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  “What good would that do?

  “They’d have no choice but to tell everyone what was going on with Troy and the tunnel below us.”

  “No they wouldn’t, and you know that,” Darren said, letting his voice raise. “They’d deny it, make up a story, probably even fill the shaft with cement just to hide it. And then they’d do to us what they did to Troy.”

  “Too many people would know about it though.”

  “So? What would they do about it? It’s not as if they violated any laws for withholding a reason that a student left campus. Then they’ll say the tunnel is just an old maintenance tunnel and leave it at that. That will be the end of it.”

  “But it’s not an old maintenance tunnel. You saw the blueprints.”

  “What would anyone do about it anyways?”

  “Demand an answer.”

  “Demand to know why there’s a tunnel underneath the library? Or what?”

  Jack shrugged. “Strike?”

  Darren laughed. “I have a feeling that wouldn’t happen. No one else would have the same curiosity in the shaft that we do.”

  “Someone will.”

  “But not an entire campus of people.”

  “Probably not.”

  “It’s better that just the two of us keep it a secret,” Darren said, letting the tension in his voice relax back to normal. “A secret for now, until we know more and decide what to do about it.”

  Jack nodded, his lips squeezing together tight enough that they lost their color for a moment. “I suppose you’re right.”

  “When we know what’s going on, we’ll figure out what to do about it. But let’s not jump to decisions too fast.”

  “That makes sense.”

  A voice drifted from a few aisles over.

  “Come on, let’s cover it back up,” Darren said.

  Darren and Jack both grabbed a corner and turned the shelf back into position. Darren tried to smooth out the carpet where it had been resting to hide what they were doing from anyone passing through, and then followed Jack back toward the entrance.

  Jack stopped before the last aisle of bookcases and turned to Darren as he slowed down. “You don’t think anyone else will stumble on it, do you?”

  “Not after how good they hid it.”

  “Troy wouldn’t have told anyone?”

  “I guess I was the last one to see him.”

  “Did he have a phone with him?”

  “Yeah,” Darren said. “He got a call from someone before he went into the hatch.”

  “Did he say anything about it?”

  Darren shook his head.

  “I suppose there’s no way to know if he called anyone after you left.”

  “No, but there’s no way to say for sure if his phone would work in the tunnel or not.”

  “I suppose not,” Jack said. “We’ll just have to hope no one knows about it besides us.” He looked up at Darren. “For now.”

  “Until we figure out what’s going on.”

  Jack nodded.

  “We can talk about it at the end of the day.”

  “I have to work tonight.”

  “We’ll talk when we can. I’ll see if I can find anything from the architecture professor about changes in the designs of the library.”

  Jack nodded. “Let me know what you find.”

  “I will.”

  “And have fun on your date.”

  “It’s not a date.”

  “Just keep telling yourself that.”

  Darren could feel his heart pace increase at the thought of the coming meeting. “I will, because it’s not a date.”

  “Don't work too hard at least.”

  “We’re just discussing what we’re going to do, how we’re going to do it.”

  “I suggest missionary to start with, much more intimate.”

  Darren rolled his eyes.

  “Just make sure you don’t schedule all your time with her, you and I have a lot to do to figure this thing out.”

  “Don’t worry.”

  “I won’t,” Jack said. He led Darren past the librarian’s desk, and outside.

  Darren tightened his jacket around himself. At least his hair was dry now.

  “I’ll see you at some point,” Jack said.

  “Okay, I’ll see you later.”

  “Have fun.”

  Darren just shook his head and walked toward the road as Jack headed south. Student traffic was still light-class hadn’t gotten out yet-but he needed the time to prepare himself. Just settle his mind down, remind himself that this is just a collaboration of a pair of student minds, nothing more. They’d discuss how they wanted to do the paper, and the discussion would stay on topic. She seemed like a nice, friendly girl, but he couldn’t let it affect him. Her looks sure did, but he had to get over that. He had a girlfriend, he couldn’t be having those thoughts for a different girl.

  Darren shoved his hands deep into his pockets and made his way to the Student Union.

  Chapter 10

  Darren sat with his back against the long bench between the tables and the restaurant areas, trying not to watch the entrance. He kept his biology book out in front of him so that he looked busy, but every time his mind wandered, his face lifted back toward the entrance. He didn’t want Audrey to think that he was getting anxious about meeting with her, but he couldn’t get it out of his mind.

  He hasn’t felt this nervous since the introductions yesterday.

  Darren caught himself looking back toward the entrance again, gave himself a mental slap to wake himself up from the day dream in his head, and looked back down at the textbook set out on the table in front of him. His eyes couldn’t focus on the words, and the pictures were nothing but blurs.

  He wiped his palms on his pants and looked up again.

  Get a hold of yourself, he told himself. She isn’t here yet. She may not even come. She could have forgotten.

  Darren wished he could forget about her for a minute. He already had a girlfriend he loved, so why could he be so nervous to see Audrey again?

  Because she’s better than Rachel, that’s why.

  Darren shook his head. He didn’t know anything about Audrey besides her name. And that she’s hot. Hot enough to make Rachel look like dry ice.

