Jock Row (Jock Hard #1)(39)

Shoving through the front door, my gaze scans the perimeter of the room until they land on the familiar faces of Scarlett’s two blonde friends, whose names I have yet to catch. They’re flirting with my teammates, preening when I approach, stomping through the crowd on a mission, the taller of the two girls sticking out her ample chest when I disrupt. I reach my arm out between them, inserting myself into the conversation to stop the flow. “Hey, sorry to interrupt, but I need to grab the girls for a second.”

No one objects when I motion them aside, and I didn’t expect them to.

“What’s up, Rowdy?” Her eyes are lined with thick black coal, lips cherry red. Way too much makeup, way too perky, way too enthusiastic.

Drunk.

I shove my hands in the deep recesses of my pockets, shoulders hunching. “Do you know where Scarlett is tonight? She hasn’t showed up.”

Her black lashes flutter. “She went out—like, out out.”

Out out? What the hell does that mean?

“Out where?”

“I’m not sure? A date?” She looks to her friend for confirmation. “Or am I confusing her with Natasha?”

The girl taps her chin, surely mistaken; Scarlett wouldn’t have a date on a Friday night—not when she’s supposed to be here. With me.

Impatiently I get out my cell. “Can I get her number so I can check in on her? I want to make sure she hasn’t been murdered or whatever.”

“Yeah, sure. Just use it wisely, okay? Don’t go all creepy weirdo stalker after I give it to you, okay? She’ll kill me if you do.”

I tap in the number as she rattles it off, hit save, and add it to my contacts. “Thanks.”

“Is that all you needed?” The other blonde is fishing for something else, something I’d never give to a girl like her, and I wonder what kind of friend this one is to Scarlett. She doesn’t seem as loyal as this other one.

My head bends in concentration as I tap on Scarlett’s number. “Yeah, thanks.”

I’m already composing a new message, walking toward the front door, seeking the quiet comfort of the porch.

Parking my ass on the railing, I wait impatiently for my text to be delivered. That little blue line at the top of the screen drags its sorry ass along at a glacial pace, taking its sweet time up in cyber space to reach her phone.

Another ten minutes for three little dots to appear on the screen—the ones that tell me Scarlett is messaging me back.

Ten. Minutes.

Me: Hey. Where are you?

Scarlett: Who is this?

Me: Rowdy

Scarlett: Oh hey! Are you at the house?

Me: Yeah, I’ve been waiting for you. I thought you were going to show up tonight—was I wrong?

Scarlett: Yes, I’m sorry. I had some last-minute plans.

Me: Ah. I see.

Scarlett: No big deal, but I’m curious—how did you get my number?

Me: Your two friends are here. I had them give it to me.

Scarlett: I’m sure you barely had to browbeat them for it. lol

Me: Browbeat? All I had to do was bat my lashes. You should probably tell them not to give your number out to strange dudes—I could be a serial killer.

Scarlett: They know you’re not a serial killer, we’ve been hanging out for weeks.

Hanging out…is that what we’ve been doing?

Scarlett: Tessa just texted me. She said: Rowdy Wade asked for your number, I hope it was okay for me to give it to him ha ha.

Me: You’re not mad, are you?

Scarlett: Of course not! Don’t you think it’s weird you don’t already have it? It HAS been a few weeks.

Me: I was thinking the same thing.

Me: Anyway, I just wanted to make sure you were okay. When you didn’t show up…

Scarlett: Were you worried???

Me: No.

Me: Yes.

Me: lol

Scarlett: That’s very sweet of you to check in.

Me: I mean, we’ve spent the last four weeks together, five if you’d have shown up tonight.

Scarlett: I’m sorry you worried, I really didn’t think…I mean, I couldn’t have gotten ahold of you even if I wanted to because I didn’t have your number either.

Me: It’s fine. Don’t worry about it, I just wanted to make sure you were alive.

Scarlett: It really is very sweet of you to check in, make sure I’m not dead lol

Me: So, are you home, or…

Scarlett: No, I’m not home yet. Soon, though, if we don’t go downtown.

Me: Oh?

Scarlett: Oh? What does that mean. Lol. The way you said that…

Me: So did you have like, a date tonight or something?

My stomach knots up and I feel sick watching those three small dots at the bottom of my screen disappear and reappear as she types.

Scarlett: I went out with friends—a few from my biology lab.

Me: So not a date?

Scarlett: No, not a date. We did get dressed up and go to dinner, though. Kind of a pre-end-of-the-semester celebration. More like an excuse to dress up.

Me: Are you still out?

Scarlett: Yes. We were just having dinner, and I just happened to walk into the bathroom.

Scarlett: Not to mention, I’m in a dress and it’s freezing.

Me: What does it look like?

Scarlett: It’s black and lacey and shows off how great my legs are. lol