by Alley Ciz
#UofJ1
Looking To Score
(#UofJ1)
Alley Ciz
Also by Alley Ciz
U of J Series
Looking To Score
Game Changer- Preorder; Releasing October 15, 2020
Playing For Keeps- Preorder, Releasing December 3, 2020
* * *
BTU Alumni Series
Power Play (Jake and Jordan)
Tap Out (Gage and Rocky)
Sweet Victory (Vince and Holly)
Puck Performance (Jase and Melody)
Writing Dirty (Maddey and Dex)
BTU6- Coming 2021
@UofJ411: Who’s the girl? #CasanovaWatch #CasanovasMysteryGirl
* * *
They call me Casanova.
Football God. Ladies Man. Campus Celebrity.
Guys want to be me and girls want to bed me.
Commitment? What’s that?
Then I saw her—tiny, gorgeous and oh so…MINE.
* * *
Mason Nova is an egotistical jerk.
Player. Persistent. Pain in the Pom-Pom.
I don’t care if he’s the star of the gridiron or how tight his end is.
I know his stats both on and off the field. My answer will always be NO.
The last thing I need in my life is another charmer who’s looking to score.
LOOKING TO SCORE is book 1 in the U of J Series and is an enemies-to-lovers, new adult, college sports romance. If you like pint-sized sass queens for heroines, and too-charming-for-their-own-good playboy heroes you’ll love these two. There’s banter for days…so much so that these two characters are the stars of books 1, 2, and 3.
Looking To Score (#UofJ1)
Alley Ciz
Copyright © 2020 by House of Crazy Publishing, LLC
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, medium and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
Copyright © 2020 by House of Crazy Publishing, LLC
All rights reserved.
Without limiting the rights under the copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-950884-11-7
Ebook ISBN: 978-1-950884-12-4
Cover Designer: Julia Cabrera at Jersey Girl Designs
Cover Photographer: Wander Book Club Photography
Cover Models: Megan Napolitan & Wayne Skivington
Editing: Jessica Snyder Edits, C. Marie
Proofreading: Gem’s Precise Proofreads; Dawn Black
Created with Vellum
To my MINS and Taco girls. If it weren’t for you the U of J would only exist on my computer.
#BookFriendsAreTheBestFriends
Author Note
Dear Reader,
The U of J is a brand new world. If I’m new to you and you haven’t read my BTU Alumni books you’re fine.
If you have met my other crazy squad of friends and Covenettes there are a few cameos in here you might enjoy, with a tiny time gap between the two series.
* * *
XOXO
Alley
IG Handles
CasaNova87: Mason ‘Casanova’ Nova (TE)
QB1McQueen7: Travis McQueen (QB)
CantCatchAnderson22: Alex Anderson (RB)
SackMasterSanders91: Kevin Sanders (DE)
LacesOutMitchell5: Noah Mitchell (K)
CheerGodJT: JT (James) Taylor
TheGreatestGrayson37: G (Grant) Grayson
ThirdBaseAdam16: Adam
CheerNinja: Rei
TheBarracksAtNJA: The Barracks
NJA_Admirals: The Admirals
Nicknames
Mason Nova: Casanova/Mase
Kayla Dennings: Kay/PF/Smalls/Short Stack
E (Eric) Dennings
CK (Chris) Kent
Em (Emma) Logan
Q (Quinn)
JT (James) Taylor
T (Tessa) Taylor
Pops (James) Taylor Sr.
G (Grant) Grayson
D (Dante) Grayson
Mama G- Mrs. Grayson
Papa G- Mr. Grayson
B (Ben) Turner
Playlist
“Whip My Hair”- Willow Smith
“Sing”- Ed Sheeran
“BLOW”- Ed Sheehan with Chris Stapleton
“Guys Don’t Like Me”- It Boys!
