Paddling out into the freezing cold surf, I push myself past the waves, out where the water is calm. Being out here, in the water, under the cold blue sky, it's the only way I can keep myself from texting her.

We're meeting at a popular burger place tomorrow night to work on the project and eat. I'm coming out of my skin waiting. Last night after we left the coffee shop I wanted to kick myself for leaving my car at home. She ordered an Uber. The possibility that I could give her a ride never occurred to me.

I texted her an hour later to make sure she got home safely.

I don't even recognize myself. I don't know anything about this woman. I've gone troppo. I've lost the plot. I'm love-sick over a complete stranger. I just felt an instant connection with her. The moment she looked at me with those big eyes, I was a goner.

The ocean has always been my place. I understand the water, I respect it. Usually, the ocean clears my mind. I feel small and insignificant in the water like I'm a tiny piece in a huge world.

Today, even the ocean is not a place of solace. The water looks like her eyes.

Deciding to paddle back to shore, I try to think of anything else. I didn't ride a single wave today and I don't really care. The little surf group is scattered around the beach, half of them in the water, the others relaxing in the sand.

"Abbi!" Courtney approaches me as I reach them. "You didn't actually surf today!"

"Yeah, it wasn't my day."

"Are you leaving?" She tilts her head.

"I drove myself today. I'm going to head back to campus."

"Can I come with you?"

"Sure, if you're ready."

After saying our goodbyes to the group we walk toward my old truck.

"How have you been? I haven't seen you around much." Courtney breaks the silence as I steer us toward campus.

"I've been busy. I have a full courseload plus I'm Dr. Allen's aid this year."

"Are you coming to game night? Lottie and I are hosting it this time."

"It's next weekend, right?"

"Yep."

"I'll be there. Are you hungry?"

"Starving, actually." She laughs as I pull the truck into the local Italian place that everyone on campus comes to for quick, cheap pizza.

"How are your classes going?" We slip into easy conversation after ordering our food.

"Oh, you know," she laughs, "Same shit, different semester. I've been making audition tapes for meteorologist positions at local new stations and haven't heard anything back from anyone." She frowns.

"You still have a full year left until you graduate. Don't worry too much if nothing is coming right now. You have the kind of personality that would be perfect to watch on the news. They would be crazy not to hire you."

Her face lights up, "thanks, Abbi."

Behind her, in the distance, the door opens. I'm immediately struck as Evangeline walks inside.

She's got a bundle of books in her arms and glasses perched on her nose. I watch as she slides into a small booth across the restaurant, her back turned to me. I can barely see the top of her head now, but that doesn't stop me from looking every few seconds.

"Are you alright?" Courtney waves her hand in front of my face.

"Yeah, sorry. I just saw someone. I'll be right back, yeah? Just give me one second." I jump up, weaving through the tables toward her.

Her face is buried in a book, focus etched into her brow. She doesn't notice me standing beside her.

"Is this seat taken?" I slide into the seat across from her.

"Connor!" She gasps and drops her textbook. "I didn't see you there."

"Well," I glance at her book, "Marine Biodiversity is riveting."

She blushes and sets the book on the table.

"I'm looking forward to tomorrow," I blurt the words out before I can stop myself.

"Are you?" She chuckles, her perfect brow arching.

"You don't believe me?"

"You're excited to work on our project? That seems a bit farfetched."

"We're also having dinner, remember?" Fuck. Did she forget? It's all I've thought about for nearly forty-eight hours.

"I remember," she smiles.

"So, what are you doing here?" I want to slam my face into the table as soon as the words leave my mouth.

"Well, this might surprise you, but I'm not fasting until our dinner tomorrow."

"Of course not." I groan. "I just meant... are you here alone or..."

"Yeah, I am," her beautiful eyes flicker with mischief. "What about you? Are you here to stare at food or are you eating as well?"

"I ordered a Spicy Sicilian," I look back toward my table. "It should be out soon."

Courtney is looking down at her phone. It probably won't be rude of me to stay for another few minutes.

"The Spicy Sicilian is actually my favorite from here," she smiles. "I ordered it as a calzone. Smaller box to take home." She shrugs her shoulders.

"So," I lean back against the stiff bench seat. "Have you worked on any more of the project?"

She rolls her lips into her mouth and looks down at her notebook.

"Evangeline!"

"I know," she covers her face, "I'm sorry! It's a compulsion. I can't even stop myself!"

