Scoring the Quarterback

by SM Soto

  I take a seat in the center of the lecture hall in my psyche class. As I’m pulling my notebook out of my shoulder bag, I hear someone slide into the seat beside me. I roll my eyes in irritation. I hate it when people take the seat right next to me when a class isn’t even full. Like seriously dude? There are hundred other seats to choose from. Why me?

  After pulling the essentials out of my bag, I shift to glance at the annoying stranger beside me, and my mouth drops open.

  “Was wondering when you’d notice me.” Luke chuckles, showcasing his dimples. I forget to breathe for a second.

  What the hell is Luke Caldwell doing in this class? My class? And that’s exactly what I ask him. “What the hell are you doing here?” I demand with narrowed eyes. “Are you following me?”

  That gets a howling, stomach-holding laugh out of him.

  “Wow, it’s amazing you even made it through the lecture doors with that big head of yours,” he teases. “I hear being humble is good every now again. You should try it.”

  I roll my eyes because, as annoying as he is, he’s completely right. That was a little too assumptive of me to presume he was here just for me.

  Wishful thinking on my part I guess.

  “And if you must know why I’m here, it’s obviously because I’m taking this class, all semester long—with you.”

  I slouch in my seat and groan. Right when I purged thoughts of him from my mind and finally got my head on straight, this would happen to me. Of course it would.

  Why me?

  Thankfully Luke doesn’t talk much during our first class. I sort of forget he’s even sitting next to me. Aside from my sneaky glances out of the corner of my eye, it feels like an ordinary day of class.

  Who am I kidding?

  Of course I can’t forget Luke Caldwell is sitting right next to me during the lecture. His body heat radiates off him, and the smell of his cologne will permanently be ingrained in my memory.

  Why do hot guys always smell so good? It’s unfair. You can’t be completely gorgeous and smell delicious too. It’s just not fair to the rest of the decent looking population.

  My heart nearly explodes out of my chest when Luke’s firm arm lightly grazes mine. I momentarily forget to breathe as my stomach buzzes with what feels like thousands of angry bees. I can’t explain why the small touch has such a profound effect on me, but all I know is, I’m not happy about it. In fact, it makes me angry. I’m not this girl—I don’t trip over myself and fall over hot guys with freaking hearts in my eyes, but for some reason, here I am, close to doing that. He doesn’t ever need to know that though. For all Luke knows, I can’t stand him.

  After the professor dismisses us, I gather my notebook, stuff it back in my bag, and get ready to head to my next class. It’s not too far from here, only about a seven-minute walk, so I’ll have a good fifteen minutes to spare before that class starts.

  “Where are you heading to now?”

  I jolt at the sound of Luke’s deep voice beside me. I thought for sure he would’ve been one of the first out of the door when we were dismissed, so I’m more than surprised to still see him here. I shift my eyes and meet his gaze. I’m momentarily lost in the swirling color there. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone with such intricate eyes. They’re gorgeous—more so than my average brown ones. His eyes are hazel, but not like any hazel I’ve ever seen. The brown is so light I can easily make out green and shards of blue.

  Luke continues staring down at me expectantly. His Aztecs football tee shirt hugs his muscles to perfection, and his sweats somehow make him look hotter than usual. There’s something to be said about a guy who dresses casually without thinking twice about it. There’s no doubt in my mind, Luke dresses in whatever way he wants, whenever he wants. He doesn’t have to try to look good or dress nice because he obviously looks good in anything. I clear my throat, coming to the realization I haven’t answered his question. Instead, I’ve just been standing here, gawking at him like a mesmerized fangirl meeting someone like Justin Bieber for the first time. For the record, Luke Caldwell is so much hotter than Justin Bieber.

  “I, um, I’m heading to my next class over in the EC building.”

  He runs a hand through his wayward hair, making it somehow look like he just rolled out of bed, but instead of bedhead, his hair looks like something out of a GQ magazine. How is it that I have to spend a good half hour on my hair and all he has to do is run his hand through his in a matter of seconds and the result looks amazing? Un-fucking-fair.

