Contemporary Nights Volume One

by C. J. Ellisson

  “This from the person who left her panties at his place.”

  She huffs at me. “Don’t give me shit. It’s my process, and it totally works. What are you doing tonight?”

  Oh, shit. “I, uh… I have plans.” I scratch my forehead to cover my eyes.

  “With who?”

  Double shit. “Someone.”

  She sets her cell down, which is a rarity for her. “All right, Em. Spill. Who is he? And if you say it’s the nerd from last night I’m calling a frientervention right the fuck now.”

  By the time I’m done with him he won’t be the nerd from last night. I decide that’s as close to justification as I’m going to get. Besides, I like spending time with him.

  “It’s not the same guy.” That guy wore glasses. This guy wears contacts. And, after tonight, he’ll sport a brand new haircut. We’ll tackle the wardrobe over the weekend. Come Monday, he’ll be a new man.

  “Good. Do I know this guy?”

  “No,” I say as I shake my head. “He’s from my chem class.” All in all, it isn’t a lie.

  “You’re in chem?”

  We talk about my schedule at least once a week. I roll my eyes and move on to a subject I know will keep her occupied. “Have you responded to Mike?”

  “Shit!” She grabs her phone and checks the screen. She then thumbs a text before finally letting out a breath. As she stares at her phone, not even blinking, I watch her. What makes people rely so much on other people for their own happiness? Britt is the epitome of co-dependent. But she’s my best friend and I love her, so that makes it okay.

  I, on the other hand, define the very word of being independent. I have no choice. Growing up with no one to talk to but my Bratz dolls, I learned how to entertain myself. My dad traveled for his job. Mom worked something like twenty hours a day. It sucked, but I got it. Reality sucks. In today’s economy, both parents have to work. Do I wish I’d had someone other than my driver’s ed instructor teach me how to drive? Hells yeah. Did it happen? No. But it is what it is and I accept that.

  I can count on one hand how many family dinners we had together growing up before my dad traded my mom in for a younger model. I still haven’t forgiven him for ditching my mom and me like that. But at least him leaving taught me to never let a guy get close enough to play me the way he did my mom.

  Oh, well. I’m not about to dwell. I now attend a hella-awesome university on an island a quick ferry ride from Seattle. The grants I get to help pay for school are only possible because my dad is now out of my life. All-in-all, it worked out for the best.

  Britt’s phone buzzes and she lets out a sigh as she smiles at the screen. “He wants me to come over tonight. Can you handle being alone again?”

  I so want to tell her to eat shit and die right now. “I’ll be fine. You go and have fun getting over Paul, you crazy kid.”

  “Peter,” she reminds me through clenched teeth. “Honestly, Em. I don’t think you’re even listening half the time I’m talking to you.”

  Okay, now I’m pissed. She can’t remember the name of any of my boyfriends. Not one. Granted I don’t keep them around long enough for her to know much about them, but she could at least remember a name.

  I stand and grab my bag. “I have to get to chem.” I storm off. She doesn’t stop me. My shoulders deflate along with my ambition. And then Ryan catches up with me. I drop my gaze in the hopes that he walks by, but he doesn’t. When he tries to take my bag, I switch shoulders.

  “Hey,” he says. When I don’t respond, he keeps going. “Should we hold hands or something?”

  I stop and narrow my gaze at him. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

  He narrows his gaze in return and we have a standoff. When he doesn’t back down, I’m impressed. “You’re my girlfriend, remember?”

  “How can I forget if you keep reminding me?” And the entire computer lab. Now that Nancy knows, so would everyone else who’ll listen to her. And she likes to talk. A lot.

  I hate the hurt in his eyes. Luckily, he recovers quickly. “Come on, Emma. It’s only until the Delta DASH.”

  One week. I can do this. It is all for a higher cause. Anyone who attends the Delta DASH is set for life. Friends. Popularity. Club offers out the ass. I needed to get into that party.

  “Fine,” I groan and hold out my hand. He grips it so tight I lose all feeling in my fingers. “Ow, ow, ow.” I jerk my hand back, then show him the right way. “Hold my hand like it’s no big deal.”

