Managed Hearts (Players of Marycliff University, #3)

by Jerica MacMillan

  Hannah sighed and closed her book so she could give Elena her attention. “I saw Matt.”

  Elena’s dark brows pulled together, wrinkles forming in the golden skin of her forehead. “Matt? Matt who?” When Hannah gave her a pointed look, Elena’s expression cleared. “Matt Matt? Your Matt? From that summer? Are you fucking kidding me?”

  “Yes. Matt. From that summer. And no I’m not fucking kidding you.”

  A smirk crossed Elena’s face. “Did you finally grow a pair and look him up or something? I thought you’d decided to move on and forget about him. How did this happen?”

  “No, I didn’t look him up. I did decide to move on.” Hannah paused, pulling both lips between her teeth. “He’s in charge of the interns at Eco Utilities. He gave the orientation for us today. I’m guessing that I’ll see him fairly frequently this semester.”

  “Holy shit.”

  Hannah just nodded, completely agreeing with that sentiment.

  Elena paused for a moment, her eyes still wide. “What are you going to do?”

  “Nothing. Just go and do the job I’m there to do. I don’t even think he recognized me.” She’d gone back and forth a million times since she got home, the internal debate distracting her from her homework. But she’d decided that since he didn’t recognize her, she wouldn’t clue him in. It was better this way. Less awkward for everyone.

  Elena’s mouth dropped open. “No fucking way! What a jackass.”

  Hannah just shrugged. “It was over three years ago. My hair’s shorter, I’m wearing clothes for God’s sake, and it’s at his new job. He gave me a couple funny looks like he was trying to place me, but who would expect the girl they hooked up with on their summer break to show up in their office? And at the time I was planning on going to UW, so why would he think I’d end up here?”

  “Still, though. You spent the entire summer with that guy. He didn’t even recognize your name?”

  Hannah shook her head. “It didn’t seem like it.” She got up and went into the kitchen, wanting to be done wth this conversation. Her mind was made up. There was no point in making a big deal out of it. She should’ve gotten over the guy a long time ago. He’d clearly gotten over her. It was okay to enjoy the memories, but she needed to move on and quit comparing everyone to a guy who didn’t even remember her. That couldn’t be healthy.

  After grabbing a soda from the fridge she went back to the living room where Elena still sat with her feet on the coffee table. “It’s not that big of a deal, really.” Her words echoed her earlier thoughts, and she sounded like she was trying to convince herself, even to her own ears. Probably because she was. “You’ve been telling me for a long time that it’s time I get over my hang up about him. Now’s my chance. He doesn’t remember me, so obviously he hasn’t been stuck on me all this time. I’m not going to bother reminding him about me. I’ll keep my head down and stay out of his way to hopefully keep from even accidentally jogging his memory. I don’t want him to know who I am. I’ll intern with the marketing department, learn everything I can, get my credits for the internship, and move on with my life. Hell, maybe I’ll even let you set me up like you’re always begging to do.”

  Elena’s eyes brightened at that. “Really? Because you know there’s this guy—”

  Hannah held up a hand, cutting her off. “I said maybe. It’s only Monday. I don’t want to make plans for the weekend right now.”

  “What about coffee tomorrow?”

  Hannah rolled her eyes. “I have a lot going on tomorrow.”

  “I thought Tuesdays and Thursdays were your light days. Don’t you just have one class in the morning those days and then your internship in the afternoon? And you’re only there for like two hours a day. So, you should have time either after your class or after you get back from the internship.”

  Blowing out a breath, Hannah conceded Elena’s point. “Fine. You’re right. Tomorrow is pretty light. But I do need time to do my homework for Wednesday. Wednesdays are a lot busier.”

  “I’m just asking for an hour for coffee. You can manage that and still have plenty of time for homework.”

  Hannah sighed again. “Okay, fine. One hour.” She reached for her book again as Elena pulled out her phone and started texting, her brown eyes dancing with excitement, her manicured nails flashing as her thumbs flew over the glass of the phone’s screen.

