Page 160 of Whistle

Everyone ignored him.

“That’s my girl,” Ryan said, pointing to Rory. “And I’d just like to make it clear that you can bid on an hour or two of my time, but my heart isn’t up for sale ‘cause she already owns it.”

A few sighs went around the room.

“You can sit down now, carrot,” Ryan told her. Then he smiled. “And behave.”

“You call your girlfriend carrot?” the dean asked.

Ryan nodded.

“Well,” he quipped. “I suppose that’s one way to get your vegetables.”

The crowd laughed.

“Shall we get back to bidding?” Dean Cardinal asked.

“Thirteen thousand!” someone called.

“Sixteen thousand!”

“Twenty!”

Numbers kept flying, and then a man stood and lifted his paddle. “Fifty thousand.”

Ryan’s eyebrows shot up.

“Sold!” Dean Cardinal declared, banging the gavel before anyone could bid more. “Thank you, sir. Your donation is appreciated.”

The next Elite swimmer went for twenty thousand and without any bidding wars or insults. Truthfully, I didn’t pay much attention because the more minutes that passed, the closer we got to Emmett’s turn on stage. To the plan Elite concocted to get Emmett laid.

“If you checked the program, then you probably know the final member of Elite donating his time tonight is not a current swimmer,” Dean Cardinal announced.

My stomach clenched. Here we go.

“Emmett Resch is actually an alumnus of Westbrook University and a former Elite swimmer. He’s been coaching here for over fifteen years and has brought us many titles, shaped several Olympic medalists, and is the reason Elite is the most prestigious D-1 swim program on this side of the country.”

Clapping and cheers erupted, some of Elite yelling, “Yeah, Coach!”

“Emmett has also been a friend of mine for many years.”

Those words lodged in my throat as a fresh wave of nausea rolled over me. Emmett was friends with the dean? No wonder he was so skittish about us.

He smiled. “And I’d also like to make note that he is currently single.”

More of that bad porn music played through the speakers, but this time, the dean didn’t remind everyone this was supposed to be PG.

Was he trying to get Emmett laid too? This officially sucked.

“So without further ado…”

Who the fuck says the word ado? Rich dick.

“Let me introduce Elite Coach Emmett Resch!”

Music played, but all I could hear was the sound of my heart thundering between my ears. Neon-yellow light bathed him as he stepped out on the stage. His tie was slightly askew as though he’d been tugging on it in the back, and for some reason, that little detail made the jealousy I’d been holding back vault over all my efforts and consume me.

Smiling, he walked out—no twerking or stripping for him—and my hands fisted in my lap. The tops of his cheeks were slightly flushed, and his shoulders were stiff.

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