Sweet Temptation

by Spencer Pearson

  Riley got out of the car and slid one of the bigger boxes out of the backseat, using her knee to balance it while she shut the door. She grunted as she got a better grip on it, her arms already burning as she followed the sidewalk to the main doors. Why did she have to put all her books in one box? She should have spread them out.

  As she got closer, she shifted the box, trying to figure out how she’d be able to pull the door open, but the door flew open, knocking the box out of her hands and straight into her face, sending her falling backwards. The box fell to the floor, spilling its contents as Riley lay sprawled on the sidewalk, landing on her ass and hitting her head off the ground, her ponytail providing some cushion from the concrete.

  “Oh my God,” a woman gasped. “I’m so sorry.”

  Riley pushed herself in to a sitting position, her palms stinging from hitting the ground. She did a quick check, making sure she wasn’t seriously injured, not yet taking in the woman crouched beside her.

  “Are you okay?”

  Riley finally looked up, momentarily stunned as she stared into Lauren Harper’s blue eyes.

  “Did you hit your head?” Lauren asked, her hand resting on Riley’s jean clad knee.

  “Uh, no. Yeah. I mean, maybe, but I’m fine. I broke my fall,” Riley said, turning her hands over to see if she was bleeding, but her palms were fine.

  “Are you sure?” Lauren was still in her space, her perfume lingering in the air around Riley.

  “Yes.” Riley did one more check. She was definitely fine. Her ass would be sore, but that was about it, and once again, she’d managed to make a fool of herself in front of Lauren.

  “Is that...?” Lauren’s hand hovered in front of her cheek. “Did the box catch you in the face?” she asked, the tips of her fingers delicately moving over her cheek bone, just below the corner of her eye.

  Riley’s body tingled from head to toe, and she was so glad that she was sitting. She didn’t have to worry about wobbly legs or weak knees if she was already on the ground. “I’m fine. Really.”

  Lauren’s hand was gone, and she stood up, offering her hand to Riley. She took it, letting Lauren help pull her to her feet. Riley wiped her jeans with her hands and went over to the box, picking up the books that had fallen out. She closed the box again, bending down to lift it, but Lauren was there, grabbing the other end.

  “You got it?” Lauren asked as they balanced the weight of the box between them.

  “Yeah. And thanks for helping me.”

  “Well, it’s the least I can do after knocking you over. I’m so sorry about that. I was busy looking at my phone. I wasn’t paying any attention.” Lauren kept one hand under the box while she pulled open the door, backing in, and Riley followed her, using her hip to keep it open. They left the box down on one of the sofa’s in the lobby. “Moving in?”

  “Yeah. I’m moving in with a friend of mine.” What was Lauren doing here? Was she visiting someone or was she dating someone here?

  Riley didn’t ask any of those questions. She didn’t think it was appropriate. It was bad enough sitting down across from her at the poker table three weeks ago. Riley hadn’t built up the courage to go back since. Seeing her twice a week in class was bad enough. Her crush was getting out of control.

  “It’s a nice building,” Lauren said, pressing the button for the elevator. “I’ve been here for five years. I’m on the top floor.” She stood beside the box, ready to move it again. “I have no complaints so far, anyway, and it’s not too far from campus.”

  “I can manage. You don’t have to.”

  “I insist.”

  Riley lifted her end, and they shimmied into the elevator, taking it up to the fifth floor in silence, Riley’s heart thumping in her chest. She backed out when the doors opened and made the short walk to Nicole’s apartment.

  Riley knocked, balancing the box with her other hand, hoping that Nicole hadn’t changed her plans.

  Nicole opened the door, a huge smile on your face. “Hey. Welcome to your new home.” Nicole lips curled into more of a smirk when she saw Lauren holding the other end of the box. “Come in. Hey, Ms. Harper.”

  “Hi… Do you want help with the rest of your stuff?” Lauren asked, her hands on her waist, and Riley took her in for the first time now that she was over the shock of falling. She was dressed in all black running gear, shorts and a racerback tank top. “I’m going for a run, but I’m not in a rush.”

