Time Duology #1: Time For Love 💘

6. Something Like Summertime

Anthony took one look at Evelyn and he knew he was missing something.

He went to sit beside her at the table she caught for them and said, "So, what is it?" he asked, curiously. "You look like you slept with a hanger in your mouth."

For, she was grinning and for some reason, wouldn't stop.

"I think I have a real admirer!" she cried, turning to him.

"That's not news. I mean, you always had admirers."

"No, no – a real one! In the flesh and blood!" she insisted, still grinning.

"Sure. And all of the others are just stuffed animals," he muttered, drily.

Evelyn laughed, loud and clear. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that! He actually accompanied me to the cafeteria after our little study session in the library!"

"Study session, huh? Never knew you to be having a group study." He smiled slyly.

She blushed gracefully. "Well, it was just the two of us. The Historiography professor was absent to-day, so we had two hours free. Of course, the first hour Mr Jones came for substitution and gave this really stupid lecture I really don't want to recall." She paused. "But, the next hour we had to ourselves, so he wanted somebody to clear some doubts for him."

Anthony raised an eyebrow. "And you volunteered to help him?"

"Nah. Elena told me to."

"Well, that's great that got to help somebody to-day. It's a good deed. Keep doing 'em."

She grinned again. "Oh, I will!"

"Oh – and by the way, I hope you'll have fun with Tony Saturday night."

Evelyn's face fell. "Shucks, I completely forgot about that! Okay, I'll go."

"You know, you still have time to cancel –"

At that last word, the chord of anger struck her. "No can do!" she said. "I'll go on that date!"

"Evelyn, you're not even into him. And it looks to me like you're into someone else. So..."

"No, no, if you're talking about August, I'm not into him."

"August. He's the one you had your study session with?"

"Yes. Why?"

"Nothing. I think he's the one who lives next door to us."

"August Cassidy?"

"I know his parents have the same family name."

"Oh yes... Now that I think about it... Wasn't he the one who moved in two years ago? A month after college started in the first year?"

"That's right. And if I remember correctly, you were the first one of us to befriend him."

"True...Anyway, he asked to come over Sunday so we could help one-another with our dissertations."

"That's nice of him to offer help."

Evelyn gave a nervous laugh. "Actually, he was the one who asked it. Again."

"Hey guys!"

The two companions turned around and found Sophia and Edmund sitting across from them at the table. It was the former who greeted them.

"Hey! You're finally here!" exclaimed Evelyn. "Come on, let's dig in!"

~*~

"You know, maybe there's more to it."

Anthony and Evelyn were standing by the McCoys's car as they waited for Sophia's and Edmund's classes to get over. The latter had Ms Foy's class for the last hour and as usual, she was exceeding the hour given to hour, as Sophia's hurried text message to her brother relayed.

Evelyn turned to Anthony in surprise. He had a thoughtful expression on his face.

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

Anthony wondered how to give voice to his suspicions. "I don't know... I mean, I'm talking about this classmate of yours – August Cassidy. I think there's more to the Sunday study session than he's letting on."

She frowned and was about to retort, when he went on:

"See, he's a good friend of mine, so I'm not suspecting him of anything. Go on that date Saturday and also on Sunday. See who fits you better. Choose only one."

Evelyn gulped, but didn't say anything. She just nodded in acknowledgement.

He looked past her and saw his sister waving at him, with Edmund by her side. "They're here. Get inside now, at least. Your nose must've frozen up by now."

Evelyn wordlessly obliged him and after greeting her friends with a wave of her hand and a smile on her face, got into the front passenger seat of the WagonR.

During the drive, Sophia and Edmund discussed something about their subject, while Evelyn and Anthony made small talk.

"So, Anthony," said Evelyn. "I haven't asked you this for a long time now. Do you have somebody?"

"Who, me?" he glanced at her. "Not that I know of. Not yet, anyway."

"Yea, maybe you'll find someone when you start practising next year."

"Speaking of, I saw that movie with Sophia this hols. You know, the one with Reese Witherspoon."

She raised an eyebrow with a dry look. "She did tons of movies. Which one are you talking about?"

"Uh... I don't know, I forget... Sorry..."

"Can you at least describe what happens in it?"

"Oh yea! Well, she attends this law school –"

"'Legally Blonde'!" she exclaimed excitedly. "I remember now – I told you to watch it! So, how was it!?"

"It was surprisingly good – for a romance!"

She chuckled. "Nobody who listens to all the lectures about settling with one guy that you give me wouldn't believe that you're anti everything romance!"

"Hey, I'm not anti-romance! In fact, I'm not anti...anything at all! I just find two people loving one-another and not saying it until the very end rather... well, unamusing."

She laughed. "Is there even such a word?"

"I highly doubt it." He brought the car to a stop. "And here we are at your house. I hope you haven't forgotten your keys or anything. I mean, not that you do."

"Nope. It's in my bag." She patted it sitting on her lap. She opened the door and got out. "See you all in college, y'all!"

"See ya!" Her friends called back.

She closed the door and walked through the gate to the front door. She heard as the car sped up and drove away. She fumbled in the pocket of her bag where she usually kept her set of house keys.

"Wait..." she muttered to herself. "Don't tell me... Oh no, it's not in here. Maybe I slipped them into some other pocket in my hurry this morning."

She set her bag down on the steps, settled beside it, and rummaged in it. No luck. She had definitely forgotten to take them that morning. She had woken up late again and had to rush through everything. And her parents must've either assumed she had taken her keys as usual or forgotten, too.

A thought suddenly struck her. "That's it! – last evening, I put them in that drawer in the living room instead of in my bag! Oh, how stupid of me! Oh well, never mind. I have a book I can occupy my time with." She took out her newest library book, "Vanity Fair" by William Makepeace Thackeray and began reading it.

Right in that moment, even though she was stranded outside, with a book in her hand and her mind roaming the streets of Regency England, Evelyn St. Nicholas felt absolute bliss.