by Claire Adams
"I guess you’re right, but people get stuck in their pasts all the time. My parents expect me to make good grades, marry a white girl with brown hair and good teeth, and have two well-behaved kids that I bring home on the weekends to see them."
I laughed at his description of his future wife. "Good teeth?"
"Yeah." He rolled his eyes. "My mom's a dentist, and my dad says he's not a racist, but he's full of it."
"That's...interesting. I was going to try and set you up with my friend Lucinda, but if your dad isn't-"
"Yes." His eyes widened a little. "The really pretty black girl from the party the other night?"
"Yeah, but if-"
"Yes. Hook me up. She's beyond hot. We only got to talk for all of ten minutes the other night before Tate fucked it all up." He nodded and glanced over at me again. "Does she like white guys?"
"I don't think she really sees people as a color." I smiled at him. He was too cute, and Lucinda would eat him up. She needed a good man, and from the look of things, he needed someone to expand his horizons and give him somewhere to put his time and energy.
"Yeah, no one does but my damn dad." He pulled into the parking lot and turned to face me. "Are you playing in the game tonight?"
"Yeah. I invited Tate and his mom. You should come, too. My friends will be there."
"Lucinda will?" He lifted his eyebrow at me.
"Yep. She should be." I opened the door. "Thanks for the lift."
"Anytime, and Val...I know it sounds trite, but don't hurt Tate. He's a good guy and all he needs is the right woman to help him bridge the gap between where he is and where he's going. If that's not you, let him down easily, okay?" His smile faded.
I nodded. "I'll do just that."
After closing the door, I jogged to the Gamma house and walked into the living room to find the place full of new faces. It must have been recruiting day.
How could I forget?
"There you are." Katelyn walked up beside me. "You're supposed to give the new recruits their first assignment today, remember? We discussed it a few weeks back."
"You forgot, didn't you?" Carolyn moved up in front of me as her eyes moved down my body. The disgust on her face was almost palpable. "Where were you last night?"
"None of your business, and no, I didn't forget. You guys said nine. I have fifteen minutes to spare. Now, if you'll excuse me." I moved past Carolyn, bumping her shoulder before I raced up the stairs. I needed to pull myself together fast. Presenting in front of the recruits wasn't the challenge, but having all of my sisters watching was. Knowing that Carolyn would be praying for me to mess up or look ignorant didn't make matters any better, either.
I closed the door behind me and let out a long sigh. Having only been with Tate for a few days, I knew one thing was for sure: he wouldn't have run for the presidency to impress anyone in his life.
Maybe I shouldn't, either.
*
Katelyn and Lucinda walked beside me as we made our way to campus a little later. I'd walked the new recruits through their first assignment for the house, which was to clean it spotless. They each had a room, and everyone was quite happy with my choice. We'd come home to a good-smelling house and everything being picked up. Carolyn had turned up her nose at me as I left, but she was simply jealous – as always.
"Tell me more about Sam." Lucinda poked me in the side as I reached for the door to the business building. I tried to ignore my father's name plastered to the side of it. Most people didn't know that I was related to the all-mighty Scotts, and I was grateful for the small reprieve.
"I don't actually know much. He seems like a great guy, and he and Tate have been friends forever. He's coming to the game tonight. Just make sure you're there and grab the seat next to him if you can. He's pretty open, from what I can tell." I looked up to see Kade holding the door to my business law class for me.
"Ladies." He smiled and turned his attention back to me. "Val."
I laughed. "What? I'm not a lady?"
"Yes, but you're a special lady." He opened the door winder and I walked in after giving my friends a silly look.
"Oh, yeah? Why's that?" I turned to face him.
"Because. You were right." He crossed his arms over his thick chest.
"About?" I tugged at the straps on my backpack.
"About Amy being a great girl. I took her out for dessert last night, and we laughed until our sides hurt." He shrugged. "I'm not sure about dating, but she's going to be a great friend."
