heaven I was getting into that car with him. As if the tension on the pavement wasn't enough.

For a moment, I thought he’d insist.

Instead, he shut the car door. “I’ll walk with you then.”

Before I could argue, he nodded to the chauffeur.

The chauffeur started the engine and rolled backward slowly, trailing us at a respectful distance.

I laughed softly. “This is not weird at all. Is this normal for you?”

He glanced at the car behind us, his laughter mimicking mine. “No, this is actually my first time.”

We walked side by side, the sound of our footsteps syncing without effort. He asked about my classes. I asked about his. We talked about books, about places we missed, about nothing important, and everything at once. With him, time seemed to move too fast. Before I realized it, we were already in front of my hall. The building loomed, announcing its familiarity with confidence.

“This is where I exit the conversation,” I said with a dramatic bow.

“I’m glad I got to see you again.”

I squirmed under his gaze as his lips curved into a boyish smile. “Goodnight, Annalise.”

“Goodnight, Dean.”

He stepped back, watched until I reached the door, then turned toward the waiting car.

Only when the door closed behind me did I let myself acknowledge the truth settling quietly in my chest. The most popular guy in school had somehow taken an interest in me, and I wanted no part in it. No matter how charming he seemed.