“William, there’s a social mixer event tomorrow. Would you like to join?”
Lucy, after chatting with Wyatt and the rest for a while, suddenly changed the topic, her gaze settling mysteriously on William.
William genuinely had no idea what a social mixer was, giving Lucy a slightly puzzled look.
Upon hearing this, Wyatt quickly chimed in, “We’ll definitely attend! Right, William?” He looked at William with high hopes.
Even though it was clear that Lucy mainly wanted William to attend the mixer with the dance department – an event likely teeming with beautiful girls – how could Wyatt’s dorm ever have gotten such an opportunity before?
Many male students would kill for such an opportunity.
Seeing Wyatt’s eager expression, William could only nod in agreement. “Sure, we’ll be there.”
William’s primary reason for attending university was to get acclimated to modern life. This “social mixer” sounded quite similar to the old-time balls he had heard of, which seemed fun.
“That’s settled then!” Lucy, her face flushed, began focusing on her food.
Evelyn pretended as if she hadn’t heard anything and gently squeezed Lucy’s hand.
After finishing their meal at the campus cafeteria and parting ways with Lucy and the others, William immediately received a WhatsApp message:
“Tomorrow at 6 p.m., the mixer is at the Milky Way Ballroom in the New York Galaxy Hotel. Everyone pays their own way (AA)!”
After reading the message, William turned to Wyatt, “What does ‘AA’ mean?”
“It means everyone splits the bill after eating,” Wyatt replied excitedly. “Did Lucy message you?”
“Yes, she mentioned 6 p.m. at the Milky Way Ballroom in the New York Galaxy Hotel.”
“The New York Galaxy Hotel?” Wyatt gasped, “That’s a high-end place! Even splitting the bill, each person might end up spending tens of dollars.”
Tens of dollars for a meal?
William found it a tad pricey. Though he wasn’t strapped for cash, he believed with that amount, he could prepare a full feast.
“What exactly is this mixer event?”
“It’s a dance major’s social mixer! All the girls attending are beautiful!” Wyatt was beyond ecstatic, “Invitations in the past mostly went to wealthy students. Regular students from average families like us never got a shot.”
William thought about it. It seemed no different from elite balls of the past. Those balls, typically organized by wealthy young ladies, usually invited young men from prestigious families. Average folks like them seldom had a chance. Elites hung out with elites, making it challenging for ordinary folks to break into their circles. Even in this modern era, people still tend to get categorized.
“Do you know what major Evelyn is in?” The person William was most concerned about, of course, was Evelyn.
Wyatt looked at William in surprise, “You can’t possibly not know. Evelyn is considered the belle of the dance department. How could you not know?”
William didn’t answer but instead asked, “So, she’ll be at the mixer tomorrow?”
“Of course, she will!”
“That’s good to hear! We’ll go together then?”
Daniel and Paul exchanged glances. Daniel said, “The two of us won’t attend. William, you take Wyatt.”
With a sly grin, Wyatt draped his arms around Daniel and Paul, saying, “Don’t worry. Once I find a date, I won’t forget about you guys.”
Paul remarked in a dejected tone, “I think Lucy has her eyes on William; you don’t stand a chance.”
“It’s okay! Haven’t you noticed William is interested in Evelyn?” Wyatt replied. “Even if Lucy isn’t into me, there are other girls out there!”
Daniel chuckled sarcastically, pulled out his phone, and transferred fifty dollars to Wyatt. “Here, use this. I’ve only got a bit over ten dollars left. If you don’t bring back a girl in the next few days, don’t bother showing your face to me!”
Paul also transferred thirty dollars to Wyatt and turned to William, “William, do you have enough money? I have a bit over forty dollars left. If you need it, I can send it to you.”
William shook his head, “I have money. It’s just dinner; it shouldn’t cost that much, right?”
He had some understanding of current prices. The last time he ordered several dishes at Skyline Bistro, it was just over a hundred dollars. Now, splitting the bill for dinner might be a bit expensive as per Wyatt’s suggestion, but it wouldn’t exceed three hundred dollars at most. .𝓬ℴ𝓶
“It’s good then. I’ll keep the forty dollars. In case you don’t manage to woo a girl, at least I’ll have something to last till the end of the month,” Paul said to Wyatt. “If you’re short, let me know. I fully support you.”
William realized that for this dance department mixer, Daniel and Paul had given all their money to Wyatt, giving him the entire opportunity.
It wasn’t that they didn’t want to attend; they just didn’t have the financial means.
“You both should come,” William suggested, “I have some money. There’s no need for this.”
“But… is that really okay?” Daniel asked, a bit embarrassed.
When William first joined their dorm, during the initial days, they’d stood by and watched as Ryan tried to pick on him. If not for William’s skills, he might’ve been seriously hurt. Just the other day, if William hadn’t stepped in, Joshua and Thomas might have not spared them either.
Now, while Lucy’s main invitation was for William, Wyatt attending felt a bit like he was intruding. Yet, William was suggesting the entire dorm should attend.
“There’s nothing wrong with it. I’ll just message Lucy,” William said, already texting her.
“All of us from our dorm will attend, is that okay?”
Lucy replied almost instantly, “Of course!”
William followed up, “How much per person if we split the bill?”
Lucy, now with Evelyn, saw William’s message and quickly asked, “Evelyn, does William not have much money?”
Evelyn nodded, “I think he doesn’t.”
Lucy’s eyes lit up as she quickly texted back, “You don’t have to pay. I’ve got it covered; we can pool our funds together!”
After sending the message, Lucy’s face turned as red as a tomato.
Her implication was obvious: by sharing the bill with William, it hinted at them being in a relationship. All William had to do was joke about it or say he was covering for Lucy, and their relationship status would be nearly confirmed.
“No need. We should each pay for ourselves. Just let me know the amount,” William replied, oblivious to her intent.
To him, letting a girl pay for dinner was out of the question.
Lucy’s face turned pale. She had been embarrassed initially, and now she felt a pang of rejection.
“Evelyn, do you think… did he just reject me?” Lucy had been infatuated with William from the first glance. After confirming that Evelyn had no interest in him, Lucy had planned to make her move.
Evelyn swiped through Lucy’s phone, chuckled, and said, “I think he’s just one of those boys who’s oblivious when it comes to romance. It’s up to you to steer things now!”
Lucy clenched her fists, defiantly saying, “Just watch me!”