Bishop
The party was in full force. The DJ we hired was playing all the great hits and alcohol was flowing through the veins of our guests.
The newbies were at the door, ensuring that everyone was being safe. Takei was in charge of everyone’s safety and as trash-talking as he was, he took his role very seriously. He had a scanner that he borrowed from his dad’s security company to ensure that everyone was 21 and over, meaning that holders of fake IDs were thrown out before they could take a sip of booze.
We didn’t hire strippers, but Rikko was able to get a few girls from the dance team to command the dance floor in their skimpy outfits. The ladies were pretty and had banging bodies, and I caught the redhead and the brunette looking my way a few times.
Maybe I’d ask for their numbers later.
I may choose to be alone in my bed at night, but it didn’t mean that I was immune to the flirty glances that girls threw my way.
A little flirtation here and there never harmed anyone.
“Dude, this is da bomb!” Ian shouted by my right ear, he was a few drinks away from being completely shitfaced in the morning. “Thanks for inviting us. The girls are fucking pretty!”
His eyes were on two of the dancers in the middle of the makeshift dancefloor where guys and girls where trading sweat or spit.
“Dios Mio!” Jose said to my other side. I’d extended the invite to my whole team since our parties weren’t exclusive to frat members only plus my teammates liked to have fun, too. “Where do these ladies go to school because I sure don’t see them in my classes.”
I shrugged because I had no clue. Rikko had sent the email and text invite to our frat brothers around the area and the neighboring cities. I heard one girl earlier saying she drove three hours from her apartment to get here so obviously she didn’t go to SDU.
Speaking of classes, I’d tried to talk to the blonde girl in my Quantum class, but it was obvious that she was avoiding me. After our eyes met the day she came to my defense, she’d sat in the front row and she never bothered to look back. If that wasn’t a diss, then I didn’t know how to palm my dick. Which sadly, was what I’d been doing in the shower while imagining her azure eyes watching me do it.
“Hey, you guys having fun?” It was Rikko asking Ian and Jose.
“’Course dude, your frat throws the best parties.” Ian smirked while shaking Rikko’s left hand. The football team and rugby team sometimes practiced at the same time, but on different fields so everyone on the two teams pretty much knew each other.
Plus, we also had the frat tradition where if one of our frat leaders were playing, we showed support by attending their games. Many times, I’d see the football players in my frat on the sidelines watching our game. And I did the same for them, along with two other rugby teammates who were also Tau brothers.
“Have you seen my sister?” Rikko asked, his eyes on me. Another day, another tight black shirt for this guy. I wondered if his sister wore these tight shirts too. Maybe it ran in the family.
I shook my head; I didn’t even know what she looked like. “No. It’s not like I’ve been on the watch for her and I have no clue what she looks like.”
Rikko said, “She’s this tall –“ hovering his hand close to his ear, he was saying something else, but a flash of orange by the entrance caught my attention.
Her back was towards us and I caught a glimpse of the longest, sexiest legs in a pair of shoes that tied around her ankles.
Her golden hair was set in soft curls and the curls bounced back from a backless dress that I suddenly felt the itch to peel off her body.
She was talking to Takei who was clearly checking her out, his head tipping towards her, and she leaned in closer to his ear.
I was compelled to walk towards her, but first I had to get through a small flight of stairs.
Rikko was waving at Takei and then, the pair of eyes that have starred in my fantasies looked up towards where we were at.
“Kiki!” Rikko cupped his hands so she could him and she waved back.
Wait –
What?
Kiki.
It was the name he called his sister.
The long-legged vision walked towards us and with each step she took, her eyes wandered to the people around her brother.
As soon as her eyes met mine, my heart began hammering in my chest. I could run 10-meter forward and backward sprints in record time without causing a significant change in my heart rate. My team had been on the verge of losing many times, but I’d managed to turn it around without breaking a sweat. The last time I found my edge of losing control, I merely took a deep breath in and I regained it back without any problems.
Now –
As she closed in on us, her steps faltering once, Rikko’s hand breaking her fall, and I felt a heavy sensation fill me. She reached for her brother and kissed his left cheek.
Rikko said amid the loud music, “Kiki, oops, I mean Kara, these guys are Ian and Jose, Bishop’s teammates.”
Her blue eyes locked in on mine, her lips partly halfway, “Bishop?”
Fuck.
Shit.
Fuck.
