CHAPTER SIX
Natalia
I can’t keep my eyes off the doors of the Bar and Grille. Ever since my shift started, my eyes have been glued to the entrance, waiting for him to walk in. I’ve skipped two breaks, and my feet are blistering from standing so long.
Jesus, where is he?
Just then, the doors open, and Luke strides in with a few of his teammates behind him. I swear it’s like watching a scene out of a movie in slow motion where the cool guys float through the doors perfectly in sync. I shift my eyes around, fighting a grin as a few of the female patrons stare in pure feminine appreciation.
Who knew sweaty football players could be such a turn on?
Luke’s eyes travel across the room until they land on mine. A small smile tugs at the corners of his lips when he sees me. I wave him over, indicating a table I’ve saved just for them.
“I’m saddened by your choice of attire, Natalia. I truly am.” He pointedly looks me up and down, clicking his tongue against his teeth. The heat of his gaze lingers on my skin, causing my flesh to pebble with goosebumps. I brush my body’s strange reaction aside, ignoring the twinge in my chest.
“What did you think I’d be wearing, Luke? A Hooters uniform?”
He tosses his head back and laughs, prompting me to roll my eyes.
Seriously? I guess black pants and a Bar and Grille logo tee shirt weren’t enough for him.
“That’s what I was hoping for, but hey, I won’t hold it against you,” he says with mirth.
Men.
The guys sit around the table, and I take their orders while simultaneously waiting on other tables. Aliza’s on her break, so I’m covering for her until she gets back. I hurry across the expanse of the room to the bar. My arm is tugged roughly, and I squeak in surprise. Sam yanks me behind the bar with wide eyes. She looks like she’s seen something shocking, which is surprising because I didn’t think anything could shock Sam.
“Who is that with the group of guys at table thirteen, and why haven’t you sent him my way?” she demands through narrowed slits. I swallow thickly, looking back at Luke’s table. The guys are talking animatedly around the table all while he’s sitting back in his seat uninterested—taking in his surroundings. Blowing out a deep breath, I shift my gaze back to Sam.
“Oh, that’s Luke and a few of his teammates.” I feign indifference, hoping she won’t put me in an awkward position by asking me to hook them up.
“Christ on a cracker, Natalia. That’s him?” Sam practically yells in my ear, blowing out my ear drum. I wince away from her, covering my ear, protecting myself from any permanent damage.
“Yes, that’s him, Sam. What the hell is the matter with you? You almost busted my ear drum!” I shout-whisper back to her.
“Oh, don’t you start with me,” she warns. “Why the fuck didn’t you tell me he looked like that? Jesus that man is like sex on legs. I could’ve been riding that stallion a long time ago.”
“Sam,” I warn sternly.
“An even better question is, why haven’t you banged him yet? I mean Jesus, Nat, look at the guy! Tell me he isn’t what wet dreams are made of.”
I contemplate what she’s said while watching Luke from afar. She’s not wrong, not even close—Luke Caldwell is hotter than all hell, which is why I need to stay away. Most days I can’t stand him, but other days, as vain as it may sound, his looks affect me in ways that aren’t normal. Especially for someone like me. I couldn’t care less about Luke or his good looks—at least that’s what I thought. I shake those harmful thoughts away and turn back to Sam.
“I’m not interested in banging him, okay? We are classmates, Sam. I can’t stand him, and he can’t stand me,” I reiterate, and she gives me a disbelieving look.
“Bitch, please,” she scoffs. “You are so full of shit. He’s the reason you’ve been so off lately. Walking around here, daydreaming with those stupid goofy grins. I hear you on the phone with him twenty-four seven. That’s not the relationship of two people who can’t stand each other. Sooner rather than later, you have to relinquish the hold you have on your V-card. Why not hand it over to someone like him? He looks like he’d know what to do in the sack.”
I clench my jaw in irritation and pinch the bridge of my nose, inhaling deep breaths, tamping down my frustration.
“We talk for school purposes and even those brief conversations make me wish I was deaf. And I do not walk around with stupid goofy grins!” I hiss. “I am not going to lose my virginity to someone like Luke Caldwell. He’s probably a walking STD. I want my first time to be meaningful, not just a spur-of-the-moment thing.”
“Oh, I’m sure he can make it meaningful, Natalia. He’s probably hung. I can’t even imagine all the orgasms he’d give you. Now that’s memorable, babe.”
“Sam,” I sigh loudly in exasperation.
She takes a step back and makes a show of looking me up and down. Her eyes brighten, and a wide smile spreads across her face.
“Ooh, ooh,” she yells, pointing at me excitedly. “You like him,” she taunts in a singsong voice, and I narrow my eyes at her threateningly.
“I do not,” I seethe.
“You do! You dirty little slut. That’s why you didn’t tell me he was so hot. You wanted him all to yourself,” she accuses. She’s not entirely off base, but she doesn’t need to know that.
“You’re certifiably crazy,” I say dismissively, walking away from her and this stupid conversation. Aliza chooses that moment to come in from her break, and I exhale in relief since I can finally take a break.
A while later, I check on the guys at the table and choke on my laughter. Every plate I served to each of them is now licked clean, you can’t even tell it was plated with food before they got their hands on it.
“Can I get you guys anything else?” I ask, trying to keep my laughter at bay. Luke’s mouth twists into a crooked smile.
“No, we’re good,” he reassures me. His gaze flicks to something behind me. An arm is suddenly slung around my shoulders and I deflate.
“Well, aren’t you boys a sight for sore eyes,” Sam purrs from behind me, and I tamp down the urge to elbow her in the gut. “I’m Sam, Natalia’s best friend,” she introduces herself. Everyone at the table exchanges pleasantries while my gaze burns holes through the side of her head. I watch in horror as she shifts her gaze to Luke.
