“All-girls primary school run by the nuns outside of the town?” Ollie winced in sympathy. “Well, that’s shit luck on you, huh?”

“Yep. Eight years with the nuns. Can’t you see my halo shining?”

“Oh yeah, it’s blinding.”

“According to Sister Alphonsus, I should be continuing my education in an all-girls environment,” she mused with a devilish smile. “Apparently, I have a wild streak in me, with a penchant for the male form that no amount of prayer can eliminate.” She rolled her eyes. “All because I said I thought the guy playing Jesus in a movie they showed us was gorgeous.”

“Gorgeous?”

“What?” she laughed. “He was.”

“Well, it sounds to me like you need to spend less time on your knees praying and more time —“

“Don’t say it,” she warned reaching up to cover his mouth with her hand.

“With the male form,” Ollie chuckled, peeling her fingers off his lips with his hand.

“So, should I spend more time with the male form in general?” she laughed, and somehow their fingers were entwined now. “Or with you? Because it’s safe to say that I’m impressed with the male form standing in front of me.”

“Is that your way of telling me that you don’t have a boyfriend?”

“No, it’s my way of telling you that I will have a boyfriend once you ask me.”

“Jesus.” Ollie’s heartrate sped up. “You’re not backwards about anything, are you?”

She winked and slid her school bag off her shoulder. “Where’s the fun in that?”

Thrown off kilter by this girl, he took the bag she held out for him and slung it over his free shoulder.

“There,” she said with an approving nod, admiring her bright pink bag on his shoulder. “That should do it.”

“Should do what?”

“Warn the other girls away.”

“Warn the other girls away?” His brows rose up. “Did you just mark me with your bag?”

“I sure did,” she replied, smiling sweetly up at him before turning on her heels. “Now, let’s go, baby.”

Ollie laughed, because, in all honesty, what else could he do?

He had a distinct feeling that he would be doing a lot of following after this girl.