Denying the Bad Boy:Tattooed and Pierced, 2(5)

"I need you at Mom's no later than nine in the morning on the sixteenth, all right?"

"Yeah." Margo rattled off a few more things, but by then Mary wasn't  paying attention. "I'm at work, so I got to go." She hung up before  Margo could add another ten things she wanted Mary to do before the  wedding and picked up her pace. With her house just a few blocks from  the coffee shop she worked at, Mary usually opted to just walk, but only  if the weather permitted. As soon as she walked into Just One More Cup,  the trendy yet retro styled coffee shop, the scent of coffee beans and  freshly baked goods filled her nose. It was going on eight in the  morning, and already the interior was packed with college students. The  few tables that they had were already filled with people, their books  splayed out in front of them, and what was most likely already their  second cup of coffee in front of them.

Polly, a newer barista who had only started about two weeks ago, looked  frazzled as she wrote down every customer's order. Mary smiled and  headed toward the counter. Polly let out a relieved sigh and stepped  aside so Mary could take her place.

"Thank God you're here. I am about to rip out my hair." Mary grabbed an  apron and tied it around her waist. "Kristen called off sick, and I have  been here for only half an hour and am already about to walk out."

"You should have called me. I would have come in sooner."

Polly twisted her apron in her hands.

"Anyway, I'm here now, so don't sweat it. Mark comes in at noon, and he  is the fastest barista here." She gave Polly a reassuring smile and  turned toward the girl waiting impatiently on the other side of the  counter. "Sorry about that. What can I get you?"

"Caramel latte, extra foam, and I'd like cinnamon on the top." The girl  rattled off her order, slapped a five dollar bill on the counter, and  immediately went back to texting on her phone.

Polly wasn't very good at taking the orders, but she was pretty  efficient at making the drinks. They did that for the next few hours,  and when the morning rush died down a bit Mary was able to slip in the  back for a short break. She sat her ass down on a box and breathed out.  She was tired, her feet hurt already, and all she wanted to do was go  home and sleep the rest of the day away. Of course that wouldn't be  happening. She had to help a freshman understand calculus, and God did  she hate math. It was a curse and a blessing that she excelled in  subjects, though, because at least she could use it to support herself.  Mary didn't even drink coffee, and in fact she loathed even the smell of  it, but the tips were decent, and the extra money went a long way in  helping her.

She finished off the rest of her shift, and headed to the backroom again  to change into something that was not stained in cappuccinos and  lattes. Lifting her hand in a wave to Mark and Polly, she headed back  down High Street and to her house. She'd only have an hour to relax  before she had to head out again, but it was an hour she was looking  forward to. The only problem was the entire morning she had one image  ingrained in her head, and that image was of a bad boy named Alex  Sheppard. It was like running into him had made everything so much  worse, and even if it had only been last night she was already getting  sick of wanting him. She had to keep reminding herself that anything  that had to do with him was only going to end up costing her a whole lot  of grief in the long run, which when it all came down to it was a  ludicrous thought since there wasn't even anything going on between  them. Ugh, she should just check herself into an insane asylum, or maybe  join the Alex Sheppard fan club, because this shit was getting  ridiculous.                       
       
           



       





Chapter Three



"Damn, that fucking sucks, man." Alex sat across from Racer at their  kitchen table. He glared at his roommate, but kept his mouth shut. Yeah,  it did fucking suck, and he didn't need or want someone else pointing  it out. "What are you going to do? You kick ass on the field, and  putting you on probation is really going to put a hurt on the team."

Alex ran a hand over his hair and breathed out. "I don't know what the  fuck to do. Coach said I have to get my average up if I want to play  again, and when I talked to the academic advisor she said the same damn  thing. I am royally fucking screwed, but it's my own doing."

Jordyn came into the kitchen and headed toward the fridge.

Without looking at them Jordyn said, "What the fuck are you pussies doing?"

"Alex has his panties in a twist because he's flunking a class, and it brought his GPA down." Jordyn looked over his shoulder.

"Yeah, and? Why in the hell do you care about that? I know for a fact you have enough credits to graduate."

"I'm on probation from the team." Alex leaned back in his seat and  folded his hands behind his head. At Jordyn's blank face he said, "I  know you could give two shits about football or anything sports related,  but I actually enjoy it, and being put on probation sucks balls."

Jordyn closed the fridge and went to the cupboard to get a bag of chips. "So what class are you failing? Maybe I can help?"

Alex chuckled humorlessly, and Racer and Jordyn looked at him curiously.  "Human Sexuality." For a moment neither of them said anything, but then  they both busted out laughing.

"No shit?" Racer took a swig of his pop and grinned over at Alex. "You  should be getting an A in that class. I mean, that's all about sex and  shit, right?"

Alex ran a hand through his hair and knew the strands were all sorts of  fucked up. "Okay, so yeah, I thought it was easy credits. I thought we  would just talk about sex and all that, but clearly that was not what  the class was about."

"Dude, you really thought Human Sexuality was about people actually  having sex, like you'd get visual aids and shit? What in the hell have  you been doing while sitting in class?" Jordyn asked almost  incredulously, but there was a hint of humor in his voice. "I mean,  yeah, it has to do with sex, but shit, dude, I wouldn't even take that  class. Who in the hell wants to learn about sex in society and all that  shit?"

He should have known he was going get reamed for this, but he had walked into it.

"So I take it you guys can't help me out?"

Racer snorted, and Jordyn made some kind of grunting noise.

"Sorry, I can't help you out." They sat there for several more minutes before Racer spoke.

"What about Mary?" At just the mention of the little brunette's name Alex's pulse raced.

"What about her?"

"Yeah, man, she would totally be able to help you out. She's a tutor and  all, and smart as hell." Well, things were looking up if he could  convince her to help him out. "But I don't know if she has any free  time. She's been pretty busy, and I would know since I try and get her  to help my dumb ass all the time."

Alex knew Racer wasn't dumb, but he wasn't very smooth when he wanted to get with a girl. "Let me get you her number."

"You're just giving the chick's number out without even asking her?" Jordyn might sleep around a lot, but he was a decent guy.

Racer gave him a "duh" look. "She posted her number in the student  lounge. I mean how the hell do you think I got it?" Racer rattled off  the digits, and Alex programmed them in his phone. He would definitely  be calling her later. Not only would he get help to pass his class, he  would also get a little eye-candy while doing it.

****

Mary counted the last bill and smiled. She had made a hundred bucks in  just the past two days, and her little stockpile of "just in case money"  was filling out nicely. She shoved the money in her purse and made a  mental note to go to the bank after classes tomorrow. It was already  after five, and with tomorrow being Monday and her first class being at  eight in the morning, she planned on going to bed before the sun even  set. She stood and walked over to her bed. It wasn't even made, and the  sheets and comforter were in a tight ball in the center of the mattress.  Not caring because she was just too damn exhausted, she did a belly  flop right in her bed.

A contented sigh left her, and she closed her eyes. Maybe she should  just take a little nap? That sounded like a plan to her, but of course  her phone chose that moment to ring. She blindly reached over to her  bedside table and felt the edge of her phone graze her fingertips.  Cracking an eye open and staring at the screen, she saw the wide,  smiling face of her mother.                       
       
           



       

"Hello?" Mary rolled onto her back and grimaced as the ball of material bunched right under her spine.