The Deal(23)

“How else are you going to get to know him if you don’t ask him out?”

She shifts in her seat, looking so uncomfortable I can’t help but laugh.

“You’re scared,” I tease her, unable to keep the delight out of my voice.

“I am not,” she says instantly. Then she pauses. “Well, maybe a little. He…he makes me nervous, okay?”

It takes some effort to mask my surprise. I hadn’t expected her to be so…honest, I guess. And the vulnerability she’s radiating is slightly unsettling. I haven’t known her long, but I’ve gotten used to her sarcasm and confidence. The uncertainty on her face seems out of place.

“So you’re going to wait around for him to ask you?”

She scowls at me. “Let me guess—you think he won’t.”

“I know he won’t.” I give a little shrug. “Men are all about the chase, Wellsy. You’re making it too easy for him.”

“Hardly,” she says dryly. “Considering I haven’t even told him I’m interested.”

“Oh, he knows.”

That startles her. “No, he doesn’t.”

“A man always knows when a woman wants him. Believe me, you don’t have to say it out loud for him to pick up on the vibes you’re sending out.” I grin. “Hell, it only took five seconds for me to figure it out.”

“And you think if I go out with you, he’ll magically be interested in me?” She sounds skeptical, but no longer hostile, which is a promising sign.

“It’ll definitely help your cause. You know what intrigues guys even more than the chase?”

“I can’t wait to hear it.”

“A woman who’s out of reach. People want what they can’t have.” I can’t help but smirk. “Case in point—you wanting Kohl.”

“Uh-huh. Well, if I can’t have him, then why bother going on a date with you?”

“You can’t have him now. Doesn’t mean you’ll never have him.”

I reach another stop sign, and I’m annoyed to see that we’re almost back at campus. Shit. I need more time to persuade her, so I drive a bit slower and hope she doesn’t notice I’m going ten under the limit.

“Trust me, Wellsy, if you show up on my arm, he’ll notice.” I pause, pretending to think it over. “Tell you what—there’s this party next Saturday and Loverboy will be there.”

“One, don’t call him that. And two, how do you know where he’ll be?” she says suspiciously.

“Because it’s Beau Maxwell’s birthday bash. You know, the quarterback? The whole team will be there.” I shrug. “And so will we.”

“Mmm-hmmm. And what happens when we get there?”

She’s playing it off as casual, but I know I’ve got her exactly where I want her.

“We mingle, have a few beers. I’ll introduce you around as my date. Chicks will want to murder you. Guys will wonder who you are and why you haven’t been on their radars before. Kohl will wonder too, but we’re going to ignore him.”

“And why would we do that?”

“Because it’ll drive him crazy. Make you seem even more unattainable.”

She bites her lip. I wonder if she knows how easy it is to read her emotions. Annoyance, anger, embarrassment. Her eyes reveal everything and it fascinates me. I work so hard to mask what I’m feeling—a lesson I learned from childhood—but Hannah’s face is an open book. It’s kinda refreshing.

“You have a lot of confidence in yourself,” she finally remarks. “Do you honestly think you’re such hot shit that the mere act of going to a party with you will turn me into a celebrity?”

“Yes.” I’m not being arrogant, just truthful. After two years at this school, I know the kind of cred I have.

Though honestly? Sometimes I don’t feel half as cool as people think I am, and I’m pretty sure that if any of them took the time to actually get to know me, they’d probably change their opinion. It’s like that pond I skated on when I was a kid—from a distance, the ice looked so shiny and smooth, until you got close enough to it, and suddenly all the uneven edges and crisscrossed skate marks became visible. That’s me, I guess. Covered with skate marks that nobody ever seems to notice.

And jeez, clearly I’m feeling way too philosophical tonight.