  Riley had just got caught checking Lauren out, and thankfully, she’d just assumed that she’d been wondering about where she was going and not how amazing she looked. “No. It’s okay. We’ll manage, right?” Riley looked at Nicole.

  “Yeah,” Nicole said. “We will.”

  “Thank you though,” Riley added.

  Riley glanced behind her, but Nicole was distracted by her phone, and it was just the two of them taking the elevator down. She could kill Nicole. Why did she think it was fun to put her in these situations? She couldn’t be alone with Lauren. She couldn’t be this close to her. Riley forgot how to act like a normal human being.

  Lauren’s bare arm brushed against Riley’s as they got in the elevator. “You haven’t been back for another poker tournament,” Lauren said, her arms crossed over her chest. “Was that your first one?”

  “Yeah. My first live one. I play a lot online.”

  “You did pretty good then. Especially for your first time.”

  “You were an eighty percent favorite on that hand,” Riley said as they left the elevator and crossed the lobby. “You should have won.”

  Lauren’s eyebrow arched as she held the door open for her.

  “Did you think I was a complete beginner?”

  “Maybe. Although it’s good to know that you’re not. If you ever come back, I’ll know not to underestimate you,” Lauren said, pulling her foot behind her as she stretched, balancing on one leg without teetering. She moved to other foot while Riley just stared at her. “I guess, I’ll see you around then.”

  Riley watched her jog off, and she nearly jumped when a hand squeezed her shoulder.

  “You have it so bad, Riley.” Nicole wrapped her arm around her from behind, resting her chin on Riley’s shoulder as Lauren got further and further away, disappearing as she turned the corner.

  “Ugh. You’re no help.” Riley swatted her hand away, ducking out of her friend’s embrace.

  “So, you’ll manage carrying that car full of stuff upstairs?” Nicole asked.

  Riley bit her lip. “No. Well, it’ll take all day if it’s just me.”

  “Good thing you have me here to help you,” Nicole said, grinning at her as she opened the trunk and took out Riley’s suitcase.

  “Yeah. Good thing,” Riley said, shaking her head as she opened the backseat door and slid out another box. She had to get this crush under control, and surely that would happen eventually. Not only was Riley seeing Lauren at least twice a week at college, she knew where to find her on a Friday night, and they now lived in the same building. All of this weird infatuation would wear off soon, wouldn’t it?

  Before this year, Riley only caught brief glimpses of Lauren from across the green or in the hallways. Seeing her so much was just piquing her curiosity. When Riley got used to being around her, she’d be fine.

  I need to go play poker on Friday.

  Riley followed Nicole inside. That’s what she had to do. She had to get over all these feelings and stop acting like a lovesick teenager, and the best way to do that was to go back to the casino. To be around Lauren in an environment where they were equals. Plus, Riley needed the money. That was what brought her to the tournament in the first place.

  She’d put aside a few hundred of her savings for poker. She’d manage that money, only doing tournaments, her specialty. No cash games. She didn’t have time to be a waitress or a bartender. This was the best way to support herself through her final year of college. If she could win, of course.

  6

  Lauren finishe
d her second whiskey, enjoying her last few sips, knowing she wouldn’t have any more tonight. Not while she was still playing anyway. It had been a few weeks since Lauren had made it to the final three in a tournament, and man, did she need this. She was starting to wonder if she was losing her touch, but she had a sizable lead tonight, and she was going to use her mountain of chips to her advantage, bullying the two players that were left.

  She’d noticed Taylor leaving her table about an hour ago. She did well though, finishing in sixteenth place. Riley was still playing at that point, and she was the one who got knocked out just before the final table.

  Lauren titled her head as she peaked at her cards. All she saw were two picture cards. That was enough for her. “All-in.” She knew she was winning this tournament, and it was just a question of how long it would take. One of the guys called, showing a weaker hand, but he was running so low on chips he had to call.

