His blond hair blows in the wind, but the cold misses me as my whole body heats in an uncomfortable embrace. I guess I’m the real jerk in this scenario since I ditched him so quickly after the one-night stand.
He notices my confusion and points to his chest. “Kevin.” He nods to the keg. “Can I get you a drink?” Translation: Do you want to do it again?
Before I decline, Connor bounds over, face flushed from fighting through tangled bodies. His white tee is splashed in a variety of neon paints and streaked with highlighters. Someone missed the shirt, and his elbow glows bright pink. “I didn’t find him,” he tells me.
“Connor Cobalt!” Kevin exclaims.
Oh my God. They do not know each other. Where am I?
Connor turns and his grin widens as he sees Kevin. “Hey, man!” They exchange the bro-hug: a handshake, squeeze, lean in and slap on the back. I never understand those.
“I’m surprised to see your ass here,” Kevin says with a smile. “I thought keggers were far too inferior for Mr. Connor Cobalt.” Glad to know other people find his full name fascinating.
“Actually, I’m on the clock.”
“You call this tutoring?” Kevin’s eyes drop to the number written across Connor’s hand. “Damn, man, maybe I should adopt your methods. All I get out of my hours are headaches.” He glances at me, noticing my lingering presence. “Oh, this is Lily.” Obviously Kevin idiotically spaced out when Connor acknowledged me earlier.
Connor frowns deeply and tilts his head towards me. I want to smile. Yeah, you don’t have me all figured out.
“Yeah, I know,” Connor says. “I’m tutoring her. Econ.”
Kevin presses two fingers to his lips, trying to suppress his amusement. “You mean, you’re ‘tutoring’ her, right?” The douchebag even uses air quotes and nudges Connor’s shoulder suggestively.
My nose flares and heats again. I’m standing right here!
Surprisingly, Connor’s face contorts in disgust. He brushes Kevin’s shoulder off like he may have infected him. “No, I mean I’m actually tutoring her, Kevin. We’re here to find her boyfriend. She can’t get ahold of him.” He turns a fraction, closing off his body to his…friend? I can’t tell anymore. Connor is an enigma. He says offensive things and then becomes affronted when someone else dishes it out—though less subtly.
Kevin doesn’t take the hint. “Yeah, my brothers told me about him. He came to collect her the morning after at the house.”
I watch as Connor opens his mouth, but I don’t let him speak.
“I was single,” I defend myself, even if my rash-like mortification spreads. Mixed with neon highlighter, I must look like a freak. “And just so you know, you were an awful lay.” I turn to go and then on second thought—I whip around and slap the Solo cup from his hands. The frothy beer soaks in the grass and Kevin rolls his eyes as if this isn’t the first time a girl has assaulted his keg beer.
I inhale a strained breath and march away, pushing past people, not even caring when someone smears green on my cheek. Whatever. Nothing can make this night worse.
Connor catches up to my side as we find a break in the bodies, but I keep my speedy pace towards the parking lot.
He says, “I was about to tell him he’s a moron, but I think your method was far more effective.”
I laugh and wipe off stray tears that somehow escaped between now and then. When did I even start crying? The whole night has twisted my insides, and on top of everything, I didn’t find Lo.
What if he’s passed out at a bar? What if he’s stumbling on the streets or getting his stomach pumped in a hospital?
My voice grows small. “I don’t know where he could possibly be.”
“He’s probably fine, Lily.”
I shake my head, distraught tears building. “You don’t know him.” I bite my bottom lip to keep it from quivering.
Connor grimaces in sympathy. “How about we go back to your place and I’ll wait with you until he returns?”
“You don’t have to do that,” I say, sniffing. “I’ve already wasted enough of your time. This goes beyond tutoring me.”
“Yeah, it does,” he says with a nod. “But this is the most interesting thing that’s happened to me in six months, which was the last time Sadie scratched my date. And”—his eyes shift to the ground—“I guess, I know why you’d be worried about a guy like Lo. He smells like booze almost every time he does show up to class.”