Mona groaned as the covers of her bed were thrown off of her.
“Get up.” Miriam said, folding her arms and standing over her as Mona attempted to blink her eyes awake.
“Why?” She groaned again, trying to pull her sheets back over her face to block out the fading sunlight. “I just finished studying for my data analysis class a few hours ago. I want to sleep.”
“Not a chance. You promised me we would go out. I’m holding you to that.”
“Tonight?” As Mona finished struggling to wake up, she was met with an interesting sight through the crack in the doorway. “Who are they?”
Miriam giggled. “Don’t worry about them. And yes, tonight.”
Mona ignored her and continued to peer around Miriam at the men surrounding Jason. “Are you taking up a collection? Because if you are, I am going to have to find somewhere else to stay.”
“No!” Miriam protested with a laugh. “Besides, my room isn’t big enough to keep that kind of collection. Jason brought them to hang out.”
“Hang out? Do I really take that long to get ready?”
Miriam was already nodding before Mona finished the sentence. Shrugging, Mona headed straight to the bathroom, not acknowledging anyone. It wasn’t until she got back to her room that she faced Miriam with a curious stare. “You aren’t trying to set me up so that you don’t have to keep dragging me away from my desk whenever the two of you want to go do anything, right?”
“I promise that I am not. As far as Jason trying, I don’t know. He didn’t say anything about asking a guy to date you for a long time.”
“Wait. What?” Mona threw up her hands. “Are you saying that Jason has tried in the past?”
At her nod, Miriam spun around and out of the doorway. “I think I will wait out here with them. Hurry quick. The dancing starts in less than 30 minutes and it is a 20 minute drive.”
Dancing?” Mona shrunk. “I hate dancing.”
It was Jason that looked over at her and smiled. “Hey Mona. Glad to see you’re alive.”
“I was studying.” She growled leaning in the doorway of her room.
“Was is past tense.” He perked up, nodding his head at me. Immediately the two guys turned their heads almost in comical unison to look at her as well. Mona blushed. Jason continued. “If you are done studying, then you can help me take these two fine friends of mine on a tour of the city tomorrow. They are new to the area.”
“Transferring in late?” She eyed the thinner blonde first. He wasn’t super skinny, like she would weigh more than him, but definitely trim and in shape. The other one was dark, dark everything. Dark black hair, dark brown eyes, dark blue shirt. She couldn’t see his pants because the couch he was sitting on was blocking her view but she was guessing that they were dark too.
The blonde shook his head. “I’m just dropping Trey off. He’s starting next semester.”
As Mona went to disappear back into her room she paused in the doorway, glancing back at Trey. “You know that coming early isn’t like getting a head start.”
“Maybe not from an educational standpoint but I’m sure there are plenty of social activities to occupy him while he hunts down a job.” Blondie said.
“And you are?”
“Harry.”
“Are you his interpreter? I admit, stony silence is a hard language to pick up.” She gave both of the newbies a flirty wink, smiling towards Trey.
All three guys chuckled but Mr Dark Mystery still didn’t speak up.
“Alright then. I’ll change and we can go.” Mona slammed her door and fought the urge to flop onto the bed. Opening up the opposite side of the closet she perused all the ‘fun’ clothes Miriam insisted she would need for going out. Since that very expensive shopping trip, the only going out that required any sort of dressing up was when Miriam ambushed her into a social event.
Emerging a few minutes later in a cute, flirty green dress and strappy sandals, Mona headed straight for the door. “Coming?” She called when she reached for the doorknob.
Both Trey and Harry stood almost automatically and quickly joined her out in the hallway. Jason was in less of a hurry as he continued to whisper in Miriam’s ear.
“So, are you two being forced into social activity as well or is that just me?” Mona slowed her pace as the three of them strolled down the hallway so that she could hook arms with both of them.
Trey seemed startled to find her standing there, and even more surprised that her hand was on his arm. Had he already forgotten her?
“Not exactly.” Trey answered, a slow smile spreading across his features as he focused completely on her face. “Jason has a way of being very persuasive.”
“In what way?” She couldn’t disguise her curiosity. Jason didn’t seem persuasive at all, then again he hadn’t really ever tried to convince her of anything.
Trey glanced back in the direction of her recently vacated apartment, probably looking for Jason, and then over at Harry. Mona purposely didn’t look away from Trey’s face, waiting. He cleared his throat and kept his eyes staring straight ahead toward the exit.
Harry laughed as we neared the front door. “Jason promised there would be lots of gorgeous college girls no matter where we went.”
“And that is what convinced the two of you to come out tonight? Pretty girls?” Mona sighed.
Harry flashed a bright smile her way but she pointedly ignored it. He was looking more and more like a flirt than a friend or dancing buddy. She refocused on Trey who was still not looking at her.
Cocking her head to the side she caught Trey’s gaze by nudging his hip. She smiled brightly. “You coming for the pretty girls too, Trey?”
“I’m coming for you.” He finally held her gaze and didn’t look away.
“Me?”
His smile was worth the wait as it warmed her completely, heat tingling along her cheeks. “After meeting you, I don’t think I can let you out of my sight. Some other lucky loser would snatch you up in a heartbeat and I’d never get to dance with you.”
She softly squeezed his arm. “You only have to ask. I’d say yes.”
