by Natalie Rios
“Well, it’s my last year here so…” I leave it at that. We’re finally up at the counter, but instead of placing an order for a fresh sandwich, I grab one of the cold pre-mades and head for the registers. “See you at the house tonight."
"Later," Sunshine waves after me. I quickly pay for my food and make my way out of there. I eat my breakfast, then go about my day. Meetings, class, more meetings, practice. After practice, I go home and shower.
First day of my last year of college, done. It’s time to party.
I drive over to the Kappa house, using the code to let myself in through the secret side entrance. And immediately come face to ass with the bare cheeks of one of my brothers. He has some girl bent over the kitchen table, railing her from behind while his pants rest around his ankles.
“Jesus! It’s not even ten yet.” Covering my eyes with one hand, I blindly walk towards what I hope is the kitchen entryway.
“You should know better than to use that door without texting first,” a voice I recognize as belonging to Levi Sullivan, or Jax Teller as the house calls him because he drives a Harley Dyna-Glide and walks around in this thick ass leather jacket just like Jax from Sons of Anarchy.
“Do you have to do that shit on the kitchen table though? People eat there!” I call out, though who knows if Levi can hear me over the porn star noises the girl is making.
I make my way down to the basement, stopping at the bar. “What’s up, T-Rex? Want a beer?”
I wave away the cup extended to me by Tony, who happens to be manning the bar tonight. “No thanks, man. Sticking with water tonight. Though I could use some Clorox to bleach my eyeballs.”
Tony snorts. “Let me guess. You saw Jax pounding into that Zeta in the kitchen.”
“On the fucking table, dude. Who is going to disinfect that shit when they’re done?”
“I don’t know. I’ll tell you what though, I can’t wait for rush week. It’ll be good to have some pledges who can clean up around here. And do this beer serving shit,” Tony adds bitterly. He swings his arm around, gesturing across the room. “All these hot girls and I’m stuck manning the bar tonight.”
My eyes roam the basement, spotting a few new faces in the crowd. Likely freshmen or transfer students. Tony’s right, there are some gorgeous ladies here tonight. One blonde in particular immediately catches my eye and if the come hither look she’s shooting me is any indication, she’s game.
“Tell you what. Let me talk to Miss Pretty in Pink over there first and then I’ll relieve you for an hour.”
Arching a brow, Tony swivels his head in the blonde’s direction and grins. “Tiffany. I think she’s a Zeta. Laying down some groundwork?”
“You know it.” I clap him on the back before making my way over to Tiffany.
Turns out, there’s no groundwork needed. Tiffany knows exactly who I am and is more than happy to keep me company at the bar in exchange for a tour of my apartment later.
“You have the prettiest smile. Seriously,” I continue over Tiffany’s giggle. “Best smile in the entire room. These lips...” I stroke my thumb across her ruby red lips. Though fuck. I kind of wish I hadn’t. Her lipstick rubbed off on the pad of my thumb.
“My lips?” Tiffany prods, her voice all breathy. Right. I was in the middle of complimenting her.
“Are mesmerizing,” I finish, setting down another plastic cup of beer in front of her. I want to wipe my thumb, but a quick perusal behind the bar for napkins turns up empty. This is why I don’t live in the house. You’ve got guys fucking random sorority sisters on the kitchen table and not a single napkin in the building.
Call me weird, but I like living in a clean space.
“I bet you say that to all the girls.” Leaning in close, she purrs the words against my ear.
“No, baby. Just you.” I flash her my megawatt smile, the one I know sends hearts aflutter. The one that’s been known to make a panty or two or three drop. The benefits of being a charming, D-1 football player.
And I get exactly the reaction I’m looking for. Tiffany crooks her finger, beckoning me to lean down closer to her face. It isn’t necessary for us to stand so close to each other; the basement isn’t even halfway full and the music is playing so low, I can’t make out what song’s on.
But I’m not about to complain when she’s pressing her massive tits against my chest.
“Why don’t we go somewhere a little more private? So we can talk?”
