Page 7 of The Quarterback Sneak

I glance at Mike, who can’t ignore the comments now and looks equally appalled by Jamie’s words. He says nothing, though. Being a senator’s son, he’ll say it’s just locker room talk and ignore it. Girls mean nothing in here.

Turning to my locker, I try my best to ignore their conversation so I can leave quickly.

“You know what?” Brett says. “I’m going to test your theory. I’m going to ask Honey out on a date. We’ve been biology partners for four years now, and I’ve felt her thighs brush up against mine a time or two. Maybe there’s more to it than that.”

“A thigh brush will get you nowhere,” Jamie retorts.

Brett’s lips pinch, and I’m so ready to leave, but I need to get my pants on. “I don’t know. There have been times she’s given me this look.” He pauses. “I think she’d say yes. She’s vulnerable and needs someone to listen to her. Besides, she’s probably heard about all the ways I’ve helped other girls get over their nightmare exes.” His eyebrows dance, and I want to laugh because I’ve heard exactly how those girls feel after he latches onto their nipple like an unwanted barnacle.

“Wanna bet?” Jamie asks with a sinister edge. I can’t see his face, but I’m certain he’s got his wide horse teeth stretched into a maniacal grin that resembles a donkey when they kick their legs up.

“Yeahhh, sounds like fun,” Brett drawls, licking his lips. “What’s the bet?” Brett tips his chin, smiling.

Jamie takes a minute before he starts. “You have to get Honey to agree to go on a date with you.”

“One date?” Jamie nods, and Brett smiles. “You’re making it too easy, man. I could get her to agree to that tomorrow.”

“If you believe that, then you don’t know Honey as well as you think you do. Didn’t you see how pink her nose was this morning? Or how puffy her eyes were? She’s taking our breakup badly, and I know for a fact she won’t go near a guy like you. But you know, I’ll be generous. You can have until the end of the football season to get her warmed up to you.”

Brett raises his eyebrows and scoffs. “Until the end of the football season?” He purses his lips. “Let’s do this. What’s the stake? Five thousand? Ten thousand?” He throws his hand out, ready to shake.

Kyle, a defensive lineman the size of a small truck, pushes through their hands and laughs. “Hey, wait a minute. If you’re exchanging money, I want in.”

I stuff my arms through my jacket and shunt my bag over my shoulder before another player pipes up. “Me too.”

“And me.” God, these people are pathetic. They already have more money than any teenager needs, and here they are making stupid bets about dating some rich bitch.

Jamie looks between the four players with narrowed eyes. “Fine. Let’s make a game of it. Ten grand each. If any of you manage to date her by the end of football season, then you get the full fifty grand pot. If she says no to all of you, thenIget to take all of your money.”

Kyle raises his eyebrows. “Ten grand each? You’rethatconfident she won’t look at anyone else even though you cheated on her sweet little ass?” Jamie nods, holding his hand out. “Fine. I’ll take that bet.”

They shake on it, and Jamie turns to Brett. “I’m in too.” Another handshake. He continues until they’re all in.

Zipping up my bag, I roll my eyes at these idiots. Don’t they have anything better to do than torture the richest girl in school? I may not like Honey, but I do feel bad she will have to deal with these meatheads slobbering all over her for the next semester.

“May the best man win, which will be me. There’s no way her parents will sign off on any of you assholes. They’ve got a plan which revolves around me. Which means I can take my sweet time, enjoying McKenna’s exceptional blow jobs until Honey’s dad has her crawling back to my bed in a few months.”

Standing up, I mumble a small goodbye to the rest of the team, all of whom are too engrossed in this stupid bet to listen. Whatever makes sneaking out on the rich people easier, I’ll take.

“Zach, wait up,” Mike calls from behind. “Are you sure you don’t want—”

“I’m fine,” I say, walking through the parking lot, knowing that he’s going to offer me a ride home, and I don’t want to use up all my goodwill from him tonight.

“At least let me drive you to the bus stop.” I consider it for all of two seconds before I hear the faintest cries from a girl behind Mike. Sure enough, Honey is standing next to that vagina car of hers with Olivia’s arm wrapped around her shoulder. Honey frantically wipes at her cheeks and turns away from prying eyes. It’s been a few days since she and Jamie “broke up,” and even though he cheated on her and humiliated her in front of everyone, she still seems chewed up about it. Where’s her fight? Her determination to prove that he made the wrong decision? All I see is a crumbling rich girl crying because she doesn’t know who’s going to escort her to the next Polo match.

I shake my head because it’s ridiculous that she’s crying over a guy who just gleefully made a bet on her and offered her up to the whole football team.

Her cheeks are puffy, and it’s the first time she’s looked anything less than perfect, which is odd because I thought she was upset that her reputation was tarnished. But she looks worse than before, even more upset, which is surprising since I always pegged her for a ball buster. With her perfectly dipped red heels and short flirty skirts, she seemed to take everything in stride. Not this, though.

Tipping my chin, I use it to point over to that mess. “Don’t worry about me. You’ve got other, more important things to deal with.”

Mike follows my gaze and sighs. “You know what? I’m beginning to get why you don’t date.” I want to laugh, but I hold back because I’d rather not go into the intricacies of why I haven’t had a social life over the last two years with him in the parking lot. “I never thought my girlfriend’sfriend’stroubles would become mine.”

“Are you going to tell her about the bet?”

Mike’s brows furrow before he realizes what I’m referring to. “Oh, no. That was all just a joke. Honey’s not going to go anywhere near any of those guys. Her parents won’t let her. It’s just the team’s stupid way of passing the time.” Interesting. I could have sworn I saw hands shaking, but then again, treating ten grand like it’s nothing does sound like stupid shit the South Point Prep football team would do.

“Sure.” Mike doesn’t notice my sarcasm because he’s already jogging toward Olivia and Honey, waving goodbye to me. That’s when I turn my phone’s flashlight on, ready to make my way to the bus stop on my own.

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