Page 16 of Play Maker

Blue rested her chin on her hand and waited until I took a big bite to respond. “Maybe it was the sex.”

I damn near choked on my taco. “Okay, time to head home.”

6

Six days later and I still hadn’t stopped replaying the conversation with Adam in my head. Sweat trickled down my back and between my breasts as I walked across campus to my first class of the summer, but my discomfort went bone deep.

He was right. After he’d dropped me off and I’d slept for twelve hours, I’d regretted my drunken proposal. So much that I’d mostly avoided his texts and pretended not to be home the one time he stopped by. I wasn’t going to call the whole thing off, but I needed some time to get used to my own idea.

Adam’s persistence was working though. My sparse responses hadn’t dulled his enthusiasm in the least. Once he’d pried my schedule out of me and realized the end of his first class lined up with the beginning of mine, he’d gleefully planned a route between campus, my apartment, and back to TU which would almost guarantee he’d be late for his second class.

When I pointed out his error, he’d countered by claiming one of the perks of being a star football player included unlimited late passes. There was no dissuading him when he wanted something, and he wanted to drive me to class. I had no idea why, but I wasn’t letting him win this one. He needed to focus on his own schedule.

I’d been forced to resort to drastic measures and leave early. He should still be in his class as I hiked to the Anderson Business College, or ABC as everyone called it. The sleek new building made almost entirely of chrome and glass glinted in the afternoon sun. Modern wasn’t really my aesthetic, but I could appreciate the icy blast of the air conditioning as I pulled the doors open.

My courses were almost an afterthought at college. Considering I had a ready-made job with my mom after graduation, the generic business degree Mom had talked me into seemed as good as anything else.

I’d figured out early I learned best reading the textbooks on my own, and I despised the participation part of my grade. It’s not that I was afraid to talk in class, but I always somehow managed to say the exact wrong thing while simultaneously missing the point entirely.

I preferred online courses because the participation component was usually limited to commenting on a post. That I could do. This summer, I’d elected to take two courses so I could take the minimum credits in the fall and spring semesters before graduation. Now that I was the de facto manager of the shop, reduced hours or not, I’d need all that extra time.

One of my classes was online. The other, unfortunately, was not. I didn’t realize how unfortunate until I made it through the second set of doors and found Shad loitering in the lobby. My steps faltered, and I slid to an abrupt stop on the smooth tile.

He was talking to a small group of guys wearing the uniform of self-important finance bros stuck in the Texas heat—brightly colored cargo shorts, a short sleeve button down, and an expensive-looking haircut topped off with too much gel to make it look artfully tousled. I snorted, then covered my mouth. The last thing I wanted was for him to hear me.

If I believed in karma, I might have wondered what I’d done in a former life. As it was, I felt like I was being punished for something. Maybe the universe had heard my dirty thoughts about my best friend’s ex.

I winced as I realized I hadn’t returned Eva’s text from the night before. A good friend, I was not.

Shad hadn’t spotted me yet, so maybe I had time to atone first. Just as I was debating the shortest distance out of the lobby, Shad clapped one of the bros on the back and shifted my direction. I considered diving behind the couch next to me, but it was too late.

Damn my squirrel brain.

He smiled, giving me a slow appraisal. “Angela, always a pleasure. You look good enough to eat.”

I frowned and glanced down at my overall shorts and sneakers, unsure how to respond to his creepy cannibalistic compliment. I’d told Adam last week flattery didn’t work on me, then he’d promptly proved me wrong. All he had to do was send me an appreciative glance and I suspected my panties would burst into flame.

Shad’s flattery went so far in the other direction I wanted to take a shower. Alone. He sauntered toward me, and I managed to put the couch between us.

“What are you doing here?” I asked him.

The edges of his smile twitched for a second at my brusque tone, and I hoped he’d finally decide I wasn’t worth his efforts. I didn’t have a lot of time to waste indulging him, but I didn’t want to burn bridges before the wedding. If not for my mom, I’d have simply walked past him without acknowledging his greeting.

No such luck.

Shad spread his hands to encompass the lobby. “This is where I’m working over the summer. Are your classes in this building too?”

His innocent tone threw me for a second. I’d assumed he was here because of me, but maybe it was just bad luck after all?

I glanced at the stairs leading to the classrooms, noting the lack of other students in the lobby. “I have one class here. Business ethics with Professor Conrad.”

“How lucky for me. My office is right next door to his. Why don’t you come up and check it out?”

The offer sounded harmless, but his sleazy smile made goosebumps rise on my arms. I should have let Adam walk me to class like he’d suggested. At least then I could follow his lead on how to extricate myself without making a scene.

As if I’d summoned him, Adam appeared next to me and slung an arm around my shoulders, pulling me against his side—away from Shad. “Miss me?”

I’d been nervous about seeing him again, but all I felt was relief. I couldn’t contain my smile at his ridiculously good timing. “Don’t you have a class right now?”

---