  After a few minutes Elena looked up, a triumphant smile on her face. “Done. We’re on for tomorrow at eleven at the Literary Bean.”

  Hannah wrinkled her nose. “That was fast. Do you have a whole lineup of these guys just waiting to be set up with me or something?”

  It was Elena’s turn to shrug. “It’s some kind of weird status thing for my poli-sci friends to meet you. The ones that haven’t are all dying to because the few that have tell them how cool you are.”

  Hannah’s mouth turned up in a sardonic grin. “You’ve got to be kidding.”

  Elena shook her head, her dark hair brushing her shoulders with the movement. “No joke. You’re some kind of mystery celebrity in the poli-sci department and debate team.”

  Hannah leaned back against the couch, letting her book close again with her finger holding her place. “So what’s the deal with this guy? Is he a debater or a poli-sci major?”

  “He’s on the debate team with me. His name is Josh, and he’s my debate partner’s roommate.”

  Hannah’s mouth twisted at that. “Isn’t your debate partner a freshman? You’re setting me up with a freshman?”

  Elena waved a hand, dismissing the objection. “He’s a drama major and a real sweetie. He’s cute too. I think you’ll like him.”

  “You’re coming too, though, right? I’m not just supposed to meet him and hold a rose or something so he knows who I am?”

  Elena rolled her eyes again. “No. I wouldn’t do that to you. Adam and I will be there too. It’s just a friendly get-together over coffee. You can meet him and see what you think. No pressure or anything.”

  “I can’t believe I’m letting you talk me into this.” Hannah shook her head and took a drink of her soda before opening her book again.

  Elena got up from the couch and started for her bedroom opposite the couch. She stopped and turned with her hand on the doorknob. “Think of it this way. Josh is nothing like Matt, so there’ll be no comparison. Just see how it goes. If you don’t like him that much you won’t have to see him again. And you’ll make his day regardless because he’ll get into the in-crowd of people who’ve met my roommate.” Elena threw a smirk over her shoulder before going in her room and closing the door.

  Hannah chuckled to herself, looking down at her textbook again. If she was letting Elena set her up on dates now, this would be an interesting semester on all counts. The guy she gave her virginity to at work, and a whole string of guys to check out through her roommate. All she really wanted was to lay low and get through it with minimal damage. From the looks of it, that wasn’t likely to happen.

  * * *

  Hannah got in her car, shaking her head to herself on her way to Eco Utilities. She’d just finished meeting Elena, her debate partner Adam, and Adam’s roommate Josh for coffee. Elena was right that Josh was a sweetie. He was cute, too, but more in a baby-faced way than what she preferred. And while he was tall, which was nice, it seemed like he hadn’t quite grown into himself yet. He still had the gangliness of a teenager. Which made sense, since he was only eighteen. His birthday wasn’t for another month.

  They’d had a nice conversation, and she spent the hour with them like she’d promised, but she definitely didn’t feel the connection that Elena was hoping for.

  Her phone buzzed in her cupholder, and she glanced down at the next stoplight to see a text from Elena. She called her back, the phone on speaker.

  “So, what’d you think?” Elena asked as soon as she picked up.

  Hannah chuckled. “He’s a little young.”

  “He’ll be nineteen next month. That’s only two year
s younger than you. That’s not that bad.”

  “Two and a half if we’re counting, but it’s not just that. He looks like he’s fifteen. People would think he’s one of my younger brother’s friends if we ever went out.”

  “So you’re thinking about going out with him?”

  That provoked a full-on laugh. “Not even close.”

  “Why not? He’s sweet. I thought you guys were having a nice time.”

  “He is sweet. But I’m not attracted to him.”

  “You promised to give him a chance.” Elena almost sounded like she was pouting.

  “No. I promised to meet him for coffee. I promised an hour. I never promised to go on a real date with him. If you want to set me up on a date, find someone who looks like he’s old enough to vote.”

  Elena snorted. “Fine. We’re going out this weekend. We’ll find some hot guys to take us home and make us feel like the hot women we are.”

