The girl was stunning. Just by looking at the length of her legs, one could tell she must be quite tall. She wore a white lace camisole under a black wrap-top with a deep V-shape, accented by a camel-colored scarf, and a high-waisted pencil skirt that draped perfectly—altogether giving her a distinctly artsy flair.
"Guys, come over here," Jace said, stepping out of the restroom. "Let me introduce you: this is my new girlfriend, Indie Taylor. She's also at our school, studying in the Arts department."
Jace himself was pretty handsome—about 6'1" tall, with long bangs that gave him a mysterious, slightly androgynous vibe.
"Indie, these are my awesome roommates: Grayson Cole, Miles Carter , and Tyler Brooks."
"Hello!" Indie greeted them politely, though without much enthusiasm—just a courteous "hi," neither too warm nor too cold.
"By the way, Grayson, I heard you broke up with Sienna?" Jace sighed dramatically, then patted Grayson on the shoulder and cracked a grin. "But don't feel bad. Indie and I already made plans: later tonight, our guys will meet their girls for a dorm mixer. Indie told me her roommates are all beautiful—so you guys better bring your A-game, haha!"
"Wow, really?" Both Miles and Tyler practically bubbled over with excitement.
Since Indie's dorm was in the Arts department, it was almost a given her roommates would be models. Still, once the initial thrill wore off, Miles and Tyler couldn't help but wonder: they were just ordinary students from average families, not particularly good-looking. If they could barely catch the interest of ordinary girls, how on earth could they impress Arts majors?
"I've already booked a table at Bar Nineteen. Let's get ready and head over. Indie, have your roommates left for the bar yet?" Jace asked.
Indie nodded. "Lila just texted—they're on their way."
She then glanced at Grayson, Miles, and Tyler,Continuing to say:"Oh, and you three should change—put on your best outfits. Jace and I will wait for you outside."
"Guys, hurry up!" Jace winked and led Indie out of the dorm. They stood together at the front entrance.
Indie frowned. "Jace, these three look so ordinary—like, painfully so. Aside from Grayson, who's decent-looking, everyone else is just plain. His clothes are shabby, and the other two have nothing special about their faces. My roommates will definitely turn up their noses, and judging by their stuff, they're broke and have zero taste. I can't believe you hyped them up in front of me."
Jace defended them quickly. "They're great guys—especially Grayson. You have no idea how good he was to Sienna. He used to take odd jobs just to save up and buy her a new phone."
"That was so stupid, since she dumped him anyway," Indie scoffed.
She continued, "Besides, Lila's skincare collection alone costs more than three thousand dollars. And Lila can be vicious—if she looks down on your roommates, they'll be crushed. Our social circles are totally different."
"Well, what can we do?" Jace looked worried. He'd been losing sleep over his roommates' love lives; he hated the thought of them getting humiliated. "It's too late to back out. If we cancel now, they'll read way too much into it."
"Fine," Indie sighed. "Let's just do it this once. But after tonight, no more letting them meet."
Just then, Miles, Tyler, and Grayson emerged from the dorm, ready to go.
Miles and Tyler had both changed into their nicest clothes—Tyler even wore a pair of Rick Owens sneakers he'd been saving for a special occasion. Grayson, however, remained exactly as he was.
"Grayson, why didn't you change?" Indie asked him pointedly.
"This is my best outfit," he replied calmly.
Indie had no retort. She sighed inwardly, hoping Lila wouldn't make too big a deal out of it.
Inside Bar Nineteen, several girls sat around a table, chatting animatedly. They were all very striking—tall, slim, impeccably dressed—sure to draw any man's attention. The girl in the center was especially captivating: her eyes curved like autumn water, bright and expressive; even her slightest smile or frown could leave someone breathless. Her figure was enviable, so that any admirer would linger a moment too long.
"Lila, you seemed upset this morning—what happened? Tell us!" one of the girls asked, curiosity lighting her eyes.
"At first, I was annoyed. But thinking about it now, it's actually hilarious," Lila admitted, leaning back in her chair.
"Spill it, Lila!" the others urged, leaning forward.
"Okay—so I went to Dicos for lunch. There was a guy sitting next to me, studying—ripped jeans, tattered sweatshirt, the whole works—but he was so focused, I couldn't help admiring him at first. But when I went to the restroom and came back…guess what I found?"
"What?" they all leaned in, rapt.
"That guy had taken my seat and was devouring my leftover food—drinking the rest of my drink like he was starving. He ate like a vacuum cleaner! I was stunned!" Lila exclaimed, pounding her palm on her chest as if her heart was still racing.
"No way—someone actually did that?" one girl gasped.
"I bet he was so broke he figured you had abandoned your meal," another guessed.
"That's so embarrassing! I'd die of shame," a third said.
"What a total loser," they all agreed, the table buzzing with scorn.
"Alright, enough about that—let's talk about something fun," Lila said, breaking into a grin. "I just told Indie we're here, and Jace's three dorm buddies are on their way too. Hehe."
Management majors, they had heard—management guys must be hot, right? "Aren't management majors future CEOs?" one girl cooed.
"I heard they're all silver spoon kids. Am I overdoing it with my makeup?" another asked, pulling out a compact mirror and checking her reflection.
Just then, Grayson, Miles, and Tyler walked in.
"Let's go join them," Jace said with a smile.
Miles and Tyler looked thrilled and nervous at once.
"Lila, Avery, Maya, we're here!" Indie greeted her roommates as they approached.
"Indie ! Jace!" the girls responded warmly. But as soon as Lila, Avery, and Maya saw Miles and Tyler, their earlier excitement vanished instantly. Those boys were so ordinary—no one was even interested.
"What are you two giggling about?" Indie asked, noticing the sudden chill.
Indie realized she and Jace were the only bridge between both groups; if she didn't spark something, the mood would collapse.
"Anything fun to share?" Indie pressed. "Come on, let's have a good time!"
"Not much—just Lila's story about that guy at Dicos. Lila, Indie still hasn't heard it—tell her again?" Avery prompted.
Lila happily recounted her "stolen lunch" tale, eliciting laughter from the table and thawing the tension slightly.
"Everyone, take a seat. Miles, sit next to Maya. Tyler, next to Avery," Indie directed, arranging the seating deliberately.
She had her reasons. Lila, the prettiest of the group, had sky-high standards. Among Jace's roommates, Grayson was the best-looking—though Indie knew Lila might still be unimpressed by his shabby attire. Even so, placing Grayson beside Lila might keep her from getting more upset; putting Miles or Tyler there would likely make her even colder.
"Where else is there?" Lila asked, narrowing her eyes. "Only two guys showed up."
"He's in the restroom—he'll be right out," Jace explained. "Let's order some food and chat. We're all young; relax and have fun!"
Maya chatted with Miles, and Avery with Tyler—though neither was really in the mood. They were just being polite for Jace and Indie's sake. But when faced with these gorgeous women, Miles and Tyler—usually so quick with jokes—found themselves tongue-tied, their brains scrambling for words.
Lila, however, paid no attention to Miles or Tyler; her mind was fixed on Grayson. Seeing those two average-looking guys at her table had cooled her spirits considerably. She hoped Grayson would turn out to be a top management student and a wealthy heir—anything to rescue the evening from mediocrity.
"Lila, why do you keep staring at the restroom?" Avery teased.
"Obviously I'm waiting to see if Grayson comes out," Maya chimed in.
Though Grayson wasn't yet there, Lila and Maya were both banking on him being a tall, handsome rich kid—anything to make this mixer worth her while.
"Hey, Grayson! Over here!" Jace called. As Grayson exited the restroom, Jace jumped up and waved him over.