  “I’m headed that way for my next class too. I’ll walk with you.” He leaves no room for argument. Thoughts come rushing in all at once, making my heartbeat speed up.

  Holy shit, what if we share another class together? Can I handle being around him again? Why wouldn’t I though? He’s just a guy. A stupid, gorgeous, man-whoring guy, who just so happens to look like the man of my dreams. What if—

  “Hey,” Luke chuckles, snapping me out of the wayward thoughts. “Are you coming? You zoned out for a second.”

  I plaster a reassuring smile on my face. “Yeah, of course. Sorry. I was just thinking about my next class. You said you were headed the same way?” I try to keep the jittery nerves I’m feeling out of my voice. Luke nods, allowing me to lead the way out of the aisle in the lecture hall.

  Please don’t say Abnormal Psych. Please don’t say Abnormal Psych. I repeat the mantra over and over again, even though some sadistic part of me hopes he’ll say the same class.

  “Yeah, I’m headed to the speech building for Spanish.”

  I breathe a sigh of relief, or maybe I deflate at his answer. I’m not entirely sure. I keep my fake smile plastered on my face as we walk silently beside each other. I can’t tell if this feels awkward or if I’m just acting weird. Probably the latter.

  “Why do you keep smiling like that? You look constipated or something.” Luke looks down at me with a perplexed expression and my face heats.

  Oh God. Can this get any worse?

  My smile falters, morphing into a scowl and I narrow my eyes in what I presume to be a threatening manner, all the while grumbling insults under my breath.

  Great, constipation and my face put in the same sentence is not a good thing. Especially coming from a guy like Luke Caldwell.

  “I was kidding Natalia. You just looked like you were thinking too hard.” He nudges my arm with his elbow and my lip twitches, ruining the effect of my scowl.

  “You do realize girls don’t like to be told that they look like they’re constipated, right?” I raise a questioning brow, and Luke just shrugs with his dimpled grin in full effect.

  “Honestly, I couldn’t really care less. I say what’s on my mind, whenever it’s on my mind. I have a no bullshit policy.” The seriousness implied in his tone makes me downright laugh. A few people walking past us on their way to classes look at me like I’m crazy.

  “A no bullshit policy?” I scoff. “Good lord, you are something else entirely.”

  Luke’s dimples deepen, and he suddenly stops walking, right in front of the statue of Samuel L. Black. I follow suit, cocking my head to the side in a “what’s up” gesture.

  “Gotta get to my next class.” He points to the building behind him. “See you around,” is all he says before casually walking away into the building.

  He’s so calm and collected. He has this natural swagger about him, no doubt due to the fact that he’s a smug bastard who probably gets everything he wants. But nevertheless, it actually looks good on him. He’s probably one of the only men in history who can pull off being as confident as he is. My eyes shift from the doors he just disappeared through to all the people around me staring as intently as I am. It seems like wherever Luke is, that’s where everyone’s eyes are too. He’s magnetic. It’s almost like they all stop to watch his every move.

  I shake my head, ridding myself of any lingering thoughts about him. Instead of feeling happy that he’s gone, I feel the complete opposite. I’ve only spent one clas
s with him, and this is what he’s already doing to my head? How the hell am I supposed to make it through the rest of the semester?

  I force my legs to move so I can get to my next class.

  Focus, Natalia, focus. That’s the mantra I use the rest of the day.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Natalia

  On my way to class the next day, I repeatedly attempt to convince myself that it is just like any other day. Just focus on your classes, and your work. Nothing else. Ignore the wonderful smell of Luke at all costs. Who’s to say he’ll even sit by me again anyway? Maybe he’ll decide to torture someone else today.