Warmth filled me at the news. "That's awesome. The dating part will come later. I promise."
"Maybe." He shrugged. "My parents have some girl they want me to meet, so who knows where that's going to go. I'm almost twenty-three and they're still setting me up on blind dates like we live in a third world country."
"I know the feeling. My parents aren't much better." I moved to the front of the classroom with him. "Mine haven't done anything like that in a while, but I messed up the last date pretty good. I'm not sure I'm out of the woods with my mother still over that one."
"What did you do?" A smirk lifted his mouth. He was impossibly handsome, but surprisingly enough, I felt nothing but a good friendship growing between us. I was glad. The last thing I wanted was the internal drama of having feelings for more than one guy.
"Let's see... I slurped my soup, burped three times, and wore my hair in pigtails to a nice restaurant." I wagged my eyebrows. "You just thought I was a goodie-two-shoes."
"Actually, I could see the rebel peeking around the edges of your personality at the first party we went to a few weeks back. It's the reason I asked you to dance." He turned as Professor Griffith walked into the room. "Come have coffee with me after class. Just two friends hanging out?"
"Yeah, sure." I walked to the middle row and took my seat as Kade passed out the test we would be taking. I wasn't nearly as prepared as I'd hoped to be, but with all the drama swirling around me, it was a miracle that I was dressed and sitting in the right class.
I finished up faster than I thought I would and told Kade that I would be waiting outside for him. He nodded curtly, not really giving me his attention, at all. I ignored it and walked out into the chilly mid-morning. After dropping down onto a bench, I pulled out my phone and texted Tate to find out how things were going.
I hadn't gotten a reply by the time Kade walked up beside me, but it was probably for the best. Tate had plenty to deal with without having to entertain me and keep me updated on their every move.
"Hot chocolate or coffee?" He stopped beside me and smiled.
"Coffee, for sure." I picked up my bag and walked beside him toward Barney's Cafe. "Do you know anything about this chick your mom and dad are setting you up with? You might be surprised and find out that she's the one. Sometimes parents get things right."
"Nope." He opened the door for me. "No clue who she is, nor do I care. I'll take her to dinner and be as pleasant as I can for her sake. She's probably in the same situation as me. Poor thing."
"What? Being set up on a blind date?" I moved up to stand behind the long line at the register.
"No, having her parents threaten her college funds if she doesn't do exactly what they say when they say it." He rolled his eyes. "I'm so ready to get the fuck out of here. Six more months and I'm gone."
"Where to?" I tried to stave off my interest in him. It was an attraction to the fact that he knew my pain and seemed to have experienced the same life I was living.
"Somewhere warm. I hate the cold."
Chapter 25
Tate
The meeting with the detective went well and it seemed like things might finally get on the right track. My mother was in a great mood as she fixed us a quick grilled cheese before getting ready to go to Val's game with me. Sam was headed our way to be our driver for the night, and I was looking forward to seeing him. My bike would be just fine for me, but my mother wasn't getting on the back of it, and I hated the idea of her driving late at night in the stor
m.
Besides, we hadn't spent time together, the three of us, in a while.
I was sitting at the kitchen table when the front door opened and Sam's voice sounded out.
"Do I smell Ms. Phillips’ famous grilled cheese and tomato soup?" He walked into the kitchen and gave me a high-five before hugging my mother.
"You do. I got the good stuff this time, too." My mother beamed, and I couldn't help but chuckle. She was so easy to please. It would seem Valentine was, too. The fact that the girl ate leftover meatloaf and chicken with us a few days back meant more than it should have. I'd never met anyone in my life that was like her. She had all the money in the world, yet you couldn't tell it by talking with her. She was like Sam.
Good. Wholesome. Humble.
"Oh, yeah?" Sam moved up to the stove to stand by my mother. "Cheddar or Muenster, hm? Man, I love that old processed stuff you used to use."
"Sam Billmore, you cannot be serious." She laughed and turned to walk to the fridge. "Do you really prefer it?"
