by Lynn Stevens
Erik: What about being seen with me?
Me: I’m not afraid to be seen with you.
“Andrea, who are you texting?” Vicky asked, leaning over to get a peek at my phone.
I almost dropped it on the floor. My heart raced as I faked a calm smile. “A friend.”
Rachel raised her eyebrows, and Eva snickered.
“What?” I asked, shrugging my shoulders. “Just a friend.”
“We know all your friends,” Eva said, pointing at me with a celery stick covered in peanut butter.
“We are all your friends,” Vicky countered with a smile. She leaned on her elbow and stared at me. Her citrusy perfume clogged my nostrils. “What’s his name?”
“What makes you think it’s a guy?” My phone vibrated in my hand, and it took all my will not to look at it.
“Probably the way you blushed like a peach and got this goofy ass grin on your face,” Rachel said. Her perfect plastic face didn’t show a single expression.
I was so tired of her judging me. Blushed like a peach? How lame was that? And how dare her. She had never been nice to me. “For your information, it’s none of your business. Not everyone wants you to chime in, Rachel. The world doesn’t revolve around you and your opinion.”
“Who pissed in your corn flakes?” she asked, again raising her perfectly crafted eyebrow.
“Why do you feel the need to take everyone down?” I grabbed my bag and stood, my phone still in my hand. Goofy grin? Could she have been any ruder? “Get over yourself.”
I stormed out of the cafeteria and headed toward the gym. They didn’t need to know a damn thing about me and Erik. All any of them would’ve done was attack him. Then they would’ve attacked me for even talking to him. Can’t people change? Grow? I’d told Erik I didn’t care if anyone saw us together, but was that true? So many thoughts ran through my mind as I sat on the bleachers alone for the rest of lunch. By the time the bell rang, I still didn’t have any answers. I put my trash back into my lunch bag to recycle at home.
“Andrea?” A hand landed on my forearm and I jumped. “Sorry,” Eva said. “Are you okay?”
I glanced up at her. Eva smiled gently.
“You kinda freaked out on Rachel,” Eva said. “Not that she doesn’t deserve it for past transgressions, but she wasn’t being a bitch just now.”
I sighed and leaned against the wall. “You’re right. I just... She has this superior attitude all the time. I hate how she looks down her nose at me.”
Eva snorted. “She looks down her nose at everyone except Vicky. But she is trying. Being with Adam has opened her eyes to things outside the Westbrook mansion.” Eva’s attention shifted to Logan as he walked by. He didn’t even give her a head nod. “Anyway, she’s making an effort to be better. Cut her some slack, okay?”
“Why?” I wasn’t in the mood to cut anybody anything. And I knew my friends. If the roles had been reversed, nobody would stand by me. “Not once has anybody done that for me?”
Eva snorted. “Yeah, right. Vicky has totally forgiven you for the Theo thing this summer. She’s so over it.”
“I don’t think she is,” I whispered. My voice caught in my throat. “She rarely talks to me anymore. She hasn’t talked to me much since we got back.” I shrugged because pretending it’s not a big deal will end this conversation faster. “I should go. Mr. Schuman would happily kick me to detention if I’m late again.”
“On the second week of school?” she asked with wide eyes.
“He still holds a grudge from last year.” I grinned and tugged my bag higher on my shoulder. Mr. Schuman gave detention to every student who was ten seconds late by his watch. I was one of his favorite targets. “And from the year before.”
Eva rolled her eyes. “Maybe try not get detention this semester. That would be a goal.”
“I’ll take it one week at a time.” I laughed as I walked down the hall toward my next class. “Let’s not go too far.”
The rest of the day went slow. Crawling would’ve been faster. It probably didn’t help that I kept checking the clock. Mrs. Allen called me out for it during philosophy and then used my inattention as a lesson quoting Nietzsche: “Time flies apace-we would fain believe that everything flies forward with it.”
Whatever that meant.
The final bell rang, and I wanted nothing more than to sprint to the parking lot. Vicky caught my arm. She pressed her lips into a thin line.
“What’s going on with you?” she asked as the rest of the class exited the room.
