"Mind if I sit here?" Someone asked. Derek looked up from his crossword and furrowed his brow. The guy seemed familiar... he'd seen him before, but where?
"Sure," he said, moving his feet to leave the chair open. How was he familiar? The man seemed to be the same age, with dark hair and blue eyes like himself... actually he looked a lot like him except for the heavy eyebrows... "Do I know you from somewhere?" he asked.
The man smiled, "Weiss," he said as he offered a hand. "I'm taking my MBA. I live across from you at the dorm in Columbia."
Of course, it made sense now... "Right. Weiss. I'm Derek," he shook his hand. "Nice to meet you."
"Let me guess, Med student?"
"How did you know?"
"It's a heavy program, you all wander around like zombies."
Derek laughed. Yeah pretty much. And he was barely a semester in. God, was it that bad? Still, he was lucky his family lived in New York. Thanksgiving at home was only a Ferryboat ride away, which was where he was headed to now. He looked back at his crossword. He had a passing interest in them, mostly they made the time go by. Usually he cheated though...
But maybe he could make a friend here. He was a bit lonely, except for Mark, he hadn't had a chance to incorporate himself fully into college life. The program was hectic and intense, the hours long, the studying grueling. He'd barely found his groove before break, and he was... lonely. "Hey Weiss, help me with this would you?" He lifted the crossword, and Weiss nodded.
"Savor, as in fine wine." Derek read. "Three letters, ends in a 'p'"
"Oh, that's easy..." Wiess smiled, "Sip."
"Ah." Derek scribbled it into the three letter slot. He hunted for another clue, "Another word for far. Seven letters."
"Oh..." Weiss thought for a moment, he counted something on his fingers. "Distant!" he pointed.
Distant... that fit.
He was searching for another clue when Weiss called out, "Hey Sav! Over here!"
Derek looked behind him and saw a blonde woman approach. She was very classy, moving with a determined sway, poised and perfect. She carried two large coffees.
"There you are honey, I lost you..." she said. Handing him a cup.
"Well now you found me," Weiss smiled. He took the cup gratefully.
"Americano, with milk," she said. Then she noticed Derek. "Oh. My. God. Weiss, you found him!"
"Huh?" Weiss asked, lowering the cup with a quizical look in his eyes.
Sav bent down and whispered, "That's him- that's the guy Addi-"
Weiss coughed, which only confused Derek more... "Found who?" He asked. What was going on? He put the crossword down and looked first at Sav, then Weiss, then back at Sav.
"Um..." Weiss nervously tapped his fingers on his coffee cup.
Sav straightened and smiled, "Oh, it's nothing bad... I'm sorry- My name is Savvy, Weiss and I are together."
"Oh." Derek said, swallowing. How awkward... He always hated being friends with couples when he wasn't a couple, he always felt like a third wheel, not that it happened much by the way... it just- AWKWARD.
"Look," Savvy was saying when he finally unpaused from his thoughts- "My best friend Addison... do you know her? Red hair? She's in your program..."
The name sounded familiar... maybe? He hadn't really paid much attention. The program was so intense. But he remembered someone with Red Hair. She sat in the front of class usually. She asked lots of questions... she seemed well put together. Was that her?
"Maybe," he said non-committal.
Sav sat on Weiss' lap. "Well anyway... she has the hugest crush on you."
"What?" Someone had a crush on him? How did that happen? Usually he was the chaser, not the chasee.
"I know, she won't shut up about it," Sav said, admiring her nails.
"She won't?" Somebody talks about him?
"She thinks your hair is amazing..."
"What?" Addison likes his hair? Unconsciously he touched his scalp. He wished he had a mirror. Was the half hour in front of the mirror every morning paying off?
"And your eyes..." Sav said.
"Huh?" Dammit! He wanted a mirror!
"So..." Savvy twisted a strand of hair. "What do you think?"
Derek paused, stunned. Since Bowdoin, he hadn't really thought about a girlfriend, he'd dated in college, he'd even managed a year-and a half relationship which only really ended because the girl was transferring to Europe and he wasn't really a long distance type of guy. He liked close. He needed close. "Uh... Addison likes me?" he asked.
Savvy gave him a look that said What the hell have I been telling you the last few minutes?
He gave her a look that said, WTF? I'm a twenty-three year old med school student, you think I have a clue about anything?
Weiss cleared his throat, ending their little stare-spat. "How about this... after thanksgiving, Sav invites Addison for lunch, I invite you for lunch and bada-bing bada-boom, done. If anything happens, it'll happen. If not-" he shrugged.
"Uh..." Derek hesitated.
"Just say yes." Sav said.
"Okay..." He said. He wasn't quite sure what to think or feel... except, somebody was chasing him? How intriguing.
He picked up the crossword. Fourteen down read: Gazed at Lustily. He looked up at Savvy and thought about this Addison girl. He thought for a moment and scribbled 'Ogled.' Hmm.