"Somehow I knew it..."

"Don't sound disappointed in me," she giggles and I can't fight back my smile anymore.

"I can't let my partner do all of the work. If you don't stop working on it on your own, we may have to meet every day."

"I'll behave, I promise!"

She doesn't seem as guarded tonight as she did before. Maybe she's giving me a chance. Or maybe she's decided that I don't matter enough to be reserved. Fuck, I hope it's not that...

"Why did you decide to come to Boston?" I wait, hoping she will answer and not blow me off.

"The marine sciences program here is one of the best around." She feeds me that generic bullshit answer that may be true but it's not the whole truth.

"Why else?" I lean in, watching her eyes.

She opens her mouth, her lips pulling into a small frown before she leans in too, resting her chin on her elbow.

"I needed a new scene. I had become kind of...stuck. I thought that a new city, a new school... would help me get out of the rut I was in."

"Did it? Help I mean..."

"Yes," a bright smile spreads across her face and my heart thumps in my chest.

"Do you miss home?"

"Of course, sometimes. But I'm enjoying my time here. What about you? Do you miss home? You're much further away than I am..."

"I do but I go back twice a year."

I want to keep her talking, to get lost in conversation, and sit here until they kick us out to close. I want to watch her smile and laugh. There is something comforting about her. Even though we're sitting here, almost strangers, getting to know one another, I feel like I know her already.

"What is your favorite movie?" I watch for annoyance. Maybe she wants me to leave her alone.

"Ok, don't laugh," she starts and I'm already laughing. It's got to be really bad if she prefaces her answer.

Over the next ten minutes, we argue over the merits of Free Willy and why Finding Nemo is a better movie than The Little Mermaid.

"You're so wrong!" She laughs and slams her hand down on the table. "Finding Nemo is real... not real like... a true story, but the fish and marine life are real. The Little Mermaid is not!"

"But The Little Mermaid has songs..." I shrug, satisfied that I won this round.

"If we were to go by the music, we would have to leave the water completely. The Lion King wins that, hands down." She crosses her arms over her chest. Maybe I didn't win this round.

"Hey, speaking of songs." I might be shooting myself in the foot right now but I have to try. "I'm not sure what kind of music you're into but... next month The Shins are performing at The Roadrunner..."

Her head tips back and she laughs, "I have tickets to that show!"

"The venue is standing room only... would you maybe want to... stand with me?"

Fuck.

"Sure, we can stand together."

"I mean, it's not really a date. It's just two people going to the same place at the same time..."

I want to throw myself in front of traffic. Why did I say that? I'm trying to convince her that it's casual, even though she already said yes. She didn't need convincing. I don't want it to be casual... this started with me asking her on a date.

"Thanks for clarifying," she rolls her lips into her mouth to stop her smile.

"Wait, I didn't mean it like that. I just... I thought you were likely to say no, so I was trying to convince you..." I'm sputtering and rambling like an idiot.

"Connor, it's fine..." She giggles and I start to breathe a sigh of relief until I notice Courtney walking toward us. FUCK. I completely forgot about her.

Evangeline noticed my sudden panic and turns around to look just as Courtney comes up to the table.

"Hey, Abbi, they brought our pizzas to the table about five minutes ago..." she gestures back to our table. "I texted you but you left your phone."

"Shit, sorry, Court. I'll be right there." I try to stay calm but I can already tell that this has fucked everything.

"Ok," she smiles and turns around, completely unaware of the destruction she just caused.

"Ev-"

"Are you fucking kidding me, Connor?" She cuts me off. "Are you here on a date trying to line up another date? You've been here for twenty minutes! Go away! Get back to your table and your date and leave me alone! What is wrong with you?"

"No, it's not a date-"

"So it's just a casual situation. Two people, at the same place, at the same time," she spits my words back at me in a pretty impressive Aussie accent.

"No! This isn't even that-"

As if the universe itself is against me, the waitress brings a small box to the table. Of course, she does.

"Thank you," Evangeline hands her some money and starts to quickly gather her things.

"Just listen for one second. Courtney and I are just friends. We aren't on a date-"

"Look, I'm not into the whole causal friends-with-benefits thing. I'm not mad at you, live your life. I just don't want to get mixed up in a scenario like that. You should go before your pizza gets cold." She turns on her heels and marches toward the door.

What the fuck just happened?

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