Page 16 of Possession

I grunt in response. He recounts the finer points of our victory yesterday while getting his own massage and I try to pay attention. Kevan isn’t that bad a guy, now that I realize he’s not trying to get in Olive’s pants. “You had a good game at QB, dude,” I tell him.

But then I turn my attention back to my massage and I sort of drift off on the table until I feel him kick my leg.

“What?”

“I said I wanted to ask you a favor. You got a minute?”

I sit up, realizing I’m all done, massage over. Free to go. That was one hell of a treatment session. “Yeah,” I say, grabbing my shirt. “I guess I do.”

He follows me outside and then that fucker asks me on a date.

“Wait, what?”

“I asked if you’d go with me to the banquet next week. Just as friends.”

“You want me to be yourdateto the athletic association donor’s banquet?”

He shrugs. “Were you going to take someone else?”

I blink at him for a minute. “I usually bring Olive with me to that.” It’s nice seeing her dressed up a little, showing her off. I flush, feeling guilty that I always leave with another girl for dirty sex I never remember after. I’m a pretty terrible date, actually. Why does Olive agree to go with me?

Kevan draws back, looking smug. “Way I hear it, Olive’s already going with someone else.”

I feel my face twist in confusion. What the hell is this guy even talking about? She would have mentioned it if she had a date to the banquet…hell, she’s fucking asleep right now in my god damn bed. It’s been like an hour since I saw her last. I drag my hands down my face. I’ve got to go find her. We already had a lot to talk about, and now this. “I gotta go, Kev.”

“Let me know about the banquet, ok?”

I shoot him a thumb’s up as I walk back toward my suite, where I hope like hell Olive is still in my bed waiting for me.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Olive

I ALWAYS THOUGHT I’d feel elated if I ever kissed Baxter, ever heard him express feelings that matched my own. When I wake up in his bed, alone, I just feel empty.

Drugged out of his gourd, he told me the words my soul longed to hear. By the light of day, he’s back to his solitary focus in life: football. He can’t take time to linger in bed with me, even with an injury. He doesn’t even remember what happened last night—just knows that he’s hurt and needs to get to the training room so he can be in shape to play by next game.

He needs to stay focused to make his dreams come true. Neither of us has the time or spare energy to create a relationship. I know this, and this morning, I feel it more than ever.

I slip out of his suite, careful not to wake his roommates, and head home for a quick shower before I’m supposed to be in the training room for the end of morning swim practice.

I don’t even have time to process all this or share with Tia and Elyse to get their take. I decide I’ll visit them later to see what they think, even though I know they both really think my sole focus this year should be having sex with Baxter to see how it shakes out.

Emily is in the training room when I arrive, bending one of the swimmers practically in half as she stretches out his long arms. She smiles as I check the roster.

Soon enough, Tim lumbers into the room, all lanky muscles and hairless limbs. “How’s the back?”

He grins. “So much better,” he says, stretching his arms above his head. “You’ve been an awesome help.”

“Well, that’s why they pay me the big bucks,” I say, laughing and patting the table. I get started stretching out his legs first, helping him to use the foam roller on his hamstrings.

“I’ve been wanting to ask you something,” he says, looking at me from underneath his arm.

“What’s up?”

“Would you want to go with me to the banquet next week? You know, the donor banquet?”

I freeze.

---