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As Amy was sitting in the cafeteria a short while later, a plate filled with fries and a cheeseburger in front of her - not to mention her calculus book - she was determined to finish this damn homework before the evening - a shadow suddenly fell across her vision.
She looked up to see a large, burly man with dirty blond hair and a rather large nose. He was smiling at her, and she found him somewhat familiar.
"Hi," he said.
"Hi." Although she felt uncertain, she reminded herself that this was school, and he had to be a fellow student. Besides, she was by no means an antisocial person.
"You're new here, aren't you?" the guy asked.
"Yes...yes, I am."
"I'm Paul," he announced. "Paul Levesque." He put his hand out to her.
The redhead continued to study his face as she shook his hand. She knew she'd seen him before...
"I'm Amy Dumas."
"Amy - beautiful name," Paul said with a smile. "So...mind if I join you?"
The young woman's gut was telling her to say yes, but then again, she didn't know anyone here other than Stacy - she should make other friends.
"No, not at all," she said. She closed her textbook and pulled her plate closer to her so as to make more room for him.
The big man sat down, and only then did she realize he'd been holding a plate of his own in his left hand. She wondered why she hadn't noticed that before.
"I'm on the school football team - I'm a quarterback," Paul told her, as though it would impress the redhead.
"Oh, no wonder you look so familiar!" she said.
"You were there during my practice the other day," he continued, as though finishing her thought. "Yeah, I noticed you there."
Amy nodded and smiled, not knowing what else to say. She suddenly recalled how nervous and even terrified Stacy had gotten being there and wondered why. The leggy blonde never did tell her... She wondered if Paul would have a clue as to the answer, but she decided against asking him.
"So...Where are you from?"
"Fort Lauderdale...The weather's sure different here in Greenwich, Connecticut," she said with a slight chuckle.
Paul Levesque kept a pleasant smile on his face as he listened to her speak. He found himself thinking what a beautiful, lilting voice she had - it wasn't a high-pitched, super-girly tone like that of her friend, Keibler - but still feminine and pleasing to the ear. And while she did seem to be a little rough around the edges - she was dressed in a simple pair of worn jeans and a black baby tee, and he'd noticed the black leather motorcycle jacket on the seat beside her, plus the tongue-piercing and tattoo on her right arm - she was still damn hot. A tomboy, by the looks of it - but Paul guessed she was probably a pretty easy lay - and a wildcat in the sack. He figured he'd find out sooner or later.
He wondered how Shane was making out with his own quarry. Earlier, his friend had told him he'd seen the tall blonde entering the library building, and he'd assured him he would follow and strike up a conversation with her...
...Much like Paul was now doing with Amy...
"So...What are you studying here at Cannon's Worth?" he asked, and he realized that, for the life of him, he honestly couldn't tell what that might be. Usually, he was pretty good at taking a look at a person and guessing what they must be majoring in. More than half the time he did that, he proved correct.
"Music, with a minor in art history," she replied, and he wondered why he was surprised at her answer. She sure didn't look the type to major in what he was studying. "What about you?"
"I'm taking a double major in finance and economics," he replied. He didn't even notice the quick look of displeasure that crossed Amy's features. "That way, I'm able to be on the football team...you see, you need a certain amount of credits..."
The redhead nodded, feigning a smile. The truth was, she was restraining herself from glancing at her watch. Although this Paul guy was boring her, she didn't want to be overtly rude. However, she was usually a pretty good judge of character, and she sensed a superficiality to the guy that she didn't like.
She could only hope that Stacy would suddenly walk into the cafeteria and whisk her away, thus sparing her
from having to deal with Paul any longer.