Chapter 6

David
David was excited. Today was move-in day at his dorm. He was looking forward to seeing Alex and also to discover what Lexi had done to his room. At first, David had felt guilty for turning that task over to her, but honestly, he’d needed time with his family. David had spent the last several days catching up on his sleep, spending time with his kids, and doing a bunch of nothing. Knowing that he’d gotten his priorities straight, his guilt disappeared.

David also recognized that for the past seven months, Lexi had been with him almost 24/7. By now, she had a good idea of what he would want for his dorm room.

As excited as he was, David was a bit wary of revealing his identity to his fellow students. He wanted to keep the sycophants, leeches, and wannabes at bay for as long as possible. The last thing he needed was to collect his own ‘entourage.’ He’d rather have real friends.

When David arrived, the parking security guard exchanged his parking pass for a sticker for his car to be placed on his windshield. It had an electronic chip that would provide him with access to the parking lot after hours.

David found a spot in the back corner that he hoped would keep his new car from being dinged up. Making his way inside, he was greeted by a clamor of excited voices coming from a mixture of new residents and students returning from Christmas break. David was glad that he didn’t have to fight the crowd to move in today.

The line for the elevators was a nonstarter, so he took the stairs. On the third-floor landing, he found a girl sitting down, breathing heavily. Even with a sweat mustache, the girl was cute. She had a case of wine next to her.

“Want some help?” he asked.

She looked up and took David in. He’d worn his nerd-farmer gear, and he could tell she wasn’t impressed.

“Maybe just up the next flight of stairs,” she finally said.

David bit his tongue because it was evident that she didn’t want to be seen with him. That didn’t mean he couldn’t be put to work, though. He picked the case up and took it upstairs.

“You can put it there,” she said as she pointed. “Are you visiting someone?”

“No, I’m new here.”

Time for the subterfuge to begin.

“Allen,” he said as he offered her his hand to shake.

“Oh,” was all she said as she ignored his outstretched hand.

“You sure you don’t want me to carry that to your room?” he asked.

From the look she threw him, she would prefer to be dipped in honey and tossed onto a hill of fire ants rather than be seen with him. David thought for a moment about just standing there to see how uncomfortable he could make her, but he had better ways to spend his time.

He walked out into the common room, and the first thing he noticed was that the security doors for both the women’s and men’s sides of the hall were propped open. David looked down the hall toward his suite, and that door was open as well. The kicker was that Alex and Lexi were nowhere to be found.

David took a deep breath to calm his irritation and wandered into his suite to look around. Lexi and Camilla had done an excellent job of improving the looks of the place. They’d replaced all the mismatched furniture with pieces that belonged together. He was pleased that it looked like stuff that would hold up.

In place of the cloth couch that looked like it came from a doctor’s waiting room, there was now a leather one. They’d also picked up four gaming recliners that had cup holders. The chairs were arranged in front of what had to be an 80-inch TV. What would really incite his friends’ envy was the gaming system hooked to it. David snapped a couple of quick pictures and sent them to his buddies Tim and Wolf.

He went to check his new bedroom and was even more pleased. The walls were painted a neutral gray, with the ceiling a chocolate brown that matched the wood blinds.

Lexi had placed his desk against the wall by the door. On it was a 60-inch TV with a keyboard and mouse in front of it. Next to the desk was a credenza. When David opened it, he found his new computer and printer. The credenza was stocked with all the office supplies he would ever want.

In the center of the room was a California king bed that had a USC bedspread on it. Instead of a headboard, Lexi had hung two surfboards on the wall. The bottom one was the one he’d bought his junior year of high school. It was white with a burnt-orange octopus with orange and yellow tentacles and bright green suction cups. The one on top had a weathered, vintage look and featured a huge sun as it dipped down over a tropical island.

Against the far wall was a comfy oversized chair with a round table. That looked to be a perfect spot to kick back and either study or relax after a long day when he wanted some alone time.

There was also a docking station for his phone. What he’d first thought were security cameras in the corners by the ceiling turned out to be speakers. David plugged his phone in and picked a playlist. He was impressed by the sound quality.

The walk-in closet was completely decked out with a top-of-the-line integrated closet system. He’d seen what something like this cost; there was a similar one in the master bedroom of his house in Malibu. If he ended up only living here for a semester, that would be a costly purchase. Everything else could be packed up and moved; the closet system couldn’t. Then again, for that kind of money, he could pay to have it torn out and put something cheaper back in its place.

The bathroom was as David remembered. There was a shower, toilet, and sink. Lexi had put in a shelving unit over the toilet to house all his products. It was embarrassing that a guy would have so much of that stuff, but he’d learned from modeling that proper skin and hair care were essential over the long haul.

“You’re here,” Lexi said, scaring the bejesus out of him.