I smirk because I’m sure talking is the last thing on Miss Tiffany’s mind. Her agenda mirrors mine: walking back to my place, getting naked, and fucking on the first available surface we encounter. But as much as I would love to press fast-forward and get right to it, campus rules require a brother to be behind the bar at all times. Which means I can’t leave until Tony or one of the other guys comes down to relieve me.
Twirling my forefinger, I wrap a few strands of Tiffany’s silky hair around my finger. She likes me touching her. I can tell by the way her body shivers. Pressing a kiss at her temple, I lean in to whisper in her ear an explanation for why we can’t leave yet. But I hardly get a word out when a rude voice interrupts us from the side of the bar.
“Hey, Romeo. Can you stop spitting game for a minute to pump out a few drinks from the keg? I’ve only been standing around waiting for, like, five minutes over here.”
My spine tingles. Because I know that voice. Even still, I can’t help gaping when I turn around and verify it’s exactly who I think it is.
“Allie?”
2
Allie
“I CAN’T BELIEVE you went to class like that,” Lia groans for the hundredth time.
“Like what?” Camilla asks from between us and now I’m groaning. The last thing I want to do is explain this morning’s humiliation to my younger cousin.
“Allie went to her 8am class wearing a t-shirt covered in vomit stains.”
“It was not vomit!” I immediately protest.
Camilla stops in the middle of the sidewalk to gape at me. “Oh my God! That was you?”
Frowning, I tug on her arm to get her moving again. The faster we get to this party, the faster we meet up with Lia’s other friends, and the faster I can extract myself from any further Final Fall Week celebrations. I want to catch up on some sleep before I start my new work schedule later this week. “You heard about it? How?”
“Freshman grapevine. Everyone was trying to figure out who it was. My money was on hot mess Gina. She spent the first two days of orientation puking her guts out. Relax,” Camilla adds at my concerned expression. “I doubt anyone knows it was you. We all assumed it was a freshman since...well, you know.”
Yeah, I do know. Stuff like that is expected from freshmen, some of who have never had so much as a sip of alcohol before, but not from seniors.
“Okay, a) it was coffee, not vomit. Coffee that spilled on me after some douchebag turned into me without looking first. And b) we’re never speaking of this again.”
Lia, of course, completely ignores me. “I don’t understand why you didn’t go home and change. Skipped your first class so you could look presentable for the rest.”
“Because I didn’t want to miss getting a copy of the syllabus.”
“You know they have to post those online, right? University policy states all syllabi must be posted to the online course site within 24 hours of the first class session. What?” Camilla shrugs off our disgusted looks. “The advisors went over campus policy during orientation last week. Obviously, I was paying attention.”
“Obviously, nerdiness runs in the Perez family,” Lia drawls.
“I’m just grateful it’s not clumsiness. Would hate to walk around campus with stains on my shirt,” Camilla teases, literally ribbing me with her elbow. “Just think, what if Theo Montgomery had seen you?”
Considering the whole ordeal was his fault…
“Forget my disastrous morning. We’re on our way to Camilla’s first frat party. Let’s focus on having a go
od time, alright?”
“My friends are going to be so jealous! None of them have gotten an invitation to a Kappa party.”
“That’s because it’s brothers only during the first couple of weeks of the semester,” Lia explains as she fiddles with her phone.
“Brothers only? So how are we getting in?” I ask. “Please tell me we didn’t come all the way out here just to get turned away at the door.”
“Brothers and sisters only,” Lia corrects. “Delta is Kappa’s sister house.”
“If you say so...” I don’t know anything about the Greek system. So I happily let Lia take control of the situation, using some secret code at the door.
“Hey, Lia. Can you introduce me to some Deltas?” Camilla asks the second we’re inside. Camilla’s set on pledging a sorority, though she hasn’t decided between the Deltas and the Zetas. From what I remember of Lia’s rush week, it helps to know as many sisters as possible.
“Sure. A couple of girls are playing beer pong in the back. But maybe we should grab some beers first?”