  “But it is,” he defends and reaches for my hand again.

  “No.” I put my finger up as if I’m scolding him. “Like this.” I take his hand and gently place it in mine. When he tries to curl his fingers around mine, I stop him and shake his hand loose. He’s got a grip like a pit bull. “Would you just relax?”

  “Give me your hand,” he orders and holds out his hand.

  I pull mine back. “Not until you learn to hold hands like a normal person and not like you’re…” I draw a blank and blow my bangs out of my eyes. “Let’s just do this. Remember, be casual.”

  He takes my hand and is pretty smooth about it, I have to admit. Although he’s still gripping me too tight, too desperate, he does seem to relax his posture. As we walk to class, he settles more and even eases up on his grip. At least he doesn’t have clammy hands.

  I try to ignore the looks we’re getting. They burn into me, judging me, and at first it embarrasses me. But then it pisses me off. So I stare down each set of eyes that meet mine as I hold my chin high. Who the fuck are they to judge me for choosing a guy like Ryan? He’s sweet. Kinda cute. Has extremely talented hands and is a great kisser. He’s the kind of guy who still opens doors for people.

  As if on cue, he opens the doors to the chemistry building and I walk in, smiling and feeling a little pampered. He then lets me walk into the classroom first and even waits until I sit at the table before he does. I look at him, wondering how he can be so weird and cool at the same time. “You know, guys like you don’t really exist.”

  He turns to me and we both mimic each other by resting our elbows on the table and our chin on our hands. “I’m right here.”

  “Yeah, I guess you are.”

  We spend several seconds letting that statement sink in between us.

  “If it isn’t the happy couple.” It’s Brad, the ultimate Delta dick. He waltzes over to our table, two Delta shadows in tow. Ryan tenses and looks ready to take Brad on. I reach under the table and grab Ryan’s hand. He relaxes. Sort of. “I guess you really did go home with HP last night. I didn’t think he had it in him. Seriously. I totally didn’t.”

  “If you don’t mind,” I snap and throw my book open. When I nod at Ryan, he does the same. “We are in the middle of an experiment.”

  “Obviously.” Brad gives Ryan a head nod. “Don’t let me get in the way. By the way. Nice catch, dude. You two, let’s bounce.”

  The three walk away to harass someone else and I turn to Ryan. He’s shaking and I squeeze his hand. He’s lost all his color. “Are you okay?”

  “You have no idea how hard that was.”

  I don’t understand. “How hard what was?”

  “If he said one thing about you, good or bad, I would have jumped him.”

  I’m flattered. I’ve never had a guy ready to come to my defense like that before. But then I come to my senses and jerk my hand away. “You can’t fight every guy who does or says something you don’t like.”

  “Not about everything,” he corrects in a low, even voice that strums across my nerves. “Only when it comes to you.”

  Oh good Jesus in sheets. I’ve never had anyone declare something like that before. I rest my elbow back on the table to hold up my head. “You really are new at this, aren’t you?”

  “You don’t like it?”

  “No,” I say and shake my head quickly. “I say, keep it up, Romeo. You’re doing good.”

  He grins and leans toward me. “You ain’t seen nuttin’, yet.”


  And that worries me.

  Chapter Eight

  Emma

  I fell asleep in chem. Twice. Luckily my lab partner is a genius with a mullet. Ryan finishes the assignment without any help from me and then nudges me awake. I blink at him and yawn.

  “Why are you so tired?”

  “I didn’t sleep.” I yawn again.

  “You did,” he corrects me. I look around and widen my eyes at him. He shrugs in return. “What? You did.”

  “You don’t have to advertise it.”

  “That’s the whole point, isn’t it?”

  I can’t argue that. “How many more classes do you have today?”

  “This is my last one. I have a paper to write, but since it’s Friday, I’ll do it over the weekend. I hate writing papers.”

  “What’s it on?”

  “Anything I want it to be on.” When I frown, he explains. “It’s a creative writing class. I didn’t want to take it, but I need the credits and everything else was full.”

