You've Found Oliver (You've Reached Sam, #2)(50)

“By all means,” I say.

“Cool.”

He takes the empty chair to my right. Then he notices the missing table setting.

I lean into him. “They just cleared it a minute ago, but I’m sure they can put it back.”

As if on cue, someone comes to reset the table.

“Thanks, sorry.” He turns to me and whispers, “I hate being that guy who’s late. I thought it started at seven-thirty. I’m Will, by the way.”

“I’m Oliver.”

“Did you come alone, too?”

I shake my head. “I’m actually dating the head chef. He’s in the kitchen now.”

“Oh, wow.”

I can’t hold in the laugh. “I’m kidding. Yeah, it’s just me. My ex-boyfriend gave me the tickets, but we broke up a few months ago. Hence the ‘ex’ before ‘boyfriend.’?”

“I’m sorry about that,” he says.

I wave it off. “Eh, don’t be. At least he paid for this dinner. And what about you?”

“I wish I had an ex to pay for dinner. I’m actually third-wheeling right now. But there’s no seat over there—” He points to the table to our left. “My bestie is with the guy she’s seeing.” He leans in and whispers, “I’m honestly relieved not to sit there. He’s kind of an asshole. At least to me.”

“Well, this table has a strict No Asshole policy.”

“Thank god.”

He smiles at me. I notice the blue specks in his eyes in the light. Someone comes around and hands us each a small menu. There are two options for the main course. After some deliberation, Will and I both decide to go with the chicken.

“White meat is better for the environment,” he says.

“Cheers to saving the planet.”

The first course arrives promptly. It’s tomato bisque with a swirl of cream. It’s worlds better than the soup that’s served in the dining hall. There’s a lot of time for guests to chat between courses. Will is a sophomore majoring in political science, though he has no idea what he’ll do with that degree after college. “Maybe I’ll just go into consulting,” he says wearily. “But I don’t want to think about that now.”

“Yeah. Decide if you want to sell out later.”

Thankfully, he laughs at this. There are no fancy restaurants in Ellensburg. That’s what makes this dinner so special. The university brings in a famous chef once a year to cook a Michelin star meal, which is what makes the ticket so expensive. The chicken is perfectly seasoned and the side of rosemary potatoes is delicious. Will agrees with me on both points. We’re still hungry, so we ask for more bread rolls. Dessert is a slice of chocolate cake, which is the highlight of the night. Dinner ends with champagne, which neither of us can have.

“Should have brought my fake ID,” Will sighs.

I shake my head. “Rookie mistake.”

“Do you have one, too?”

“With this youthful face?” I say jokingly.

He laughs. “True. No one would believe it.”

After dinner is over, we rise from our seats. “Are you also heading to the dance?” Will asks me. “Or the ‘reception,’ or whatever they’re calling it.”

“Yeah, I’ll come for a bit.”

Will smiles. “Cool. I’ll see you there.” Then he heads off to meet his friends.

Maybe we should have exchanged numbers or something. I’m sure I’ll see him in a few minutes anyway. I was planning to head back to the dorm after dinner, but Ben texted me a few minutes ago, letting me know he’s running late. So I might as well stop by the reception, which is taking place in the ballroom of the Student Union, to kill some time. I’ve heard there’s usually good music. And I’m curious to see what the vibe is like.



* * *





Purple lights shine from a DJ booth in the corner. Phoebe Bridgers is playing through the giant speakers on the walls. I’ve never been inside the ballroom before. There’s already a good amount of people, but I don’t see Will anywhere. There are a few high-top tables that are covered with plastic petals. I stand beside one and take in the crowd from a distance.

I didn’t realize how many students would be here. Half the room is dancing while the other half is standing around, chatting in small circles. Someone tosses a beach ball into the center of the room. Another song comes on, but I don’t leave my spot at the table. I would be having more fun if Ben was here. I should really try to enjoy myself though. There’s no reason to feel guilty about having a good time, right? Since Ben still hasn’t arrived, I’d just be sitting in my dorm alone anyway. I’ll just stay for another ten minutes and head out.

You can only be a wallflower for so long. I thought I would have run into Will by now. Maybe he’s in the bathroom or something. I know we haven’t known each other long, but I was hoping to at least say goodbye and that it was nice to meet him. So I make my way through the crowd. The shifting lights make it difficult to recognize faces. There’s a chance I walked right past him. As I continue through the crowd, the music changes to a familiar song…

“Fade into You,” by Mazzy Star. One of Sam’s favorites.

A memory swims to the surface. This is the song that was playing when I was looking for Sam at the school dance. My stomach sank when I found him outside, dancing with someone who wasn’t me. Of course, that someone was Julie. We didn’t really know each other yet. I remember clutching the white rose he’d pinned to my jacket before heading back inside.