I wave them off. “You two go mingle. I’ll get the beers and meet you there.” I don’t want to leave my cousin’s side, but I know she needs time alone to get in with those girls. Besides, the basement isn’t very full. Getting the drinks should be a quick pit stop.
There’s a guy behind the bar, but his back is to me. Across from him is a gorgeous blonde with a massive rack, standing on her tiptoes so she can press her lips against his ear.
Except, like I said, the place isn’t really all that packed. And I’m standing right here. Which means I can hear every word.
“I bet you say that to all the girls.”
“No, baby. Just you,” the guy responds and I want to barf in my mouth. Do those lines actually work on girls? Evidently, yes. The blonde plasters herself against his torso, requesting they go somewhere more private to talk.
As if they couldn’t possibly continue talking in this quiet as hell, no-one-else-besides-me-within-a-twenty-foot-radius, frat basement.
Personally, I don’t really care what these two end up doing. They can strip down and start screwing right here in the middle of the basement for all I care. Just as long as I get my beers first so I can go back to watching over my cousin like a hawk.
The guy looks a little too willing to oblige the blonde’s request and there isn’t another person in sight. So this guy, and the growing tent in his pants, are pretty much my only hope of getting a quick drink. I try clearing my throat, but that gets me nothing. I snap my fingers. Still nothing. Okay, fine.
“Hey, Romeo. Can you stop spitting game for a minute to pump out a few drinks from the keg? I’ve only been standing around waiting for, like, five minutes.”
The guy turns around and I roll my eyes. Of course. Of course it’s him.
How is it possible we went from not seeing each other at all for three years to two run-ins in a single day?
“Allie?” Theo asks, his wide eyes raking over me, spending way too much time on my ass. I decided to wear shorts tonight because it’s warm out and I want to enjoy the good weather while it lasts. Except I’m Dominican, which means I have wider hips and a bit more junk in my trunk than the average Carlton coed.
“Eyes up here, Montgomery.” He raises his gaze, the initial shock quickly replaced by his usual smugness.
“Well, well, well. If it isn’t a unicorn, spotted out in the wild. Talk about a shocker. Is it true you turn to stone whenever someone looks you in the eye? Is that why you’re always hiding out in the library? Wait. You didn’t get lost on your way to the library, did you? Need me to show you the way?”
“The only shocker in the last few seconds is that you actually knew Carlton has a library. Wow. Get out your Crayolas and color me surprised. Now.” I angle my head towards the keg. “How about those drinks?”
“Not until you tell me the truth.” Resting his elbows on the bar, he leans forward until our faces are nearly eye level. Theo’s tall, but so am I. Not as tall as him of course, but at 5’10, I’m taller than most girls. “Admit after all the excitement this morning, you missed this handsome face and came here to see me.”
Rolling my eyes, I ignore the way his nearness causes goosebumps to rise along my skin. My body may be a traitor, but my mind knows it can’t be helped. Women react to attractive males. The larger and more attractive the male, the stronger the reaction. It’s simple biology, really. “As if I even knew you were a member of this frat.”
“Everyone knows I’m in this frat.” My heart speeds up as he leans closer, but I stand my ground and meet his eyes. I know he’s trying to intimidate me with his size. I may be tall, but Theo’s bulkier, with broad shoulders and large arms. Still, his size doesn’t scare me.
“Right...See, but that would involve me talking to people about you. Asking questions. Actually caring. When, in fact, I had completely forgotten you even went here.”
“Bullshit! I’m the quarterback. No one forgets the quarterback,” he declares, narrowing his eyes at me.
I shrug. “I don’t know anything about football. I’m not even sure what league Carlton plays in.”
“What the hell kind of blasphemy-” He cuts himself off, muttering a string of curses under his breath. “First of all, they’re called conferences, not leagues.”
“Tomatoe, tomatoh,” is my breezy reply.
“Secondly-” Tap, tap, tap. His second point is interrupted by the sound of Blondie tapping her long, fake, acrylic nails against the surface of the bar. She glares daggers at me before curving her lips into a pout.
“I thought we were leaving.”