  Hannah rolled her eyes. “You want to go out trolling for men?”

  “You don’t like any of the guys I’m friends with enough to date them, so that doesn’t leave many options. You said you’re finally ready to move on after Matt, so I’m trying to help you. You’ve been hung up on the guy for long enough. I need to strike while the iron’s hot and before you start mooning over him again now that you’re going to see him on a daily basis. You’re in the danger zone, chica, and we need to get you with a new guy before the old one reels you back in.”

  “He doesn’t even remember who I am. I don’t think that’s likely to happen.”

  “Even so. You guys both liked each other before. Unless he’s suddenly morphed into a disgusting hairy guy who doesn’t bathe regularly, you still find him attractive. And, chica, you’ve only gotten hotter in the last few years. I’ve seen the outfits you wear to work, and I know your tastes haven’t changed much, so I doubt his have either.”

  Hannah couldn’t help laughing at Elena’s assessment of the situation. “Okay, fine. But if you know my tastes then why did you set me up with Josh? He’s not even close to my usual type.”

  “I figured it was worth a try. Most of the guys I know are in long-term serious relationships or they’re freshmen. The choices are limited.”

  “Alright. I’m here, so I gotta go.”

  “Stay away from hot surfer dudes at work, and start psyching yourself up for Friday.”

  Hannah rolled her eyes again and shook her head. “Right. I’ll remind myself of all the reasons you’re my best friend so I don’t want to kill you when we’re at a club getting groped by random old guys.”

  Elena clicked her tongue. “There’s no pleasing you, is there? They’re either too young or too old for you. Quit being Goldilocks. We’re not trying to get you hitched, just have some fun for once and enjoy being young, me entiende?”

  “Sí, pues. Alright, chica, I really have to go or I’m going to be late.”

  “Fine. Later.”

  Hannah got out of the car, locking it behind her and stuffing her hands in her pockets, chuckling to herself as she walked into the building. Elena did have a good point about avoiding Matt, though. If she did want to finally get over her hangup with him, spending more time in his presence was probably not the best way to accomplish that.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Matt watched Hannah walk into the building from the third-floor window that overlooked the parking lot. He was too new to get his own office, but his cubicle sat across from the window. The memories evoked by the sight of her face had him shifting in his seat, his pants growing tighter across his lap. He shook his head to dispel the memories of her skin under his hands and mouth, the look on her face when she came. Those memories had been haunting him since last night when he finally realized who she was. He still hadn’t come to any serious conclusions about how he wanted to handle the situation. She hadn’t given any indication that she’d recognized him, so maybe it was best just to let it go.

  Despite telling himself that he shouldn’t seek her out, he decided that a good manager would check on his new interns to make sure they’re settling in okay and didn’t need anything. He made his way to the various departments where the interns were working—IT, engineering, accounting, sales, and finally, marketing. He put off visiting marketing—visiting Hannah—until last. He’d wanted to go there first, but forced himself not to, hoping that checking in with everyone else would give him some time to get a grip on the feelings that rioted inside him whenever he thought of her. It was a mixture of shame, hope, and lust. In any case, those feelings couldn’t lead anywhere good. It was best to learn to ignore them, lock them away behind a neutral face, and just do his damn job.

  The receptionist in the marketing department directed him to the cubicle in the back corner where Hannah had a desk. He tapped on the soft sided wall to alert her to his presence, and then looked over it at her, resting one arm on top. “How’s it going?”

  She glanced up, her blonde brows wrinkled in confusion, then relaxing as recognition and something else took over. “Oh, hi. Good. Thanks.” Her answers were stilted. Did the recognition he noticed mean she recognized him from yesterday or from before? He wanted to ask, but couldn’t bring himself to. Instead he contented himself with taking her in as she was now. She had her short blonde hair loose today, no clip holding it back. As he watched, she pushed some of it behind her ear, and he had a visceral memory of how soft her hair had felt running between his fingers. He wondered if it was still as soft now as it had been when she’d worn it longer.

  “Did you need anything else?”