  Knock it off. It wasn’t fair to think those things. Rachel might not be in the same physical-looks class as Audrey, but that didn’t make her inferior. Audrey could turn into a self righteous ass for all Darren knew. One with a damn nice ass though.

  Darren tried to change the focus of his mind, but it did no good. He felt guilty about having lustful thoughts of a girl he didn’t know-Audrey Wilde, Wilde in bed-but he just couldn’t stop no matter how hard he tried.

  “Hi,” a voice came from in front of Darren.

  He looked up to see Audrey before him, silhouetted by the vast wall of glass behind her, spreading a soft glow around her that resonated off of her silken skin.

  Darren opened his mouth to speak, but his voice gave out on him at first. “Uhh… Hi.”

  She looked at the chair across the table from him.

  Darren shot to his feet. Chivalry may be on the verge of death, but he could still stand in respect of this woman. He gestured to the chain she looked at. “Please.”

  Audrey’s perma-smile grew. “Mind if I sit alongside of you?”

  Darren gulped.

  “I like to look at the trees here, especially at this time of year.”

  “Of course,” Darren said. He moved over to supply her with some table room.

  “Thank you.”

  Audrey slid her curved hips into the seat, letting a strip of skin show above her black slacks as she settled into the seat next to Darren. She tugged the purple shirt she wore down after she crossed her legs beneath the table and flipped her deep brown hair over her shoulders. She set her backpack on the floor beside her.

  Darren could see the slope of her breast meeting her bra through the v-neck of the shirt. He felt a s
tirring in his pants at the thought of running his fingers across that soft flesh, then realized he was staring and shot his eyes back up to hers.

  She was looking right at him.

  There was no way that she could have missed him staring at her chest. Darren began to blush as he looked back at her, then he had to turn his head to look forward. He hadn’t felt that embarrassed in a long time, and he could feel his face beginning to burn under her gaze. He closed his biology book and tried to turn his face away from her as he tucked it back into his backpack. Give it a chance to get its color back.

  “They aren’t that colorful yet,” Audrey said.

  Darren turned back to her. “What aren’t?”

  “The trees. The colors of the leaves haven’t been changing that fast this year.”

  “I hadn’t noticed.”

  “I wish they were colorful all year long.”

  “I don’t know, I kind of like plain old green leaves.”

  Audrey looked over to him. No judgment in her face, as if she didn’t agree with his opinion like he had always gotten from Rachel. Audrey looked at him with a genuine interest as if she really was curious to hear his opinion.

  “They seem so bright and fresh when they’re green. Full of life,” Darren said.

  Audrey nodded and looked back out the window, “I suppose spring would lose a lot of its meaning if the colors never changed.”

  A moment of silence passed. A comfortable silence, despite the unnatural speed of Darren’s heart. In his and Rachel’s heyday, Rachel would have rested her head on his shoulder at a moment like this, and Darren began to wish Audrey would rest her head on him right now.

  “Did you get anywhere on your paper with your old partner?” Audrey asked after a minute. Down to business.

  “No,” Darren said. “It took me awhile to convince him to actually go to the library with me, but even then he had…other things he preferred to do.”

  “I’m not like that,” Audrey said. “I don’t procrastinate.”

  “Me either.”

  “I know. I can tell that about you.” She looked up at him, her deep eyes so welcoming. “I can tell a lot about you.”

  Darren swallowed. Hard. “You can?”

  Audrey nodded. “You seem like a nice person. Caring, giving. Almost a go-getter type, but there’s something that’s holding you back. Holding you hostage.”

  “Like what?”

  “I can’t tell that. Something in your life that has made you more withdrawn than nature intended.”

  Darren nodded, but he did not elaborate on her comment.

  “I suppose we came here to discuss the paper,” Audrey said, leaning to her backpack and coming back with the school supplied day planner and pen.

  “Good ole Paul Revere,” Darren said.

  Audrey let out a light laugh. “The one and only.”

  “Know anything about him?”

  “Just the usual.”

  “One if by land-”

  “Two if by sea.”

  “That’s him.”

  “I don’t think we’ll have any problem working together. I think we’ll be a good fit.”

  “I think so too.”

  Audrey jotted something in her planner that Darren couldn’t see, then glanced around the table. “Didn’t you eat lunch yet?”

  He was too nervous to eat before, and even though his body had settled down now that the initial meeting was over, he still wasn’t sure if his stomach would be able to handle food. “No, I’m not that hungry today.”

  “You sure?” Audrey said. “I don’t mind if you eat, I was thinking about getting something myself. We can eat together and talk until class time.”

  “Okay,” Darren said, his stomach growing tight again.

  Just get something that won’t make a mess. Don’t want to look like a filthy slob in front of her.

  Audrey bumped her thigh against Darren’s as she uncrossed her legs. She stood up, showing the thin strip of flesh as she slid off the seat, then turned to Darren, holding her hand out for him.

  Darren’s heart fluttered as he took the proffered hand and slid himself out behind her. She didn’t let go of his hand when he got to his feet. Instead, she led him up to the food, holding his hand the entire time.

  Darren could feel his palm sweating, but she didn’t seem to mind as she took him to the sub sandwich bar.