  After finding a decent parking spot, I make the trek across campus to my class. I’ve always loved walking around campus. The buildings here remind me of old missions or pueblos. Palm trees are strategically placed throughout the campus, giving it a tropical feel. Inhaling a deep breath of the fresh air, I smile as I walk into the lecture hall for class. There are only two other people here. I’m always early to every class. I hate being late to anything. Just the thought of being late makes me want to break out in hives. A shiver crawls up my spine and I shake it off, forcing myself to finish any work for my other classes. If I’m being honest, there isn’t very much work to be done because I finished everything ahead of time. I always do.

  With a good twenty minutes to spare before class starts, I occupy myself with mapping out my paper for one of my other classes. It’s not due for another few months, but what’s the harm? It never hurts to be ahead of schedule. I don’t know how much time passes, but when I feel someone sit next to me, my muscles tense in anticipation. I timidly tilt my head toward the seat, disappointed at the sight before me. A blonde girl with glasses and chipped red nail polish is carefully setting out her class supplies, effectively deflating my hopes that it would be Luke in her place. Maybe it’s a good thing she sat there instead of him. He’s obviously too much of a distraction for me. I still can’t tell if I like him or loathe him. His attitude gets on my nerves, and his humor completely irks me. He’s definitely good looking. I don’t think there’s any girl on this campus who can deny that. But looks aren’t everything, and I’m not sure Luke has any other good attributes other than his looks, which is really sad.

  Class begins, and I push all thoughts of whoring quarterbacks aside to focus. Halfway into the lecture I notice someone slide into the unoccupied seat beside me, but I don’t pick up my head to acknowledge who it is. I can’t risk missing a word of this lecture and fall behind. I swear this professor talks like he’s an auctioneer or something. My hand is starting to cramp, and I wouldn’t be surprised if I contract carpal tunnel after taking this damn class. I know professors say to only write down the important things, but I don’t know how to do that. Everything that comes out of his mouth sounds important—so I write it all down. A clean and woodsy scent infiltrates my senses, causing my hand to falter with my frantic writing.

  Jesus, that smells good. It almost smells like sandalwood and…Luke. My suspicions are confirmed as I peek out of the corner of my eye, and lo and behold, there he is. Forcing my eyes back to the podium so I don’t ogle him, I try to refocus.

  I groan when I look up at the professor standing at the podium. He’s already switched to the next slide, and now I’ve missed those notes. I strain to listen in on what he’s saying, but I can’t decipher what he’s talking about since he’s moved onto the next topic. Propping my elbows on the desk, I drop my face into my hands.

  Sometimes I really, really, hate college.

  Is the master’s degree really worth it? I silently ask myself.

  “I can be your tutor if you really need me to.”

  His voice sends a jolt of electricity through my body, and I snap my gaze up to his.

  Luke is leaning back in his seat with his arms crossed behind his head. Today he’s dressed in another Aztec’s football shirt and a pair of basketball shorts with a stark white pair of Nike’s. His scent wafts around me, and I take inconspicuous sniffs so I don’t seem like a complete weirdo.

  Who am I kidding? That ship has already sailed.

  His cologne or whatever the hell it is, is freaking magnificent. Someone needs to bottle that up and save it for later, maybe even sell it somewhere. I snap out of my idiotic thoughts, immediately noticing he doesn’t even have a notebook or pen out. His desk is empty.

  “How the hell can you possibly tutor me if you haven’t even been taking notes?”

  I hate that I probably always come off as a bitch around him, but his distracting good looks irritate me. I’m not like most girls. I can see a hot guy and look the other way without a care in the world, my mind already onto the next school project that needs to be done. But something about Luke makes my brain turn to mush, forcing me to act out like an irrational asshole. Luke shrugs.

  “I don’t physically need to take notes. I have a good memory.” He taps his temple with his index finger. “Everything gets saved right up in here.”

  I huff out an exasperated breath. “Sure, let me know how that works out for you.”

  “It’s worked out pretty good for me so far.”

  I do my best to ignore Luke because quite frankly I’m close to throttling him. His talking is distracting me from the lesson that I’m now behind on.

