The Deal (Off Campus #1)(23)

Tuck pulls a tray of chicken drumsticks from the freezer. "Bullshit."

"I'm not saying I agree with that line of thinking, but I'm supposed to  argue this guy's point of view." I drag a frustrated hand over my scalp.  "I fucking hate this class, man."

Tuck unwraps the meat tray and places it in the microwave. "The redo is on Friday, huh?"

"Yup," I say glumly.

He hesitates. "Are you going to play in the Eastwood game?"

I brighten up, because this morning I received official word from Coach  that I'll definitely be on the ice on Friday. Apparently the midterm  grades aren't entered into the system until the following Monday, so at  the moment, my average is still what it needs to be.

Come Monday, if my Ethics grade is a D or lower, I'll be benched until I turn things around.

Benched. Jesus. Just thinking about it makes me queasy. All I want to do  is lead my team to another Frozen Four victory and make it to the pros.  No, I want to excel in the pros. I want to prove to everyone that I got  there on my own merit and not because I happen to be a famous hockey  player's son. It's all I've ever wanted, and I feel sick knowing that my  goals, that everything I've worked so hard for, is in jeopardy because  of one stupid class.

"Coach said I'm playing," I tell Tuck, who high fives me so hard my palm stings.

"Hell yeah," he exclaims.

Logan enters the kitchen, an unlit cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth.

"You better not smoke that in here," Tucker warns. "Linda will ream your ass."

"I'm going out back," Logan promises, because he knows better than to  piss off our landlady. "Just wanted to let you guys know that Birdie and  the guys are coming over tonight to watch the Bruins game."

I narrow my eyes. "What guys?"

Logan blinks innocently. "You know, Birdie, Pierre, Hollis, Niko-if he  can stop being pussy whipped for long enough to leave his dorm-um,  Rogers and Danny. Connor. Oh, Kenny, too, and-"

I stop him before he can name every guy on our roster. "So the whole team, you mean," I say dryly.





  

"And their girlfriends, those who have 'em." He glances at Tuck and me. "It's cool, right? Won't be an all-nighter or anything."

"As long as it's BYOB, I'm cool," Tuck answers. "And if Danny is coming then you better lock up the liquor cabinet."

"We can move the hooch to G's room," Logan says with a snort. "God knows he won't drink a drop of it."

Tuck glances over at me with a grin. "Poor baby. When are you gonna learn to handle your liquor like a man?"

"Hey, I handle the drinking part just fine. It's the morning after that  does me in." I smirk at my teammates. "Besides, I'm your captain.  Somebody has to stay sober to keep your crazy asses in line."

"Thanks, Mom." Logan pauses, then shakes his head. "Actually, no, you're  the mom," he tells Tucker, grinning at Tuck's apron before turning back  at me. "Guess that makes you the dad. You two are positively domestic."

We both flip him the finger.

"Aw, are Mommy and Daddy mad at me?" He gives a mock gasp. "Are you guys gonna get a divorce?"

"Fuck off," Tuck says, but he's laughing.

The microwave beeps, and Tucker pulls out the defrosted chicken, then  proceeds to cook our dinner while I do my homework at the counter. And  damned if the whole thing isn't domestic as hell.





14

Hannah


"HEY, HAN-HAN." ALLIE surprises me at work tonight, sliding into my  booth with a beaming smile. When Sean slides in next to her, I have a  tough time fighting a grin. They're sitting on the same side of the  booth? Whoa, they must be getting serious again, because only couples  who are madly in love do that.

"'Sup, Hannah," Sean says as he slings his arm around Allie's slender shoulders.

"Hey." I've been dealing with pain-in-the-ass customers all evening, so  I'm genuinely happy to see some friendly faces. "You guys want something  to drink while you look at the menu?"

"Chocolate milkshake, please," Allie announces.

Sean holds up his index and middle fingers. "Two straws," he adds with a wink.

I laugh. "God, you two are so sweet you're giving me a toothache."

But I'm happy to see them happy. For a frat boy, Sean is actually pretty  decent, and he's never fucked around on Allie, as far as I know. Their  past breakups were always her decision-she'd thought they were too young  to be so serious-and Sean had been infinitely patient with her every  time.

