Page 5 of Mac Meyers Needs Me

I let it go. Whatever his reason for making every single girl who talks to him feel like he’ll actually ask her out isn’t my problem. “What are you two up to later?” I motion between them with my fork. “I have an assignment for social psych, and Gage said he’d pop by with notes from when he took it.”

Mac’s eyebrows lift and then drop. “Why is Gage offering you his notes?”

“Because he’s a friend.”

“Right. Yeah. Of course.” His eyebrows separate for a moment before returning to their furrow. “But do you trust Gage’s notes?”

“There was a girl in his class who had a crush on him and she had nineties and always let him copy hers, otherwise I would pass,” I explain.

“Chase and I can make it,” Cammie says.

“I can also make it,” Mac adds. “I have notes from that class, too, and I finished with an eighty-six.”

“I’m more than happy to take your notes, if you’re willing to share them.” Mac’s notes might smell like him or his room. I could study and sniff him without it being weird. “Want to meet around nine at my apartment building?”

“Sounds good,” they agree.

Another girl gets sucked into Mac’s orbit, but at least he’s mostly done with his meal this time.

CHAPTER 3

MAC

“This is literally the worst place in the world to study,” I mutter.

“Seriously,” Fee agrees.

Fee suggested we go up to her apartment that she shares with Tally when we first arrived. It would be my preference because her space would smell like her and not burnt cheese, but Gage is Gage-ing hard. A girl in Fee’s apartment-style residence that he’s digging on passed us on the way in, so instead of going somewhere practical, where we can hear ourselves think, we’re sitting in the common room on Fee and Cammie’s floor, accomplishing nothing.

At least the view across from me is great, but I’ve barely made a dent in my assignment.

“I’m working up the nerve to talk to her. I need my wing-people.” Gage is doing a terrible job of being discreet with the way he keeps checking out the girl sitting two tables over with her friends.

Unfortunately, she keeps looking over here, but not at Gage.

“Just bite the bullet and ask her out so we can relocate somewhere more reasonable for studying.” Fee tugs on the end of her blond ponytail. She has bright blue paint caked under her nails, and a few dots of hot pink on the back of her hand. It’s cute.

Lately I’ve noticed that Fee tugs her ponytail often when girls interrupt our conversations, so I guess it’s tied to frustration. Which is understandable. We rarely, if ever, make it through an evening or event without several interruptions. But it’s ramped up with the impending hockey gala. There’s one person I’d like to ask, and she’s currently sitting across from me, looking slightly annoyed.

“I can’t rush this. I’m feeling the situation out,” Gage explains. “Maybe I should invite her to our game this weekend against Guelph. That could be a good litmus test.”

“But you won’t get to spend any time with her,” Fee argues.

“But she gets to show her support and watch me play,” Gage reasons.

“Right, because that’s supposed to be an honor,” Fee replies cheekily.

Fee isn’t like the other starry-eyed girls at Tilton. Her sister is the assistant coach for the Terror. She knows hockey, hell, she even knows the guys on the team. She went to Tristan Stiles’ engagement party and his wedding in Aruba. Roman Forrest-Hammer, formerly Hammerstein, the legendary goalie, is married to her sister. Fee could not be less impressed by Tilton hockey players if she tried. It’s actually refreshing. And another reason I’ve kept my crush on her a secret. I never want to be the kind of guy who uses my friends for their connections, and I’ve seen enough guys flirt with Fee for the wrong reasons. I won’t be one of them.

Gage frowns. “I don’t want to date a girl who doesn’t appreciate my future career aspirations.”

“Fair. But is it less about that, and more about her watching you dominate on the ice, swooning over you, and the opportunity for you to get naked and horizontal with her later?” Fee asks.

Gage either misses her sarcasm or is too focused on defending his position. “I mean, we might not get naked on the first date, just depends on how we’re vibing. But it’s more likely to happen if we win the game because I’ll be riding the high.”

I don’t know how Gage does it, jumping from girl to girl. It must be exhausting.

Fee seems exasperated by his explanation.