  I’m pissed he gets to make shit up for credit and I have to write a program on how to have the computer say hello fucking world. “That’s so unfair. I’d give anything to switch places with you. My Java class is going to send me into a homicidal rage. If that Nancy bitch pushes one more of my buttons, I can’t be held responsible for what happens.”

  “What if…” His gaze glimmers and I give him a skeptical look. I don’t trust anyone who looks at me like that. “We really do switch places? I can have your Java lab done in an hour. It will take me all weekend to even write a single paragraph on something made up.”

  “You could always write about our relationship,” I snort. “That’s totally made up.”

  He gives me nod, but he’s set his jaw and the glimmer in his gaze is gone. “That it is, Emma. Thanks for the reminder.” He jumps from his seat and storms out of the class. Since we’re done with our assignment anyway, I follow him.

  “Hey! Ryan, wait up!” I run to catch up to him, really hating that he has such long legs. I’m out of breath by the time he stops when I reach him. “This is the second time you’ve had me chase you, asshat.”

  “You’re panting. That wasn’t even fifty feet that time.”

  I so hate him right now. “Shut up.”

  “We’re jogging. Starting tomorrow, you and I are going jogging together.”

  I straighten and look at him. “No, no, no. I have a strict policy against running of any kind.”

  “And yet you’ve come running after me. Twice.” I hate that crooked grin right now.

  I glare. “That doesn’t count.” When he won’t back down, I give up. “Listen, if you do my Java lab for me, I’ll do your creative writing piece. I make shit up all the time. Deal?”

  He gives me a nod. “Deal.” As an afterthought, he adds, “We’re still running tomorrow.”

  “No, we aren’t.”

  “We’ll see.”

  “I’m not running, Ryan.” I’m not. I’m just fucking not.

  He faces me. “I’m heading back to the mod.”

  “I have one more class.” I both love and hate how natural it feels to talk to him. No awkwardness. No worries about him finding something I say completely moronic. He’s a friend, nothing more, and it feels nice to have a guy as nothing more than a friend for a change. Well, a friend with awesome benefits. “See you there.”

  Without warning, he sneaks in a kiss. I let him, melting into him as memories of last night flood my mind, and my libido. But then I come to my senses and push him away. Before I can kick him in the balls for doing that, or even scream at him, he hurries off.

  Oh, but I will make him pay for that little PDA. Public Display of Affection was never part of the deal. Now everyone and their bald little brother is staring at me. The heat sinks into me, making me warm all over. I keep my head down as I hurry to class.

  “What the fuck, Em?” Britt appears and falls into step beside me.

  “You’re going to have to be more specific than that.”

  “I heard from a friend, who heard from a friend, that you’re dating.”

  I quicken my pace. “I date all the time.”

  She stops me and swings me around to face her. “No. This is like dating dating. Like the whole kissing in public shit I just witnessed. Who is he?”

  “No one you know,” I lie and turn to head to class. I’m practically running to avoid her and yet she keeps up with me. I can’t help but see the irony in that, running to avoid talking about the guy I’ve been running to keep up with. Finally, giving up, I pant as I look at her. “Why are you following me? You don’t even take statistics.”

  “I can’t even spell statistics,” she adds, not even out of breath. “Spill, bitch. Who is he? Don’t look at me like that. I know your ‘Project Em’s Way’ look when I see it. It’s the nerd, isn’t it?”

  “Don’t.” I put my hand up, stopping her. No one gets to insult him but me. “His name is Ryan, and when I’m done with him, you won’t even recognize him.”

  “Aha! So he is one of your projects.”

  “I wish you’d quit calling him that.”

  “What would you call him?”

  “Ryan!” I snap out of frustration. When I take a few breaths, I finally calm down enough to talk again. “Look, he and I have an agreement. He’s taking me to the Delta DASH.”

  She rounds her eyes. “No way. I wanna go.”

  “Get your own Delta.”

  “Bitch. I can’t believe you’re dating a nerd just to go to the DASH. Not even I would stoop to that level.”

  Ouch. “I’m not dating him, not for real.” With a deep sigh, I come clean. “If I agree to pretend to be his girlfriend for a week, he takes me to the DASH. In the meantime, I’m transforming him into the player all Deltas fantasize to be.”

