Chapter Sixteen

Tony stood in front of his bathroom sink and ran a brush through his hair. He sprayed some shaving gel into his hand and was about to apply it to his face but stopped to look at himself in the mirror, which was still slightly fogged up from shower steam. With his clean hand, he stroked the scruff on his chin. He typically only shaved on game days if he was forced to, but tonight he was making an exception. Tonight he was going on his first real date.

He smirked at himself in the mirror and quickly lathered up. Rinsing the gel off his hands, he picked up a razor. He wondered what Allison was doing right now. Was she nervous? Worried? Apprehensive? Excited? Would she be wearing something sexy or something conservative? It really didn’t matter. She’d look hot either way.

He reached for his phone sitting on top of the toilet tank. With one hand, he scrolled to her contact information just to see her picture. He smiled and set the phone back down. Hopefully she wasn’t nervous, because he wasn’t. In fact, he felt strangely calm, no first-date jitters like he expected to have. On the contrary, he was looking forward to spending some quality time with Allison, especially now that they both knew they were interested in each other. He’d be able to take her hand, touch her, kiss her, and she wouldn’t run away.

Remembering the string of women he bedded without thinking twice, he wondered why he never tried to get to know them beyond a quick lay. It’s possible he might have found he liked one or two of them.

His stomach turned when it hit him—the reason he took off first was to avoid getting dumped. After all, his parents had dumped him, so why would anyone else give a damn?

He picked up the razor and began sweeping stripes through the lather, revealing smooth skin with each swipe. Today was the start of a new chapter in his life. He wasn’t going to run away anymore. He also wasn’t going to put the moves on Allison. He was going to “man up” like Philip Mason used to say to him. He was going to respect the girl, like Matt Warner advised. He was going to become a better man, like Allison deserved. Maybe he’d even be a good boyfriend.

To do that, he’d have to be different. He’d have to treat Allison like she was special, which frankly shouldn’t be hard, because she was. She was sweet and kind of shy and didn’t have a lot of self-confidence. He guessed she was probably a virgin, which meant he needed to take things slow. That part would be torture. But he knew if he pushed it with her, it could be a disaster considering his reputation.

When he wiped the remnants of lather from his face he noticed that the man in the mirror looked different than usual. He ran his hand over his cheek. “Feels good,” he said out loud.

»»•««

Tony unlocked the passenger-side door of his car and held it open for Allison. Something about him was different, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. She tried not to stare, but her eyes kept being drawn back to his face like a magnet. She stepped one foot inside the convertible and stopped. “Oh! I knew somethin’ was different.” She’d never seen him without a scruff before. She touched his cheek and briefly stroked it with her thumb, surprising them both a little.

Smiling, he held her gaze. “Like it?”

Yes, she liked it. She liked it enough to kiss, but her mother always said a proper Southern girl waits for the man to make the first move. “Very smooth,” she answered, proud of herself for at least breaking the ice with that little caress. She turned back toward the car and stepped inside.

Tony got behind the wheel. He backed the car out of his parking spot and headed outside the campus confines. Allison’s heart was beating even faster than the car’s sixty miles per hour. This was her first real date since high school and it was her first date in ages with someone she really liked.

She held her bangs down with one hand as the summer wind blew through her hair. On most days, she wore it up in a ponytail, but today wasn’t most days. She had a date and she felt prettier wearing it long—until she caught sight of her reflection in the side-view mirror. Lordy! What a mess! She’d spent so much time crimping and curling to give her waves that tousled, just-rolled-out-of-bed look. Now her long blonde hair was truly windblown, thanks to the top being down in Tony’s used Mazda Miata.

Glancing at her in the passenger seat, Tony tapped her arm. “I can put the top up if it’s bothering you.”

She smiled shyly. “No, it’s nice actually, even if it’s not good for my hair style.”

“Your hair looks perfect,” he told her, drawing a few strands between his fingers.

Allison blushed and stopped fussing with her hair. She turned to look at Tony, his olive skin starkly contrasted against the white polo he had on. His hair was slicked back and he looked almost dangerous. Even his smile had an air of mischief tonight.

He reached over and briefly touched her chin. “What are you thinking?” He appeared amused by her expression.