  Darren hoped to hell that none of Rachel’s friends were here to see him holding hands with Audrey. He’d never be able to explain his way out of this one. Audrey was just a touchy person that was it, there was nothing going on between them. No matter how much he was beginning to wish that wasn’t true, it was the truth.

  Audrey ordered, Darren ordering right behind her, and it wasn’t until she had to pull out her ID and pick up her sandwich that she let go of Darren. The blood pounded in his hand, addicted to her touch, wanting more, but it settled for the small cup of Pepsi instead.

  They headed back to the table, sitting next to each other, looking out to the trees as they unwrapped their purchases. Audrey sipped her own soda without touching the cup, just leaning forward and coaxing the straw in her mouth with her tongue.

  Darren had to look away.

  “So, are you from around here?” Audrey said before taking the first bite.

  “Kingston.”

  “I had an aunt who lived there up until a year or two ago. Moved down to Florida on my uncle’s new pension.”

  “Florida is a bit more exciting.”

  “I don’t know about that. Warm at least. But beaches get old after awhile.”

  “I guess,” Darren said. “What about you? Where are you from?”

  “Madison.”

  “What made you choose to come to Redfern? UW-Madison is right in your backyard.”

  “Yeah, but I wanted to get away from the city and all the people,” Audrey said. “It’s too crowded at that school. I wanted something more relaxing.”

  “I suppose you found the right place then.”

  “Yeah, and not too expensive.”

  “Paying your own way?”

  “My parents put most of the money away for me while I grew up. I got a small scholarship but not enough to really make a difference.”

  “You don’t work?”

  Audrey took a bite of her sandwich, shaking her head. “You?”

  “Nope,” Darren said. “Riding on a scholarship myself.”

  “Parents paying the rest too?”

  “Grant.”

  “What kind of grant?”

  Darren hesitated. He supposed it didn’t hurt to tell Audrey. She didn’t seem like a judgmental person. “Low income,” Darren said.

  Audrey nodded, but made no sign in her face that showed any change in her thoughts toward him.

  Darren was always afraid to tell people about his family’s financial situation. Not only was it no one else’s business, but the kids back at school in Kingston would have only used it to fuel the fire against him. They would have made fun of him for it-and for being an Arab. But Audrey didn’t even seem fazed by it. It didn’t seem to bother her in the least.

  The two ate and talked to each other as time moved on without them. Audrey had a tendency of patting Darren on the leg if he said something even on the remote side of funny, but Darren didn’t mind. The tension lifted from Darren after awhile, and a low level of comfort came in its place. Audrey seemed like the friend he never had, and he had to remind himself a couple of times that he didn’t know this girl, that he had never met her until yesterday.

  But he was getting to know her now. And he was liking what he found.

  Whenever Audrey laughed, she let her hand fall on Darren’s thigh, midway between his knee and hipbone.

  Darren wanted to rest his hand on top of hers, feel her skin with his own flesh. But he didn’t. He felt guilty just thinking about doing it, he would only feel more guilty if he actually did it. Rachel was the furthest thing from his mind right now, but Darren couldn�
��t help it. Audrey was just so…magical.

  “It’s almost time for me to get heading toward class,” Audrey said, pulling her hand from Darren’s leg.

  “I didn’t realize it was getting that late,” Darren said.

  “When did you want to get together and get started?”

  “I’m free most evenings. I don’t have any big enough breaks between classes to be worth wild.”

  “How about tonight then?”

  “I... Uh... I suppose so.”

  “Say sixish?”

  “Should be fine.”

  “Just meet at the library?”

  “No problem.”

  Audrey cleaned up the sandwich wrapper in front of her and tucked her day planner back into her backpack. “I think we’ll be good together.”

  “I think so too.”

  She looked into his eyes. “You seem like a sweet guy. Maybe we’ll make good friends together too.”

  “I hope so.”

  Audrey stood, and Darren followed suit. She hefted her backpack over her shoulders and tossed her hair over the straps before picking up her garbage.

  “I can walk you to class,” Darren said. He didn’t want her to have to leave him already. It felt so right just sitting beside her, and he didn’t want it to end so soon.

  “I have to head back toward the gym,” Audrey said. “I’m guessing that you’re going the opposite direction since you’re not in my class.”

  Darren’s face dropped. “Yeah,” he said. “But I can still walk with you if you want me to.”

  “I don’t want to see you be late for class,” she said. “I’ll see you tonight though.”

  “Okay.”

  Audrey gave Darren a small wave with her fingers and turned to leave.

  Darren watched Audrey walk away-her hips swinging back and forth, her hair bouncing off her shoulders. His heart tensed as she ventured further away, leaving him with a longing he had never felt before.

  Darren collapsed back into his seat when Audrey disappeared around the corner. His brain stalled for a moment, then kicked his basic functions back in. He loaded his backpack without thinking about it, tossed it onto his back, and threw his trash away on the way to the door.

  He pushed out into the cool air and made his way south toward the T. Sommers Sciences building on the far side of campus. Students wandered back and forth between building in all directions, a few walking in pairs of the opposite sexes. Darren kept his eyes on the path in front of him, his mind still running at a minimum state.