Page 8 of Sidelined Love

Levi's hand makes its way to his head as he pulls on his very dark brown strands, but he doesn't look embarrassed by my summary of his appearance. Instead, his hand drops from his hair as his smirk widens into a grin. I'm willing to bet his smile can charm the pants off anyone he meets. He leans casually against the counter, his elbows resting on the surface as if he owns the space. It only irritates me further.

“I like to think of it as an effortlessly stylish look,” he replies with confidence, but the arrogance I expect to see in his gaze isn't there. “Not everyone can pull it off.”

And he is right. Not everyone can manage to look so casual yet put together at the same time. Levi, however, does so with ease. And he knows it.

“Listen, I don't usually do this, but I was wondering if you wanted to?—”

I cut him off. “Are you flirting with me? Getting ready to ask me out?”

“Is there something wrong with that?”

Levi looks confused by what I've said, and I don't blame him. However, I want to end this now before it can even begin. “You're flirting with me and, in my humble opinion, it's too early for it. Is this the norm for you? Doesn't it get exhausting? Regardless, I'm not interested.” The words come out sharper than I intend, but I don't care. Chances of him ever speaking to me again are slim anyway.

Any other girl on campus would probably be losing her shit at what I'd just done, and what I said wasn't the complete truth. Levi is hot and I will admit to myself that the attention is nice, but I don't want to have to deal with it or him.

To my surprise, Levi laughs, and I'm lost because I don’t think anything I said was funny. “I guess it's part of my charm. Can't turn it off.”

I hate that I don't have a ready-made response for him, so I turn to focus on getting him his coffee as quickly as possible. The last thing I need, besides talking to him, is for him to create a line and add another tally to the list of things Marc could get pissed at me about.

But Levi doesn’t let me get away that easily.

“So,” he continues, breaking my concentration once more. “I take it you're not much of a morning person.”

I glance up at him briefly as I slide the drink across the counter. “What gave it away? The scowl or the sarcasm?”

“Both are pretty telling,” he replies as he picks up the cup. “But your coffee-making skills are unaffected.”

I fold my arms across my chest. “How would you know? You haven't tasted it.”

He brings the mug to his lips, his eyes still locked on mine. “I don't need to taste it to know. I have complete faith in your abilities to awaken all of my senses.”

A deep sigh falls from my lips because I'm slightly impressed. This guy is as good off the ice as he is on it. No wonder he has a fan club that can fill the entire shop.

Levi takes a sip, maintaining eye contact as if challenging me. “See? Excellent,” he says, and I can feel my cheeks heating slightly.

“Thanks,” I respond dryly, hoping that he'll take the hint that this conversation is over.

The chime above the door rings again, drawing my attention away from the situation at hand. A group of three girls walks in, their eyes lighting up when they spot Levi at the counter. He doesn't glance their way, though I can tell by their hushed giggles and not-so-subtle pointing that they're talking about him.

That has to be annoying.

“Oh look, your fan club is here,” I mutter under my breath.

Levi's gaze flickers toward them for a moment before returning to me. I can already guess what he's going to say based on the smile on his lips. “Jealous?”

I snort in response and roll my eyes. “In your dreams.”

Much to my annoyance, his grin only grows wider. As the three girls approach the counter, their voices get louder and more excited. I cringe inwardly as they giggle like high schoolers who have a crush on a big-name celebrity. Heck, maybe they are just out of high school so that explains their reaction.

Then again, I can't say I blame them given how our college and this town worships the ground our athletes walk on. This isn't to take away from the hard work that goes into being able to perform at such a high level, but the spectacle that is forming around him is a lot to take in. I can't imagine living life like this every day.

“Oh my God, Levi,” one of them squeals, “we were just talking about you!”

They close in around him, invading his personal space. It's as if I'm not standing there trying to do my job. Then again, while he's temporarily distracted, now is the perfect time to sneak away and do something else.

Levi chuckles softly, seeming more amused than annoyed. “And what were you girls discussing about me, huh?”

The girl blushes brightly. “Well… we were talking about how amazing you were during last night's game."

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