One & Only (Canton) Read Online Free PDF Page B

new student parking pass and hung it from my dented rearview mirror as I entered the lot behind the bioengineering lab. Where State had been large and impersonal, its original central campus overspilling into masses of utilitarian outbuildings that would never show up in a college catalog, Canton University was filled with gorgeous architecture. From the picturesque brick quad where all the old buildings were located—including the one with my dad’s name on it—to the soaring glass walls and atrium that marked the famous bioengineering building, every location on campus dripped with the power and prestige of the Canton name. Coming here had always been my dream. I could only strive to live up to it.
    When I entered the reception, which was being held in the central lobby atrium, I felt an unexpected wave of panic. I didn’t know a soul in the room. Some of the attendees had dressed up, others seemed to have come rolling in from the quad or even just sneaked away for a minute from their labs, as a few still wore their lab coats and were clearly grabbing dinner as they filled their plates with towering piles of shrimp from the buffet. I took a deep breath and decided I needed to find something to do with my hands.
    In line at the bar, I found Dr. Cavel, who’d been at my transfer interview.
    “Tess!” she said brightly. “I’m glad you came.” She tapped the shoulder of the elderly man in front of her. “John, this is Teresa McMann, who just transferred from State. She’ll probably be taking your Biophotonics course next term.”
    “I hope to,” I said out of habit. It had been nearly impossible to find space in the courses I’d needed at State. “You must be Professor Chen.”
    We chatted for a bit about my move and my past research.
    “Algae, huh?” Dr. Chen said when Dr. Cavel, who’d apparently memorized my CV, brought up my old Siemens project. “What is it with the kids and algae these days?”
    “I’m sorry?”
    “Don’t mind him,” Dr. Cavel said with a shrug. “He’s biomed. We need more non-health folks around here or people will start to think we’re just a feeding program for Canton Chem.” She cast her eyes about the room. “There’s another student here who is interested in biofuel applications. I’ll remember to introduce you if he shows up.”
    Armed with a sparkling water, I let Dr. Cavel introduce me to a few more faculty members and fellow students. I got asked the same questions and listened to their stories of summer projects and travels. They seemed nice enough, but naturally, they all knew each other better than I knew anyone. After a while, names and faces started to blur and I excused myself to find the buffet.
    Perhaps it was fate that I was once more picking through a cheese tray when I heard his voice.
    “Tess? Tess McMann?”
    I looked up to find Dylan Kingsley standing across the table from me. The glasses were gone, the hair was tamed, and whatever baby fat might have lingered on his eighteen-year-old features had disappeared entirely, leaving behind perfectly planed cheekbones and a sharp jawline. The slim teenage body I’d never quite managed to forget had matured too, and he nicely filled out the expensive-looking gray sportscoat he wore over a close-cut Oxford open at his neck. Though I couldn’t see, I was pretty sure his pants were just the right length.
    I found my tongue. “Dylan. Hi.”
    He blinked at me. “Did you transfer to Canton?”
    I nodded. Algae. Biofuel. I should have guessed that the other student those two professors had been talking about was the one I’d once slept with. This wasn’t State, with its tens of thousands of science majors. “Are you a bioengineering major now?”
    “With a focus on sustainable resources,” he said. He stared at me for a second, but his expression was neutral. “It’s good to see you.”
    “It’s good to see you, too.” I sounded like a parrot.
    After a moment, he said, “You know, you never called