“I’ve just got a lot on my mind.” It wasn’t a lie, not really, but I didn’t want her to push me.
“I feel like I never see you anymore,” Vicky said. There was a hint of sadness in her voice. I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye. Vicky’s face twisted into concern.
“You’re busy with your boyfriend and whatever’s going on with Rachel.” I focused on my exit strategy. This wasn’t the time or place to deal. I need to think about how to handle it. Vicky had Rachel to entertain her anyway. I headed toward the door. Sure enough, Rachel waited for Vicky in the hall.
“Rachel’s going through some stuff with Adam. At least, I think she is. She really needs a friend right now. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t hang out.” Vicky stopped in the threshold. “Let’s go get some ice cream.”
I wrinkled my nose. “You know I don’t eat ice cream. Besides, I have an appointment. Maybe we can do something this weekend.”
“I don’t know. I’ll have to check. My grandmother has me volunteering every weekend. Part of my deal with her.” Vicky sighed and linked my arm. “We’ll figure something out.”
We strolled out in the hall, and Rachel joined us. I unlinked my arm from Vicky’s and stepped into the sun. It felt glorious against my skin. I never realized how cold I was until I felt the heat of the sun’s rays. Vicky and Rachel talked about the depth of the philosophy lesson.
“You guys are killing me,” I said with an exaggerated huff. “Who cares? It’s not like we’re going to decide our entire lives during our senior year. Seriously, we have no idea what we’re going to do after college.”
“I do,” Vicky and Rachel said at the same time. They glanced at each other and laughed.
“You two are the exception.” I pointed between them and raised my eyebrows. “I, however, am just going to wing it.” Unless I become a pro golfer.
Vicky snorted a laugh. They thought my parents were on me all the time to get straight As and get into an East Coast school, whether it was Yale, Harvard, or Dartmouth. Truth was they didn’t care at all. I let them believe that because it was better than having parents who didn’t care whether I attended Stanford or the University of Nobody Exists.
“So,” I said as I nudged Rachel’s shoulder, “what’s going on with you and Adam?”
Rachel shrugged as Vicky’s concerned gaze met hers. “What do you mean?”
“I don’t know. You haven’t said anything in a while, and he hasn’t posted anything lately.” Honestly, I stalked Rachel’s page looking for any kind of ammunition to get back at her for her comments at lunch. Other than that, I really didn’t care. “You guys were pretty into each other. I was just curious if things had cooled off.”
“Not at all.” Rachel smiled, and it was so obviously fake. “Just being more discreet.”
Vicky’s eyebrow furrowed. There was so much more going on than Vicky hinted at before. Curiosity killed me. I wanted to know just for the sake of knowing, but I didn’t want to know either. It wasn’t any of my business.
“Oh, hey, did I tell you guys that Logan’s still seeing that chick he met at your party?” A party I wasn’t invited to. I redirected the conversation because I’d accomplished my goal to make Rachel uncomfortable. Bitchy, yes. Vengeful, totally. Necessary, nope.
“Darla?” Rachel asked.
“They’re pretty hot and heavy still.” I didn’t know if they were or not. Logan had been his usual flirty self so far this school
year, but he hadn’t actually asked anyone out.
“Eva’s still pissed, too,” Vicky said, shaking her head. “She thought she’d finally get Logan to commit. I told her she was nuts.”
“He’s all in with that Darla girl,” I said as I scanned the parking lot. Erik leaned against his car. He smiled and lifted his hand. I waved back across the parking lot. “Sorry, girls, I have to jet.”
I started snaking my way through the BMWs, Mercedes, Lexus, and a couple of Range Rovers. By the time I’d gotten through, Theo had joined him. Great. Erik glared at his friend.
“Theo, just get over it.” Erik crossed his arms and his ankles, the portrait of relaxed cool. “She’s moved on. You moved on before she even dumped you. Victoria Hudson is not worth your time.”
I cringed at the inadvertent mention of my biggest mistake.
“I never should’ve cheated on her,” Theo said, his back to me. “Much less with Andrea. Biggest mistake of my life. That girl was like a wet noddle. Vicky had a lot more going for her. Andrea’s the one who wasn’t worth it.”
