“Yeah.” I peeled off my jacket and immediately caught her checking out my tattoo. I thought about asking her if she wanted to see the rest of it, but decided there was a better place for that. She continued to squirm in her chair and I could tell she was nervous, but hell, so was I, for whatever reason. “Hey, you want a beer or a margarita?” I began to stand.
“No, that’s okay. I drank enough earlier.” She ran her hands through her hair, and it made me want to reach out and feel her soft strands.
“Seriously?”
“Yes.” Her head dropped and she refused to look at me. She was clearly embarrassed about something. Then it all made sense.
“That’s not why you were late, is it?” I leaned against the table, determined to know the truth. She played with the Corona saltshaker, totally avoiding eye contact. “Yes.”
A chuckle escaped my mouth. “I gotta hear this.” I sat down, deciding the beer could wait for later.
“You don’t want to know.” She shook her head and her cheeks flushed that familiar redness.
“I love to hear drunk stories,” I clasped my hands together, “especially when they effect me.” She laughed, but I held a straight face. I was serious. I really wanted to know. She didn’t seem like the irresponsible type. “Waiting.”
She finally looked at me. “You really want to know?”
I nodded. If she was willing to tell me, then that was a sign that she wanted to be friends. Only friends shared that type of info.
“After church, I went with my family to Blue Mesa for brunch and—”
“The one off of University Drive?” I picked up my cup and took a gulp.
“No, the one off of Northwest Highway in Dallas.”
“Oh.” I set the cup back on the table.
“Anyway, I had too many Mimosas and had to sleep it off at my brother’s apartment.”
A laughed launched from deep in my belly. “You got drunk off of Mimosas?”
She lowered in her chair and I felt bad for making fun of her.
I’m such an idiot!
“Yes. They were really strong,” she tried to explain, but I knew the truth.
“So you’re a light weight?” I called it what it was, hoping to put her at ease. It was nothing to be embarrassed about.
“Forty-three.”
I turned when I heard our ticket number.
“A light weight?” she asked, questioning my label. But if she got drunk off OJ and a splash of champagne, she wasn’t a drinker. And I liked that. It made her different from all the girls I knew.
“Yeah, you know…someone who gets drunk easily.” I got up to get our food.
“Well, I—”
“Hold that thought, I’ll be right back.” I pointed a finger at her while walking backwards toward the pick-up counter. I honestly couldn’t take my eyes off her. Not only was she a dime, but she was nothing like the girls I’d met. She seemed so naïve, yet so together at the same time. If only I had my shit together like she did.
“Shit!” I yelled as my elbow collided with the back of a booth. I rubbed it and tried not to say every cuss word I knew.
She laughed and then shot me puppy dog eyes that had me ready to get down on all fours and bark and howl. I really liked this girl.
I carried the tray back to the table and gave Lexi her food. One thing mom taught me: ladies first. I’d gladly put Lexi first any day.
“Thanks. They look delicious.” She unrolled her napkin and placed it on her lap. This girl was definitely brought up with manners.
“Sure.” I sat and began eating. “So, if you get drunk off drinking Mimosas, what does beer or tequila do to you?”
She shrugged and then wiped her mouth carefully. “I don’t know. Never tried them.”
I nearly spit out my soda. “You’ve never drank a beer or taken a shot of tequila?”
“Nope. Never have. I’ve only had wine and the champagne that’s in a Mimosa.”
Either this girl was ultra-sheltered or a nerd — a really hot nerd. Giving her another once over, I squashed that thought. Maybe she hadn’t experienced all that college had to offer. I could definitely help with that. “What year are you?”
“Senior,” she said sheepishly.
I coughed, nearly choking on a chip. “You’re a senior?” I pounded on my chest and took another drink.
“Uh huh,” she said, continuing to eat.
She didn’t seem too upset about it. Then again, you don’t know what you’re missing until you get a taste of it. Maybe she was just bullshitting me. But what if she wasn’t?
“Have you been at PHU all four years?”
