TWO
Brooke
We walked side by side, a thousand thoughts running through my mind.
“You’re quiet,” he said.
“Oh, not usually. I mean, I am when I meet someone the first time, but not when I get to know them. This whole situation is super weird. Ugh. And now I’m rambling.”
He laughed.
“Breathe. You’re fine now.”
The way he said it made me want to believe him.
“You guys are having a great season,” I said, trying to make small talk.
“Yeah, I’m the…”
“I know who you are,” I said, cutting him off. “I’m usually at all of the games.”
“I’m surprised I haven’t noticed you before.”
“I’m not, anyway you can go,” I said. “I’m good from here.”
“I’ll walk with you the rest of the way.”
“Thanks, why were you out here anyway?”
“We were on our way to a party on campus.”
“I thought the football players weren’t allowed to party.”
“Nah,” he said. “We can go as long as we don’t get ourselves into too much trouble.”
“Oh? So what can you get away with?”
I’m pretty sure I knew what he was getting at.
He peered over at me and grinned.
“All sorts of things.”
“Yeah, I know all about your reputation.”
“My reputation, huh?”
“You’re a player in more than one sense of the word.”
“Clever.”
I turned away, rolling my eyes. Any chance I had with him was probably shot now.
“My house is the blue one at the end of this street.”
“You walk all this way yourself every night?”
“No, I was at the lab late tonight. Jocelyn usually comes to pick me up, but we’ve been arguing.”
“Jocelyn?”
“My roommate.”
I glanced over. He had this look about him. He felt both dangerous and safe, if that was even possible.
He turned toward me. “Will your roommate be home?”
“I’m not sure. Why?”
“I thought you might want to invite me inside, you know, to thank me.”
I stopped. He continued for a few steps then did the same, turning around to face me.
“What?” he asked innocently.
“You’re no better than those assholes,” I responded, totally offended.
“At least I’m giving you a choice and not groping you.” He stepped forward. “No offense, but I have no trouble getting laid. I thought you might want to…”
His voice trailed off.
“I might want to what? Do you?”
“Is that even a question?”
“Well, I’m not just another woman to add a notch in your belt. Thanks for walking me home but I’ve got it from here.”
I walked past him, brushing up against that hard, buff body.
Why did he have to be so fucking hot?
“Hold on,” he said.
I felt his hand on my arm. I stopped and spun around.
“What? Don’t you have women to go fuck or something?”
“Calm down,” he said, which infuriated me even more.
“Look, I appreciate your help, but I’m not the type of woman who just sleeps with a guy when I first meet him.”
He shrugged. “Your loss.”
Ugh. What an ass!
“No, it’s your loss, Mr. Football Star.”
He laughed.
“You’re cute when you’re trying to be angry.”
I turned and stormed toward my place.
“Hey,” he called out. “Hold on.”
Despite my hesitations, I stopped.
“What?” I asked, not turning around.
He jogged up and put his hand on my shoulder.
“I didn’t mean to be an asshole.”
“It seems to come naturally for you”
“We’ve gotten off on the wrong foot.”
“Tell me about it,” I said as I walked up my steps. “Goodnight, Austin.””
As I walked away, part of me hoped he would run up to me again, but he didn’t.
I reached the porch to my apartment. The bottom half of an old house. I peered down the street, hoping I saw him. Had I been too rough on him? Asshole or not, I still couldn’t get the thought of the way he saved me back there out of my head. Being enveloped in those muscles wouldn’t be the worst thing that ever happened...
The front door opened, shaking me out of my thoughts. Jocelyn stepped out on the porch wearing red and green pajama pants with a pink tee-shirt two sizes too small. She was never one to hide her assets.
“Oh, it’s you,” she said.
“I got jumped on the way home.”
“Are you okay?” she asked rushing toward me. Suddenly our argument from earlier melted away.
“Yeah,” I said. “Let’s go inside and I’ll tell you about it.”
We walked into the living room. Her clothes, dirty dishes, a pizza box and other junk were spread about. Surprise surprise.
“I cleaned up in here today,” I said. “What the hell happened?”
She smiled innocently like it was all a joke.
I didn’t have the energy or desire to pick another fight so I let it go.
After dropping my backpack on the floor, I crossed the room and sat down on my green recliner. It had seen better days. I’d found it in the alley last semester and fell in love with it because it reminded me of my grandfather. He’d been gone for over two years now.
She wouldn’t leave me alone until I told her the entire story, so I took a deep breath and told her everything. While I spoke, she sat on the edge of the couch, her hands covering her mouth as if I were telling a ghost story around a campfire.
When I got to the part about Austin saving me, she asked, “Where did he go? Did he just leave you there?”
“No, he was walking me home, but we kind of got into an argument.”
She laughed.
“Kind of? What did he do?”
“Just your typical hot guy bullshit. I don’t have time for a man like that right now.”
“You don’t need any kind of man. You’ve always been the independent type.” She stood up off of the couch and walked toward me. “But all work and no play makes Brooke a dull woman.”
“Yeah, but I’ll be able to afford my school loan debts when I graduate and land a good job. I’m too far down the path to turn back now.”
I stepped around her and walked toward the hallway.
“How are your classes going?” she asked.
“Oh, they’re fine, I think.”
“You think?”
I turned around and saw her sitting in my recliner.
“Yeah, I think. Do you want to get lunch tomorrow? We can talk more then, I’m tired and over today. I just want to go to bed.”
“Yeah, that would good.”
“I should have called you to pick me up from the lab.”
“You can call me anytime. You know that. It doesn’t matter what’s going on between us, I’m here for you.”
“I know, Jocelyn. Thanks. See you tomorrow.”
“You too, babe. Talk to you in the morning.”
I waved then resumed the journey to my bedroom. I closed the door behind me and locked it. As I got undressed and ready for bed, the events from the night played themselves out in my head over and over again.
The danger had etched Austin and all his features into my mind. I drifted off to sleep with images of his hot, naked body trying to seduce me in my dreams. Between classes and my job at the Med-Center, I hadn’t been with a man in a long time. Too long for my liking.
Could Austin really be interested in someone like me?