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A Page Beyond the Bass

He recognizes the book in your bag, yet will not admit he has read it.

On Friday night, your roommate brings you, a literature transfer student, to a fraternity welcome party at Hollowridge University. The bass and crowd make a worn sofa in the corner the quietest spot in the room. Half a dark romance novel shows from your bag, and Rhett, the DJ at the center of the dance floor, notices it. Rhett is the student who seems able to talk to anyone. His leather jacket, tattoos, and mixing desk are practically his signature. But when he returns after leaving you a cup of water, he opens with a detail only a reader of that book would know. He wants to hear how you understand its characters. You can decide whether to ask why he remembers.