“And aren’t you just the cream of the crop. When Natalia told me she was working with you on a project, she didn’t mention how sexy you were.”
I gasp, swinging my gaze to hers. If I had the power to control people with my mind, you can bet your ass I’d be doing some damage to Sam right now. Luke sits back in his seat with his crooked smile, looking mildly amused by her antics.
“Why don’t we take a walk big boy? Let me show you around.” She winks at Luke, and I gape at her.
“Samantha,” I say her name in a warning. “Don’t you have to cover the bar?” I pointedly flick my eyes toward the unattended bar, knowing full well she understands to back off. But then again, it’s never stopped her before. She smiles like the Cheshire cat. “Don’t worry about it, Nat. A few minutes away won’t hurt.”
What the hell does she think she’s doing?
Luke arches a brow and looks at me pointedly, waiting for me to save him. I open my mouth to say something, but nothing comes out, so I close it. Sam shifts her gaze to mine and there’s a challenge there. She wants me to react, so she can prove her point. My lips thin into a grim line.
Like hell I’m going to let that happen.
She raises her brows at me, but I make no move to stop her little game. She smirks with a small shake of her head, and I watch in complete shock as she walks off toward the deck with Luke. My mind travels a million miles per minute as I try to guess what they could be talking about.
What is she telling him?
Are they even talking?
I force myself to sit in Luke’s empty seat, trying like hell to participate in the conversation his friends are having. My knee bounces up and down nervously, and my eyes dart around the expanse of the restaurant, searching for any glimpse of them.
Sam finally rounds the corner of the deck, and she’s wearing a victorious smile. I meet her gaze and proceed to shoot her my dirtiest glare. It must’ve not been too dirty because she chuckles with a small roll of her eyes. I shoot up from the table and stride toward her.
“What the hell was that?” I hiss angrily. Sam smiles placatingly.
“Nothing, just had a small chat with your QB. No biggie. He’s on the deck waiting for you. I told him you would meet him out there for your break.”
My lip curls in anger.
“Sam.”
Another warning.
She knows I’m close to losing it. She takes a step toward me with her shit-eating grin. “I’m onto you Natalia Baldoni. You may be able to lie to yourself, but you’re not fooling me.” With that, she strides around me, back to her perch at the bar. I blow out a frustrated breath and walk toward the deck where Luke is sitting, casually staring at the ocean.
“So, you ready to get started on this project?” I interject loudly, ruining his peaceful moment. He shifts his gaze to me and nods. I slide into the chair across from him and try to discuss the major points of our project. The only problem is, I’m not focused. There’s one thing nagging at the back of my brain, and I need an answer to quiet it before I go crazy.
“What were you guys talking about?” I ask suddenly. His eyes lift to mine, and he starts laughing. Like a real gut clenching laugh. Thick frown lines embed into my forehead.
What did I say?
He finally gets control of his laughter and smirks at me knowingly.
“She told me you’d ask that. I’ve been waiting for you to break down and do it.”
I narrow my eyes at him dangerously, silently cursing Sam for being an ass. I take back her title of best friend. She’s on my shit list now.
“Of course she did,” I grumble, and he chuckles.
“We were just talking about school and football, mostly. Your friend is brave, I’ll give her that.”
I laugh helplessly because he’s right. Under the definition of brave, I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a picture of Sam.
“Yeah, she’s definitely something,” I say on an exhale. “I’m surprised she didn’t try to hook up with you.” I say waiting for him to tell me if he’s interested in her or not. He stares at me for a beat, his face expressionless. His mouth twitches into a small smile, and he shakes his head.
“No, she didn’t. I’m a little hurt though. The crazy stories you’ve told me about her just don’t measure up,” he says with a dramatic sigh, forcing a laugh out of me.
“Believe me, most of the stories I’ve told you have been PG. You haven’t heard anything yet. And don’t you dare ask me to hook you both up. Some things are better left unthought of.” I shiver and my face sours, making him laugh. He shakes his head adamantly.
“Believe me, she’s not my type. Nor am I hers.”
I exhale in relief at his answer. I shouldn’t feel happy that he doesn’t want to hook up with my best friend. Hell, I shouldn’t feel anything, but I do. And I couldn’t be more relieved.
“What are you doing tomorrow night?” he asks suddenly, and my heart stutters. I shakily tuck a strand of hair behind my ear.
“Just work after classes. Why?”
“You can come over to my place so we can get some actual work done. Most of the guys will be gone so we won’t have any interruptions. I have an away game coming up next week, so I won’t be around much to work on it after tomorrow.”
I deflate in my seat. Oh, right, the paper.
I clear my throat, shaking off the nervousness that was consuming me whole. I force a small smile.
“That works. I can come after work?”
He stands up from the table and I follow suit. “Sounds good. I’ll send you my address. Just let me know when you’re on your way.” He starts to walk away, then stops and turns back around toward me. “By the way, Sam told me you guys are going to the club this weekend. She invited me and the guys. Sounds fun, Textbook.”
I roll my eyes at his frequent nickname for me. Before I can respond, he gives me a head nod, indicating his goodbye, then walks off. I scratch the back of my head, standing there feeling like a complete fool.
She invited him to the club? With us? Great.
I do my best to ignore Sam the rest of my shift. Inhaling deep calming breaths, I had to suppress the urge to slam my fist into my best friend’s face. I didn’t appreciate the little stunt she tried to pull on me tonight just to get me to admit I like Luke—which I don’t. It was juvenile and stupid. I told her we were just friends, classmates even.
Why isn’t that enough?
I’m even more angry that she invited him along with us to the club. Tomorrow, I’ll have to let Luke know that he’s uninvited.