Why did the sound of my name on her lips make my dick twitch?
I flexed my jaw and got ahold of myself, extending my right hand to hers, “I’m Bishop.”
A small smile indented her face and her blue eyes sparkled in the dim lights, “I’m Kara. Nice to meet you, Bishop.”
My dick twitched again.
Fuck you, dick.
You can’t twitch for your frat brother’s sister.
A big hand went around her waist, “Kara, I didn’t know you were here already.”
Scott’s eyes softened while he kissed her forehead.
“I just got here,” Kara answered, her eyes moving away from mine as she smiled at him.
“Rikko, the guys need you down there,” Scott said to his best friend and Rikko nudged his sister’s shoulder. “Duty calls. I gotta go. I’ll talk to you in a bit, Kiks.”
Her hair gleamed in the light and Ian elbowed me, I must have been staring, so I pulled my eyes away from her. From him. From them.
As soon as Rikko left, Scott moved in front of Kara, his eyes closing as if catching her scent and I felt my hands fold into fists.
I had to get out of here –
Out of all the girls I could be attracted to, I wasn’t counting on her to be tied to another.
She was gorgeous, it was a fact.
But there were a lot of gorgeous ladies and many of them had thrown themselves at me.
Takei waved his hand at me and I saw my opportunity to leave this lovey-dovey scene.
Scott’s eyes were now opened as he said, “Did Rikko introduce you to my brother, Bishop, and his friends, Ian and Jose?”
Ian and Jose were now busy checking and signaling the girls on the dancefloor so I answered, “Yeah. We met her.”
Scott nodded his head, “Cool.”
“I gotta go,” I said, “Takei needs me to clear something for him.” And honestly, I couldn’t get out of there fast enough. “Nice to meet you, Kara.”
Her eyes left Scott’s and as her gaze floated towards me, I felt myself being pulled towards her, it was the strangest feeling.
She said it softly but my ears heard them loudly and clearly, “You too, Bishop. I’ll see you in Quantum.”
After handling the mix-up with Takei, I made it a goal to avoid a certain blonde in a sexy dress.
I talked to a bunch of girls.
I nursed two beers and I hung around outside.
I was standing to the side, watching the partygoers slowly fill their designated drivers’ cars when a soft voice crashed into my concentration. “It was a great party.”
Even in the dark, I could make out the glorious halo that was her hair. “Yeah. Thanks. Rikko knows how to throw great parties.”
“You do, too,” She said. She was standing with a small purse in her left hand, the straps hanging loosely in the air. “You’re second in command, right?”
She’d asked about me. “Yeah.”
“Even the weak force is ten to the twenty fourth power times as strong as gravity.” Her quiet voice permeated the air.
“Did you just explain hierarchy to me?” I couldn’t help but smile. It wasn’t every day that I met a girl who could spout theoretical physics with me on a whim.
“The fact that you just figured out it’s hierarchy I’m talking about is impressive.” She sounded off, her eyes on the guests leaving. “I just want to say hello again.”
“Hello.” I tipped my head to the side. I was trying to avoid her and here she was, trying to say hello. And I couldn’t find myself to be rude to her. “Again.”
“Rikko talks a lot about you…” She started, her body lowering to the concrete bench that I was sitting on. “Every time I call him he says Bishop says this or Bishop does this. I’m glad to finally meet you.”
I’m not.
I wish you stayed the girl in my fantasy.
I wish I didn’t know your name.
So…
I wouldn’t know who you belonged to.
I kept my thoughts to myself.
Silence speared between us and we sat there, watching people go, Ian and Jose had left an hour ago so most of the people who were leaving were mere acquaintances and some were faces I’d seen for the first time.
In companionable silence, we laughed as a few guys struggled to get inside the passenger seats.
I smelled her scent, reminding me of a rich combination of jasmine and raspberries. I’d never liked raspberries, but now, I found myself yearning for them.
“Rikko’s cool,” I said, not looking at her, pretending that she was just a regular girl who I was having a regular conversation with, “Tau’s lucky to have him as a president.”
“And you as a VP.” She said it with such force that I had to turn my head to the side to look at her.
“Why do you keep coming back to that?”
“Because I think you’re the type of guy who doesn’t give himself much credit.” It sounded like admiration in her voice. “And I don’t like it when people undermine their worth.”
Whoa.
I wasn’t undermining my worth. I just didn’t like to broadcast it to the whole world.