  They watched the dealer turn over the cards, and Lauren shook the other player’s hand when he’d been eliminated, leaving just her and a man in his twenties who seemed to be taking this very seriously. He had his black hood up and sunglasses on, and Lauren knew his type. He was waiting for the perfect hand to move on, but it was late in the tournament, and that just wouldn’t work here. With every hand he threw away, his stack reduced, losing his chips to the ever-increasing blinds as the tournament progressed.

  Lauren hadn’t spoken to Riley tonight. She knew she should focus on the game, but she was sounding like a robot now, saying “All-in” on just about every hand. She was only looking at the cards for his sake. It didn’t matter to her what they were. She was going to use her lead to bully him. Lauren wanted to look around the room and see if Riley was still there. Sometimes players stayed on to the end to see who would win, but Lauren resisted the urge.

  “All-in,” the man said with a sigh.

  So, he finally got the hand he was looking for. Too bad it was too late. Even if he managed to double up, it wouldn’t do him much good. “Call,” Lauren said without looking at her cards. He turned over a pair of sevens, and Lauren discovered she had Ace King. Not bad, but he was the slight favorite. They both stood as the dealer played out the hand. Lauren got the Ace she needed, and the young man cursed beside her. She shook his hand and turned to see Taylor, a huge smile on her face.

  Lauren shook a few more hands and thanked the dealer. She didn’t know why she was surprised to see that Taylor had hung around. They’d chatted during the breaks here for the few weeks and gone out together twice, but it didn’t take Lauren long to realize that there was nothing more than friendship between them. She liked Taylor, and they had fun when they were together, but there was no spark, no lingering gazes or touches, and that suited Lauren. Brian was even happy that they’d ended up being friends, although that probably just meant that he’d find someone else to fix her up with.

  “Hey,” Lauren said, leaning on the edge of the table.

  Taylor did have an amazing smile. “Congrats.” She gave Lauren a quick hug.

  “Thanks. It’s been a while, so that felt pretty good.”

  “Hmmm. I was starting to wonder if you were all talk,” Taylor said with a grin.

  “Hey. This is my fourth win this year, if you must know.”

  “Do you want to go for a celebratory drink?”

  “I’d love to, but I’ve got this charity run in the morning, so I better not.”

  “Maybe, some night next week?” Taylor asked, her smile fading.

  “Sure. Is everything okay?” Lauren asked.

  “Yeah. I mean, I wouldn’t mind getting your opinion on something, but it can wait.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yeah.” Taylor waved her off. “Go sort out your big winnings.”

  “It’s probably less than two thousand tonight.”

  “Hey, if you don’t want it,” Taylor said, lightly hitting her arm.

  “You’ll get your turn. You did well tonight.”

  “I did alright. I should’ve played my last two hands differently, but anyway. Next week.”

  They moved towards the doors. Nearly everyone else had left and the casino staff were milling around, organizing the tables for the next tournament in the morning.

  “Night, Taylor. Text me about meeting up. Any night works for me.”

  “Goodnight.”

  Lauren left the casino with her winnings a few minutes later, wondering what could be bothering Taylor. She was one of those people who always seemed to be in a good mood, but you never really knew what was going on with people. Hopefully, it wasn’t anything too serious.

  7

  Riley checked her watch for the fifth time in the last ten minutes. She didn’t want to be early for Lauren’s class. She couldn’t face her. Seeing her with Ms. Lloyd at the casino on Friday night had been the wakeup call she needed. They looked cozy, and maybe they were just friends, but either way, it reminded Riley that she had zero chance with someone like Lauren. She needed to stop drooling over her.

  Riley went into class with several other students, avoiding any eye contact, and found a seat at the back of the room. Thankfully, Riley hadn’t been seated at the same poker table as Lauren since that first night.

  Riley had played in two more tournaments, making the money once, although it wasn’t much more than the cost of buying in, but that’s how tournaments went. She was playing the long game, and if she stuck to her strategy and didn’t get distracted, she planned on making money over the next nine or ten months. Until then, she’d have to make her savings stretch. She couldn’t go into the casino desperate for money or she’d never win. If she really had to, she could get a job after Christmas, but for now, she was banking on poker.

