The Deal (Off Campus #1)(31)

His eyes twinkle. "You're just a social butterfly, aren't you?"

I laugh awkwardly. "Not really. I haven't seen my friends in a while. I've been too busy to go out."

"Not too busy to see Graham," he points out. There's a teasing note in  his voice, but I also hear something sharper. Jealousy? Or maybe it's  resentment. But then he smiles again and playfully takes my phone from  my hand. "I'm putting my number in here. Text me yours when you get a  chance, and we'll figure out the details for next week."

My heart speeds up, but this time it's from nervous excitement. I can't believe we're actually going on a date.

Justin finishes entering his number into my contact list just as the phone rings in his hand.

Surprise! It's Garrett again.

"Maybe you should just answer it," Justin mutters.

He might be right. Three calls in two minutes? That could definitely mean an emergency.

Or it could mean that Garrett is just trying to annoy me as usual.

"I'll see you Sunday." Justin hands the phone back, smiles again (but it looks mega awkward this time), and then walks off.





  

I move away from the counter and answer the call before it jumps over to voice mail. "Hey, what's up?" I say irritably.

"Finally!" Garrett's aggravated voice slides into my ear. "Why do you  even own a phone if you don't bother picking it up when someone calls?  You better have a good reason for ignoring me, Wellsy."

"Maybe I was in the shower," I grumble. "Or peeing. Or doing yoga. Or streaking naked through the quad."

"Were you doing any of those things?" he challenges.

"No, but I could have been. It's not like I spend my days sitting around and waiting for you to call, jackass."

He ignores the barb. "What's with all the voices? Where are you?"

"Coffee Hut. I'm catching up with some friends." I leave out the part  where Justin asked me out on a date. For some reason, I don't think  Garrett will approve, and I'm not in the mood to argue with him. "So  what's so important you had to call me five trillion times?"

"Dean's birthday is tomorrow and the team is going to Malone's. We'll  probably end up going back to our place afterward. You in?"

I laugh. "You're asking me if I want to go to a bar and watch a bunch of  hockey players get loaded? Why would you ever think that's something  I'd enjoy?"

"You have to come," he says firmly. "My midterm grade comes back  tomorrow, remember? Which means I'll either be celebrating or  commiserating. Either way, I want you there."

"I don't know … "

"Please?"

Wow. Garrett knows the word please? Shocking.

"All right," I relent, because for some stupid reason, I can't say no to this guy. "I'll come."

"Hells yeah. Pick you up at eight?"

"Sure."

I hang up, wondering how in the span of five minutes, I've made not one,  but two dates. One with the guy I like, and the other with the guy I  kissed.

I wisely keep both those details to myself as I rejoin my friends.





19

Hannah


IT'S BECOMING GLARINGLY obvious that Garrett was right. He is an image  booster. As I walk down the cobblestone path toward the Philosophy  building, at least fifteen people call out to me. Hi, how are ya,  looking good. I'm greeted by so many smiles, waves and hellos that I  feel like I've just stepped foot on a whole other planet. A planet  called Hannah, because everyone seems to know me. But I have no clue who  they are, though I must have met them at Beau's party.

Discomfort twists my stomach, along with a wave of self-consciousness  that has me picking up my pace. Unsettled by all the attention, I  practically sprint to class and slide into my seat next to Nell. Garrett  and Justin haven't arrived yet, which is a bit of a relief. I'm not  sure I feel like talking to either of them right now.

"I heard you went out with Garrett Graham this weekend," is the first thing Nell says to me.

Sweet baby Jesus. Can I not go a single second without being reminded of the guy?

"Uh, yeah," I say vaguely.

"That's it? Yeah? Come on, I want all the dirty details."

"There aren't any." I shrug. "We just hang out sometimes." Apparently, this is now my go-to response.

"What about your other crush?" Nell nods meaningfully toward the opposite aisle.

I follow her gaze and realize that Justin has just shown up. He settles  in his seat and pulls a Macbook out of its case, and as if he senses my  gaze on him, he lifts his head and smiles.

I smile back, and then Tolbert saunters in, and I break eye contact as I focus on the podium.

