THE BEST THING about Astor so far? The high-end coffee bar conveniently located between classes.
As I stood in line, I read over the specials menu, which featured drinks I’d never even heard of. Blueberry matcha latte? Espresso and tonic? Eh, I wasn’t quite that adventurous, though something called a cereal milk cappuccino piqued my interest. Whatever had caffeine and tasted decent was good enough for me.
I checked the time on my phone and moved with the line, getting closer to the counter but not by much. Still, I could afford to wait a few more minutes.
“So let me guess. White mocha frappuccino?”
I looked up to see West’s lazy grin as he sidled in beside me. I glanced behind him to the glares his cutting in line had earned, but he only crossed his arms over his chest and studied the menu board.
“There’s a line for a reason,” I said pointedly, pocketing my cell.
“A line?” West’s nose wrinkled. “Not sure I’m familiar with the term.”
I shook my head. Of course this was new for him. He probably had his coffee delivered in class. “Are you stalking me?”
“What? Two people who go to the same school can’t happen to run into each other from time to time?”
“I’m sure they could, but this feels intentional.”
“Or it’s a double-shot kind of day and I saw you standing alone.” West cocked a brow. “Want me to leave?”
I looked around us at all my classmates paired up and in groups and felt that dull pang of loneliness that came with being the new guy. People weren’t exactly lining up to be my best friend, but West didn’t seem to have the “dean’s son” aversion.
“How about this,” I said, as the line moved forward. “Tell me what your deal is and you can stay.”
“Gonna buy my coffee too?”
“You’re the one who lives in the Waldorf Towers. You can buy mine.”
West smirked but nodded. “I like you.”
“You don’t know me.”
“I know enough.”
“In the whole two conversations we’ve had?”
“There are other ways to get to know someone.”
I cocked my head, eyeing him closely. Something about that statement sent up warning flags I probably should heed, but… “What do you mean, ‘other ways’?”
West chuckled, the sound cool, his smile easy. “Relax, JT. It’s not like I’m a stalker or anything.”
“You sound like a stalker.”
“And you sound paranoid. I just meant that I’ve seen you a couple times around the halls and you’re always alone. You seem like a nice guy, so it can’t be that you’re an ass—”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence.”
“All I’m saying is, you look like you could use a friend.”
“And that friend should be you?”
West shrugged and slipped a hand into his pocket. “Could be. I don’t see anyone else lining up. And you know why? Not because of you, it’s because your mom is—”
“The dean. Yeah, I worked that much out myself.”
“Right. But if you’re friends with me”—West leaned in a little closer, and Jesus, the guy smelled even better than the coffee—“everyone will like you.”
I turned my head to make sure he saw how hard I was rolling my eyes but instead found myself staring into his. They were a cool azure blue, like the clearest lake, and seemed to sparkle at me like the sun was reflecting off the water. It was probably one of the many reasons he got away with everything and anything.
He was too charismatic for his own good.
“JT?”
“Huh?”
“I was saying, if you’re friends with me, everyone will like you.”
“Because you’re that likeable?”
“Let’s put it this way, people talk to me for two reasons: they want to be me or want to be friends”—he winked—“or more with me.”
I snorted and shook my head. “Wow, you’re super confident.”
“That comes with having enough money to do whatever the hell I want.”
“And is that what you do? Whatever the hell you want?”
“And who, if I’m lucky.”
I didn’t have one damn thing to say to that, because honestly, the guy was good looking enough that he probably could get whoever he wanted. I turned back to see we were next in line.
“Oh, come on, JT.” West bumped shoulders with me. “Don’t you want your college experience to be more than moping from class to class by yourself?”
“I’m not moping.”
“But you will be soon. Imagine how much fun you’d have hanging out with—”
“Someone like you?” I raised an amused brow. “Hate to break it to you, but you’re literally the one person—or group of people—my mom doesn’t want me to be friends with.”
West’s lips twitched, but he didn’t seem offended. In fact, the look on his face said he’d figured as much. “Which would make it all the more fun.”
West’s eyes definitely sparkled this time, and something about his devil-may-care attitude called to me.
I’d always been a good kid, the one who aced his tests, did his homework, and never broke the rules. I’d had to be with my mom being who she was. But if I were honest, there was something fun and appealing about being a little reckless and going against my mom’s orders. She would want me to make friends, right? And if I could do that with West and still pass my classes then surely she wouldn’t care who it was with.
“I see you thinking about it…”
“I’m not thinking about anything right now except how much I need a hit of caffeine.” As the person ahead of us stepped aside, I gestured to the barista. “So, how about you buy me that coffee you promised, friend?”
“Oh, I see how it is, using me for my money already.”
My eyes widened, and just as I was about to adamantly refute that, he started to laugh.
“Relax, JT. I’m kidding. You want anything to eat? I’m starving.”
Hey, if he was buying…
I pointed at the top tier of the bakery case. “I’ll take a chocolate muffin and a medium cereal milk cappuccino.”
The barista nodded and looked at West.
“Double shot and a guava cheese pastry, thanks.”
