A/N: Sorry for the delay in chapters - life happens. I hope this one makes up for the lag. Enjoy!
I came to look forward to chemistry with Edward. And after hours of long conversation I finally had gathered up the courage to hint at a sort of date.
"So you drink coffee?" I asked, it was quite normal for us to discuss all the different types of food we came into contact with. I had never met someone who could eat the way he said he did. Honestly he was very picky to eat as much as he did.
"Nope." He replied.
"Oh, well… what do you drink in the morning?" I asked casually.
"Nothing; I usually don't drink anything with breakfast." He answered.
Stumped at that last comment I said no more as class began. A substitute walked in and announced "Today's lecture will be a film of the labs you will encounter next semester."
The lights were dimmed and I opened my laptop as if taking notes. Checking my email I was delighted to find that Travelocity had sent me a special on their hotel rooms in California. Well I had no intention to go to California, but I always like to look at the rooms.
I caught Edward peeking over my shoulder. I smiled at him, "Can you see well enough?" I snickered.
With a glance toward the front of the room to see whether the sub was the type to care what the students did or not, he lifted his chin toward me and mouthed 'scoot down.'
I did as he said and he quickly moved his belongings into the seat beside me.
"What are you looking at?" he asked. I had learned over the past few weeks that he was notoriously nosy, but I had come to find it quite an endearing quality. He was not opinionated on his curiosity, merely inquisitive for the sake of being so.
"Hotel room… that's all."
"You going somewhere?" he asked.
"No, I just like to check out rooms in different places."
"A room's a room. You sleep there." He said with a smirk and that all-knowing cockiness I had grown to admire.
"No, a room is so much more than just a room…" I began.
"How? It consists of a bed and if you're lucky a toilet." He smirked. He thought he had me here… I loved knowing I could wow him; because what he was about to see changed every year.
"You think so? What about the ice hotel?" I asked.
"The what?" he said, eyebrows raised.
"The Ice hotel in Sweden. You've never heard of it?" I grinned. I didn't think he had; anyone who has seen photos of that place never again thought of hotel rooms as 'just a room'.
"No such place." He countered.
"Bet me." I challenged.
I searched on Google. The first few results were not what I was looking for, but I persevered. Finally what looked like the site I was looking for came up. I clicked and instantly the screen filled with a slideshow of images.
"Oh my God; that's wild." He exclaimed as loudly as he could without drawing attention to us.
I clicked though the slideshow of pictures, each one more elaborate and enchanting than the previous. After the lobby, the chapel, and the bar, all totally made from ice and lighted to look like a fairyland, finally we came to my favorite part.
"Those beds are really made from ice and snow?" he asked. I nodded.
"I'll bet its damn cold in those rooms." I nodded again with a smirk on my face. He didn't miss the smirk.
"Yeah, but pretty fun to get busy, I'd bet." He whispered. He knew I heard him, he meant for it to be heard. I couldn't contain my smile and slight nod.
I clicked off the site as the lecture wrapped up and we went our separate ways.
The next day he was not in class. It was Friday. That meant I would have to go the entire weekend without seeing him. I couldn't explain it properly, even now, but seeing him had become my highlight of the day. Where most students looked forward to the weekend, I dreaded it because I couldn't get my Edward fix.
The weekend seemed to drag by.
Monday my heart pounded as I walked in and sat down in our usual spot. He was there of course, waiting with that incredible smile; the one that seemed as if he knew what I looked like naked, and was currently thinking about it.
That smile thrilled me and made me self conscious all at the same time. How could a person feel all these emotions all wrapped up in one body?
I tried not to act hurt that he wasn't there on Friday. But inside, I was terribly crushed. It wasn't personal, I knew, but why then did it feel that way?
We talked about our usual banter. Somehow the subject turned to relationships. Uh oh. Dangerous ground.
"So you ever bat for the other team?" Edward asked as casually as if he had commented that it might rain later.
My mouth dropped open a half second before my brain could even begin to process the answer.
"Um, no. I don't swing that way." I laughed nervously.
He nodded as if he had figured as much. The he looked me in the eye playfully.
"Never?" he grinned.
I shook my head. "No, sorry. Never had the inclination."
"Okay. So you seeing anyone?" he asked, again, casual and cool as ever.
My heart began to pound. "Unfortunately, no. I haven't been asked out in over a year. Why did I just tell you that?" If there was any opportunity for me to embarrass myself, chances are with the Hottie McHotpants here next to me, I would.
"Because I draw it out of you. You'll see, eventually you'll tell me anything I want to know."
I considered this for a moment. Was it creepy or romantic that he would admit to such a thing?
"Well, I guess I'm really not much of the type for most guys around here." I covered, trying to steer the conversation back to more normal waters.
He smiled devilishly. "Between you and me, there's nothing wrong with the way you look. Everything in all the right places."
I raised my eyebrows, was this man of my dreams a closet perv? I wasn't quite sure how to respond.
"Look, I don't want to get arrested for sexual harassment, here, but just let me tell you, I look for qualities from the waist up. Now I know how that must make me sound to you, but I'm not trying to get into your pants. I'm just telling you that, as a guy and your friend, there is no plausible reason that you should doubt yourself. I'm trying to pay you a compliment."
With that last comment class began and I was both relieved and disappointed. The wild child in me wanted this conversation to continue… to see where it would lead. The bashful girl inside was thankful for the well timed interruption.
I knew he could see me blushing, I could feel him staring out of the corner of his eye.
"Oh, by the way, shy girls are a total turn off to most of us. They're the worst." He whispered with an evil grin as he got up to leave. Apparently he wasn't staying for class and had only come today to talk to me.
I was flattered at the idea but relieved at his absence. I was flustered to say the very least and needed time to think over what had been said today. Thursday's whispered comment didn't make things any more clear. What the hell was going on here?
A/N: Confused yet? It might clear up soon!