A sob shot up my throat. Never would I have expected Theo Tudor’s words to hurt me so much. Neither one of them had seen me standing behind Theo. They didn’t know I heard. I could just turn and walk away, forget both of them. But I didn’t. I kept listening, because Theo hadn’t said anything I didn’t already know. I wasn’t worth anything.
“Don’t be an asshole, Theo,” Erik snapped. He pushed off his car and pressed his finger into Theo’s chest. “You knew what you were doing. You planned it. So don’t act like Andrea was some big mistake you made. She’ll a hell of a lot better than you, and she deserves better than an asshat like you.”
Wait, he planned what?
“Fine.” Theo stepped back with his hands up at his chest. “I’ll give you that. It’s my fault, but you of all people know what it’s like to be burned by the great Victoria Hudson. You know how ... special she is.”
Erik snorted. “Man, are you done? I’ve got to get home before my mom calls the cops.”
“Still under house arrest?” Theo asked, his voice changing to one of casual conversation. Like he didn’t just call me worthless. Like he didn’t just admit to planning to sleep with me. Like none of this was anything more than a fucking game.
“Until the end of time,” Erik said. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and glanced at the screen. “It won’t be long and neither one of us will have to worry about Vicky. She’ll be off to college somewhere we won’t be. Just let it go.”
“Yeah but suffer the consequences until then. I hear ya. Later, man.”
Theo walked away, not once noticing that I had been standing behind him the entire time. Erik’s face drained when he saw me.
“How much did you hear?” he asked softly.
“All of it. I know I’ll never be good enough for guys like him, Erik. I just thought I might be good enough to be your friend,” I said.
Then I turned on my heel and walked away. Not once did I cry. No matter how much I wanted to.
Chapter Twelve
Theo Tudor was the worst human on the planet. The absolute worst. When we were on the train in Europe, he was sweet, romantic, and treated me like the precious art we saw in Rome. And I trusted him. God, I was a fool.
Before we left, I knew Vicky and Theo were having issues. She’d told me he had been pressuring her into taking their relationship to the next level. Vicky wasn’t ready to go there with him. He had mentioned how evasive she was. He’d called her cold. So I believed him when he had told me on the plane that she had broken up with him. I believed him in Paris when he told me I was beautiful and blushed. I believed him when he said we were perfect for each other. I believed that rush of adrenaline when his lips met mine. I believed him on the train when he said he was falling in love with me.
Nobody had ever told me they loved me.
The magic of Europe, the hope of love, the romance. All of that contributed to my stupidity, but I was the idiot who let myself believe in the miracle that someone somewhere wanted to be with me.
This entire situation was one hundred percent my fault.
I pulled into the parking lot and glanced over to the picnic table where Erik and I had sat together. He had been kind, and he’d defended me to Theo. He’d never said a bad word to me or about me. If I’d been a fool falling for Theo’s bullshit, I’d been a bigger fool when it came to Erik. There wasn’t any reason for me to trust him, but I did. I shouldn’t have stormed off. None of this had anything to do with him.
After I climbed out of the car and grabbed my golf bag, I focused on my breathing to calm my nerves as I walked toward the driving range. The last thing I needed was Rex Vargas changing his mind. Why would he take a chance on me?
Sounds of the nearby batting cages, the electric whirl of the go-cart engines, kid’s laughter, and golf balls sailing off clubs echoed in the air. The popcorn and grease filled my nose. My stomach grumbled. I regretted eating only half of my meager lunch of yogurt and an apple.
“Andrea,” Rex said as I stepped up to the counter for a bucket. “Come back here.”
He opened the door and I stepped into the blissful air-conditioned office. Seemed silly to keep the air on when the window always open, but I welcomed it. The space wasn’t big. Just a counter at the window with a computer beside it. Buckets of balls filled the far wall. Spare clubs lay under the counter in a haphazard mess. Rex sat at his metal desk near the doors to storage.