I prepare their lovers milkshake, then deliver it to the booth with an extravagant bow. "Madam, monsieur."

"Thanks, babe. Hey, so listen," Allie says as Sean studies the menu.  "Some of the girls on our floor are having a Ryan Gosling movie marathon  tomorrow night."

Sean groans. "Another Gosling fest? I don't know what chicks see in that guy. He's scrawny as shit."

"He's beautiful," Allie corrects before glancing at me again. "You in?"

"Depends what time."

"Tracy's got a late class, but she'll be back by nine. So around then?"

"Shit. I'm tutoring at nine."

Allie's face clouds with disappointment. "Can't you try to tutor  earlier?" She wiggles her eyebrows as if trying to entice me. "Val's  making sangrias … "

I have to admit, I am enticed. It's been a while since I've hung out  with the girls or consumed anything alcoholic. I might not drink at  parties (and for a damn good reason) but I don't mind getting my buzz on  every now and then.

"Let me call Garrett on my break. I'll see if he's free earlier."

Sean looks up from the menu, interested in the conversation again. "So you and Graham are best buds now?"

"Naah. It's just a tutor/tutoree relationship."

"Nuh-uh," Allie teases. She turns to her boyfriend. "They're totally friends. They text and everything."

"Fine. We're friends," I say grudgingly. When Sean gives me a knowing  grin, I promptly scowl at him. "Just friends. So banish all those dirty  thoughts from your mind."

"Oh come on, can you really blame me? He's the captain of the hockey  team and he goes through girls faster than he goes through a roll of  toilet paper. You know everyone's gonna think you're his next conquest."

"They can think whatever they want." I offer a little shrug. "But it's not like that with us."

Sean seems unconvinced, which I chalk up to being a guy thing. I doubt  there's a guy out there who believes that men and women are capable of  being purely platonic.





  

I leave Allie and Sean and tend to my other customers. When my break  rolls around, I pop into the staff room in the back to call Garrett. The  dial tone goes on forever before he finally answers, his gruff "hello"  overpowered by the loud music in the background.

"Hey, it's Hannah," I tell him.

"I know. I have Caller ID, dumbass."

"I was calling to see if we can change our tutoring time for tomorrow."

A swell of hip-hop blasts into my ear. "Sorry, what?"

I raise my voice so he can hear me better. "Can we meet up earlier  tomorrow? I've got plans at nine, so I was hoping I could come by around  seven. Is that cool?"

His response is drowned out by the deafening pounding of Jay-Z.

"Where are you?" I'm practically shouting now.

"Home," comes his muffled response. "We invited a few people over to watch the game."

A few people? It sounds like he's in the middle of Times Square.

"So you're coming at nine?"

I swallow my aggravation. "No, at seven. Is that okay?"

"Garrett, beer me!" a voice ripples over the line. Judging by the faint Texas drawl, it must be Tucker.

"Hold on, Wellsy. One sec." A rustling meets my ear, followed by a howl  of laughter, and then Garrett comes back. "Okay, tomorrow at nine then."

"Seven!"

"Right, seven. Sorry, I can't hear you at all. I'll see you tomorrow."

He hangs up on me, but I don't care. I've discovered this past week that  Garrett never takes the time to say goodbye on the phone. It annoyed me  at first, but now I sort of appreciate his time-saving approach.

I shove my phone in my apron and reenter the main room to tell Allie I'm  good to go for tomorrow night, and she squeals in response. "Yay! I  can't wait to get my Gosling on. Hottest. Guy. Ever."

"I'm sitting right here, you know," Sean grumbles.

"Babe, have you seen that man's abs?" she demands.

He sighs.


THE FOLLOWING NIGHT, I show up at Garrett's house at seven o'clock sharp  and let myself in as usual. Before I head upstairs, I poke my head into  the living room to say hi to Logan and the guys. Logan's not there, but  Tuck and Dean are, and they glance up in confusion when they spot me.

"Hey, Wellsy." Tucker wrinkles his forehead. "Whatcha doing here?"

"Tutoring your captain, what else?" Rolling my eyes, I start to edge away from the doorway.

"You don't want to go up there, baby doll," Dean calls out.

I stop in my tracks. "Why not?"