Winging my keys in the general direction of the kitchen counter, I kicked off my heels and growled in exasperation. And then winced as my childish voice echoed back to me in the empty apartment.

I pulled the conservative black dress up over my head and tossed it in the laundry basket still sitting in the living room filled with unfolded clean clothes. An annoying flicker of hope built inside me at the sound of multiple incoming texts. As quickly as it had built, it was gone when Tasha’s name appeared on the screen.

Tasha: Where did you go?

Tasha: Todd’s an ass. You’re hot. Don’t let him ruin your night. Come back out!

Another text appeared as I scoffed at the idea of leaving the apartment again.

Tasha: I’m staying at Lance’s tonight. Netflix and pizza when I get home tomorrow?

Me: Sounds great.

Sighing, I slumped into the couch feeling sorry for myself and irrationally angry at the world. An image of the beautiful girl in a mini-skirt and heels so high I was afraid she’d break an ankle that had sashayed around the party on Todd’s arm made me clench my jaw and I stood quickly, knowing exactly who to lash out on.

Walking back to the counter where my purse lay, I rummaged through it pulling out the business card I’d stashed this afternoon. I held it in a shaky hand and without allowing myself to think beyond dialing, I punched in the numbers on my phone.

On the third ring, my anger at Todd started to feel irrational and I breathed a sigh of relief that the man I’d late night dialed hadn’t answered. I pulled the phone away from my ear and reached to hit End as a gravelly voice answered.

“Hello?”

Fumbling, I hit the video button instead of End and with a screech I came face to face with the handsome stranger I’d left at baggage claim.

It was dark, but I could make out his face in the light from his cell and the hint of a smirk appeared as he stared back at me.

“Sexy bra, 8B. Please tell me you aren’t calling me from Tim’s place to tell me my advice worked. You could have waited until morning.”

I screeched again and sat the phone down with a clunk on the counter and stepped back covering my mostly exposed chest with both arms.

His laugh rang through the silence of my apartment and I picked up the phone and held it close to my face to keep him from seeing anything else.

“No, I am not calling from Todd’s apartment because Todd is at the party with another woman. The kind of woman you told me not to be – ridiculously short skirt, loads of makeup, throwing herself all over him. She broke all the rules and he picked her.”

Letting out a deep breath, I finally forced myself to take a moment and chill. Court stared back at me through the screen. His mocking smile was gone, and his eyebrows pulled together with what looked like anger or concern.

“I’m sorry, were you sleeping? I should go. I am so sorry I called.”

I was ready to crawl into bed and pull the covers over my head.

“Shit, I’m sorry 8B.”

“8B?”

“The seat you were sitting in – on the plane.”

“Oh.” I furrowed my brow and thought back to the plane. I’d purged the minor details of the flight, like seat assignment, to memorize every word of the advice and wisdom he’d given me about Todd. Some good that had done.

He ran a hand through his dark hair, bringing my attention back to him and to the muscular bicep crooked up behind his head. He moved, the background behind him changing until light flooded around him and I could clearly see his five o’clock shadow and disheveled hair.

“Tom is an idiot,” he mumbled and sat down in a red arm chair. “Give it to me from the top.”

The alcohol and humiliation had made me vulnerable and so I did. I told him everything. I left nothing out. From the conservative, yet tight, black dress I’d worn to the way I’d sought him out and complimented Todd on a great season while standing so close my arm brushed up against his. I’d thought everything was going great. That my attention to detail was paying off and Todd was finally going to make a move.

“We were having a good time, flirting and laughing, until she brazenly came up, snaked a hand around his arm, and asked him to play flip cup,” I muttered with annoyance dripping from my voice. I wasn’t really mad at the girl. I couldn’t blame her for having good taste in men, but it still stung that he’d walked off with her and left me standing alone.

“Mmm,” he responded like he was carefully picturing the scene.

“What?”

He was quiet for a moment and my confidence in the way I’d played things with Todd dwindled with each second of dead air. “You did exactly what I told you. You’re a good student.”