“Girls Just Want To Have Fun”- Cyndi Lauper
“Stack It Up”- Liam Payne feat. A Boogie Wit da Hoodie
“Better Now”- Post Malone
“Runaway Baby”- Bruno Mars
“Teeth”- 5 Seconds of Summer
“Good As Hell”- Lizzo feat Ariana Grande
“Good Thing”- Zedd with Kehlani
“Shape Of You”- Ed Sheeran
“Frustrated”- R.LUM.R
“Lips On You”- Maroon 5
“Rumors”- Lindsay Lohan
“Burn It to the Ground”- Nickelback
“I Warned Myself”- Charlie Puth
“Thunderstruck”- AC/DC
“Blow Your Mind (Mwah)”- Gua Lipa
“Say Amen (To Saturday Night)”-Panic! At The Disco
“Papercut”- Linkin Park
“Paparazzi”- Lady Gaga
“Close To Me (with Diplo)”- Ellie Goulding feat. Swae Lee
“Suffer”- Charlie Puth
“Don’t Stop Me Now”- Queen
“Finesse (Remix)”- Bruno Mars feat. Cardi B
“Fuck Apologies”- JoJo feat. Wiz Khalifa
Find Playlist on Spotify
Contents
#UofJ1
Also by Alley Ciz
Blurb
Author Note
IG Handles
Nicknames
Playlist
1. Kayla
2. Kayla
3. Mason
4. Kayla
5. Mason
6. Kayla
7. Kayla
8. Mason
9. Kayla
10. Mason
11. Kayla
12. Mason
13. Mason
14. Kayla
15. Kayla
16. Mason
17. Kayla
18. Mason
19. Mason
20. Kayla
21. Mason
22. Kayla
23. Mason
24. Kayla
25. Mason
26. #TheGram
27. Kayla
28. Mason
29. Kayla
30. Mason
31. Kayla
32. Mason
33. Kayla
34. Kayla
35. #TheGram
36. Mason
37. Kayla
38. Mason
39. Kayla
40. Mason
41. #TheGram
42. Kayla
43. #TheGram
44. Mason
45. Kayla
46. #TheGram
47. Mason
48. Kayla
49. Mason
50. Kayla
51. Kayla
52. Mason
53. Kayla
54. Mason
55. Kayla
56. Mason
57. Kayla
58. Mason
59. Kayla
60. #TheGram
61. Mason
62. #TheGram
63. Kayla
64. #TheGram
65. Mason
66. Kayla
Randomness For My Readers
Acknowledgments
For A Good Time Call
Also by Alley Ciz
About the Author
#Chapter1
I’ve just put the key into the lock of the dorm I’ll be calling home for my sophomore year at the University of Jersey when my phone rings, blaring “Whip My Hair” by Willow Smith.
I swipe to answer the call. “Hey, Bette.”
“Kay! Back at school yet?” It’s an innocent enough question, but I can tell my sister-in-law is fishing.
“Yup, just got here,” I answer, using my shoulder to hold my phone to my ear so I can wheel my two large suitcases inside.
“How’s the dorm?”
“Hold on.”
I switch the call over to a video chat and let her come on the tour of my new place.
The setup is nice with its four bedrooms and two full baths. I’ll have to share the space with three roommates, but I’ll have one of those bedrooms to myself, which is a major perk.
Bette oohs and aahs as we pass the first set of rooms, continuing down the hall until it opens into the communal living space. There’s a living room to the left with a red couch and loveseat bracketing a wooden coffee table, all facing a decent-looking entertainment center.
“Nice TV. Eric would approve,” Bette comments, referring to the large flat-screen my brother would undoubtedly appreciate. Boys and their toys, after all.
Off to my right, separated by a gray laminate peninsula island, is the kitchen decked out with a full-sized fridge, stove, microwave, and dishwasher—score.
“Better tell G he has to bring his own chair when he comes over for dinner.” Bette points to the four barstools at the island.
The mention of one of my closest friends here at school instantly brings a smile to my face. As a person who prefers to stay out of the limelight, the star power forward for the U of J Hawks basketball team is the least likely candidate for a bestie, but Grant Grayson—G to us—is a rare breed of human.
“He’s not going to let a little thing like not having somewhere to sit keep him from coming over if food is involved.”
The dude is a bottomless pit. He should weigh like four hundred pounds, but with his metabolism and the grueling workout regimen he maintains to play D1 basketball, he’s all ripped lean sexy lines. He could pass as Tyrese Gibson’s brother and is almost too good-looking for his own good.
“Nice,” Bette murmurs as I walk into the only bedroom with its door open—mine.
I nod in agreement, taking in the full-sized bed, desk, and large wardrobe.
“You nervous about meeting the new roomies?”
I shake my head even though, yes, a part of me is. To tell the truth, I was a little apprehensive when we were picking our living arrangements. I liked the idea of the apartment-style dorm but wasn’t—and still am not—sure how to feel about having to live with two strangers. My history with cheerleaders is precarious at best, but Em (Emma) wiggled herself into my heart and mended it enough to take a chance on having two of her squadmates as our new roommates. I figured the devil I knew—in this case, Em—would be best.
