Cindel74

4

That evening, Cindy sat in the cafeteria and ate dinner alone. Periodically she would look up at the few other students that ate there. Some were laughing and talking loudly. Others had their noses stuck in a book. She wondered who Dain really was. Was he a student too?

Dean happened by the cafeteria and saw Cindy sitting alone. He walked up to her table and sat down.

"Hello, there," he said.

Cindy sat up straight in her chair. Her glasses slid down her nose again. "Hi," she said sheepishly.

"I just happened to be walking by. I have Operating Systems class in a half an hour. Talk about boring."

"I took that last year. You're right, it's pretty boring."

"Did you try out the wireless yet? It's hard to believe in this day and age that they make laptops without built-in wireless."

"I know, right? But no, I haven't had time."

"Just wondered." He paused. "So what do you do in your spare time?"

"Oh, I volunteer at an animal shelter. The one a couple of blocks from the store you work in."

"That's cool. I like animals too. But my parents never let me have pets as a kid."

Cindy thought about inviting him to the shelter one day, but someone else approached the table. It was her roommate Meg. She could not figure out why Meg would voluntarily come over. Meg sat down next to Dean and crossed her legs.

"Hi, Cindy," Meg said.

"What do you want?" Cindy asked.

"Just saying hi to my roommate. Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?" Meg asked. She batted her eyes at Dean and leaned toward him.

That was her game. "Meg, this is Dean. I met him at the computer store the other day."

Meg held out her hand. "It's a pleasure."

Dean shook her hand but then stood right up. "I have to get to class. It was good to see you again."

"Way to go, you scared him off," Meg said when Dean was out of the cafeteria. She glared at Cindy. "Why didn't you tell us you knew him?"

"I told you, I just met him the other day at the store."

"What were you doing there? It is not as if you were going to buy something. Don't you even know who he is?"

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"He's Dean Latte. The heir to the Lattetude computer business."

Cindy did not believe her ears. He seemed to be nice. Not a snobby rich kid. Cindy spotted her other roommates walk up to the table.

"What's going on, Meg?" Isabel asked.

"Our roomy has secrets. Guess who was just talking to her? Dean Latte."

The other girls gasped.

"You have to be kidding me," Alexis said.

"They seemed to be pretty chummy," Meg said.

"Oh my God, he shouldn't be talking to her," Isabel said.

"The next time I see him, I'll introduce you. He should be talking to one of us. Not you," Meg said.

Cindy stood up.

"Where are you going?" Alexis asked.

"I'm tired of listening to you," Cindy said. "I know he couldn't be interested in someone like me. So stop making such a big deal about it." Cindy picked up her bag and left the girls slack jawed.