Page 39 of Escape Velocity
It’s cold. His cheeks are flushing because it’s cold. That’s what it has to be.
“Maybe he’s some kind of lucky charm,” Jenna says. Mason whips his head to her, and she returns his gaze with a proud smile.
Callum shrugs as he stares at Mason. “Maybe he is.”
Suddenly, a larger man with a maroon windbreaker and a red face storms over to Callum.
“I need to have a word with you,” he says heatedly to Callum, his eyes quickly darting over to Mason.
Callum’s shoulders sag as he sighs and turns to the man who’s probably Callum’s coach. Mason has seen him wildly gesticulating his arms and his neck veins popping as he yelled at the team throughout the games.
“There’s a party at the Kappa Psi Alpha frat soon. You guys should come,” Callum says as he walks backwards away from them.
Mason opens his mouth to decline, but Jenna interrupts him with, “We’ll definitely be there.”
“I don’t even know where that is,” Mason growls at Jenna.
His phone starts buzzing. He takes it out of his pocket and sees that his mom is calling him.
“Can I have your pen?” Callum asks Mason, looking at the pen clinging to his clipboard.
Before Mason can even answer, Callum steals it from him.
“Hey! What are you?—”
“What’s his number?” Callum asks Jenna.
Jenna, without hesitation, starts listing off the numbers.
Mason silences his phone, trying to refocus himself. “Jenna?—”
“Oh hush, it’s not like I’m giving away your address and social security number.”
“Brown…” Callum’s coach growls.
“Give me a second,” Callum says in annoyance, shooing his arm in his coach’s direction as he writes Mason’s number down on his hand.
Mason gulps and looks at Jenna, who looks like shemight explode into a billion pieces of maroon and gold confetti.
Callum hands the pen back to Mason. “There. I’ll text the details about the party soon.”
Callum grins at Mason and walks away like it’s nothing. His coach walks with him, a grimace on his face.
Mason widens his eyes heatedly as he turns to Jenna.
“I amnotgoing to that party.”
Jenna looks at him like he’s just uttered sacrilege. “Mason. He just got your number. The quarterback of the school’s insanely talented football team wanted your?—”
“I don’t care. I’m not going to that party! Why did you say yes? And why did you give him my number?” Mason says through gritted teeth, trying to hide that budding feeling in his stomach with anger and frustration instead.
“You needed a little push,” Jenna says, smirking as she shrugs her shoulders.
“I won’t know a single soul there other than you!”
“You’ll know him,” Jenna says slyly, her eyes looking to the side in playful innocence.
“And he’ll know everyone else. It’s not like he’s gonna be making a beeline to me when I get there.”