  “So, what do you do for fun?” he suddenly asks, and I purse my lips, deciding if I should ignore him, or give him an answer. I turn to face him, deciding it’s in my best interest to answer, maybe then he’ll shut up.

  “I mostly hang with my roommate Sam, or my friend Aliza from work. Other than that, it’s just pretty much work and school for me.”

  His face sours like he’s in actual pain from hearing my answer. “God what a shitty life.”

  “Hey! It is not. It just means I’ll be ready to start my career that much faster,” I hiss in a whisper. He doesn’t realize how badly I want to start my career, distancing myself from my dad and sister.

  “And what about everything else? Aren’t you interested in experiencing your college years at all? You won’t be young forever.” He throws it out there like it’s something that hasn’t crossed my mind before, and I narrow my eyes at him.

  “I know that asshole, but I’m also not the type of girl who enjoys going to wild parties.”

  “I figured that much,” he suggests, making me frown further. “I can already imagine what your home life looks like. You and your roommate sitting around reading textbooks all day, braiding each other’s hair.” He sighs dramatically for show. That gets a laugh out of me.

  Samantha reading a textbook? I’d pay to see that. Pretty sure the only things Samantha reads are text messages and the food labels on her Oreo cookies.

  “Not even close. My best friend is the exact opposite of me. She’s the outgoing party girl who sleeps with any guy who looks capable of giving her an orgasm.”

  Luke’s eyebrows lift in surprise. “Didn’t see that one coming.”

  “Yeah, most people don’t when they see us together.” I shrug, used to people’s surprise when they find out who my best friend is.

  “Is there a reason you two are holding a conversation during my lecture?” Our professor’s voice rings out through the lecture hall and my body freezes—turning into a statue. My face visibly heats, and I flinch in mortification.

  Oh God. This is bad. So bad.

  My mouth opens and closes like a gaping fish. I don’t even know what to say to get out of this situation. I sink farther into my seat with the weight of everyone’s stares on me and Luke.

  “Sorry, professor. My friend here was asking if I had any Pepto-Bismol, you see she’s been having the runs all morning, and didn’t want to have to keep getting up to disrupt your class.”

  I swing my gaze to Luke, and stare at him in horror. Did he really just say that? In front of a class full of two hundred students, maybe more? If it’s possible for my face to turn any redder, it does. All I want to do is disappear—die of embarrassment. I take a chance looking
at the professor who is just nodding his head in understanding.

  Is he seriously believing this?

  Oh God, if he believes it, so will everyone else.

  I sink farther into my seat, any lower and I’ll slip right onto the floor. When the professor begins his lecture again, I whip my head around to face Luke, practically throwing darts with my eyes.

  “Seriously? The runs!” I hiss. Luke sputters a laugh and shrugs like it shouldn’t be a big deal.

  “Crisis averted. You’re welcome.”

  I narrow my eyes at him, and his mouth twitches, hiding a smile.

  Easy for you to say.

  “I hate you. I hope you know that.”

  Luke shrugs. “Join the club, baby girl.”

  I do my best to ignore him the remainder of the class as well as all the stares I’m now getting from everyone else.

  Have I mentioned how much I hate him? Because I do.

  Once we’re dismissed, I hastily gather my stuff in my bag, trying like hell to escape before everyone else. I’m going to be known as the girl with the runs forever, thanks to jock-jackass.

  “Hey, Luke,” a sultry voice purrs beside me, blocking my escape route. The girl is absolutely gorgeous. All legs and perfect skin. Luke smiles at her, making a show of looking her up and down, obviously liking what he sees. I roll my eyes at the two that are so obviously eye fucking each other.

  “Well, well, to what do I owe the pleasure?” he says smoothly, and she giggles like a horny little school girl. I swear I almost gag. Shooting to my feet, I try to a move out of the aisle but she’s blocking my way. Her eyes don’t shift to me at all, almost as if I’m invisible, like it’s not even worth it for her to look at me.