"Where is he?" Justine prodded Hallie in the back.
"I don't know yet. Stop poking me; you're making me nervous."
"Like you weren't already."
Hallie glanced around the coffeehouse. On her second pass, Dominic stood up at the back of the room and waved her over. He wore a handsome Italian suit with a white shirt unbuttoned at the collar, GO-style. Hallie thought she had matured into a woman, but now she was a junior- higher again. She still lost her breath at the sight of him.
"Hi."
"Hi. This is my roommate, Justine. She wanted to meet you really quick before she had to go."
Dominic shook her hand. "Nice to meet you, Justine."
"A pleasure. Well, I have to run. Hallie, can I have a word before I go?" Justine asked, tugging on Hallie's sleeve. She pulled Hallie aside and held her shoulders. "Grab him, Hallie. Grab him and marry him now. He is a veritable god. If you don't hook him you will hate yourself forever, and I'll hate you, too."
"Gee, thanks, Justine."
"I really do have to go now." Justine gave a thumbs- up. "Good luck."
Hallie shook her head and returned to the table. Still standing, Dominic squeezed Hallie's hand and kissed her cheek. She caught the scent of his cologne and melted.
"You look great," he said.
"Thank you. So do you."
They sat across from each other, looked silently at one another for half a minute, and began to laugh.
"This is really weird," Hallie said.
"You would think we would have plenty to talk about after nine years. Nine years." Dominic squinted at the revelation. "It hasn't really been that long, has it?"
"Oh, please don't tell me I still look like a 14-year-old."
"No, no," Dominic smiled. "You're absolutely gorgeous."
Hallie felt her cheeks burn. "Thank you."
Over the next three hours, they filled each other in on life up to that point. Hallie was happy to find that Dominic was still the sweet, attentive guy she had fallen so hard for years before. He still laughed at her jokes with a big smile, and he still addressed her earnestly, as an equal.
"My ass is starting to hurt," Dominic said as eight o'clock approached.
"Want to take a walk around campus?"
"I'll go wherever you lead," he smiled.