Hating Todd had become the only emotion I was certain of anymore. When I was eleven, one particularly empathetic family (at least until I’d caused so much trouble they couldn’t handle me) had demanded I go to counseling. It had only taken three sessions for everyone, therapist included, to deduct that therapy wasn’t going to work until I was willing to cooperate. Still, I had been listening to most of her garbage and right now I could practically hear her saying, “Identify your feelings. How does it make you feel that your parents abandoned you?”

“It fucking sucks,” had been my response, as if there were any other way to feel about something like that.

But I was as crystal clear on my feelings for Todd as I had been about being abandoned. True, I hadn’t met the guy and to hear it from Bianca, he was a good guy with a bright future ahead of him, still I hated that it had taken my interference for him to finally see how amazing she was. He should have seen it earlier and he absolutely shouldn’t be letting her even consider sticking around for another year or two to get a master’s degree. It was a bullshit excuse, no matter how she was trying to play it off to herself. She lit up when she talked about New York.

“Tell me about the companies you’re interviewing with,” I said before she could tell me more about her possible future with Todd.

“Qualcomm, Analog Devices, and a new company in New York that just won a big government contract.”

“And that’s the one you want? The one in New York?”

She nodded, narrowing her eyes a bit as if to decipher how I’d guessed her thoughts.

“It’s the only one you said anything about other than the name.”

“You wouldn’t have known the company by name like the others.”

“Maybe, but I don’t know much about the other two either.”

She shrugged, and I decided to give her a pass on telling me more about the New York job – for now.

“When are your interviews?”

With a sheepish grin she looked up at me through dark lashes. “Tomorrow.”

“You’re out drinking the night before your interviews?” I couldn’t believe it. Everything I thought I knew about this woman had just been decimated by the thought of her irresponsibility at something so big. It also made me more pissed at Todd who no doubt was the sudden cause of her wavering personality. Her outfit gave her away.

“What happened to the ‘You need to have a little fun’ crap you were spouting at me a few weeks ago?” she asked as she crossed her arms over her chest.

“I stand by that statement, but there’s a time and a place. The night before interviews for your first real job isn’t the time.”

“And the place?” she’d uncrossed her arms and looked around at the busy bar. The place didn’t look half bad. It wasn’t my cup of tea per se, but I saw the appeal to college kids – cheap beer and free entertainment a hop skip and a jump from campus.

“The place is just fine. You come here a lot?”

“No, not really.”

“So why tonight?”

She looked down and my interest piqued.

“Todd.”

“You were hoping to see him, or…”

“He asked me to come. Said he and his friends were gonna be here, but I don’t think they’re here yet.”

“Maybe he called or sent a text – wanna check your phone?”

“I, uh, have been.” She slid her small purse across the table revealing her cell phone laying on the top, screen up. It shouldn’t have been a big deal. It wasn’t like she was my girlfriend. So, what if she’d been keeping an eye on her cell during our conversation? I knew it shouldn’t rankle me, but it did. It cheapened our time together somehow. And then again, every conversation we’d ever had revolved around Todd in some way.

“I’m sorry,” I said, my emotions pinballing all over the fucking place. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Sure,” she responded immediately.

“What is it about this guy that you’re willing to do all this to get his attention. There are lots of guys out there. Why this one?”

She blushed, and I wondered how much of the truth she’d tell me. I had my guesses, based off everything I knew about the guy, but I couldn’t help but wonder what it was about this guy that had her so hell bent on getting his attention. Shit, the lengths she’d gone to would make a normal guy feel like king of the world, and from where I was sitting, fucking Todd seemed like he was taking it, taking her, for granted.

“Have you ever had a conversation with someone and it just changed everything?”

A strangled sort of sound left my lips in acknowledgment. Her sitting across from me was proof of that.

“My conversations with him were like that early on. We talked about real things. Things that matter. It’s easy to get caught up in the bubble that is this place.” She waved her arms around. “The only thing people here are concerned about are parties and sleeping around. But with him, it was never like that. He asked the questions others never bothered to and so I’ve shown him a part of me that feels like so much more. Does any of that make any sense?”

“Yeah.” I nodded and felt like a total ass. “Yeah, that makes sense.”

I knew she hadn’t meant to call me out as someone who couldn’t be troubled to go beyond the surface, but it’s exactly what I’d done. It had never bothered me to be that kind of person until now.

The karaoke DJ caught my attention as he announced the next singer and I was thankful for the distraction. “Ah, here we go. It’s show time.”

“What?” she asked, a look of panic before she whipped her head to the man walking toward the karaoke mic.

I shot Perry a wicked smile and tipped my beer to him. He shook his head like he was upset with me, but he didn’t hesitate to grab the mic and start belting out Weezer’s Say it Aint So.

“I don’t understand. I thought you were writing our names down.”

“Are you kidding me? I can’t carry a tune. My buddy Perry though, this song was his specialty back in New York at a little dive bar we frequented throughout college.”

“And you’re both in town for the career fair?”

“Yeah, I have quite a few buddies from college here actually. We all graduated and took jobs in New York, but it appears our companies like to try and get a bit of fresh blood each year, so here we are.”

