Page 32 of Robbin’ the Rich

“You look suspiciously happy.”

Jordan’s eyes narrowed instantly. Oh no. “Wait,” he said slowly. “Oh my god.”

“I don’t like your tone already.”

Jordan gasped dramatically. “Did hot derby girl happen?”

I considered lying. Unfortunately, my stupid face apparently gave me away.

Jordan sat down in the chair across from me. “OH MY GOD.”

“Keep your voice down.”

“You slept with Robbin’ Banks?!”

“Technically, yes.”

The room exploded. By the time the rest of the group arrived ten minutes later, Nate had already apparently informed everyone that I was “romantically compromised.”

“You finally shot your shot?” Maya demanded while dropping into her chair.

“Against all odds,” Nate added.

Eli looked genuinely stunned. “I honestly thought she might kill you someday.”

“She still might.”

“That’s chemistry,” Maya said wisely.

I buried my face briefly in my hands while everyone laughed. The thing was... I didn’t even want to talk about Robin in the usual hookup-story way. It already felt weirdly personal. I felt important. Which was deeply alarming considering we’d known each other for a single evening, I was getting ahead of myself.

Still, my brain kept replaying things anyway. From the way she’d smiled at me this morning, to the way she’d curled against me half asleep. The fact that she’d agreed to dinner tomorrow still made me giddy… in a manly way of course.

Tomorrow. My chest tightened pleasantly just thinking about it.

“You’re doing the face again,” Nate said.

“What face?”

“The one where you look like a golden retriever that accidentally found love.”

“I do not.”

“Umm… yeah you do.”

Maya stared at me with a watchful gaze. “Okay, actual question. Is this a hookup hookup or are we entering emotional territory?”

I stared at my character sheet way too long before answering. “I don’t know yet.”

Which shut everyone up for exactly half a second. Then came the advice, the terrible, and absolutely unusable, advice.

“Bring flowers,” Maya said.

“No flowers. Derby girls hate flowers,” Nate said.

“That feels sexist somehow,” Maya said.

“Pretend to be emotionally unavailable. Women love that,” Eli offered.