“Yes.” She smiled and then took several gulps of water. Either she was embarrassed or what she said about getting a buzz earlier was true. This girl really was living a sheltered life. Poor thing.
“So, you mean to tell me, you’ve been here for four years and you’ve never had a beer or a shot of tequila?”
She nodded as she chewed her food carefully. The innocence in her eyes told me she was being one-hundred percent honest. It was almost unbelievable.
“Wow. Do you live with your parents or something?”
“Nope. I live in Charter Hall with my friend, Delaney. My parents are really strict. They preached endlessly to me and my brother about never drinking, partying, having…” she trailed off and looked away. I could tell she was holding back, and if it weren’t for that ring on her finger, I’d have to guess she was a virgin, too. Something told me she had a boyfriend or fiancé, but she wasn’t offering up that information. I’d make it my mission to find out.
“Sounds like you were homeschooled.”
“I was.”
My stomach dropped and it felt like someone had kicked a ball and hit me square in the chest. Why in the hell did I keep saying the wrong shit? I thought about telling her I had to leave and write the paper on my own, but that would be the worst thing I could do. “My bad.” Without even thinking, I placed my hand on top of hers. “I didn’t mean to offend you.”
The warmth of her skin made my hand go limp and my palm collapsed against hers, nearly melting our hands together. My fingers brushed against her delicate, soft skin and it reminded me of a baby. I wanted to run my fingers up her arm and find out if the rest of her body was as silky smooth.
“It’s okay. No offense taken.” She must have liked my touch. She kept her hand perfectly still. “It sucked. Believe me. And my parents still try to run my life.”
It took everything in me to remove my hand. I wanted to hold on and never let go. It was like fighting an invisible force, but Lexi was a good girl and I definitely wasn’t her type. No, girls like her didn’t hook up with guys like me. “I see. Well, Lexi, sounds like you’re a good person who’s been brought up the right way.” I shoved the last of my food in my mouth.
“Maybe. But I’m dying to experience life. I’ll be graduating in May and I don’t want to leave with all these regrets. It’d be nice to attend one party before I…” Her head dropped and her words trailed off into a mutter.
What was she about to say? Before she got married? Before she…what? Damn! I wanted to know and now was my chance to find out what Lexi wanted to experience. I wiped my hands and tossed the paper towel on the table. “You’ve never been to a party either?”
She shook her head, as if ashamed to admit the truth.
I dropped my hand to the table. This girl had definitely been living a sheltered life. “Damn, you are a good girl.”
Crossing her arms, she leaned back. “But I’m tired of being a good girl. I want to have some fun. I’ll be twenty-one in March and I haven’t experienced anything.”
She had just called my jersey number. Lexi wanted the true college experience and I knew how to give her that. I shot her a big smile. “That’s spring break, baby. I may be—”
“The Raven’s in the house!” Calvin ‘Cage’ Rutherford, who played as a defensive lineman, hollered as he stomped in with Kyle, Quinton, and a few of
the players from special teams.
“Hey, man, what’s up?” I clasped hands with the guys.
“Ready to grab some grub.” Calvin rubbed his fat belly. “Practice left me hongry.”
I wanted to laugh. Cage never needed a reason to chow down. In fact, the trainers had been after him about eating better. He was like a walking time bomb for a heart attack and was always passing out in practice from overheating.
Kyle checked out our empty baskets. “Looks like you already ate.”
A burp escaped and I quickly held a fist to my mouth, trying to cover it. “Yeah, and it was good.”
Quinton gave Lexi a thorough once over and then looked away when I cleared my throat. I was never territorial over girls — most of them made their way around the team — but Lexi wasn’t one of them. No way would I let these guys get a hold of her.
“Do you want anything else to eat?” Quinton asked, clearly trying to make it up to me. “Another taco?”
“Thanks, but I’m full.” I cracked my knuckles and stretched. I had to fight back the yawn dying to escape. A nap sounded so damn good right now. I seriously thought about telling Lexi we should go back to my apartment, but remembered I left my car at the stadium.