“Have a seat for a second, then we’ll discuss our schedule.” Rex flipped through a ledger as I sat in an old black metal chair. It was not at all comfortable. He looked up and smiled, sitting behind a desk that was perfectly clean. “Remember how we talked about payment?”
I nodded. This was going downhill faster than it had gone uphill. Rex was going to drop me because I couldn’t pay him. There was no way I was going to ask my father for the money. Mom deferred any money talk to Dad, and my grandparents bought me my Jetta last year.
“I have a class on Saturdays that I’d like you to teach.” He grinned and tapped his stack of papers on the desk.
That was not what I was expecting. “I’m not a teacher.”
“Not technically, but they won’t mind.” His grinned widened. “They’re ... not my usual students, and I don’t have the patience. They’re five.”
“Please tell me you mean height and not age,” I said, my mouth dropping open. Teaching little kids? I wasn’t sure that was a good idea. Patience wasn’t a virtue I had much of.
“No, I mean age.” He leaned forward. “It’s an hour every Saturday at eleven. It’s more like babysitting than teaching them to golf, but their parents want them to learn. Plus, it’s inside.” He laughed and sat back. “They use plastic clubs so they won’t hurt themselves. Or you.”
“Why me?”
“To be honest, I’m terrible with kids. Never had the patience. Well, any patience actually.” He shrugged and stood, that sneaky grin still on his face. “This will actually help you in a way. You can work on not being as frustrated as you are right now. You need a nerves of steel on the circuit. Plus you might teach these kids something useful.”
“One hour on Saturday? That’s all it takes? What’s in it for you?” I asked, sitting up straighter. This was doable. I wouldn’t have to pay Rex to teach me if I just gave him an hour each Saturday. Sounded like I was the winner here, not him.
“Yes, that’s all it takes. And I get to make money on these lessons without paying you to do it. Believe me, it’s a bundle. You in?” He offered his hand and I readily took it. “Good.” The door opened, and a young woman came in wearing a Myer’s Driving Range green polo. “Hey, Cass, perfect timing.” He turned back to me. “Ready?”
“Is this the prodigy?” Cass asked as she dropped her oversized purse on the desk. “I thought she’d be younger.”
Rex snorted. “Andrea, this is my niece Cassidy Myer. Cassidy, this is my new student Andrea Hoffpauir. Cass is a s
tudent at WashU, and she’s on their golf team.”
“Really? That’s cool.” I hadn’t thought about colleges having golf teams, but I guess it made sense. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Yeah, you too.” She smiled and I saw the family resemblance then. Cassidy’s eyes were also the same golden hazel as her uncle. “Rex wouldn’t stop talking about you this weekend. I hope you’re ready to work, because he’s going to make you either hate golf or love it more than anything.”
I laughed, but she didn’t. “Seriously?” I glanced at Rex who smirked and shrugged. “Okay then. I guess we should get started.”
Grabbing my bag, I followed Rex out onto the range. He headed toward the far end where no one else hit balls. Four guys practiced their drives, but they ignored us.
“We’ll work on driving the ball today.” He took my clubs and handed over my nine iron. “One thing that needs to improve is your strength.”
“I lift weights at the gym, but I just started adding weight,” I said as I tugged on my golf gloves. The leather molded to my skin.
“Good, but I’m going to give you a list of specific exercises that will be the most beneficial.” He looked me up and down in an appraising way. “How’s your endurance?”
“I run every morning. Three miles, sometimes five if I’m feeling the need to get out some ... anger.” I grimaced at how that sounded, like an angsty teen with a chip on her shoulder. But it was kind of an accurate description. I hated being a stereotype. Then again, I had a lot of anger toward my father. Dr. Levine encouraged running to help me relax.
“Excellent. Keep that going, if you can push yourself, do it. Especially over the winter. Once the range shuts down, we’ll work indoors to get you ready for your first tournament this spring.”
“Yes, sir,” I said, grinning at the possibilities. “Oh, I do have a tournament coming up. It’s the annual Father Son Tournament at Willow East.”
He rolled his eyes. “They actually let a girl enter? That place is so backwards its head is stuck up its ass twice. Great course though.”
I burst out laughing, and Rex snickered with me.