This Is Falling(76)

Before we left, I spent minutes standing in front of our mirror with Cass’s lacy black bra peaking out—way out—of the baseball jersey I had on. My hair was pulled into two pigtails, and black mascara smeared under each eye. Cass was right—the look was sexy, and I was going to get a lot of attention. I just wasn’t sure if I was ready—or wanted that.

Walking through campus was the hardest part, because most of the people staying at school were dressed normally, and I felt the heat of every stare from every male I passed. And while at first it made me feel a little uneasy, the more it happened, the more I sort of liked it.

“Yeeeeaaaawwwwww!” The scream was followed by a whistle; a convertible Camaro, packed with five guys, slowed as it passed us while we walked along the road. Paige was eating the attention up, even going so far as to blow kisses while the car drove by.

“If she keeps this up, they’ll make her their queen,” I say to Cass while we step up to the lawn of the sorority house.

“Are you kidding, she’s already their queen. You could be, too, in that outfit,” she says, fanning herself. I smile and put my head down, still not quite ready to believe that I’m anything hot. I may be cute, and sure, with my boobs flirting with the public in this bra, I was something to look at. But I wasn’t quite ready to label myself hot.

“Thanks, but I’ll settle for ruling Nate’s world,” I say.

“Then let the reign begin,” she smiles and spins me around, pushing me to a group of guys standing around a large bonfire. Nate’s back is to me. He’s wearing a football jersey, and the helmet is dangling in his hands.

“Rowe Stanton,” Tucker says a few feet away from me. My heart skips a beat, and not the excited kind. More of the nervous kind—of a girl who doesn’t want her boyfriend seeing her talk to Tucker while she’s dressed like…well, like a sporty hooker.

“Tucker. Hey…” I trail off.

“You look…” he doesn’t finish his statement either, but his eyes can’t seem to make their way all the way up my body to my face.

“Like a women’s baseball player from the forties?” I try to steer clear of any compliments, but Tucker wants none of that.

“Rowe, if that’s what the girls looked like back in the women’s league days, then I’d run home right now and build myself a time machine.”

Well damn. I have to admit, that made me feel pretty nice. “Thanks,” I say, my smile tight and my face blushing.

“So, where’s that boyfriend of yours? Not sure I’m in the mood to get punched tonight,” he says, only half kidding.

“Yeah, I’m sorry about that. We were sort of working through some things. We weren’t really official yet, if that makes sense,” I say, suddenly feeling sick to my stomach having this conversation.

“I’m guessing you figured things out?” he says.

“Yeah,” I laugh lightly. “Speaking of, I should go tell him I’m here. He was waiting for me.”

“Right. Well, I’m going to head inside for a refill,” he says, tipping over his empty red cup. “I’ll see you in class? I hope you’re thinking about that art history thing.”

“I am. And you will. Have a good night, Tucker,” I say, finally breathing right, now that we were separating. Unfortunately, we didn’t part quickly enough.

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure I hate that guy,” Nate says, walking a little past me and letting his gaze completely follow Tucker into the house. Nate finally turns to face me when Tucker’s totally out of sight. “So, what’d you end up pick—”

And now, I feel…hot.

“You like it?” I say, spinning around once slowly, but knowing fully well that it’s the four missing buttons on the front of the shirt that have him stammering for words. When he holds his hand up against his face and rubs his temple, his eyes almost bulging from his head, I start to heat up significantly.

“You are going to get a lot of attention tonight wearing that,” he says, a guilty smirk starting to spread across his lips.

“Well, I was kind of hoping one certain southern gentleman might notice me tonight,” I say, slinking up to him so the only places he has to look are my eyes and the expensive black bra.

“I think you’re pushing the limits of the word gentleman,” Nate says, not even hiding his arousal, pulling me in close to his body, dropping his helmet on the ground so he can almost touch me places he shouldn’t in public.

“That’s exactly the reaction I was hoping for,” I tease, stepping up on the tips of my toes to kiss him lightly. “I hear I’m easy when I’m drunk,” I breathe against his lips. Nate just tilts his head to the side and looks at me for a few seconds, one eyebrow raised.

“You…ever been drunk?”

“Well, not technically,” I say, my seductress side starting to fade, foolishness moving into its place. “Okay, no. Not at all.” Hanging my head, I start to back away from him, but he’s quick to pull me close again.

“It’s okay. I’m actually glad that I’m here for this. It’s one of those firsts, you know? And frankly, I wouldn’t trust you getting tipsy in an outfit like that around a bunch of *s like the kind taking up at this party,” he says.