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It left Nick looking down at hi

And kind of hot

Nick told his eyes to stay on his frigging notebook, but they found Ada the line of his calves to his knees and thighs and--

Up Up Look up, before you get yourself in trouble

Nick looked at his face The darkness of Adam’s eyes, the barely-there start of shadow across his jaw The crooked scar that dragged his lip away from perfection

Nick flashed on what it had felt like to kiss hiaze back to his book "Hey"

Hey Wow Suave Maybe Quinn should be videotaping this

"What are you studying?" said Ada, al about studying at all

If it had been a girl, Nick could have flirted back You, he would have said

Say it Say it, say it, say it

"Physics," he said instead

Ugh Suddenly he felt like such a dork Next he’d say he needed to get ho collection

He cleared his throat "I enjoyed your class"

"Thanks They’re good kids" Adam paused "Did you come to watch Quinn?"

No, I came to watch you

But he couldn’t say it

"Couys can et this done"

Nick slammed his textbook closed "Da "I forgot you were such an easy blush"

"Yeah, yeah"

Adam started to move away, but then he paused and leaned back to whisper "It’llconversation later"

Nick studied the whole time Adam and Quinn rehearsed

No That wasn’t true

He pretended to stare at his textbook the whole tie, he never took a note, and he didn’t take his eyes off Ada hearts down the in of his notebook

An easy blush He wasn’t usually But he could feel his cheeks war of Ada, either So in the doorhispering about Adam

Nick couldn’t bla pair as they spun across the floor His dark hair and olive skin seemed to shadow her blue-eyed-blond-peaches-and-cream complexion Nick wondered if Adaht their differences

The routine was powerful, putting Quinn in the air as often as she was on the ground She’d told Nick she was trying to live on lettuce and saltines to spare Ada, said biceps did not need sparing

He forced his attention on Quinn He’d seen the first incarna-tions of this dance a feeeks ago, when Quinn and Adaether in the back roo to keep up with Ada hard--now her motions looked like a perfect extension of his

The air liked their partnership He could feel their energy in the atood to see Quinn focused on sohts in the studio and Ada up, it was after ten Nick told hiot horab a cup of coffee?"

He should refuse It was late enough, and he had Mike’s truck

Then again, Michael would never give hi out He probably wasn’t even concerned Nick never did anything wrong

But coffee would be public Would Quinn come? Did he want her to?

"Don’t worry about it," said Adam, his voice easy "I didn’t ht"

"No! I want to It’s--yeah Coffee Yes"

"Maybe decaf," said Quinn Nick shot her a look

She yawned "What? Drop me at home first I need to crash"

So he’d be alone with Adaet Quinn across town

Tonight it seemed to take three-point-two seconds Nick was very aware of his fake-girlfriend sitting between hien and snark and pretend heterosexuality

When he couldn’t seeenerate any better than one-word answers, she turned her attention to Ada about the routine and Adam’s audition and their practice schedule for the rest of the week

In her parking lot, Nick hoped she’d want a walk up to her apartive him another minute for his nerves to settle

But she didn’t ask and didn’t linger, and before he knew it, she was gone, clih her door The air in the cab was chilled fro--yet He kicked the heat up a notch and backed out of the parking place Once they were ain, Nick focused on the road more closely than he had in driver’s ed They drove in silence for a , and really, he wanted to turn his brain off

He cleared his throat "Starbucks?"