“Scott’s a good guy.” I didn’t know why I threw it out there. Or maybe I did. I was reminding myself who she belonged to.
A nod from her. “He is.”
“Okay.” So many unspoken words yet somehow I knew we were speaking on the same level. “Are you cold?”
Where is Scott?
Why isn’t her with her?
If she were my girl –
No. I’m not going there.
“A little,” she admitted, other girls would deny it or say something else. Not Kara. I had a feeling she always said her piece. What was on her mind.
I took my arms out of my letterman jacket that I’d grabbed from my room earlier since I wanted to stay outside and handed it to her.
My hand brushed her soft hands for a fraction of a second and my dick wasn’t done being an asshole tonight because it said hello again inside of my jeans.
“Milliken’s tough,” she said, referring to our professor in common.
“Nah. He’s just an old di-“ I stopped short of finishing it. My father might have been who he was, but he taught me manners around ladies.
“I have a brother. He cusses and speaks with very foul language.” She had the audacity to laugh before adding, “Yeah, Milliken’s an old dick.”
Steering clear of dicks, I asked, glancing her way “What did you get on the last quiz?”
“Hmm…” Her eyebrows shot up. “You first.”
“You won’t like it,” I warned, I could sniff competition from a mile away and Kara was very competitive.
“Why? Did you get a hundred?” She snickered and looked at me, then her mouth opened, “No way.”
“Which one did you get wrong?” I was asking, but I was also laughing because the look on her face was indescribable – part disbelief, part annoyed. It was really cute.
“One?” She said in disbelief. “How did you get a perfect score?”
Her blue eyes narrowed as she asked, “Is this the second time you’re taking the class?”
I laughed louder, garnering the attention of three of the women who belonged to SDU’s dance team as they waved at me. They’d given me their numbers when I grabbed a drink earlier. I pocketed them but I was still on the fence about calling the brunette.
“Hell no. I don’t retake classes.” Hell wasn’t a bad word, Dad. Everyone eventually went to hell.
“I got the magnetic quantum and the weakest power questions wrong.” She admitted, her lips frowning.
“Ah.” I said, “He didn’t talk about them in class, but I saw them on the practice tests.”
“Which practice tests? I did the chapter ones and I didn’t see them. I would’ve remembered.” Yep, Miss Kara Chamberlane was a big-ass competitor just like her brother. I knew when Rikko’s team lost because the house was quiet and the sound of Rocky Balboa movies were playing loudly from his room.
I could understand though.
I didn’t shake off a loss that easily, but I’d found my peace in the losses. I loved winning through and through, but I’d also learned that if we never lose, we’d never find ways to improve.
“Chapters 21-23,” I said, flexing my head side to side. Tomorrow, I’d have to be careful leading with my left leg because it was the one causing this strain.
“But those chapters won’t be discussed for another two weeks.”
Crap.
Fuck.
Now here came the questions.
“Are you telling me you do homework in advance?” She asked with a gasp, her left hand reaching to remove a wayward strand out of her eyes.
“I don’t have a life,” I said with a chuckle as I stood up. “I got practice and there’s not much time for me to do homework when I’m on the road, so I gotta make time now.”
Standing up next to me, I saw my letterman jacket covering the top half of her body; it was a good look on her.
And if I was an impulsive man, I’d want to find out just how flexible her mile-long legs were as they wrapped around my waist.
“I gotta go,” I said, eyeing Scott and Rikko who were now walking out with the other football players, Conrad and Michael. The guys nodded their heads at me as Scott gave Kara a smile.
At my side, Kara said, “Maybe we could study together once in a while.”
To which I answered quickly with a, “No, I don’t think that would be a good idea.”
I sensed the flatness of her voice, but I didn’t look at her. This was for the best.
Still.
I couldn’t just say no so I supplemented, “Maybe you could email me. Or text me if you have any questions.”
“Okay. Cool. I’d like that.” I heard her rambling through her purse and I rattled off my email and phone number.
“Bishop?” Fuck, why did she have to say my name like that?
Like she wanted –
“Yep,” I said with enough nonchalance to fool a poker player while turning my body around to watch her.
“Thank you.”
For a split second, I wondered what it would have been like if I’d met her under different circumstances.
If she hadn’t been Scott’s.
If she was only single.
Or if we didn’t even share a class together.
But split seconds lasted for less than a minute.
And not even quantum theorists would try to dispel that.