“You will tell us if you have any issues. You hear me, Kayla?” The steel in Bette’s tone tells me I flipped her mama bear switch. She spent years of her life raising me through the worst of mine, and I hate when I provoke this side of her.
Hell, the main reason I stay at school instead of at my childhood home less than an hour away is so she’ll actually live in the same state as her husband. You would think she’d have eased up after a year without…issues.
Are you really complaining about the fact that she wants what’s best for you? my conscience asks.
No, because outside of when Moms Taylor was alive, Bette is the only “real” mom I’ve ever had.
“I’ll be fine.” I hope.
The sigh that comes through the phone is heavy enough to be bench-pressed. “Is it really so wrong to wish you lived at home? The commute isn’t bad.”
“I like living at school. Besides”—I heft my bags onto the bed—“aren’t you the one trying to tell me it’s good to step outside my comfort zone?”
“I hate when you use my own advice against me,” she grumbles.
I roll my eyes. She’s ridiculous when she misses me.
“You taught me well.”
She makes a face, not at all comforted by my platitude. “Fine. Just don’t forget if you need me, I’ll be there. Baltimore is an easy drive.” This is true—three hours to home, four to the U of J.
“I know. Now, if you’re done helicopter-parenting, I’m gonna go unload the rest of my stuff from Pinky so I can unpack.”
“You joke, but you love me.” She blows me a kiss.
“Very much.” I give her the most exaggerated wink possible and hang up.
Outside, I find the aforementioned Pinky—my two-door, hot pink with snow white trim Jeep Rubicon 4x4—and grab the last of my bags.
I can’t believe the summer break is already over. As much as I put up a strong independent front for Bette, there is a large part of me that is going to miss spending time with my family.
With all my belongings brought in, I pull out my MacBook and bring up my Spotify playlist. Before the electric beats of Ed Sheeran can fill the room, a video chat notification pops up.
“Is this some kind of check-on-Kay tag team you and Bette are doing today?” I ask as the smiling face of my oldest and dearest friend James Taylor fills the screen.
“Don’t act like you don’t love us, PF.” Whereas everyone who uses the nickname he bestowed upon me when we were younger says the two letters P and F, my smartass cradle-to-grave bestie loves to pronounce it as pff.
“Whatever you say, JT,” I retort with a grin, angling the screen so we can see each other while I unpack my animal print bedding.
“Anyway…” He gives me the Lord you test my patience look I’ve experienced more than a time or two in our almost twenty years of life. “You good? You settled? You meet the roomies? Do I need to worry about them?”
Blowing out a breath, I take a moment before responding to his rapid-fire questioning. Like Bette, he’s only asking because he cares. He—along with E and Bette—has been there for me through all the bad and helped serve as my strength when I broke.
Neither one of us likes being seven hundred miles apart, but again, like I did with Bette, I insisted he put himself first for once.
“I’m good. I’m at school. As you can see”—I wave a hand at the partially made bed—“I’m still getting settled. The roomies are still at cheer practice, and I’ll be fine.”
His brown eyes darken dubiously at the way I draw out the last word to multiple syllables.
How much time has to pass before everyone stops handling me with kid gloves?
I’m almost done unpacking when I hear my roommates return home. I let my eyes fall closed and inhale a calming breath in an effort to rid myself of the bugs-crawling-under-my-skin feeling the sound of the door opening brings with it.
You can do this. Look how good things turned out with letting Em into your life. Think of how different your college experience would be without her. Plus, wouldn’t it be nice to have more female friends your own age instead of always hanging out with high schoolers?
There’s not much time to reflect on my inner thoughts because Em rushes
into the room.
“I’m so happy you’re here.” Arms wrap around me in a fierce hug.
As both a flyer and a base on the Red Squad, U of J’s co-ed cheerleading squad, Em is your typical gorgeous cheerleader; Britney-Spears-in-her-prime-level muscle tone, shoulder-length chestnut brown hair, cognac-colored eyes framed by Ellen-Pompeo-perfect eyebrows—seriously, so perfect and even—and average height, though at five-five she looks huge standing next to me. What can I say? I’m a shrimp.
“Thanks for letting me move in early.” I return her embrace with the same amount of enthusiasm.
“Gurrlll…we’re here anyway.” She hops up onto my bed. “I’m just glad you took me up on the offer. I wasn’t sure if you would or not.”
Until two days ago, neither was I.