She shrugged. “Nothin’.”

“Aaaallison,” he teased. “Come on. Tell me what you’re thinking.”

“Just that we’re an odd-looking couple.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Odd? How?”

“Well, ’cause you’re dark and broodin’. And I’m blonde and blue and fair. You’re tall and muscular and athletic, and I’m small and klutzy.” She chuckled. “We’re just different.” She pressed her forearm against his as he held the steering wheel. “See? You’re ethnic and I’m …well … not. I’m white as snow.”


“Ha. Nobody's that white.” He turned his eyes back to the road.

“Okay maybe not, but I am fair.”

He reached out again and touched her chin ever so lightly. “The fairest of them all.”

She felt a tingle run through her body, unsure if it came from his touch or his sweet words. Was he just a smooth operator or did he really mean what he just said?

“Just because our skin tones don’t match, that don’t make us so different,” he said sincerely.

She shifted in her seat to face him a little to the extent her seat restraint would allow. “Okay then. Try this. Rap or rock?”

“Rap,” Tony answered quickly. “You?”

“Rock. Pizza or burgers?”

“Burgers.”

“Pizza. Dogs or cats?”

“Dogs,” he laughed. “Cats, right?”

“Yeah. Back home, we always had at least three cats at a time when I was growin’ up.” She looked out the windshield. “The ones I remember best were Peaches, Pecan, and Peanut.”

“Sounds like ice cream flavors,” Tony joked.

“Georgia crops,” Allison explained. “Anyways, like I said, we’re different.”

“Eh, differences make life interesting,” Tony answered as he watched the road. “We’re alike where it counts.”

“Like how?”

“Like, we both feel things really deeply. And we’re harder on ourselves than we should be.” Allison was impressed that Tony had self-awareness, and already seemed to know her better than she thought he did. “And we manage to attract trouble, even though we’re basically good people.”

Allison was stunned, but in a good way. She wasn’t expecting such a serious response. Gazing at his profile, her heart swelled. He was so strong and handsome and much more down to earth than she realized. If they were a couple, she’d have thought nothing of hugging him, but they weren’t, not yet anyway. “You’re a wise man, Tony Ramos.”

He raised his brows and glanced at her. “Wish my coaches could hear you say that.” He paused as he watched the road. “Anyway, I don’t care how different we are. I think we could be amazing together.”

Allison drew a deep breath. If he was feeding her a line, she was eating it up. This was a man she could easily fall in love with. In fact, she was well on the way. Her eyes grew watery and she was certain she was blushing, so she turned away from Tony, pretending to be interested in the sights outside the car. Pink and blue hues of the sunset reflected in the windows of the buildings as they drove down the boulevard. “It’s a really nice evening,” she said to fill the silence.

She jumped when she felt Tony’s hand touch her shoulder. He removed his hand and reclaimed the steering wheel. “Sorry.”

“No, that’s okay,” she said with a smile. “You just surprised me is all. You can put it back.”

He smiled a small smile and reached across the seat, squeezing Allison’s right shoulder and pulling her toward him. She willingly slid over, disappointed that the center console kept her from getting as close to him as she wanted. There’d be plenty of time for that, she reassured herself. He likes you. He told you in the restaurant he has feelings for you.

He glanced at her reflection in the rearview mirror. “What’s the smile for? What are you thinking now?”

“Now Tony, you don’t expect me to tell you everythin’ I’m thinkin’ all the time, do you?” she jokingly asked. “For your information, I was just wonderin’ if I’m dressed okay. You never told me where we’re goin’.”

He looked over at her from her chest to her legs. She was wearing a heather gray, cap-sleeved, V-neck, knit pullover with white capri pants, and she thought she looked way more casual than he did in his white polo and tight black jeans. The shirt was untucked, but his muscular build was pronounced, and his biceps strained through the shirt’s sleeves. He looked so sharp and sexy, he took her breath away.

“You look beautiful,” Tony said.

He ran his hand up and down her right arm sending a pleasant warmth through her body. She briefly looked into his eyes before he turned his attention back to the road. Beautiful. His words hung in the air. She knew she was pretty enough, but no one ever called her beautiful until now and, coming from Tony, she believed it. In fact, she almost called him beautiful too, because he was.

