“Yes. We’re focusing on the personal essay this semester. It’s more of a non-fiction emphasis. Does that interest you?”
“It does.” I’d been writing more personal essay type stuff lately, but it was definitely not something I had much experience with. “I’d like the spot.”
“Great. I’ll get you enrolled then. I’m looking forward to having you in two classes this semester.” Grayson nodded and continued walking ahead.
I was so excited about finally getting into a creative writing class that it took a minute to dawn on me: A professor I was going to have two classes with may have just read my naughty texts.
I glanced down at my phone. I had three more texts.
I’m holding you to that.
Cara you there?
Are you really going to stop on that note?
After the letting a professor see my texts detail set in, I replied. OMG seriously embarrassing moment, but on a positive note I got a class I wanted.
I’ll pretend I understand that. Talk to you tonight :)
Bye for now. I slipped my phone into my tote bag and continued my walk back to the house.
***
I was exhausted. Pure and simple. All I wanted to do was change into comfortable clothes and veg out, but I’d promised Jade I’d help her get her interviews. The thought of a late night at a show didn’t appeal at all. What if there was an easier way to do it? I picked up my phone and called Chase.
He answered after two rings. “Hey there. Did I really get a phone call from you without having to leave a message first?” he teased.
“Crazy, I know.” I generally texted because I was afraid he was busy.
“To what do I owe this honor?”
“I’m calling in a favor.”
“A favor? I’ll probably say yes.” He paused. “If you ask nicely.” He had a gift for making seemingly innocuous things sound naughty.
“Okay, it’s actually a favor for Jade, but it means I don’t have to go out tonight, and I really don’t feel like flirting with a guy just to help her.”
“Uh, flirting with a guy to help Jade? I don’t like that idea either.”
“So, Jade has this radio show and her boss says she needs to get interviews.”
“Interviews with whom?”
“Bands. Especially some local ones.”
“Okay. I’m starting to see how I can help.”
“Is there anyone you could talk to for me?” I curled up on my bed.
“Definitely. I’ll start making some calls.”
I let out a sigh of relief. Jade was going to be so excited. “You’re the best.”
“Am I?”
“Yes. The absolute best.”
“Remember that.”
“I will.”
He exhaled loudly. “I miss you.”
“I hope I’m as great as you remember.” After only a few weeks, I was realizing that the long distance thing was harder than I’d expected. Relationships are always hard, but seeing each other regularly kind of helps.
“I’m sure you’re better.”
I laughed. “Wouldn’t that be something?”
Someone called his name. “I hate to do this, but I have to go.”
“Not a problem. I’ve already gotten what I need from you.”
“I’d much rather be giving you something else—but no reason to go there.”
“Nope. Have a good show tonight. Where are you anyway? DC?”
“Yeah. Not too far away.”
“If only I had a private jet.”
“One day.”
“Talk to you later.” I hung up and leaned back against my pillows. Talking to Chase was becoming so natural, so comfortable. I wondered how different it would be when we finally saw each other in person again. Would it feel the same way?
I texted Jade. Talked to Chase. He’s taking care of all of it. Want to come over for movies and take out instead?
I’m tired and not really in the mood to go out, so that sounds great, and please thank Chase in any way possible.
Lol, I had no idea you were like this. Does Mallory know you have this side?
What side? I’m innocent.
See you soon.
The door opened and Mallory walked in dressed in her gym clothes. Seeing her reminded me of how badly I needed to make a trip to the gym. “Want to order in Chinese or something?”
“You read my mind. I just talked to Jade about it.”
“You’re stealing my little sister.”
“More like borrowing her. She doesn’t mind.”
“Nope, it seems like you guys have more in common than we would have thought.”
“Well, she did find Chase for me.” I got up and searched around for my flip flops. I needed to stop by Lacy’s room to discuss the change of plans.
“Your face just lit up. It’s official.”
“What’s official?”
“You really, really like him.”
I smiled. “I’ve never been good at hiding my feelings from you guys. Who’d thought it was possible to fall for someone more over the phone?”
“Call Juliet. We’re making this a roomie plus Jade event.”
“And Lacy. We’re supposed to hang out.”
“Okay, sounds great. I’m going to jump in the shower.”
“Enjoy.”
Friends, food, and a girly movie. Friday nights couldn’t get much better.
Chapter Eleven
There’s something sexy about a short dress and cowboy boots. It’s not my usual style, but I always have at least one pair of cowboy boots in my wardrobe and about half my closet is filled with short dresses.
I went with a violet dress and my brown boots the night of Kyle’s party. Mallory gladly let me borrow her cowboy hat— that was one item I didn’t have in my collection. I guess I just wasn’t country girl enough.
Kyle was waiting for me outside my house exactly when he said he’d be there. Dressed in jeans, a belt with a huge buckle, and a cowboy hat¸ he looked nothing like his usual preppy self.
I smiled. “Glad you decided to dress up too.”
“What? You thought I was going to make you do it and not come through?”
I shrugged. “Aaron didn’t usually dress up much for these things, but he always expected me to.”