“But?”

“But you forgot to have fun.”

“Excuse me?”

He looked at me through the phone like I was a fragile child which is exactly what I felt like.

“Let me ask you something, why didn’t you ask him to play flip cup?”

My brows pulled together. “Because I was trying to have a conversation with him.”

“Couldn’t you do both?”

I sat there for a moment, considering his question. Why was this so hard?

A low chuckle brought my attention back to the screen. When Court laughed, it lit up his whole face and made him look young enough that I could almost picture him drinking cheap beer out of plastic cups on a Sunday night instead of holed up in a hotel room getting ready for work the next day.

“Just tell me this, 8B, if Taz hadn’t been at the party tonight, would you have been over playing flip cup?”

“I went to the party to see him, not to get wasted.”

“And there is the problem. However unperceptive we may be, men are drawn to women who are having fun and even more so if they want to have that fun with us. We’re like little kids hopped up on sugar looking for the next rush of excitement.”

Walking into my room, suddenly feeling older than I ever had, I threw myself onto my bed.

“I’m terrible at this. I’m going to die alone in a house full of hamsters.” I grinned despite my despondent state when I realized I had swapped cats for hamsters like Court had done earlier. I liked that he liked cats. It said something about a man to admit they liked cats.

“Nah.” He shook his head. “You just need to forget about what’s his face and have some fun.”

“Fun,” I repeated the word back as I already began to dismiss the idea that it was that simple.

“Yeah, that thing most college kids live for.”

My stomach dropped. Fun wasn’t exactly my default setting. “I’m not some bimbo, party hopping, college girl.”

“Those things aren’t mutually exclusive.”

“I’m here on scholarship. I can’t afford to screw around.”

“I get it. I know all about hustling to get by, but you can have a little fun and still be responsible. At least I think you can. Admittedly my college days are a bit of a drunken haze.”

“Why am I not surprised to hear that?”

He grinned, a boyish charm overtaking his face again. “What do you want with this guy anyway? You’re young. You’re supposed to date around, kiss a lot of frogs or whatever that cheesy saying is.”

“I don’t want frogs.”

He nodded, and his features transformed into a serious regard. “Alright if we’re gonna do this, I’m going to need more intel. Tell me everything you know about Tonto.”

“We?” I asked, ignoring that he’d gotten Todd’s name wrong. Again.

“Clearly you need my wisdom and male perspective.”

“And what’s in it for you?”

“Let’s just call it a service project. It’s been awhile since I’ve helped anyone but myself.”

Too tired to question the sanity of letting a near stranger help me, I did exactly what he’d asked. I told him nearly everything I knew about Todd. At two in the morning when my eyes were so heavy I couldn’t keep them open any longer, we finally said goodnight and I went to bed exhausted, but hopeful.

The next afternoon, I was making a list of all the things I’d already learned from Court when Tasha got home. We decided on tacos instead of pizza and then settled in front of the TV to watch a cheesy horror film. Tasha had a thing for them and I cared more about her company than what we watched to protest.

“Have you heard from Todd?” she asked around a mouthful of taco.

I shook my head and finished chewing before I spoke. “No, nothing.”

“He’s such an idiot.” She rolled her eyes. “I don’t know what his problem is.”

“He’s not an idiot.”

Tasha gave me an “Are you kidding me?” look. “I know you two are friends, or whatever, but he’s acting like an idiot. Either that or he’s purposely stringing you along. Even I can see that he’s totally into you. I don’t understand why he doesn’t make a move. Maybe you should take matters into your own hands.”

“What, like ask him out?”

“Why not?”

“No way. I’m not going to be one of those girls that throws myself at him. And not because I’m universally opposed to women asking men out, but that’s exactly the kind of women he’s used to, and I see how easily he discards them. I don’t want to be a one-night stand.”

“So, what’s the plan?” she asked.

Tasha knew me too well. Of course, I had a plan.

