Part 3His Three Secret Girlfriends Are Me

To celebrate the win, the student union threw a small victory dinner at a local bistro. I was invited along with the rest of the support staff.

When it was time to sit, I saw Bradley take a seat by the window. The chair across from him was empty.

Jackpot.

I kept my face neutral, moving with practiced ease to pull out the chair. "Bradley, what a coincidence! Looks like we’re table buddies."

Bradley smiled back, looking genuinely pleased.

Suddenly, Nate, who was standing a few feet away, stopped mid-motion. He looked troubled, his brow furrowing as he scanned the room.

The student union president asked, "Nate? Something wrong? Take a seat, man."

Nate bit his lip, looking embarrassed. "I... I have this weird thing. I can only eat if I’m sitting by a window. It’s a claustrophobia thing. If I'm not by the glass, I lose my appetite."

I stopped unwrapping my silverware. You lying sack of garbage.

I’d seen him eat in the middle of a crowded, windowless cafeteria back in high school a thousand times.

The president immediately turned to Bradley. "Brad, would you mind swapping with Nate? Just for the night?"

No! Bradley, stay strong!

I sat there, looking at Bradley with pleading eyes. But of course, being the "nice guy" he was, Bradley stood up and swapped places without a second thought.

Nate slid into the chair directly across from me. He met my gaze and smiled like a harmless, fluffy golden retriever.

"Wren, what a coincidence," he purred, echoing my exact words back to me. "Looks like we’re table buddies."

The smirk he gave me made the hair on my arms stand up.