Garrett's late, which is unlike him. I know he was out with his  teammates last night and didn't have practice this morning, but there's  no way he would've slept in until four o'clock. I discreetly pull out my  phone to text him, but his message reaches me first.

Him: Dealing with an emergency. I'll show up for the second half. Take notes for me until I get there?



Me: Everything OK??



Him: Yeah. Cleaning up Logan's mess. Long story. Tell u later.



I take copious notes during the lecture, more for Garrett's sake than my  own, since I've already read ahead and have the latest theory  memorized. As Tolbert drones on, my mind drifts. I think about my  impending dinner date with Justin, and that uneasy sensation returns,  bringing a queasy feeling to my stomach.

Why am I so nervous about it? It's just dinner. And that's all it's  going to be. Other girls might put out on the first date, but I'm  certainly not one of them.

But Justin is a football player. The girls he dates probably get naked  before the menus even arrive. What if he expects that from me?





  

What if he …

No, I firmly tell myself. I refuse to believe he's the kind of guy who would pressure someone to sleep with him.

At the forty-five minute mark, Tolbert calls for a break, and all the  smokers in the class bolt out as if they've been trapped in a mine for  two weeks. I head outside too, not to smoke, but to look for Garrett,  who still hasn't made an appearance.

Justin trails after me into the corridor. "I'm grabbing a coffee. Want one?"

"No, thanks."

His lips curve as he meets my eyes. "Are we still on for Sunday?"

"Yep."

He gives a pleased nod. "Good."

I can't help but admire his butt as he walks off. His cargo pants aren't  super tight, but they hug his ass nicely. His body really is amazing. I  just wish I had a better sense of his personality. I still find it  difficult to read him, and that bugs me.

That's why you're having dinner with the guy-to get to know him.

Right. I force myself to remember that as I shift my attention back to  the front doors, right as Garrett strides through them. His cheeks are  flushed from the cold and his hockey jacket is zipped all the way up to  the collar.

His black Timberlands thud on the shiny floor as he heads toward me. "Hey, what'd I miss?" he asks.

"Not much. Tolbert's talking about Rousseau."

Garrett glances at the lecture hall entrance. "Is she in there?"

I nod.

"Okay, good. I'm gonna see if she can give me my midterm back now  instead of at the end of class. I'm still dealing with that emergency,  so I can't stay."

"Are you going to tell me what happened or should I start guessing?"

He grins. "Logan lost his fake ID. He needs it in case we get carded  tonight, so I'm driving him to Boston to meet this guy who does 'em on  the spot." He pauses. "You've got ID, right? The bouncer at Malone's  knows me and the guys, so we shouldn't have a problem getting in, but  you might."

"Yeah, I have ID. And by the way, why is Dean having his birthday party on a Monday? How late do you guys plan on staying out?"

"Probably not too late. I'll make sure you get home whenever you're  ready to go. And it's on a Monday because Maxwell stole Dean's thunder  by having his party on Saturday. That, and we don't have ice time on  Tuesdays. The team's in the weight room, and when you're hung over, it's  a lot easier to lift weights than skate."

I roll my eyes. "Wouldn't it be easier to just not be hung over?"

He snickers. "Tell that to the birthday boy. But don't worry, I'm the DD  tonight. I'll be stone cold sober. Oh, and I wanted to talk to you  about something, but one sec, let me just speak to Tolbert first. Be  right back."

A moment after Garrett disappears into the lecture hall, Justin  reappears holding a foam coffee cup. "Heading back in?" he asks me as he  walks to the doorway.

"I'll be there soon. I'm just waiting for someone."

Two minutes later, Garrett pops into the corridor, and I take one look  at his expression and know he's about to deliver good news.

"You passed?" I squeal.

He raises his exam booklet over his head like he's acting out a scene from the Lion King. "A-fucking-minus!"

I gasp. "Holy shit! Really?"

"Yup."

Before I can blink, Garrett tugs me into his arms and hugs the breath  out of my lungs. I throw my arms around his neck, then burst out  laughing when he lifts me right off my feet and spins me around so many  times I get dizzy.