“We are, baby.” Just like that, he slips back into smooth Theo. Player Theo. The one who is angling to get laid. “What did I say earlier? The most mesmerizing eyes in this entire basement.”
She pulls away on a frown. “You said my lips are mesmerizing.”
“Your lips and eyes. You’re the total package, baby.”
I make a loud heaving noise, bringing their attention back to me. “Sorry, I just threw up in my mouth a little. Can you get me those beers now? Please,” I add, hoping to speed things along. I’ve been gone a while and the last thing I need is for Lia and Camilla to –
“There she is! Jesus, Al, did you get lost or something?” Ah, fuck. Lia wraps an arm around me and any hope she wouldn’t notice or recognize Theo shrivels up and dies with her gasp. “Oh my God! You’re Theo Montgomery!”
“The one and only.” Theo does an elaborate bow before holding out a hand for Lia. She squeals when he brings it up to his lips. “A pleasure to meet you.”
“Holy shit! Theo Montgomery is serving our drinks! And he just kissed my hand! Camilla! Get your ass over here!”
“Come on, T,” the blonde impatiently whimpers from his side. “We don’t have time for this.” But Camilla’s already joined us, fawning over Theo in a way that has Blondie fuming and me rolling my eyes.
“I can’t believe I’m standing next to Theo Montgomery. This just made my night! No. My whole semester! Why aren’t you excited?” Camilla shakes me by the shoulder. “I mean, he’s the starting quarterback!”
Theo laps up the attention, smirking at me as if to say see? Even your friends worship me. “Yeah, Perez. Show some respect.”
I groan, because there is one little detail Theo let slip that I know neither my cousin nor Lia will miss.
“How do you know her last name? Do you two know each other?” Lia asks, eyeing me and Theo suspiciously.
“Sure, we do. We-” Theo starts and I have to jump in before he gives away too much.
“We have sociology together. He remembers coffee girl from this morning. Right?” I angle my head so only Theo can see the look I’m shooting him, which reads say another word and I will stab you with a rusty knife.
Holding up his hands, he quickly agrees. “Yup. Coffee girl. Here.” Finally, finally, he pumps out three cups of beer. “Bottoms up, ladies.”
“Yo, T! What are you do
ing back here?” A new guy joins our group. Massive and tatted up, his biceps look larger than my thighs. “I thought Tony-” The new guy spots Camilla and a slow smile creeps along his face, flashing the sexiest set of dimples I’ve ever seen. “Hi, I’m Levi.”
“Camilla.” She extends a hand, but I take a step forward, my body acting as a physical barrier between the two.
“She’s a freshman. And only seventeen.” That’s enough to have Levi holding up his hands in surrender.
“Backing away,” he says just as Camilla mutters, “Thanks a lot, prima.”
Theo holds out a cup of beer for Levi. “You done breaking the table upstairs?”
Levi shoots him a shit-eating grin. “Didn’t break on me. She’s sturdy as fuck.” The two of them high-five and I’m disgusted. Because I know exactly what that asshole was doing on that table. Their satisfied smirks said it all. And then to add another gross layer to an already shitty pie, Levi has the nerve to hit on my cousin after he just finished blowing his load into who knows who.
“Ese tipo se prive en vaina,” I warn Camilla. This guy thinks he’s hot shit. Camilla just rolls her eyes.
“You speak Spanish? Very sexy,” Levi says, lips curving into a lopsided grin.
There’s a snarky comment on the tip of my tongue, but I’m cut off by Lia. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me you have a class with Theo Montgomery. You know I’ve been dying to meet him. He’s the only Kappa I haven’t met!”
Why does everyone think I would know or even care that Theo’s a Kappa?
“Sorry I thought the travesty involving my coffee stained shirt was a tad bit more important than me running into some football player.”
“He’s not just any football player!” Lia chatters on and on, spouting off stats and awards that I don’t care about. I do find it weird Theo’s not jumping in, to preen or tack on more accolades. Humble, he is not. But when I glance over, there’s only Levi behind the bar, eye-fucking some brunette who hadn’t been there before.