Chapter 2

The next day, on my way to class, I "accidentally" ran into Charlie again.

He had a bag slung over one shoulder and wore a plain white T-shirt and jeans, his headphones hanging loosely around his neck. He gave off the vibe that warned everyone to stay away.

He was thinking, 'Adonis said that bumping into her by accident was the first step to making a connection.

'I timed it right. She usually leaves around this time, and this is the route she always takes.

'How do I look today? Do I give off that teen drama main character vibe?

'Where is she? Did she sleep in today?'

I came out from around the corner and saw him immediately.

He saw me, too.

For a second, our eyes met. But he quickly looked away, and his face went back to that icy look.

'Finally, she's here.

'Stay cool, Charlie. Show her the snow wolf pride.

'Eyes forward. Walk right past her and let the coldness draw her in,' he thought to himself.

I watched him get closer, and honestly, I was dying inside.

Right when we were about to pass each other, my foot slipped, and the milk in my hand "happened to" fly out.

Charlie reacted so fast that it was almost unreal.

He reached out in a second. He caught the milk carton right out of the air before I could even blink.

It was effortless, like something straight out of a movie. Seriously, he looked way too good doing it.

I steadied myself and looked at him with "surprise."

"Charlie? Thank you."

He handed me the milk with his usual icy attitude and simply replied, "Mm."

But his mind raced. 'Oh my! She knows me and called me by my name.

'Her voice is so sweet.

'Did my hand touch her fingers? They're so soft.

'I'm going crazy. I want to pin her against the wall and kiss her.

'No, I must calm down. I can't let the cold image fall apart.'

I took the milk. My fingers "accidentally" brushed across his palm.

He froze for a second. His whole body stiffened.

I saw his ears turn red right before my eyes. The blush spread in an instant.

I smiled at him, pretty pleased with myself.

"Charlie, you're the best," I said, my voice sweet.

With that, I winked at him and turned to walk away.

Then Charlie's thoughts were spinning.

'She just winked at me. Was she flirting with me?

'Definitely. No doubt about it.

'Adonis was right. My cold attitude is totally working.

'She's already hooked on me.

'I'm gonna put a hundred bucks on Adonis's meal card when I get back tonight.'

As I walked, I pulled out my phone and sent a text to my best friend, Nora Lynn, who was a squirrel.

[Nora, I think college life is starting to get fun,] I texted.

Nora replied almost instantly: [Wait, didn't you say college wasn't even as fun as high school?]

I wrote back: [Because I found a really interesting target.]

It was a pure-hearted big puppy, wrapped up in a wolf's skin.

*****

The guy Charlie kept mentioning as Adonis was actually Adonis Cain, his romance advisor as well as roommate. Adonis was a peacock and a total show-off.

Nora was the one who told me about him.

"Adonis Cain?" I said. My face was covered in a sheet mask. "The guy who was always posting his edited selfies on the campus feed, calling himself a walking hormone?"

Nora was munching on nuts while nodding like crazy. "Yeah, that's him. I went to high school with him. He used to brag about dating like twelve girls.

"But when he went after our class president, she rejected him nine times in public, making him the joke of the whole school."

I almost cracked my mask from laughing so hard.

"Then why would Charlie listen to him?" I asked.

"You didn't get it." Nora looked all mysterious. "Charlie is the top dog. As the heir to the snow wolf clan, he probably never even holds a girl's hand in his life.

"Adonis is a master of theory, so he could totally fool someone like Charlie, who has zero real experience."

Charlie's frosty face flashed through my mind, and I couldn't help but imagine all the messy thoughts running through his head.

The contrast was so wild. I felt like my insides would explode from holding back my laughter.

"So what kind of crazy advice had that peacock been feeding him lately?" I asked. I was genuinely curious.

Nora pulled out her phone and opened an anonymous group chat for the guys' dorm. She'd been secretly reading it.

She said, "Let me check. Oh, found it.

"Adonis posted. He said the mind games worked, and now it was time to turn on the physical charm."

I spit out my water.

"What the heck is that?" I blurted out.

"He said," Nora cleared her throat and copied Adonis' attitude, "if you wanted a girl to totally lose her mind over you, you had to let her see your peak male vibes, like casually showing off your muscles.

"You could show her your abs dripping with sweat after a workout or pull off that hot guy coming out of the pool moment."

I was left speechless.

I could imagine Charlie hearing all this. His brain would be screaming, "What the hell?" but his face would still be locked in that stone-cold "Yeah, that made sense" expression.

He would be thinking, 'Physical seduction?

'Isn't that too much?

'But Adonis was right. Honestly, with my eight-pack and that V-line, it would be a waste not to let her see them.

'She'll totally be into them. No doubt.

'If she sees me playing basketball, she'll probably lose her mind and start screaming about wanting to have my babies.'

I silently put my water cup down.

Alright, I'd like to see what kind of physical seduction he had planned.

I checked my phone and told Nora, "No classes tomorrow afternoon. Want to go to the basketball court and watch the game?"

Nora replied, "Are there any hot guys?"

I said, "I have a surprise for you."