Leo: He wouldn’t tell me.
Me: Very mysterious.There’s no way my curiosity is going to let me turn down this invite.What time?
Leo: Six?
That’s fairly early. I could go check out whatever it is Aaron wants us to see and still have plenty of evening left to work with Liv.
Me: Where?
Leo: I’ll meet you outside Newberry.
Good. If we meet outside, it saves me from having to explain him to Liv.
After dinner, I tell her I have to meet with someone from my children’s literature class, but only for about an hour.
I point to the Rush application on her laptop screen. “In the meantime, fill out all the straightforward stuff. Then make an outline for your first essay.”
She drops her head back and groans like a five-year-old. “An outline?”
“Yes,” I laugh as I zip up my jacket. “I don’t care if it’s bullet points. Just jot down some ideas and try to put them in a logical order.”
She arches a brow. “How long have you known me?”
“Only about a year.”
“That’s long enough to know I don’t do logical.”
I give her my sternest mom face. “Turn around, quit your fussing, and do it.”
“Yes ma’am.”
“See ya in a bit.” I blow her a kiss before I shut the door behind me.
Leo shows up right on time and informs me we’re going to meet Aaron at Blakely Hall, the music building. Luckily, he knows where it is, because I don’t. I have no reason to take a music course, and I don’t have any friends who are music majors.
Unless I can count Aaron.
I wonder aloud as I walk alongside Leo, “Is he going to play something for us?”
“That’s my guess.”
“What instrument does he play?”
Leo laughs. “You mean what instrumentdoesn’the play.”
“Oh, one of those, is he?” I knew a girl in high school who could play any musical instrument you put in front of her. And she could play any song by ear, too. All you had to do was hum the tune.
“He does a lot with synthesizers and the computer. Composes too.”
“Ah,” I murmur. “So that’s where the computer science double major comes in.”
When we get to Blakely, Avery is already there, sitting with Aaron on the stone wall that frames the steps.
She hops down and adjusts her long black skirt. “Took you two long enough.”
Aaron grins at me. “Hey, Betts.”
“Hey Aaron.” I offer him a little wave. “Thanks for inviting me.”