  She squeezes her eyes shut and shakes her head. Trying to make sense of this is clearly causing her physical pain. “You’re telling me that you’re pimping out your services.” She even uses air quotes on the last word. “All to go to a party.”

  When she says it like that, it makes me feel like—

  “That’s goddamn brilliant!”

  —a genius.

  “Why didn’t I think of that? Where can I find my own Delta nerd? Or did you get the only one?”

  I glance at my watch and give up. My stats class started five minutes ago. I’d rather deal with making up the work than the humiliation of walking into class late. The teacher takes exceptional joy in making those late suffer for the rest of the class. Besides, we seminar on Fridays, which consists of talking about what we did in class the first four days of the week. “He’s only on loan.”

  Britt laughs. “Fine, tell you what. If you can groom him into a player, have him hit on me. If I deem him bangable, he passes.”

  I already hate the idea. He’s going to get snared in the Britt web and then I’ll be nothing but an afterthought to him. “If not?”

  “You stop this. I mean it, Em. You have no idea how hard it is watching you go through shit like this over and over and over. You’re my best friend and I love you. If your little project doesn’t pass my test, you stop going after the douches. You’ll actually go after a nice guy, someone more your type.”

  “Like who?”

  “Definitely not a Delta.” She spikes an eyebrow, gives me a snarky grin, and spins on her heel to leave.

  “You’re on,” I blurt out before I can stop myself. I’m so ready to prove her wrong. I can date whomever I want. I didn’t need her permission and I sure as hell didn’t need her bullshit analysis on my dating life.

  She glances over a petite shoulder. “I am?”

  “You are.” I’m convinced Ryan will knock her socks off. Literally. I don’t know how I feel about that.

  She runs up and throws her arms around me as she squeals. Right in my ear. “I knew you’d see things my way. Okay, so I’m going to stay at Mike’s tonight, and maybe tomorrow night, too. He works Sunday, so I’ll pr
obably come back to the dorm. Are you good with that?”

  And, just like that, we are back to Britt’s life. I’m used to it and actually prefer talking about her personal life. It’s better than talking about mine. “I’m fine with that.”

  “Will you be staying at the nerd’s?”

  “Ryan,” I remind her.

  “Right.” She nods. “So are you staying at his place?” When I nod, she adds, “Are you having sex with him?”

  “No,” I answer quickly. But it’s not off the table.

  “Good. Don’t cross that line. You let him into your love shack, he’ll never want to leave.”

  “My love shack?” I scoff and roll my eyes. “Are you shitting me right now? You are seriously calling my vag a love shack?”

  “If the cock fits…” she giggles and gives me another hug. “I’ll see you Sunday. I want a full report. Actually, you know what? I don’t. Make it a surprise. If he passes the Brittany Pearson test, he’s a keeper. Be good, Em.” She waves as she hurries off.

  Since there’s no use going to class, I make my way toward the mods of the Delta house, not sure whether I want people to see me or not. As I’m on the sidewalk of Greek Row, I hold my head up. I belong here, not in a dorm on the eleventh floor of rundown building. I just didn’t belong in a sorority.

  Are women allowed to join frats? That question consumes my thoughts as I round the corner. If I could have found a sorority willing to accept me for me and didn’t want to borrow my entire wardrobe, I would have thought about it. But, not only did all the sororities I pledged to expect me to simply open my closet to them, when I told them to fuck off, they all told me I was… What was it? Oh, yeah. Obnoxious, annoying, and had no filter from my brain to my mouth.

  Tell me something I don’t already know.

  I walk through Delta’s yard to get to the mods out back.

  “Hey, Red!”

  I cringe as I recognize Brad’s douchy voice. Craning my neck, I spot him on an upper story balcony. “Hello, Brad.”

  “That offer stands, sweetheart. You. Me. A private little setting, just the two of us.”

  My sarcasm kicks into high gear as four of his friends join him on the balcony. “I’m so glad you cleared that up for me. I wasn’t sure if a private little setting meant more than just the two of us.”