“As in lunch with a friend or something heavier than that?” Mary asked her as she chopped vegetables for a fresh salad on the plastic tray carefully.
“I’m not sure.” Mallory replied slowly as she looked at the happy woman with envy. Mary had met Adam just after she entered college and it had been love at first sight. “It might become a thing. I just don’t know yet.”
Mary looked up at her before tucking a curl behind her ear. “I have seen you date a few guys here and I have never seen you so…unsure. I also haven’t seen you ecstatic but there’s something here. Isn’t there?”
“I kind of want to jump him immediately.” Mallory confessed as her insecurity set in for a moment. “He’s gorgeous. He’s a rugby player and he’s English. I couldn’t keep him if I wanted to.”
“Couldn’t hurt to have a little fun with this mystery man.” Mary teased her as they heard footsteps.
“What mystery man?” Rayna asked curiously as she walked into the kitchen brushing her straight hair that was the same pale color as her mother’s. They even had the same hazel eyes and were both beautiful to Mallory.
“I met a guy at school today. Rugby player.” Mallory told her as she watched her best friend’s face for a reaction.
“Which one?” Rayna pressed, her eyes intent on Mallory’s face.
“Declan Meadows.” Rayna let her mouth drop open as Mallory raised her eyebrows at her.
“What?” Mary jumped in with something about him taking her out to eat and Rayna looked between them in disbelief.
“You had lunch with him? Did you end up at his house?” Rayna asked her as Mallory flushed a deep pink.
“No, I didn’t. We just ate and talked. Is that unheard of or something?” Mallory asked her and Rayna seemed to consider the question.
“Practically. He’s more of a love them and leave them kind of guy. I’ve never heard of meals being included in the deal.” Rayna speculated as her mother shook her head.
“Just you hush. Mal is a great girl and he’d do good to take her out. She’s a catch.” Mary reprimanded Rayna as the girls looked at each other.
“Of course she is. Mal’s beautiful but I don’t want to see her get hurt.” Rayna defended herself as a chime filled the air. Mallory reached into her bag for her phone to read the screen as Rayna moved beside her to read over her shoulder. “Holy hell. It’s Deck.”
“How well do you know him, Ray?” Mallory asked as she gave her friend a sharp look.
“I am not into the sports guys. You know this. While I’ll give you that he’s easy on the eyes and that voice is utterly divine, he’s not my type.” Rayna shot back quickly as Mallory sighed and opened the message.
I meant what I told you earlier, Mallory. I’d like to have dinner with you, the kind where I pick you up and we dress up and have a date. Will you?
“How did you meet him? This is amazing.” Rayna sputtered as Mallory looked at her again.
“Yes, it is and it’s also between us.” Mallory warned her before she told him she’d love to go out with him, to which he asked for a date the following night. “It’s stupid really. I was leaving edit and the wind was crazy and I guess I lost my footing. I’m waiting to hit the ground at the very least when I realized that someone was holding onto me. I moved since I’m not exactly light and we started talking. Well, make that I started stammering and he responded with enough to get me to eat with him. Then he was all sweet and intense at the end and said he wanted to go out.” She gave both women a curious look. “That’s good, right?”
“Of course it is. Maybe he’s just settling down some is all. Isn’t she perfect for that?” Mary interjected as Rayna rolled her eyes playfully. “Your father had his crazy times before we got serious, you know. He’s the best right?”
“He really is.” Rayna was very close to her father and her mother and she adored them together. “Give it a shot, Mal. Just be careful and don’t let him rip your heart out. I won’t allow that.” Mallory had been through enough in Rayna’s opinion.
“And I would?” Mallory had ended her last relationship pretty bluntly when she heard some gossip and clarified it with the guy. She was done from the moment that he began to stumble all over his explanation.
“True.” Rayna admitted with a smile as she shoved her brush into the pocket of her thick robe. “I cannot wait to see the looks on the faces of those empty girls that always drool at the players when they see him with you. It’s going to be epic.”