"Yep, I love it. It's part of my childhood." He moved to sit across from me with a big smile on his face. "Guess what?"
"What's up?" I lifted an eyebrow at him and tried to imagine why he was in such a good mood.
"Val is going to set me up with Lucinda." He tapped the table and pressed his teeth into his bottom lip. "I've been on a high all day thinking about it."
"Your dad is going to flip his shit, Sam." I rolled my eyes. He might like the pretty dark-skinned girl, but his dad was racist.
"Why is Sam's dad going to be upset, and who is Lucinda? I like that name, by the way. It's sexy." My mom went back to the stove to work on dinner.
I shook my head and laughed. "She's this beautiful black girl that Val is good friends with. Sam's dad doesn't believe in mixing races."
"What? Why?" She turned around and gave us an incredulous look. "Your mother is Asian right, Sam?"
"Yeah. I don't what his deal is." Sam let out a long sigh, and his smile faded.
I felt like a dick for taking away the happiness he'd been sporting moments before. "Hey, if you like her, then do it. Your dad's going to be upset for a few minutes, and then he'll get over it. Right?"
"I guess. I don't know." Sam got up and moved to the fridge. "You guys have anything to drink?"
"There's soda in the pantry and ice in the freezer," my mom spoke with her back to us. "I think you have to follow your heart, Sam. Tate is going through something similar with Val's parents, but he's going to keep at it. They both are. Right, son?"
"Right, Mom." I pulled out my phone and smiled as a text popped up from her. "It's not about race, but about us being poor and them having more money than God."
"Money isn't everything." Sam dropped back down in his seat. "I'm going to take Lucinda on a date, and if things work out, then we'll see what happens. My dad's a good guy, just misguided for some reason. It's weird."
"You never know what makes other people tick." I reached for his drink and took the first sip, which meant it was mine to keep. Sam and I had been friends forever, and if I knew one thing, it was that he would never drink after someone else. Never.
*
"Are you not a little concerned about Val's parents being so influential?" Sam glanced over at me as we walked into the gym. "You know the business building is named after her dad, right? They only have two daughters to focus on. It's going to be a long life of having to deal with them if you fall in love with this girl."
I chuckled and pointed to some open seats near Martin and Katelyn. "I don't really have a choice, Sam. If I fall in love with Val, then I fall in love. I'll deal with her parents just like everyone else deals with them. Nod and smile and try hard not to be around them too often."
"Yeah, but the old man threatened you, Tate. It's not the same." He moved to sit on my left as my mother sat on my right.
"No, it's not, but I'll set all that straight." I turned as Martin called out my name.
"Tate. Where you been, man? We've been sucking like hell without you." He extended his hand and gave me a warm smile. Things had changed a lot in the last week – both for the better and the worse.
"Sorry, man. There was some work shit I had to deal with. Coach kick me off the team yet?" I smirked.
"Not even close. Just come grovel at his feet and I'm sure everything will be okay."
"Grovel? No." I touched the back of my mother's shoulder, but kept my attention on Martin. "Hey, man. This is my mother Sarah and my best friend Sam."
They gave their introductions, but I couldn't help but turn my attention to the floor as they started calling out names for the UMN women's basketball team. Val was the last out, and was the captain of the team, which was something I hadn’t known.
She looked damn good in her tight shirt and basketball shorts. She was far more feminine than the other girls on the team, but I'd make sure to tell her that later when I had her pressed beneath me.
"Hey, Tate." Katelyn smiled at me from beside Martin. "Have you met Amy and Lucinda?"
"Briefly, I think." I extended my hand and shook their hands before introducing Sam and my mom to Val's friends. Sam grunted beside me, and I turned to watch him smile like a tomcat.
"What're you doing? You're supposed to play it cool. Jeez. Have I taught you nothing about women?" I laughed and popped him in the chest before turning back toward the court.