“The more I hear about this guy, the more I wonder why you stayed with him so long.” Kyle started back down the street toward the Omega house.
“I thought I was in love. Or maybe I was. I don’t know anymore. I’m too confused.”
“Well, you still have two and a half years of college to spend without the jerk.” Kyle put a hand in his pocket.
“And the rest of my life. Can you believe I thought we might get married one day?”
Kyle shrugged. “You are a girl after all.” His grin saved him from getting a smack. “Just kidding.”
“Well, either way, I just hope we can avoid each other as much as possible the next few months.”
“One good thing about an Omega party is you won’t run into him.”
I laughed. “No, that’s for sure. I really don’t know many of the guys in your house though. I’ve practically lived at Kappa since freshman year.”
“It’s never too late to change that, or find non frat guys to fill your time.”
“I’m actually doing the second idea already.” I smiled, thinking of Chase.
“Oh yeah? I’m not messing anything up for you then, am I?”
“Nope. It’s not a problem. So, what’s the plan?”
“The plan?” A look of momentary confusion crossed his face.
“Yeah. Are we purposely going near the ex or steering clear?”
“Oh. We can stay away. It’s more that I didn’t want to show up alone. I do realize how lame all of this makes me seem.”
“Not lame at all,” I quickly assured him. “I may ask you to return the favor sometime.” The thought of showing up at a party dateless didn’t thrill me either, and I
knew the likelihood of Chase making any events that semester was low.
“Do you really think any of your sisters would date your ex?”
“No.” I bit back a smile. “I heard my friends did a number on his reputation.”
“Exactly. With guys, it’s different.”
“Well, it’s not like an ex is always off limits for girls, it’s just what he did. I mean who would want to date someone like that?” I assumed Kyle knew exactly why I’d dumped him. Everyone else seemed to. That’s the problem with a smaller college. Everything spreads like wildfire.
“You never know.” He seemed to notice that was the wrong thing to say. “But your sisters wouldn’t do that to you.”
“Thanks.” I needed to believe that. I already had my perfect plan for my college years shattered. I didn’t need to worry about having issues at my house on top of that.
“All right, we don’t have to stay long.” He looked anything but excited as we neared the front steps of the frat house.
I moved to his side. The whole point of this was to make it obvious he had a date. Standing several feet away defeated the purpose.
Kyle greeted one of his brothers at the door, and we walked in. I glanced around the main living space of their house. The cowboy theme extended to the decorations. Hay bales were scattered throughout the room, and a Bluegrass band was set up in the corner. “Nice atmosphere.”
Kyle laughed. “Yeah, this is the one theme party we usually take seriously. What can I get you to drink?”
“Ah, I think I’ll do beer tonight.” Generally, I preferred anything but beer, but I wanted something bitter.
“Okay, cool. I’ll be right back.” He took off toward the bar.
I searched around for someone I knew. Unlike house parties, date parties were limited to just the brothers and their dates. I saw a few girls I had classes with, but that was it.
“Oh Cara, how are you, sweetie?”
I turned and came face to face with Abby. I smiled to myself. This was Kyle’s ex. Considering we’d only spoken twice, the sweetie term was a little over done. “Hi, Abby. I’m doing fantastic.”
“Are you dating an Omega now? I guess it didn’t take you long to get over Aaron?”
Wow, bitchy. Two could play that game. “Who are you here with? Didn’t Kyle dump you?”
She crossed her arms, nearly spilling whatever was in her red plastic cup in the process. “No, I dumped him.”
“Oh. And you’re dating one of his brothers?”
“Yeah.” She straightened her shoulders. “Pat was pretty much just waiting for me to dump Kyle. He’s been interested in me a while.”
“Lovely.” There was a definite note of sarcasm in my voice.
I turned, unsurprised to find Kyle hesitating halfway between the bar and where we stood.
“Wonderful catching up, Abby, but my date’s waiting for me.”
I gave her an obviously fake smile before joining Kyle. I leaned into his side when I accepted the drink. I whispered in his ear, “Get frisky.”
“Uh, seriously?”
“Just do it, Kyle.”
He grabbed my ass, and I turned just in time to watch Abby’s face twist into a mask of anger and shock. She deserved it.
I gripped his bicep. “I’d say my work here is done.”
Kyle laughed. “That was cool of you.”
“Yeah, well, it wasn’t hard.”
“Dare I ask how you’re so good at this?”
“I’m a girl. I know how other girls work. A guy is exponentially more attractive when someone else has her paws all over him—and he has his paws all over another girl.”
He sipped his beer. “We all want what we can’t have, I guess.”
“Exactly. I’m usually all about girl power, but what Abby did was bitchy—and she’s proud of it. That makes it worse.”
“Tell me about it.”
“But you deserve better. You’ll meet someone soon.”
He took a slow sip of his beer. “I appreciate the vote of confidence.”
I smiled. “Any time.”
“So, who’s this new guy you found?” He watched me expectantly.
“Let’s walk outside.” The house felt suddenly stuffy. Kyle led the way out the back door. We definitely weren’t alone out back, but the fresh air helped.
