It’s true, I spent my first semester at Columbia University with my head in the books, probably going to only two or three parties total. I partied my way through my senior year of high school and by graduation, I was over it. I had an older brother and sister who influenced me probably far too early which means by the time I got to college it all felt very been there, done that. Besides, I wanted my parents to be proud of me. I wanted Monica, who’d become practically my best friend despite our eight year age difference, to be proud of me. Most importantly, I wanted James, the love of my life, to be proud of me. At twenty-nine, he’s one of the youngest stock brokers at his firm and is flying up the ranks; he may even be a vice president by the time he’s thirty-five.

He’d gone to Columbia for both undergrad and grad school, which is only part of the reason I pushed so hard to go here myself. The other part is that James lives a stone’s throw from my dormitory, and if I ever need space or quiet time to study or a hot bath, I can show up at James’ penthouse apartment.

“My last final is tomorrow,” I whisper, “and it’s goddamn statistics.”

“Yikes. I know how you are with math. You need some help?” Visions of us acting out a teacher student fantasy come charging through my brain and I slam my eyes shut before it gets too far. “And Gab, it’s almost midnight; you know I don’t like you walking home by yourself at night.”

“Who says I’m by myself?”

He chuckles. “I know damn well Harper isn’t with you. Besides, I saw her Instagram story that she’s at some party.” I briefly wondered why my best friend and older brother were friends on social media but James told me it was purely to spy on me and the company I keep. Harper thinks my brother is the hottest man on Earth so I understand her incentive to be friends.

“I have other friends, James,” I snap. Harper is my closest friend and also my roommate, but I do have other friends.

“Gab, I didn’t mean it like that, I just don’t know a lot of college kids with your work ethic. It’s late and the Thursday before the holidays, most people are out partying even if they do have a final tomorrow.” He sighs. “Let me come get you and you can study here. I even cooked.”

“You cooked?” James Calloway can do a lot of things but cooking is not one of them.