Valentine was amazing, and I found myself cheering for her and being shocked by her skill multiple times during the hour and a half game. Her shots were perfect, her dribbling off the chain, and her moves were hot.
"That's it, Val. Get it, girl. Lay it up. Show them what you're make of." A tall blond guy a few rows in front of me hadn't stopped yelling for her the whole time we were there. To say it was getting on my nerves was an understatement. I couldn't help but wonder who the hell he was. Was the guy trying to hit on Val?
"Martin..." I leaned over and tapped his shoulder. "That guy looks familiar. Is he on the team with us?"
"No. He's quarterback here, man. He's a senior. Kade Jones." He moved back away from me as my stomach tightened.
Kade Jones. Who hadn't heard of him? He was headed to the NFL, and from what I could tell, he was interested in my girl.
I forced myself to focus on the game, trying like hell not to let his cheering and encouragements bother me, but they were too intimate. He knew her. I wanted to know how.
The game ended with Val sinking a damn-near impossible three-pointer and the crowd going wild, myself included. I was so proud of her. She had no idea how fucking talented she was. Her business degree could come later. She needed to do something with her skills on the court while she was young enough to do something about it.
"Wow. She was incredible." My mother glanced over at me as her eyes widened. "My heart is racing in my chest."
"Mine, too." Sam stood up and turned toward Martin and the girls. "You guys going out or what?"
"Not sure, but you can come with us if you want." Lucinda moved around Martin and Katelyn to get closer to us.
"I'll be back." I squeezed through the crowd and stepped down on the floor of the court as my eyes met Val's.
She was covered in a light sheen of sweat, and wisps of hair had pulled from her ponytail and were stuck to her neck. She looked like heaven, and I wanted to touch every part of her, to worship her until she got in her head that she was every bit the woman I wanted, even if I acted like a wayward teenage boy most days.
Kade made it to her before I did, and she turned her attention to him. I was a little surprised to see him wrap her in a hug and pick her up off her feet. He spun her around before letting her go and touching the side of her face like I did.
Anger burned through me, and I moved up to stand beside him.
Val turned her attention to me with nothing but innocence on her pretty face. "We did it! Did you like it?"
"I loved it." I reached for her and pulled her in for a quick kiss. "Who's your friend here?"
"Oh. Kade, this is my boyfriend, Tate. Tate, Kade Jones." She moved back, and I turned and gave the guy an unspoken, “back the fuck up” look.
"Nice to meet you, man." I shook his hand firmly.
"You, as well." He gave me a curt nod and released my hand, turning back to Val. "Great job. I'm crazy impressed. See you tomorrow."
"Okay. Thanks for coming tonight. It means a lot to me." She reached out and touched his arm before turning back to me. "Wow. That was a rush. Just knowing that you were in the stands made me want to play that much harder."
She was breathtaking, and though I wanted to drag her to me and kiss her a hundred times to ensure that she was in fact mine, and only mine, I forced myself to stay put.
"You were amazing. What's up for the rest of the night? You got time for me?" I reached out and took her hand.
"Always."
"Good. Let's go out to the old YMCA near the edge of town. I used to swim there all the time as a kid. There's a great indoor swimming pool where we can have some fun." I licked at my lips and took her in as she panted, trying to catch her breath.
"It'll be closed this time of night, right?" I half expected her to have her attention all over the place with the number of people moving around us, most of them calling out to her, but she didn't. Her eyes were locked on mine. I'd never felt more loved, more cared for, more important. Not ever.
"I have keys." I wagged my eyebrows. "Private swim lesson from the best guy on the team?"
"Hell, yes. Sounds like my kind of night." She moved in and kissed me once more before turning to the crowd of her friends that had rushed in all around us.
The team lifted her up on their shoulders and pranced her around the gym as MVP.I moved back to stand next to my mother and Sam, who was busy laughing with Lucinda.
I couldn't help but notice that Kade hadn't left, but was standing by the door with his focus on one thing.