“I hope mini golf is okay,” he said.

“What? I thought you were gonna take me on a picnic,” she joked.

“Next time.” He played with her hair and gave her a sexy little smirk. “I looked up first-date ideas online. You should be glad I didn’t use my own imagination. It woulda been a much different date.”

Allison bit her lip. She wasn’t sure how to take his remark, so she pretended to ignore it. “Um miniature golf is perfect except—”

“Except what?”


“Well, it shouldn’t surprise you to find out I stink at mini golf. You know me. If it involves any kind of physical activity, I’m bad at it.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. You just need to locate your center of gravity. Remember I started to tell you I know what’s wrong, why you lose your balance so easily? That’s all it is. Balance,” he repeated. “Trust me, you’re not uncoordinated like you think. You just need to strengthen your balance.”

“You sound like a fitness trainer. How do you know about that?”

“My major. Sports science.”

“Wait. I thought your major was football.”

“I play football. And I hope to make a career out of it, but it’s not a major.” He glanced in her direction while she gazed at his face. “Lotta guys in the athletic programs major in sports science. We study stuff like movement, mechanics, and motor control.”

“Motor control. Sounds like the study of cars,” she quipped.

“I know, but it’s about the human body, not an auto body. This week I was in class and I thought about you.” He glanced at her again. “Um. I didn’t mean it like that.”

Allison blushed, but she was actually flattered. “You were thinkin’ ’bout me in class,” she asked flirtatiously.

He raised a brow. “Oh, I think about you in lots of places,” he retorted with a wink. Running his hand up and down her arm, he explained, “It hit me that your problem isn’t coordination, it’s balance. I’ll show you later. I think it’ll help with your cheer routines.”

Allison smiled and looked away again. She loved the fact that he sincerely wanted to help her. It wasn’t just guilt like she once thought. He truly cared and she was touched.

»»•««

Tony pulled his Mazda into the parking lot of the miniature golf course. The course was affiliated with a full-size eighteen-hole golf course whose entrance was about a mile down the road. For now, “miniature” was more Allison’s speed, at least she hoped so.

Allison offered to pay her way, but Tony refused. She knew he received a stipend from the school, but she was the one with a job and thought it was only fair. When she told him, “Okay, then next time,” he looked at her for about half a minute without saying a word. Then he smiled and took her hand.

By now, the sun was low in the sky and the lamp posts that illuminate the course were beginning to flicker on. After choosing their clubs, they queued up at the first hole. Allison set her ball down and lined up her shot. “Wait wait,” Tony said, coming up behind her.

Straightening up, she quipped, “What? You gonna show me how to throw the golf ball the right way?”

Laughing, he shook his head. “No, these aren’t balls you throw. They’re balls you hit. But you do need to know the right stance and how to hold the club. Come here.”

Standing behind her, he pressed his body into her back the way he had done on the football field. This time he reached around and gripped her hands as they held the golf club. After positioning her hands on the shaft of the club, he gently pressed on her abdomen. “This is what I meant before when I was talking about balance. You need to concentrate on your core.” He released her, leaving her feeling cold where his warmth had surrounded her seconds ago. Picking up his club, he said, “Watch how I do it. See how my feet are spread apart? My back is arched and my abdomen is sucked in.”

“Uh huh,” she uttered, but she was more focused on his fine-toned torso than on his stance.

“That’s what you need to do.” He swung the club back far enough to put some power behind it when he hit the ball. The ball rolled past the hole, up a small slope, and back into the hole.

“Oh my God! You got a hole in one! That was awesome.” She gripped his arm and looked from the hole into his smiling face. Pretending she cared about who won and who lost, she quipped, “But this isn’t fair. You’re an athlete.”

“Yeah but football’s my game, not golf. So, you ready to try on your own?”

“Um, I don’t think so,” she said coyly. “Could you maybe show me how again?”

He stood behind her once again and hugged her before sliding his hands down the length of her arms and onto her golf club. She watched his strong hands cover her own and melted in his arms. He whispered in her ear, “I don’t think you’re concentrating, Allison.”