“Well, I found a sort of mentor?”

Her eyebrows lifted.

“So,” I started, shifting so my feet were under me on the couch, “on the flight back yesterday I was sitting next to a guy and somehow we got on the topic of dating and I briefly mentioned my current frustration with Todd and he gave me some advice.” I avoided her eyes, certain she could see right through the sugar-coated version of the story.

“That is totally random but continue. What was his advice?”

“He told me to make a point to talk to him at the party and to dress sexy but not slutty.”

“And? That’s it?” she asked as unbelievingly as I had.

“That was pretty much it, but I sort of drunk dialed him last night after it didn’t work.”

“Oh my God, you called some strange man you met on a plane? How did you get his number? This is sounding more screwed up than this movie.” She motioned toward the TV and then shoved the last bite of taco into her mouth.

I stood and crossed the room to my planner. I pulled out his business card and handed it to her. “He gave me this on the flight and told me to contact him if I needed more advice.”

“This is insane,” she said, but smiled as she read his name. “Court Adams, Senior Risk Analyst at Harrison and Mac. Fancy.”

“He seemed nice. Anyway, I made a total ass of myself, but we ended up talking most the night – or morning, rather.”

“This guy has got to be into you.”

“No, it’s not like that. I think he just feels sorry for me or something. I told him about Todd and he gave me some rules.”

Tasha snorted. “Rules?”

“More like principles, I guess.” I shook my head. “Mock all you want, but I am going to win Todd over by following these,” I said holding up my planner.

“Let me see that.”

Tasha flipped it open to the bookmarked page. “Number one, there is no such thing as the friend zone.” She peeked up at me with a smirk, but continued, “Number two, men just want to have fun.”

I pointed at my planner. “See that’s where I went wrong last night, I was so focused on him I forgot to have fun.”

“What’s been your excuse the last four years?”

“Hardy har,” I said. “It’s an area I need improvement on, I know, but you know how hard I’ve had to work to be here. Plus, I get sort of goal focused, even with men.” I gave her a small smile that she returned with a laugh.

“I get it. All I’m saying is I agree with mister mentor on number two.” She settled back into the couch, planner and business card still laid out in her lap. “Tell me more about this guy,” she said motioning her head to Court’s business card.

“I don’t know much. He said he was thirty-four. He lives in New York and is here for business. He talked a little about his job, but we mostly talked about Todd and me.”

“Is he good looking?”

I bit my lip. Was he good looking? It was like asking if New York was the greatest city in the world. He had been devastatingly handsome in his business suit and even better looking last night when I’d woken him shirtless and disheveled.

“He’s nice looking for an older guy.” I don’t know why I threw the last part in. Court wasn’t just good looking for an older guy, he was good looking because of his age. He had that mature look men got when they settled into their height and build and started taking care of themselves instead of downing beers and fast food. Court put every man on campus to shame in the looks department, and the men here were not your typical pimply faced, freshmen fifteen, college kids.

Tasha shot me a look of impatience to continue. “He’s tall – I’d guess over six feet, dark, thick hair – the kind that sticks up but looks like it was styled to do so, and hazel eyes.”

The smile on Tasha’s face was wide and knowing.

“What, I’m trying to paint a picture.” I tossed a throw pillow at her, which she dodged easily.

“Oh, I’m getting the picture. It sounds like you met a total hottie.”

I rolled my eyes. I wasn’t going down this rabbit hole. If Tasha thought I was harboring some secret crush on Court she would be unrelenting in her peer pressure to call him.

“I guess so, but I’m telling you it wasn’t like that,” I said in the most convincing voice I could muster.

Tasha gave a half shrug and shut the planner with Court’s card tucked inside. She handed it back, but watched me carefully as she said, “If you say so.”

Hugging it to my chest, I let myself imagine a world where someone like Court was interested in someone like me. But the idea was so ludicrous I couldn’t even fathom it. No, Court wasn’t into me, but just maybe, he could help me secure a future with Todd.