“You should go hang out with them. I’m so sorry. I had no idea you had friends here. I just assumed they were people from your company.”

“Nah, I’m the only one from my company. My boss thought I was the best fit since I have a client in the community. And Perry is just someone I partied with in college, we see each other often enough. Happy hours and parties on weekends occasionally.”

She moved to stand, and I followed, putting myself between her and the exit.

“No, don’t go. This is nice,” I motioned between us with a hand. “Talking to you in person.”

Her face flushed like it did every time I gave her even the smallest of compliments, but she nodded slightly. “Okay, but let’s at least go over there so it’s not like I stole you away."

“I think they’d understand,” I muttered and chuckled to myself.

We grabbed our drinks and I led her across the bar and introduced her to my buddies. Bianca shook hands, repeated names back and smiled up to the guys in such a sweet, charming way they were all eating out of her hand.

“How do you know this guy?” Aaron, a co-worker of Perry’s that I’d only met twice, asked as he patted me on the shoulder like we were best buds.

I cocked an eyebrow at him but didn’t push his hand off me like I wanted to.

“We met on a flight from New York awhile back,” Bianca answered.

Aaron’s eyes lit up as if that was all the information he needed to know she was available.

Wrapping an arm around her waist, I pulled Bianca to me in a possessive stance. She shot me a confused look but didn’t pull away as I held her there making sure Aaron understood she was mine. It was petty and not even true, but I wanted to protect her. Needed to in some caveman, messed up primal desire.

“We’ve kept in touch,” I added for no other reason than to make it clear I had put in the time with her.

Aaron nodded, glancing between us. “I see. Well, Court here’s a great guy. You don’t go through the shit he has without knowing how to appreciate a good thing.”

I smiled a big, fake, toothy grin at Aaron and silently fumed at Perry for sharing shit he had no business sharing. Bianca’s body molded into mine as if she understood my need for her sweet goodness. The anger rolled off me as I looked down at her. Even in those ridiculously high heels her head sat just above my shoulder. “What do you say we grab another drink?”

I pulled her behind me without waiting for her response, knowing full well she already had a nearly full drink in her hand.

When we got to the bar, she finally spoke. “Actually, I shouldn’t have another if I’m going to be in any kind of shape for tomorrow.”

I nodded.

“Tab?” I motioned to the bartender.

“You don’t have to stop on my account. I’m just gonna catch a cab back to my apartment.”

“You live far?” I asked as I signed the check.

“No, Orange and Grove.”

“I’m staying at the Courtyard, we can share a cab.”

“Those are in two completely different directions,” she said with a smile.

I just grinned back at her.

She bit her bottom lip and her nervousness reminded me of why I’d found her so intriguing in the first place. She was innocence wrapped up in a tempting little package that she hid in plain sight. She’d been born in a generation that flaunted everything and balked at nothing and she’d gone unnoticed because she didn’t try to be noticed. She didn’t dress trendy or have pink hair. I hadn’t spotted any piercing or tattoos – she was just your average college girl. But God, she was so much more.

I held the door to the bar open. The cool air greeted us, a welcome feeling after being in the hot bar. I inhaled deeply and let the door fall close behind us. Bianca smiled at me, stepping onto the sidewalk and freezing in place. I followed her line of vision to a group of guys piling out of a cab. It was clear they were already drunk from their loud and exaggerated movements, but they were put together well – rich, frat guys in polo shirts that cost as much as my entire wardrobe had in college.

“Ready?” I reached a hand out for her and she opened her mouth, her eyes darted from me to the group of guys.

“Bianca!” one of the guys called out and a look of uneasiness and panic took over her face. I stepped toward her just as the guy, wearing a striped Lacoste shirt and jeans that looked like they’d been freshly ironed – or probably dry cleaned I thought, reached us.

“Hey, sorry it took so long. Been quite a night. Wow, you look great,” he prattled on, openly appreciating Bianca’s bare legs without giving me so much as a glance.

“Hi, Todd,” she said looking down to the sidewalk.

So, this was Todd. He looked like every other preppy asshole I’d seen in the bar tonight. I had him on height by a good few inches, but he was bulkier – maybe not more muscular, but broader – built something like a lineman instead of the squash player I knew him to be. He finally looked at me as if he’d just noticed Bianca wasn’t alone. Strategic incompetence. He wanted me to know that I didn’t matter.

“Todd,” he stuck out his hand to me, giving me no other option than to shake.

“Court,” I said, giving him one firm squeeze and pulling back. “So, I’ll talk to you later?” I said, looking to Bianca. I was giving her the easy out. I knew she wanted to go with him. If she’d asked me what to do in this exact situation I would have told her going back in the bar for a drink was the right move. Hell, my being here probably made her all that more appealing. In Todd’s eyes she’d be choosing him over me. The perfect setup. I couldn’t have planned it better if I’d tried.

“I –” she stammered as Todd moved to her side and waited with an outstretched hand.

I leaned down, brushing my lips against her cheek before whispering in her ear, “Sweet dreams, 8B.”