“Tell me about the guy. You said he wasn’t on campus. Is he older?”
I figured it couldn’t hurt to spill the details. “He’s a musician actually. He’s twenty-five.”
“Anyone I’d know?”
“Chase Denton?”
“As in the lead singer of Chance of a Lifetime?”
“You know of them?”
“Yeah, doesn’t everyone? I’m known for playing them a lot on my show.”
“Your show?” I sipped my beer. It was definitely bitter.
“I have a Thursday night show over at the campus radio station this year. I got pretty lucky on the time slot.” He smiled.
“Oh, my sorority sister Jade has a show too. I think it’s at like five a.m. though.”
“I know Jade. She’s cool. Yeah, that’s what happens with freshman.”
“So, you got up at the crack of dawn for a show too? You must be committed.”
“It’s just something fun. I wanted to do something that Dylan never did, and I love music.” Then he gave me a funny smile. “I’m guessing you haven’t listened to the station much?”
“No,” I admitted. “Music isn’t usually my thing, but I get why you put in the time for it.” The only activity I’d ever gotten up that early for was pledging, and it definitely wasn’t by choice. “I may be tagging along with Jade sometime though.” After talking to Chase, it didn’t sound like I had a choice anymore.
“You could stop by my show too. It wouldn’t require getting up before the sun.”
“I kind of owe Jade. She’s the reason I found Chase again, so I’ll start there. If I like it, maybe I’ll visit you too.”
He laughed. “How you found Chase again? I’m sure there’s a good story there.”
“There’s a story all right.” I smiled.
“Any chance I can hear it?”
I glanced around at the crowd. “Probably not here.”
“Want to get coffee or something? I don’t think either of us really want to be here any longer than necessary.”
“Did you really show up just to save face?”
“Kind of. I’m actually… well.” He glanced over his shoulder. “I can’t talk about that here either. What do you say to that coffee?”
“Sure, that sounds good. Let’s walk by Abby and make sure she sees us leaving early though.”
He laughed. “You’re too good at this.”
I leaned in. “Now put your arm around me and let’s get out of here.”
After a slow walk by Abby who shot me a look of hatred, we made our way outside and over to a coffee shop down East Bay Street. I loved the place because they made the best flavored lattes. I ordered a Vanilla Hazelnut while Kyle got himself a coffee.
We took a seat in two high back chairs by the window. “You go first.” I wasn’t in a huge rush to admit my escapades.
“It’s not all that exciting.” He sipped his coffee. “But do you promise this stays between us?”
“Of course.” I shifted in my seat, eagerly waiting for him to continue.
“I’m thinking of dropping out of Omega.”
“Wow. Really?” I’d never heard of anyone leaving their frat before. It wasn’t an easy thing to do.
“I just don’t fit there. You know? I joined because it’s where my dad and brother pledged, but I don’t think it’s the right place for me. Like tonight, I only went because I had to. I’d have rather been out doing something else.”
“Glad I’m such an amazing date,” I teased. I knew what he was saying.
A look of horror crossed his face. “Of course I don’t mean because of you. I just wish we could have been doing somethin
g more enjoyable.”
“Like having coffee.” I held up my cup. “It worked out.”
He laughed. “I guess so.”
“Is your dad going to be mad?” I knew my mom would be disappointed if I left Delta Mu. Not that I had any plans to. It was definitely the place for me.
“Probably. Which is why part of me wonders if I should just stick it out.”
“Is there anything about it you like?”
“I like a lot of the brothers—but then watching one steal my girlfriend from under me, that was a low point. I know Abby was at fault too, but he’d been trying to get with her the whole time we were dating.”
“Are most of your friends non-Greek?”
“I have a few in the Iotas, and the rest are independent.”
“I’m not an expert, but I think you just have to do what feels right. At least you don’t live in the house. That would make it hard.”
“I didn’t even consider it. I wanted my own place.”
“Can I ask one question?” I rested my arm on the chair.
“Sure.”
“How did you feel about Omega before the Abby thing? I know you weren’t loving it, but does most of this stem from that one brother?”
“A lot of it.”
“And how did the other guys respond? They all thought it was cool?”
“Guys aren’t like girls. They don’t take sides in something like this, but a few told me they thought he was an ass.”
“Just make sure you aren’t quitting for the wrong reasons. That’s all.” I hated when one bad apple spoiled the bunch. I didn’t want Kyle to throw away his experience because of one jerk.
“I know. That’s why I’m making myself wait until at least the end of the semester. I’ve already paid dues, so what’s the point?”
“Good luck either way.” I took another sip.
“Now your turn. What’s the long story?”
“It’s really not that exciting.”
“I beg to differ. Just tell me.”
I sighed. I decided to just get it over with. “I met Chase at a party and we hooked up. I refused to give him my number and thought I’d never see him again, but then Jade unknowingly dragged me to his show.”
“That wasn’t so long.” Kyle smiled. “And I’m guessing you changed your mind about the one time thing and decided to give it another try?”
The Hazards of Sex on the Beach Page 10