“How about a beer?” He wasn’t giving up.
I shook my head. “I’m good, really.”
“Alright. I’m going to order me something to eat.” He hooked a thumb behind him toward the counter and scurried away to get in line with Cage and Kyle. I liked Quinton. He was a good guy, and not half bad on the field. We’d been playing together since our freshman year and understood each other’s weaknesses and strengths.
I turned toward Lexi, hoping she didn’t think I was rude for not introducing the guys to her. Part of me didn’t want them to know she was my tutor, and the other part wanted them to think she was with me. Something about that made me smile. I could only imagine what it would really be like to be with her. A guy could dream, right?
“Sorry about that, what were we talking about?”
Her eyes darted around for a second. “Are you from Fort Worth?”
“No.” I interlocked my fingers and rested them on the table. “I’m originally from New Orleans. We moved here after Hurricane Katrina and decided to stay. You?”
She picked at the food in her tray with a chip. “I’m from Dallas. I’ve lived in the metroplex my whole life. Alongside my sister and twin brother.”
My head jutted back. “You’re a twin?”
“Yes. We’re not identical, though.” She shoved the chip in her mouth.
“No, shit.” I crossed my arms and leaned back in my chair. “I have two younger brothers. One’s in high school and the other one is in middle school.”
“Three boys. Wow! I bet that kept your mom and dad busy.”
For whatever reason, her words slammed in to me like a brick wall. My family was so screwed up; probably nothing like hers. “Yeah, I guess.” I didn’t want to talk about it and doubted she’d want to hear my pathetic story. The front door opened and Macy walked in. She immediately made eye contact with me. “Oh, hell,” I muttered.
She had changed her dark hair with cherry streaks to bleach blonde. A stark contrast from the week before. I lowered my head and wished I had a cap to hide my face, but it was too late. She was making her way toward me.
Shit!
“Trying to hide from me, Raven?” Her voice was rough and heavy and I could only imagine why.
I rolled my eyes. “Marcie, I told you—”
“My name is not Marcie, its Macy.” Her eyes bore into me, as if ready to rip off my head. Why I called her Marcie was beyond me. I definitely couldn’t forget this girl’s name. She hiked up her leg and using her eff me heels, drove her foot right into my chest, pinning me to the chair.
What the hell was wrong with this chick?
Before I could push her foot off me, she straddled me. In front of Lexi. Aw hell no. She threw her arms around my neck and pulled me close to her. Her huge tits pressed against me and I tried not to look at them, but it was hard as hell because they were staring right at me.
I hated this girl.
Wrapping my hands around her arms, I tried prying them off me, but she only tightened her grip.
“You never called me last night.” She wiggled her ass and made a duck face, trying to entice me with her big, pouty lips. Lips that had been wrapped around too many guys’ dicks. Just the thought of it made me feel sick. It never had before, but all of a sudden, she looked like what I took out to the dumpster weekly.
“Macy, can’t you see I’m busy?” I continued to push her away.
“But you’re never too busy for this.” With her wickedly long black fingernail, she trailed a path down the center of my chest as she rubbed her crotch against my dick. As much as I didn’t want her to turn me on, she was. The girl was a freakin’ beast in bed. A scary beast.
I chuckled and shook my head. “You’re too much for The Raven, you know that.”
Her moan turned into a giggle as she pressed harder against me. She was totally getting off on me. “Call me later tonight?” She ran her tongue along her lips and I had to look away. Why the hell did I keep hookin’ up with this hoe?
I placed my hands around her waist and lifted her off me. “I don’t know. I have a paper to write.”
“Yeah, right.” Macy tossed her long hair over her shoulder and then crossed her arms. “Since when did you write your own papers?”
“Since a few weeks ago. Now, will you please leave us alone? We have work to do.” I waved her off. The last thing I wanted was for her to say something that would turn off Lexi.