  She couldn’t stop herself from checking Lauren out as she turned to write something on the board. She was wearing black slacks and a white button up blouse, her hair down, and she was wearing glasses today. Riley never knew she had a thing for glasses, but when Lauren slid on those white frames, Riley found herself even more distracted than usual.

  Lauren must not have needed them to read because she was always taking them on and off or sliding them into her hair, but when she did that thing where she put the tip of the black arm of the frame against her lips, Riley forgot about everything else. Lauren didn’t do it that often, only when she was getting impatient with a student’s long-winded answer or if she was really concentrating on something, but when she did it, Riley’s mind went straight into the gutter.

  Riley had no problem letting her imagination wander, thinking about those full lips and whatever shade of red lipstick Lauren was wearing on that particular day. What it would be like to kiss her? Lauren had about two, maybe three inches on her, but that was because she was almost always wearing heels. They were more or less the same height.

  “Do you have your next class here?”

  Riley blinked. She was the only one sitting in the classroom. How did that happen?

  Lauren was gathering her things, sliding a few papers into a folder and slinging her black handbag over her shoulder. Riley swallowed. She really shouldn’t lie, and anyway, Lauren was well used to seeing Riley’s flushed cheeks.

  Riley stood, shoving her notebook into her messenger bag. “No. I was just lost in my own world there.”

  “Not for the entire class, I hope. I know auditing isn’t exactly sexy,” Lauren said as Riley got closer.

  Riley almost scoffed. Lauren was the definition of sexy, and while the topic wasn’t the most interesting, Lauren definitely held Riley’s attention.

  “But I like to think that I’m teaching it in an engaging way,” Lauren said, holding the door open for her. “I try to take a less rigid approach than the kinds of classes I took when I was your age.”

  “You’re doing a great job,” Riley said honestly. “I just have a lot on my mind at the moment. I shouldn’t have let it distract me though. Not while I’m in class.”

  “Or when you’re playing poker. You did well
again last week.”

  “Hmmm. I heard some shark won,” Riley said, a smirk on her lips. “Bullied their way to the final table and kept going.”

  “Hey. I had a huge lead, and I had no problem using that stack to push people around. It’s not my fault they don’t understand basic math, and that your cards become less and less important as the tournament continues. It’s all about positioning and reads.”

  “I know.” Riley smiled. She was walking down the hall with Lauren Harper, and they were having a conversation as peers. Friends even? For once, Riley felt like Lauren was looking at her as her equal and not as a student.

  “Sorry. Of course, you know. I get carried away when it comes to cards.”

  “I’m not complaining. I could talk poker all night. I prefer to play, but I also love talking strategy. Not sure I should do that with you, though.”

  “No,” Lauren said with a chuckle. “You probably shouldn’t... Are you going tonight?”

  “Yeah. I was planning on it.” Riley wasn’t going to admit that this was her side hustle, not a hobby. “You?”

  Lauren nodded. “I rarely miss it. Do you want a ride? I uh...” She cleared her throat. “I noticed you’ve been on foot any time I’ve seen you around.”

  Riley’s eyebrows rose. When had Lauren seen her? Riley had been doing her best to avoid her. “Yeah. I decided to sell my car. I’m rarely anywhere but here or at home. The casino is the exception really, and some nights I get there with Nicole, but I end up taking a taxi home. It’s a bit too far to walk.”

  “You definitely shouldn’t walk home. Not from that part of town anyway, but I drive most nights. When I feel like I might want more than one or two drinks, I’ll get a taxi, but I usually limit myself. Don’t want to make any silly mistakes, you know?”

  “Hmm. That’s actually an amateur mistake that I’ve seen a lot of,” Riley said as they left the building. “I think it might be a student thing. Any of the young guys I’ve seen there are always drinking while they’re playing.”