“Oh, that sounds good too,” I said as we stood in front of the cashier. She took one look at West and waved him off.
“It’s on the house,” she said, smiling broadly.
“Aren’t you sweet.” He shot her a wink and slipped a bill into the tip jar, and as we headed to the pickup counter, my mouth fell open.
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“What?”
“You really do get whatever you want, don’t you?”
West looked like he was trying to hide a smile. “Believe me now?”
“I believe something is incredibly screwed up in the world when the people who can afford to pay don’t have to.” I shook my head. “But yeah. No one is immune to your charm, I guess.”
“Except you.”
“I’m still pretty impressed. Is that going to your head now?”
West’s bright white teeth bit down on his lower lip as he nodded slowly. “Oh yeah.”
He aimed a wolfish look my way, and I felt something in my chest catch. But just as quickly as it had appeared, it was gone and an easy smile curved his lips.
“Do you have lunch plans?” he asked, taking his short cup from the barista. He added a splash of cream and, after a quick mix, downed the entire thing like he was at a bar.
“Uh… I haven’t thought about it. I’ll probably just grab something quick.”
“Something quick doesn’t usually mean anything good. If you’ve got an hour, I can promise you an amazing lunch.”
“And why would you do that?” Better yet, why would I? But something about West made me want to know why he’d taken a sudden interest in me.
“Because we’re friends. And friends don’t let friends eat a stale sandwich between classes.”
The offer was tempting. I had no doubt West would know exactly where a killer spot was, but again the warning to stay away flitted through my mind, and I hesitated. Was he actually a decent guy, just a bit spoiled, and that was what my mom had an issue with?
He seemed to know exactly what I was thinking, because he said, “One lunch, you can get to know me, and if you decide you think I’m hideous and don’t want anything to do with me, then fine. It’ll be your choice, not anyone else’s.”
I turned his words over in my mind, but I already knew I’d say yes. It wasn’t like anyone was beating down my door to hang out, and I was curious about him. Him, his lifestyle, his friends.
Couldn’t hurt, right?
“I’m free around one,” I said, picking up my coffee and pastry.
“One works for me.” He grabbed his pastry bag and grinned. “I’ll see you then.”
I nodded as he walked away, but then it occurred to me I didn’t know where we were going. “Wait, where should I meet you?”
West turned around, walking backward down the hall. “Don’t worry. I’ll find you.”
I frowned, wondering how the hell he’d manage to do that, but before I could say anything else, he was gone.
Well…that was interesting.
The heat of the coffee cup bit into my hand, and I grabbed a collar from the bar, slipping it on before taking a sip. It tasted just like how it’d been advertised—like the milk after sitting in a bowl of fruity cereal.
Not bad.
Beside me, someone reached past to grab the creamer, and as he poured a bit into his cup, he said, “Making deals with the devil. I wouldn’t have guessed you for the type.”
For a minute I thought he was talking to someone else, but when I looked up, he locked eyes with me.
I blinked. “Excuse me?”
“You’re the dean’s kid, right?” He stirred his drink, took a sip, then added a bit more cream. “I would’ve thought you’d know better than to hang out with that guy.”
I took in the guy’s dark, slouchy beanie, ripped black jeans, and open flannel rolled up at the elbows. He definitely didn’t reek of money the way many of the others here did, but he was still bold enough to dole out advice to a stranger.
“You’re not the first person to say that. Why?”
He snapped the lid on his coffee and shrugged. “Why warn you off from making a bad decision? Call me crazy, but I’d rather not see the Park Avenue Princes add to their ranks.”
The Park Avenue Princes? Was that an actual thing, title, whatever? Either way, what was going on here? First my mom, now some guy at the coffee bar was warning me off…?
I turned to face him. “How much did my mom pay you to warn me off?”
He smiled. “I didn’t know that offer was on the table. You’re getting this advice for free.”
“And who are you?”
“Caleb.” He switched his coffee to his other hand and shook mine.
“JT.”
“Yeah, I know. Dean’s kid.”
Seemed like that label was going to haunt me all the way through college. Hell, might as well get it tattooed on my damn forehead at this stage.
“Well, uh, thanks for the…”
“Unsolicited advice?”
I chuckled. “Yeah.”
“But you’re not going to take it.”
I shrugged my bag up my arm and took another sip of my coffee. “I’m going to think about it.”
“S’pose that’s all I can ask for.”
“Why are you asking?”
“Like I said, I don’t want to see them add anyone else to their ranks.” He reached for the headphones slung around his neck and put them on over his beanie. “See you ’round, JT.”
As Caleb disappeared down the hall, I looked around, definitely feeling that paranoia West had mentioned earlier, like I was being watched, and couldn’t help but wonder if my mom really had sent Caleb to double down on her warning.
But that was just ridiculous.
She trusted me. Why wouldn’t she? I’d never given her a reason not to, and everyone had to eat lunch, right? Right. So I didn’t see the harm in making a new friend, and like West said, this way it’d be my choice.
Not my mom’s and definitely not some stranger’s.
