The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy novel Chapter 629

“All by yourself tonight?” A man says, coming over to my table and plopping himself down on a stool. I watch him with interest, noting his jeans and his button-down shirt, his reddish-blonde beard that’s slightly stained at the corners of his mouth.

I do my best to avoid a grimace and instead go even more vacant and bubbly.

“What?” I ask, blinking at him.

He smiles at me, pleased. “Are you here by yourself tonight, pretty lady?”

“Oh!” I say, beaming, and then I laugh like it’s the funniest thing I’ve ever heard – something else Faiza recommended when talking to men. “Yeah, I’m here all on my own. Just thought I’d, you know,” I shrug. “Check it out.”

“New to town,” the man says, giving me a satisfied smirk and lifting his chin towards my beer. “What are you drinking?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” I say, looking down at my beer and giving another tinkly laugh. “I just…told the bartender to get me whatever. I don’t know a lot about beer. Um, do you?” I look at him with a great deal of hope in my eyes, worrying that I’m overdoing it.

But the way the man leans forward, desperately pleased to share his beer knowledge, lets me know that he’s bought my act hook, line, and sinker.

Over the next few minutes I use all of the tricks Faiza taught me – asking lots of questions, answering his own questions about me vaguely and always with a laugh, always turning the conversation back to him like I don’t have an interesting thought in my head and everything he says is fascinating.

It only takes us about half a beer for him to make his move. “Listen,” the guy says, leaning forward towards me. “You want another drink? Then maybe we can…get out of here?”

“Oh, um,” I say, biting my lip and giving a delicate shrug. “I would but…” I gesture over my shoulder towards Luca. “I’m actually here with my boyfriend.”

“Your boyfriend?” the man asks, raising an eyebrow as his face falls. He looks where I’m gesturing and, to my surprise, his lips turn up in a smirk. “If that’s your boyfriend, missy…I’m not sure he’s treating you too good.”

“Yeah, I think I can handle it from here,” I say, pushing myself up from my chair and turning towards my mate and his three fans.

“Cool,” Tony says, smirking at me. “See you in class tomorrow.” He gives me a wave as he walks away and I take a moment to look after him, grateful again that our friendship is growing. Tony – he’s really got my back, doesn’t he?

Unlike some people.

I turn towards Luca again, striding off in his direction, suddenly not liking Newtown as much as I did before now that I see how much attention he’s clearly garnered in so short a time. Jealousy rises in me as one of the girls – pretty, blonde – places a hand on his chest and leans forward towards him, smiling up into Luca’s pretty brown eyes.

My eyes narrow when I see him flash his dimples at her, see her melt at the sight of them.