  Her words brought him back to the present. He cleared his throat. “Um, no. I was just going around and checking on all of the interns, making sure you’re settling in okay and that they’re treating you right around here.”

  She smiled, a polite smile that didn’t reach her green eyes. Her eyes were wary. “That’s nice of you. Yeah, I’m good. Everyone’s been nice. They have me familiarizing myself with the social media pages and looking through our strategy. I’m going to be helping with those—scheduling posts, monitoring and responding to comments, tracking what’s working and what’s not, how our targeted ads are performing, stuff like that.”

  Matt grunted in response, enjoying the way her eyes lit up when she spoke about what she was working on more than the wariness that had been there at first. “Good. Sounds like you’re happy to be interning here, then.”

  She nodded. “Definitely. I think it’s going to be a great semester. I’m already learning a lot and it’s only day two.”

  He smiled, a genuine smile that worked its way past his neutral business-face mask. “Good. Glad to hear it. Let me know if you need any help with anything or if you run into any problems here, okay?”

  She nodded, the wariness creeping back into her expression. “Sure.”

  “I mean it, Hannah. My job here is to make sure the interns are getting an educational experience and not just being a gopher for the department. If anything goes badly, come find me. My office phone and email are in the paperwork you got from me yesterday.” That wary expression was pissing him off more than it should. The other interns had given the same neutral expressions of agreement, and he’d just smiled and said okay before moving on. For some reason he felt the need to impress upon Hannah that he had her back.

  She nodded at his minor outburst, confusion now mixed with the ever-present wariness. “Okay. I’ll let you know if I need anything, I promise.”

  He gave a firm nod. “Good. Okay. Well, I’ll be going now.” He took a step back, and she just watched him, not saying anything. He could feel her eyes following him as he turned around and walked away from her cubicle.

  His emotions about having her here, working underneath him hadn’t calmed any by seeing her and talking to her again. If anything they were only more confused. This was going to be a rough few months while she interned here. He could only hope that it wouldn’t extend into a summer internship as well. He didn’t know if he could take havin
g her here for that long.

  * * *

  The delicious smell of food hit Matt as soon as he walked in the front door. He tossed his coat on the couch and his keys on the coffee table before heading to the kitchen. Megan stood at the stove stirring something in a pan. He came up behind her and stuck his head over her shoulder, the rap of the wooden spoon on his knuckles keeping him from snagging a vegetable from the stir-fry she was making and popping it in his mouth.

  Her brown eyes narrowed in a mock glare. “Dirty fingers out of the food, Matt. It’ll be ready in a few minutes.”

  He grinned at her and nodded, taking a step back. “Where’s Chris?”

  She gave the food one final stir before turning off the burner and dumping everything into a serving bowl. “Shower. He just got back from his practice and workout about fifteen minutes ago.”

  “I’m surprised you’re not in there with him.” His tone came out more disgruntled than he intended.

  Megan shot him a look over her shoulder, her mouth curved up in an impish grin. “Have you ever tried to fit two people in that shower? It doesn’t work so well.”

  Matt shook his head, leaning against the counter in front of the sink as he watched her put the rice in another serving bowl and bring the food to the table. “TMI, Megan. I hear enough that I don’t really need details.”

  She shrugged, moving past him to get plates out of the cabinet and set three places at the table. “You brought it up, dude. Don’t ask if you don’t want to know.”

  He chuckled, running a hand through his hair, his crappy attitude dissipating somewhat from joking with Megan and the prospect of a good meal that he didn’t have to do anything for. Which was kind of strange. Megan didn’t cook for all of them very often. And there was usually a reason for it. She’d cook for them the night before a game or if they were celebrating something. Football season was over, though you wouldn’t know it from the way Chris was still practicing and working out, but he was going to the Regional Combines in about a month, so that was understandable. Matt had never seen Chris as focused and disciplined as he’d become in the last couple of months. It was weird, but in a good way. He and Lance helped Chris work out and run drills on Saturdays, and Coach Hanson worked with him a few times a week.