Yup, I’m gonna work Nick over tonight. I’ll hit on him a little, see what he does, and then go from there. The worst thing he could do is say no, and I won’t push, but thebestthing he could do is come back here. Again, I don’t want to get ahead of myself, although I have a good feeling about our prospects given how cute he got during his tutoring session.
While waiting for Claire to show up, I nurse a hard seltzer, and after she barrels into my apartment with a case of beer in tow, I down one of those while she borrows my hair dryer—I got a fancy one back home a few years ago, and she’s asked to steal it countless times.
And then we’re off to meet Nick and his friends in front of the Kappa house. Claire says some of the softball team is apparently going as well, but she wanted to head in early with me to witness what may or may not go down between me and Nick.
Not that I need anymorepressure.
I spot Nick waiting on the sidewalk with Jeremy. Nick’s changed into a polo and a light pair of jeans, and I don’t notice what Jeremy’s wearing because Nick’s turned away from me, making his rear extremely visible.
What can I say? I like what I like.
“It’s just us tonight,” Jeremy says, dapping me and Claire up as we approach. “Our buddy Ian and his boyfriend Callum have ‘conflicting commitments,’ apparently.”
“Ian’s dad is in town,” Nick retorts, giving me a fist bump. “Give the mansomecredit.”
The speed with which he defended his friend makes my stomach flip likeheck. Jesus. He’s hotandloyal? Sign me the hell up.
“Anyway, let’s head in. Come on.” Nick slings an aggressive arm around my shoulder and pulls me forward, a move I know is friendly but sends a spark down my spine, nonetheless. He’salready a little buzzed, and through the fresh, nautical smell of what I assume is his shower gel, there’s a tiny hint of scotch. As much as I’d love to taste that on his lips later, we hopefully won’t drink too much tonight—I want us to both be present for whatever happens.
Ifanything happens.
“Should we line up?” I ask, and Nick huffs in amusement.
“Nah, I have an in.” At that, he cocks his head over to the side of the house, and we follow him the rest of the way.
“Sup, Russell.” The guy standing at the side door sends an upward nod in our direction, which makes his fluffy, sand-brown hair shake. “How many are you bringing tonight?”
Nick gives the guy a fist bump. “Four, including me.”
“Nice, nice. Head on in.”
Sheesh. He’s got so much vocal fry. Fraccents are definitely real, and despite what Nick thinks, I donotsound like that. Not even close.
Okay, maybe a little if I’m tired or drunk off my ass, but not all the time.
“Thanks, Cam.” Nick turns to me. “We went to high school together. Cam’s a sophomore on the hockey team.”
“You're friends?” I ask.
“Kind of.”
“I figured. Jeremy’s theory about you and your friends is proving to be true.”
Nick chokes on a breath and slaps my back. “Nahhhhh. Bro, come on. Cam'sstraight.”
“Hey, hot guys are hot.” I stop short of winking at Nick, opting for subtlety instead and bumping his shoulder with mine. “He’s a sophomore, anyway. I don’t like them young.”
“Whatever. My friends are all off-limits anyway?—”
Because you’ve called dibs on me?
“—let’s grab drinks.”
I nod, forming a plan when Claire splits off to join some of her teammates. Getting under a guy’s skin and his clothes is a well-practiced art for me. A little smirk and a pointed look, coupled with a flirty one-liner is all it takes, but with Nick, I hesitate. That just seems scummy and impersonal.
My compromise is offering to brave the crowd around the keg to grab him a beer, and after the ordeal is over, he takes the wet, overflowing cup of mostly foam and gives me another one of his sexy little smiles, making my stomach heat up.
Holy fuck, I’ve got it bad, and I don’t mind at all.
