Page 51 of Under Pressure

I always thought Dan purposely excluded me from visiting his house. I had no idea that it was Mom that didn’t want me to go. How different would it have been if I had gone with my brothers every weekend to Dan’s? Been in on the inside jokes they had with their dad, went to all the fun places they did.

I wouldn’t have gone back to my room and cried alone after hearing about the exciting baseball game they went to or silently pouted knowing they were off playing laser tag with Dan while I was stuck doing crafts at home with Mom—her idea of fun.

“Okay, you’re all done,” Riley announces, screwing the cap back on a container of blue glitter. I glance down at my arm, knowing I’ll get so much shit about this if anyone sees it. But watching my sister proudly beam at her handiwork, I really can’t care too much about anyone else’s opinions.

* * *

“How do I sign in to the computer?”

“Enter your student ID where it says username on the screen.” I don’t even bother looking up from my Geology textbook as I repeat my spiel. It’s only the millionth time I’ve answered the same exact question. Can people seriously not read the directions directly next to each monitor?

“Tyler?” the voice asks, and I finally look up from my spot at the help desk in the campus computer lab. “I thought that was you.” The pretty brunette smiles, trailing a finger down the open neckline of her shirt, drawing my attention to the area. I find myself looking, just like she wanted, then snap my eyes back up to hers, her smile wider now.

“Hey…” I’m drawing a blank. Did we have a class together or something? Am I supposed to remember her?

Her smile dims when she realizes I don’t recognize her. “We hooked up at that party at Kappa Sigma house freshman year.” She says it with no shame and Oscar looks over at us, mouth open.

“No, I remember you.” I squint, mentally rolodexing freshman year frat parties. I stopped going to them after a while, annoyed every time at nearly everyone there. “Ashley.” She begins to frown and I quickly amend my answer. “No, Ashlynn. A unique name for a unique girl.”

It has to be about the stupidest line I’ve ever said, but her smile returns. She leans across the counter, her cleavage right in my line of sight, and whispers, “You were a fun night. I wouldn’t mind a round two with you. What do you say?”

Oscar’s mouth drops further. I’m tempted to put a finger under his chin and shut it for him, but I resist the urge. I glance around, and thankfully no one else is near enough to hear her proposition. “I’m at work. It’s not really the time or place.”

She sniffs, going stone-cold bitch on me. “Whatever.”

She turns around and outright leaves the computer lab, not even bothering to sign in to a computer like I assume she originally intended.

Oscar sits up in his chair to watch her ass shake in her tight skinny jeans on her way out, then turns to me, aghast. “Did you seriously just turn her down?”

I return to my Geology textbook, impressing into my brain the classifications of sedimentary rocks. I can’t imagine needing to know anything less important in my life, but whatever gets me an A. “I’m at work,” I tell him, just like I told her. “It would be unprofessional.”

“If she had askedmethat, I would have left work right now to go do whatever she wants.”

I snort. “No girl is worth risking a job for.”

Isn’t that what I’m doing with Mia, though?

I pause at the thought. Oh, shit. I hadn’t even thought of it like that. Every time we’ve ever done anything in the lab, have I been jeopardizing my study? If it’s unprofessional to just talk about hooking up at work, actually doing it is on a whole other level.

No, that’s different. We’re equals, so… that makes it better somehow?

My position at the Stress Lab is way more important to me than this mediocre work-study job. Shouldn’t I be more careful there?

You know what, it’s not the job, it’s the girl. I have no desire to hook up with Ashlynn again. I don’t do repeats.

Except for Mia.

Damn it. I sink down in my seat, letting Oscar field the next help request. It’s— It’s different with Mia.

Why do I keep coming back to that? There’s nothing different about her. She’s just a girl. Same as all the others.

Despite all the reasons that say otherwise.

“Do you have that girl’s number?” Oscar asks when the guy he was helping finally clears out.

“What?” I look over at him, still lost in my own thoughts. “Ashlynn? No, I never had her number. Besides, that was over two years ago.”

“You don’t have like a little black book?”

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