Page 32 of The Kingpin

“Really? Just after graduation?”

“We don’t want to wait. Besides, Jason is being scouted by the NFL. We’ll need to move to whatever city he’s drafted by as soon as possible. And my parents would kill me if we didn’t hold the wedding in Kansas.”

Toto, this isn’t Kansas anymore.

I didn’t know why I was thinking that other than I didn’t know anyone else whose life was so picture perfect. Granted, I also realized no one was without secrets. What went on often behind closed doors was horrific in comparison to real life, but I’d been to her parents’ home in the summer, to countless parties with the girl, and had taken most of her advice over the years. Except I hadn’t heeded her warning to stay away from the sorority. If only I had. “Wow. You have everything planned out.”

“You’ll find the man of your dreams, as long as you actually agree to go on a date. You know, with a boy?” She laughed and bounded closer, her long auburn hair swishing back and forth in the ponytail. She was the kind of girl who looked good in anything she put on with or without makeup. Meanwhile, I needed all the help I could get.

“You know I’m busy with school, work, and everything else.”

“All work and no play makes for a very dull and hugely grumpy, pain in the ass roommate.”

I popped the cork and made a face at her. “That’s not very nice.”

“That’s what I was saying to you. At least you quit that fucking sorority. I really wish you’d tell me what they asked you to do.”

“I signed a nondisclosure. I refused to be sued by those… bitches.” At least I could laugh. I grabbed our two favorite wineglasses, our only wineglasses, filling them to the brim.

“What? They made you sign a nondisclosure?”

“Yeah. Can you believe it?”

“I can believe almost anything,” Paisley said. Then she whistled.

“What is it?” I turned to hand her the wine, realizing I’d forgotten to exit the internet page I’d been on. Uh-oh. While I adored everything about the girl, when she latched onto something, she was like a bulldog in heat with a bone.

“You mean who is that? Wow. He’s gorgeous.” She inched closer, running her finger down the track pad of my MacBook. “Wait a minute. I know that name. Why are you searching for the most notorious family in the crime world?” She snatched the glass from me, almost spilling her wine. Then she gathered a more serious look on her face. “I’m not kidding. Why are you looking this guy up?”

I shrugged and moved toward the window, flopping down in the huge circular rattan chair, the one she’d insisted we have in the small dorm room. “No particular reason.”

“He’s from New Orleans. I know that’s where you went on this hazing event. Did you run into him? Are there things you didn’t tell me?”

I hated lying to her but at this point, I feared if I told her, she’d go ballistic, which could place her life in danger. Whatever I said, I had to be crafty with my words. “Let’s just say a party was involved with the ridiculous task they tried to put me up to. I met him, although I had no clue who he was.”

Before she had a chance to say anything, my cell phone rang and this time I was the one who almost dumped the wine, a splash trickling down my legs.

“Jesus, girl. You’re so jumpy.” She moved back to the desk, staring down at my phone. “It’s your mom. Do you want it?”

I shook my head, already wiping the wine from my skin. Why did it tingle more than it should? Was it possible Arman’s rough touches had left some crazy kind of memory in the pores or nerve endings of my skin? Now I was just getting ridiculous. “No. She’s going to remind me to send in my resume to the HR department of the FBI. I don’t want to work with my dad.”

“I don’t blame you.” She moved closer, sitting down and folding her legs under her. “What is going on? You’ve been so jumpy you make me terrified. You even look over your shoulder when we’re walking on campus. Did something terrible happen to you?”

My eyes seemed to close on their own and I wanted to sink further into the cushion of the chair. “Not terrible. Just weird.”

“How weird?”

“Arman kissed me.”

“Excuse me?” I thought for certain she was starting to choke given she spit out her sip of wine.

At least I could tell her something with enough truth and shock value to keep her from grilling me too much further. It sounded like a good plan anyway. “We talked. We danced. He stood out in the moonlight and he kissed me.” Her stare remained incredulous. So did my thoughts.

“And you had no idea who he was.”

“None. Now, I do.”

“Please do not tell me that he asked for your phone number. Please donottell me you’re seeing him.”

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