Page 92 of The Hookup Type

I grabbed one of Maci’s bags. “You’re riding with us.”

She glanced up at me, startled by my sudden arrival. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Heather turn back around toward the other cars.

“Good morning to you, too,” Maci said sarcastically, and Katie laughed. It was safe to admit that she hadn’t had any coffee yet either. Katie bumped Maci’s shoulder, and they both looked to where Heather and the other girls were standing.

Maci nodded slowly and understood my request. “Rough night?” she teased.

“No,” I mocked her tone.

“Baby, can you start loading up Jaxon’s car?” Connor asked from the open trunk of the Jeep. He sounded eager, and I could tell he was ready to leave. Katie nodded, and he started walking toward the other cars.

“So that’s Heather,” Maci said casually once it was just the two of us. “Oh, and Reagan?” Her voice jumped two octaves at the discovery, and her mouth fell open. She was completely amused, and I had to fight against the smile that dug into my cheeks.

“Yes,” I said calmly, and her grin widened.

“Can we stop for coffee?” she asked, pulling the last bag out of Connor’s car. She slammed the trunk shut and turned to face me.

“Yeah, but not right away. Connor might lose the last of his patience if we stop before we even leave Bowling Green.”

We both looked over to where Connor was talking to Bryson and Jared. His face was serious, and our other two roommates wore their usual go-with-the-flow expressions. He looked exhausted when he walked back over to where we were standing.

“I gave them the address and gate code of the plaza. Heather said her place is right across the lot, so they’re on their own.” Connor pulled off his hat and ran a hand through his hair. He placed it back on his head and took a deep breath. “Ready?”

“Shotgun,” Maci said and hiked the strap of her duffle onto her shoulder. She brushed past me and made a beeline to the passenger side door.

I was surprised to see her in athletic shorts and a hoodie since it was still kind of chilly out, but I didn’t complain about the view. Those were the same pair of shorts she threw on after we almost hooked up.

When I slid into the driver's seat, Maci was already scrolling through a playlist on her phone. She plugged it into my USB port, and a fluffy green blanket draped over her legs. Katie was sprawled out in the back seat with her feet in Connor’s lap. She looked like she was ready for a nap.

Maci slipped her phone into the cup holder and turned down the volume on the stereo. She wasn’t awake enough yet for a full-on jam session. “Power Trip” by J. Cole came on, and I glanced behind me to make sure the parking lot was clear.

“They’re going to follow us,” Connor said with his eyes already closed.

Maci crossed her arms over her chest and shot me a sleepy smile. I reached over and squeezed her bicep, and a soft laugh fell from her lips. I loved the view of her in my passenger seat.

I steered out of the parking lot and led us toward Highway 80. We drove for about fifteen minutes before Jared realized he had forgotten his ID back at the apartment.

“Are you shitting me, man?” Connor moaned into his phone and shot me a look in my rearview.

I laughed and shook my head.

“But you have the address,” Connor pressed, and a moment of silence followed. “Yeah, we can. I think the girls want coffee anyway.”

Connor gestured toward the right side of the road and signaled for me to get off the highway. I threw on my turn signal and got off at the next exit.

Maci sat up in her seat. “Turn right. There’s a Dunkin at one of the gas stations.”

I followed her directions and turned into a gas station that had seen better days. My gut reaction was to get back on the highway and look for another coffee place. Many people were hanging around the entrance of a building that didn’t even look big enough to house a Dunkin.

I pulled up to the last pump available and jerked my head toward Maci when she unbuckled her seat belt.

Katie surveyed the scene. “You’re gonna get coffee from here?”

Maci turned around to face her. “If it looks off, there are always the Starbucks cans of coffee by the energy drinks.”

An older gentleman in a Cleveland Browns beanie walked past the hood of my Jeep and peered casually inside the cabin. I stared at him until he was past the next set of pumps.

“We’ll go somewhere else,” I said, gripping the gearshift.

---