“I am.” She turned her head partway. “On you.”

He pressed his lips to the side of her neck near her ear. “Ready?”

Allison nodded, but her eyes were closed and she wasn’t thinking about golf at all. Holding her hands, he guided the club back and tapped the ball. It didn’t even go up the slope and landed about a foot from the hole. Allison giggled. “Oops.” It took her two more tries to get the ball in the cup.

Tony stepped away from her to pick up the two balls. He held out his hand to lead her to the second hole. Taking hold of his hand, she giggled. “I’m lovin’ this game.”

»»•««

When they returned to campus, Tony parked his car near his dorm, about a quarter mile away from Allison’s building. They held hands and walked slowly along the grass-lined brick paths of the campus grounds.

It was a beautiful summer night in Florida and the fronds of the Queen Palms swayed in the warm evening breeze. Tony felt an odd peacefulness. He didn’t feel pressure to make small talk. He and Allison already knew a lot about each other and he felt certain they’d be getting to know each other even better before long.

The dormitory buildings were made of brick and stone, with minor variations that distinguished one building from the other. Most were six or seven stories tall and three wide steps led from the path to the covered landing. When they reached the glass-door entrance to the building where Allison lived, she surprised him by asking, “Wanna come up?”

His lips parted as he looked into her eyes. Hell yes, his insides screamed. He wanted that more than anything, but a voice in his head that sounded a lot like Matt Warner’s echoed, take it slow, Ramos. If he accepted her invitation, things were bound to heat up fast, maybe too fast. Another voice that sounded like his own urged him on. She wants you, just take her. He’d heard that voice a hundred times before. Shut up, he silently told the voice. Just be respectful. Treat her right and there will be plenty more chances.

Waiting for his answer, she looked at him quizzically, probably wondering why he was hesitating. Tony squeezed her hand and swallowed hard and out came three words he never said before. “Maybe next time.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek, lingering there for several seconds to inhale her scent—an intoxicating combination of strawberries and baby powder. Her skin was slightly dewy from the long walk they’d just taken.

When he leaned away, he read the disappointment in her eyes. She turned around, quickly inserted her key card in the slot and pushed the door open as soon as the security light turned green. In an instant, she disappeared into the building.

His eyes widened as he focused on the spot where Allison stood a moment before. His intention was to be respectful, not hurtful, but judging from her reaction, he’d already messed up. Shit! He was always messing up. He turned around and sat on one of the concrete steps outside her building. What would Philip Mason do at a time like this, he wondered. He reached into his pocket for his phone and looked at the black screen. Then he tapped the edge of the phone against his chin.

»»•««

Up in her dorm room, Allison got ready for bed and changed into a sleep tee and shorts. The clothes she wore on her date with Tony were strewn on the floor. She kicked at them with her bare feet.

She thought they had a great time. She thought the date was perfect—until he declined her offer to come upstairs. That response spoke volumes. There was only one explanation. He lost interest in her. She couldn’t even hold his interest for a few hours.

Here was a man who’d been around plenty. He’d been with a lot of girls and admitted to having lots of one-night stands. So why not her? Even if he wasn’t interested in a second date, what was so wrong with her that she wasn’t even good enough for a one-night stand? Why did a man who probably never said no to a sure thing in his life say no to her?

Looking into the mirror hanging on the back of her bedroom door, the answer was obvious. She wasn’t pretty enough or sexy enough or fun enough or interesting enough or confident enough. The only thing that was “enough” was how he couldn’t get away fast enough. She felt so humiliated.

She climbed on her bed, folded her legs Indian-style, and tried to choke back her tears. Her face was hot and she was sure it was turning all pink and splotchy. Well, that’s that then, she told herself. Easy come, easy go. Get over it.

Her phone buzzed and she reached for it on her nightstand. She scowled when she saw it was a text from Tony. She swiped to read it.

“Best date ever,” he wrote. “Call U tomw & U cn decide what U want 2 do on r nxt date.” Allison took a deep breath and held the phone to her chest. She grinned with delight and flopped backward onto her pillow. She still didn’t know why he didn’t want to come up to her room, but what mattered was he wanted to see her again.