Game On(21)

“Chris is going to lose his mind,” I told her. “Possibly the entire team. And everyone at the party that’s interested in women. Maybe even a few who didn’t realize they were attracted to women.”

Mandy rolled her eyes in my direction. “Overkill,” she said.

“I’m telling the truth,” I said. “You look amazing. Blue is a great color on you and you are hot, my friend, very, very hot.”

“Thanks,” she said and then frowned at my outfit. “I still think you should have worn the dress you wore at the bar that first night.”

I shook my head. “The last thing I want is to remind Nathan of that night. You said he doesn’t like reporters, so I have to make him forget how he felt when he found out I was a reporter.”

“You should have borrowed a dress, then,” she said. “You saw how he looked at you today, right?”

I couldn’t deny that a part of me loved the way he had looked at me. God, those green eyes of his made my insides go all hot and unstable, like a powder keg that was itching for a light. And I had a feeling he was a guy who knew what to do with a match. I was overdue for a good boom, in a manner of speaking.

“Hey,” I said, pointing a finger at her. “I’m the wing-woman tonight, OK? This is about you and Chris.”

“And getting that interview with Nathan,” Mandy said, and I could sense some disappointment from her. “That’s why you’re really coming to the party with me, right? To get the interview?”

We had arrived and I pulled over and parked on the street. I turned to her.

“Look,” I said. “I need this interview, it’s true, but tonight, I’m not a reporter. Tonight I’m your friend.” I held up my purse. “I didn’t even bring my recorder.”

Mandy smiled at me. “You really think Chris is going to like the dress?”

“It’s going to make him forget his own name, I swear on my laptop.”

***

I had spent a lot of time wondering what things would have been like if I had been able to go to college. If I could have gotten a scholarship or found a better paying part time job or had a parent that could pay for my education. Would things have been different? Better? But even after spending hours and hours thinking about it, I still didn’t have an answer.

Being around Mandy and Chris and Nathan, all who were lucky enough to be getting a college degree next month, I kept feeling twinges of jealousy. It didn’t happen often anymore—feeling jealous of people who had the things I had wanted as a child—but these were people who had something I still sort of wanted. No, not sort of. Wanted. Definitely wanted. Being able to get a college degree remained a dream of mine. But I couldn’t see it ever happening. I already had the job I wanted—going back to school would just derail all the progress I had made on my own. Besides, did I really want to spend my evenings in frat houses drinking cheap beer? I looked around the room, everyone laughing and having a great time. The answer to my own question was clearly: yes.

The music was loud and the ground was rumbling with the beat as we walked up to the frat house. I wasn’t sure exactly what I expected, but I definitely wasn’t surprised by the noise and the kegs set up everywhere. The house was cleaner than I had expected, but still had the faint aroma of boy. Not an unpleasant variation on it, but nice, clean boy. Though the guys clearly weren’t much for decoration, the house didn’t really need it, all brick walls and wood floors. There was even a huge fireplace at the end of the living room. Kind of a fun, snow lodge feel to it all, ironic considering we were in Texas where snow fell on a cold day in hell. It was jam-packed, of course, girls in short skirts, boys wearing boots paired with button-up shirts. Everyone looked like they were here for a good time. I gave my shirt a tug, feeling a little under-dressed. Everyone else was clearly looking for attention, especially the other girls, showing lots of tanned skin, but I had come hoping to blend in. It was Mandy’s night, after all. I was her wing-woman and any good wing-woman knew that all the attention needed to be focused on the girl looking to get some action. I was hoping that Chris would rise to the occasion. I had faith in him, even if he did have the jock thing down pat. At least on him it was charming.

And the music was good. Perhaps tonight would be fun, even if Mandy abandoned me for Chris and Nathan totally ignored me as I completely expected him to do. But then there was the poem from this afternoon. And that smile of his. That sexy f*cking smile.

I scanned the room and sure enough, found that familiar grin on a pair of familiar lips over by the doors leading out to the porch. I lifted my gaze to his, finding the same heat and intensity in his green eyes that I had seen that first night in the bar. It was a line drive straight to my panties. I swallowed hard. I hadn’t been lying to Mandy when I told her that I had left the reporter side of myself at home. Now I was wishing I’d left the attracted-to-Nathan-Ryder side of myself there as well.

He was wearing a button-up shirt that strained across his chest and jeans that were practically molded to his thighs. He looked delicious and he wouldn’t stop staring at me. It wasn’t until he broke eye contact, glancing to his right, that I realized that Chris was standing right next to him, his mouth completely hanging open. I glanced over at Mandy, who still hadn’t spotted either of them, due to the fact that she had practically been swarmed by guys the moment she walked into the house.