Page 44 of Oar Than Friends

I gritted my teeth so hard the crunch of enamel shot goosebumps across my body. Snatching my helmet back, and without a further glance at Oz, I cycled away past Hannah and Imogen, who’d just arrived and were both staring with their mouths hanging open.

Now, on top of everything else, I was going to have to figure out a way to explain why the Oxford president was laughing so loudly at me I could still hear him a quarter of a mile away.

The real kicker though – the month apart had done nothing to quell the very real crush I had on him.

The one that still had my body tingling when I finally fell into bed.

9. Arthur

(Who knew community service could be so romantic?)

Oxford’s dark-blue minibuses pulled up in front of the Westminster School Boat Club, the O.U.B.C. base for Tideway training.

This was where we’d arranged to meet the Cambridge team, whose Tideway base was the boat club next door. Though looking out of the bus windows it was clear we’d arrived before them.

‘Right. Listen up,’ Coach Lassiter called from the front of our bus, ‘Cambridge are two minutes away, let’s all try and remember why we’re here and keep our conduct professional. Understood?’

Murmurs of ‘Yes Coach’ rumbled through the thirty of us.

‘Coach?’ called Joshi. ‘How’s this going to work exactly? What are we clearing up?’

‘All will be revealed shortly. Just wait.’

‘I bet we’re picking up litter all day,’ he grumbled, though quiet enough that only those within his close vicinity heard.

‘Probably. Did you bring your headphones? Two of my textbooks are on audio, so I’ll be picking up litter and working at the same time.’ Drake tapped his forehead. ‘Genius or what.’

I hid my grin at Joshi’s annoyed expression that he’d not thought like Drake. I could probably have done the same, though I’d never bothered to find out whether any of my texts were on audio. I’d rather listen to music, or the sound of the boats moving along the water, or nails on a chalk board; anything except the classics on audio – they were made to be read. Not that it mattered today as I had other plans for spending our community service time.

‘They’re here,’ yelled a voice from the front and everyone seated on the right-hand side ran over to the left to look out of the window like we were tourists on an open air sight-seeing bus, and passing by a monument of national importance.

‘Watch it!’ grouched Charlie, who’d been woken from a nap by an eager first year leaning too close, and pushed him away. ‘Ugh. Let’s get this over with.’

‘At least it’s not raining.’

‘If it was raining, I’d have stayed in bed.’

We all filed out, pulling on thick beanies or caps, and zipping up our winter parkas to join the remaining Oxford crew from the second mini-bus while we waited for the entire Cambridge cohort to take their sweet time.

My eyes darted along the light blue of their buses, scanning through the slightly tinted windows until I spied Kate as she stepped down. It was almost hard to spot her between the two girls she’d been with on Monday, the taller auburn-haired one in front, who’d stared at me like a goldfish, and the blonde one behind. I kept my eye on her as the three of them joined the rest of the Cambridge crew, but as she shifted slightly to peer around her crewmates I stepped back closer to Brooks. I watched her gazequickly travel over my Oxford mates, and I knew instinctively what she was searching for.

Me.

It was near freezing on this Saturday morning in November, but the feeling of her trying to find me warmed me like the Greek sun in August.

By the time those beautiful green eyes landed on me, I was sporting a grin you’d have spotted from Putney Bridge half a mile away, especially when her breath hitched. It dawned on me that given everything going on in my life right now, somehow Kate Astley could still make me smile by doing absolutely nothing but be herself, especially when she scowled at me and turned away with a flick of her thick ponytail, trying to pretend I didn’t exist. But her body was still facing mine, and the subtle side glance she was sending my way told me different and buoyed my determination to get her liking me again. Or admitting she still liked me.

I knew it was there. I’d seen it in her eyes as she slowly glanced around the Monday meeting. I’d seen her the second she walked in; the way her lips parted the tiniest fraction as she spotted me, which was right when I looked away. And then that girl fell over and I was rewarded with five full seconds of Kate Astley’s eyes on mine; I’d counted them as my heart thumped harder with each beat, and you couldn’t have broken that connection with a sledge hammer.

‘What are you laughing at?’ asked Brooks.

I shook my head at him, though my grin didn’t go anywhere. ‘Nothing.’

He peered over in the direction I’d been staring. ‘Which one is your American?’

I didn’t bother to remind him that she wasn’t my anything. It wasn’t like I’d planted a flag and claimed her. Though maybe I should do with the way a couple of the junior guys were looking at her, because if I found out anyone else had made a move, the price to pay would be steep. Hole-digging steep.

‘See the girl with the reddish hair?’

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