But it was too late. Macy turned in Lexi’s direction, checking her out. Her eyes widened and a smile spread across her narrow face. I’d seen that look before — Macy was bisexual and when she saw a pretty girl, she went after her. “I’d be happy to join you two.”
I had to bite back a laugh. “No, I don’t think so.”
Macy leaned against the table, giving us a clear shot of her cleavage. “Oh, come on. You know how much I love threesomes.”
I wanted to slap the girl. Seriously slap her back to wherever the hell she was from. It was my fault. I should’ve never hooked up with her and her friends.
I laughed, trying to play off her comment. Maybe Lexi would think she was playing around with us. “Well, I don’t know about that. I kind of like having Lexi all to myself.” I shot Lexi a wink, trying to get her to play along with me. Then again, was I really joking? Because I’d sure love to have Lexi all to myself. All of a sudden, I got hard again.
Shit.
“No fair.” Macy batted her eyelashes at me and gave a little shake, still determined to entice me. It almost worked. I fought those inner voices that kept telling me I was a hoe, just like Macy, and Lexi would never consider being with me.
“Sorry, I’m not up for sharing.” I held up my hands in the air.
Macy made bigger duck lips and then sighed.
“Tell you what, why don’t you go play with yourself first. That way, when I call you, you’ll be nice and wet for me, okay?” I smacked her on the ass and she moaned. I wanted to punch myself — again. What the hell was wrong with me? Why did I say that? It was like the words just blurted out on their own. I had to start thinking before I spoke. Otherwise, I’d keep finding myself in these messed up situations.
“Anything for you, baby.” Macy ran her finger down the side of my arm, catching the tail end of my tattoo. My skin broke out in chills and I shuddered. I hated that Macy had that effect on me. I didn’t say anything, just watched as she casually walked away.
“Sorry about that.”
Lexi held up her hands. “It’s okay.” The expression on her face indicated that of shock and a little embarrassment. Was she embarrassed for me or just curious about what Macy said and offered? I wanted to ask her, but was too damn embarrassed. I’d made a fool out of myself and I was sure it wasn’t for the last time.
Would I ever get this right?
∑
Chapter 7
Every human walks around with a certain kind of sadness.
They may not wear it on their sleeves, but it’s there if you look deep.
~Taraji P. Henson
We walked to the library in silence. I honestly didn’t know what to say. Not only was I incredibly ashamed, but I was also the biggest jackass. Why in the hell would I tell Macy to go touch herself? And in front of Lexi? Someone needed to punch me. I shook my head. Josh was right. I knew absolutely nothing about how to build a relationship with a girl. How to get them in bed? No problem. How to be friends with them? Epic failure.
We entered the library and I did a quick scan, making sure Beth wasn’t anywhere around. Last thing I needed was another girl causing problems. Lexi would surely bail on me. Students crammed the first floor, leaving no available tables. Silently, I cheered. I really wanted to sit somewhere secluded with Lexi — away from everything.
“Do you want to try upstairs? The writing center has a meeting room.”
I shrugged. “Okay.” Even though I knew a better place.
I followed her up the stairs, checking behind me to make sure no one I knew saw us. We entered the writing center and Vampire Chick immediately pinned me with her, I’ll rip your balls out, warning stare. Poindexter was still working with the hot blonde.
Shit.
“I can ask them when they’ll be finished.” Lexi turned to me, keeping the door slightly ajar.
“Nah, I’ll find us a place.” I took off, searching for a table. There was no way in hell I was going in there with that girl. I thought back for a moment, wondering if I’d hooked up with her, but her face didn’t look familiar. Maybe she knew someone I’d been with or something.
I stopped when I didn’t see Lexi behind me. I turned around and motioned for her to follow. She adjusted her purse and then walked toward me. I led the way to the back of the library where several small desks were located. It wasn’t the best set up, but it would do.
“I never realized there were desks in this corner,” Lexi whispered, leaning into me. Peaches and honey surrounded me and my knees buckled. All I could think about was lowering my mouth to hers and finding out whether she was as sweet as she smelled.
A Different Side (University Park #4) Page 8