~*~
Matt and Jack had footy training all of the next day and I used the time to add the finishing touches to an assignment I had due on Wednesday. With the essay finished, I moved on to the next week's readings and, when they were done, I was a week ahead with my law work. That meant that I would be able to devote my evenings to helping Jack without my work suffering. Feeling pretty damn proud of myself, I took a long bath complete with rose scented bubble bath and emerged at peace with the world.
I pulled on a pair of track pants and my old pink tank top and, with my hair still wrapped in a towel turban, settled myself down on the couch with a novel, relishing in some reading that wasn’t law-related for a change. I'd barely had five minutes of peace, though, when I heard five sets of football boot clad feet thundering up the stairs and, a moment later, the door banged open.
I sighed and set aside my book. The boys were always at their most aggravating after footy training. The adrenaline and testosterone pumping around their bodies seemed to override the small amount of their brains that they used for normal thought processes.
"We're the Grovers and the Rovers, we'll leave you our leftovers. With one big shout, we'll knock you out. We are the Grovers Rovers!"
Whoever had made up their team song needed serious help. Then again, those who would choose to chant it couldn't exactly be in the right frame of mind either.
The boys howled as they finished their song and slapped each other on the backs. The flat suddenly seemed unbearably small, in fact I suddenly felt unbearably small. From my position on the couch they were like overexcited, sweaty giants.
"Ugh, what's that smell?" Micky shouted when he'd finished wrestling with Matt.
"That would be your armpits," I said, reaching up to take the towel off my head.
The five of them suddenly noticed me, as if I had been hiding before, and all but Micky yelled noisy greetings as if I was at the other end of the football pitch as opposed to about three metres to their left.
"No, it's like a girly shit smell," Micky insisted.
They all started sniffing and Tommo worked his way over to me and smelt my hair.
"It's her," he announced.
"Figures, this flat only started to smell when she moved in here," Micky snapped.
It was rare that he was overtly rude to me in front of all the boys and, as I shot him a 'rack off' look, I wondered what I'd done recently to piss him off particularly. Probably just continued to exist.
Jack and Matt, who had gone to the kitchen to crack out some beers, looked round angrily.
"Watch it," Matt said as Jack glared.
Sam took the route that I most appreciated, however, smacking his twin round the back of the head and instructing him not to be, "Such a dick!"
Tommo settled down on the couch beside me and smiled, his teeth incredibly white against his dark skin. "I think you smell nice," he said and I laughed.
"Thank you for that," I said primly. "Unfortunately I can't say the same for you."
He sniffed under his arms and made a face. "It's not great, is it?" He agreed before hauling himself off the couch. "I'm going home for a shower, but we're meeting at O'Reilly's tonight, yeah?" He said looking round at his friends. "About 8 'o' clock?"
Sam, Michael and Matt nodded, but Jack hesitated and I knew he was thinking about our date that night. Luckily Matt seemed to notice his indecision and said understandingly, "Are you and Talia doing more scholarship stuff tonight?"
Jack and I looked at each other quickly then looked away and said, "Yeah," at the same time.
As soon as I said it I felt guilt grip my guts, it wasn't a pleasant feeling.
One by one, Samsa, Micky and Tommo trooped out the door and Matt went off to have a shower. As I heard the hiss of the water start I looked across at Jack, my face crumpling.
"I didn't like that," I said quietly.
"Lying to Matt? No neither did I." Jack sighed and sat down beside me on the couch. "It's the first time we've had to do that and let's try and make it the last, OK?"
I nodded my agreement, but, secretly, I was wondering how we were going to be able to pull it off. He seemed to notice my uncertainty and he slung his arm around my shoulders and gave them a squeeze. I leant into him, letting him comfort me and he rested his head atop mine. "Tommo was right," he said after a moment. "You do smell nice."
A completely different feeling clenched my stomach this time and I felt a silly grin stretch my mouth. "You're so nice to me," I said happily and I felt him kiss my hair before chuckling lightly.
"Well, that's lesson four. Be nice to the person you're trying to get into bed."
I snorted and smacked him in the face with a couch cushion. He laughed and got up.
"I'm going to get some studying done, but it’s stuff I can do on my own so give yourself some time off." He turned to go into his room, but I called after him,
"What do I wear tonight?"
Jack didn't turn around, just called back, "Your dancing shoes."
So Much to Learn Page 16