“I think we have to have a date first for things to go there.” Mallory said wearily as she slipped her hat off and yawned. “I am going to study for my test tomorrow and get some work done. Then it’s crash time.” She made a pot of green tea and added generous amounts of honey and lemon to the big cup before she went up to her room and dropped her messenger bag on her king sized bed.
It was already difficult enough to focus on her stuff without his texts but they came through anyway. They were fun and flirty and made her feel fantastic. She ended up dropping everything just to start a conversation about school, basic life and where they were going the following night. Mallory ended up getting ready for bed later than planned and ended up nearly sleeping in.
She pulled on some thick black tights and wore her favorite pencil skirt over that, covered with roses in a black and purple tone. Along with that, she added a thick black fitted sweater and long boots to keep her feet dry in case it rained later along with a heavier coat. She threw on some make up quickly as she hoped she’d have time to get ready later for their real date. Mallory hopped into her car and headed to the campus to get her four classes out of the way, unable to not look for him as she made her way around between classes. Sadly, she didn’t see him until she was done for the day as he ran across campus calling her name when she walked out to her car. “Mallory…hold up!”
She was smiling when she turned to look at him, dressed for rugby with his hair flying behind him as he scurried among the students on the grass. “You’re very subtle, you know.” She told him softly when he reached her and grinned as he rocked back and forth on his feet.
“I just had to tell you how gorgeous you look in that skirt today and that I was hoping you were wearing it for me later.” His words were soft enough for only Mallory to hear as she felt her skin heat up rapidly.
“I was planning to.” She admitted as he leaned closer to her and locked gazes with her. “I’m glad that you approve.” She felt something shift in the air and suddenly he was moving closer to kiss her softly as she gasped. When he pulled away slowly, her eyes shot around to see that they were being stared at by nearly everyone as she pressed her lips together. “Wow. They’re all looking at us.”
“So what? Let them.” De clan told her as she raised her gaze to meet his hooded eyes. “I don’t care.”
“I just thought that since we hadn’t even really been on a date that I wouldn’t have to worry about that yet.” Her voice was awkward and stilted as she spoke, her eyes watching as his face fell.
“What was yesterday then?”
“That was me going to have drinks with you which turned into food that I was supposed to pay for in return for your kindness. Though you didn’t let me do that,” Mallory reminded him as she worked hard not to drool at him standing taller and looking at her like he owned her. “I didn’t think it was a date.”
“It was but it’s not like the one we’re going on tonight. Last night was just practice and me wooing you.” He teased her as she laughed out loud. “Did that work, Mallory?”
“Irrevocably. I mean…I said yes to dinner, right?” She stammered as he chuckled softly. She texted him her address before they both left the campus for the day and went home to get ready further. Mallory only had a couple of hours and she knew that Rayna would want in on the preparation.
CHAPTER FOUR
Rayna got home about half an hour after Mallory and ran right up to her room to throw the door open. “Holy shit. He. Kissed. You. At. School.”
Mallory was holding up a shirt that she promptly dropped with a gasp. “You scared the…out of me. Yes. He did. How did you know?”
“I think everyone knew but I heard it from Amber. She’s devastated because he was going to choose her when he was ready to date.” Rayna told her with a smirk. “I can’t believe it! Did you pee yourself?”
“Almost. It came out of nowhere and they were all looking at us. I don’t like that. You know I like to fade in the background.” Mallory groaned as Rayna shook her head slowly.
“That’s simply not going to happen with you being with him. I think I saw broken hearts all over the place today.” Rayna looked her over. “I love that skirt on you. It’s all clingy and it makes you look like a pin up girl. Aha wait a minute…that explains the kiss. He saw you and lost his mind. Makes sense.” Rayna smiled as Mallory laughed and leaned over to pick up her shirt to hold it up to herself. “I think that purple shirt that we got a couple weeks ago would look great. Just enough cleavage and it’s kind of tight. That with some heels and he’ll be on his knees for you.”