Page 9 of Off Limits

Digging around the back of the freezer, I find a sad looking box with two frozen burritos in it, a relic of a craving I had over the summer. Cheat meals when you’re the only one around are allowed to be sad, but now that Cal’s around, no way are we going to waste precious cheat meals on months-old frozen burritos. No, we cheat in style during the season. Greasy pizza, beer, the occasional date …

Thinking of dates has me thinking of Ellie. Not that she’s been far from my mind as I’ve individually wrapped the cookies she brought me in plastic wrap. What would a date with Ellie be like? I’ve only seen her in casual clothes. What does she look like all dressed up? Does she go for sleek and sophisticated? Or does she play up her sunny personality with frilly dresses and bright colors? Between her girl-next-door ponytail last night and her sleek hair tonight, she could easily pull off both.

Banishing those thoughts—because when the fuck am I even going to find out the answer? There’s no way in hell I could take her out, even if the thought of her dressing up like that for some other asshole makes the cookies I already scarfed sit like lead in my stomach—I dump the burritos in the trash can with a thunk, then fill the box with the cookies. No way am I sharing these suckers with Cal. Ellie might’ve downplayed the way he woke her up this morning, but I know he was a dick about it. I’ve never seen him act any other way around her. He doesn’t deserve cookies.

Plus, he wouldn’t take it well if he found out she brought me thank-you cookies anyway, especially since I invited her to stay and watch TV. Sure, she left after one episode, but that won’t matter to him. And it won’t be me who has to deal with the fallout. It’ll be Ellie.

Parceling out the cookies over the next few weeks doesn’t help get Ellie off my mind, though. And it also means that, like a ridiculous nerd with no social life, I either turn down every invitation to go out, or go for a couple of drinks and duck out early. Which surprises no one, since that’s my MO. But the fact that I’m doing it so I can sneak around and eat cookies like a horny teenager sneaking around to watch his new favorite porn site is all kinds of fucked up, and even I can recognize that.

Doesn’t stop me from doing it anyway.

When I finally pull the last one out—a sugar cookie shaped like a flower covered in pink frosting that matches the one Ellie ate the night she brought them over—it’s with a pang of sadness. No more Ellie cookies after this. And no way to get more. But saving it forever won’t get me any more either, so I sit down and turn onCobra Kai, wondering if maybe, juuuust maybe, my thoughts and repetition of this routine will cause her to materialize out of the ether.

But after finishing the cookie and the series, there’s no sign of Ellie, so I take myself to bed, determined to get over this inconvenient attraction once and for all.

* * *

Cal pokes his head through my open door. “Hey.”

I set my highlighter in the gutter of my textbook and give him my attention, grateful for the break. I’ve been trying to catch up on reading for the last two hours. With three away games back to back, I’ve missed more classes than I’ve attended the last few weeks, and it’s been hard to stay on top of things. But the words are starting to blur together, and I could use some food. “What’s up?”

His jaw clenches a few times and he looks down at his phone, which has me closing my book and moving it off to the side, sitting up straighter. “My mom just told me Ellie’s got a date tonight. Wanna go with me to check him out and make sure everything’s alright?”

My eyes widen at the mention of his sister, and I rub my palms down my thighs, debating my answer. “Does Ellie know you’re going to be there?”

He shrugs and crosses his arms, which means no, but he doesn’t give a shit. “You wanna come with me or not?”

Sighing, I stand. “Yeah, sure. Where are we going?”

“The Waterway. We’ll grab seats at the bar. No need to dress up. I don’t want people thinkingwe’reon a date.”

Sniffing, I look down my nose at him. “You should be so lucky.”

That finally has him cracking a grin. “Whatever, man. We leave in ten. You’re driving.”

He turns and leaves, pulling the door closed behind him so I can change out of my joggers and into jeans and a clean T-shirt. It’s a pretty casual restaurant, not exactly a high quality date location, but hey, poor college students can’t necessarily afford a white tablecloth type place, right? Except Ellie deserves at least that. Some little asshole taking her to The Waterway isn’t going to be worthy of her.

Shaking my head at myself, I pull my T-shirt over my head and go into the bathroom to swipe on a fresh layer of deodorant. I sound like Cal. Except my feelings toward Ellie are anything but brotherly.

Which probably makes going tonight a terrible idea. With Cal there, there’s at least a fifty-fifty chance of him breaking up his sister’s date just because he’s an overprotective asshole. With me along for the ride? The odds might tip more toward sixty-forty or even seventy-thirty in favor of breaking up the date.

Cal’s waiting in the living room, and he stands without a word when I appear, tossing me the keys to my truck and heading out the front door. At the restaurant, he flirts with the hostess as I scan the restaurant looking for Ellie, but I don’t see her anywhere.

“We’re early. Didn’t want Ellie to see us walk in. That’s why you drove. She might recognize my car,” Cal mutters as we follow the hostess to the bar area, where she hands us menus at a hightop. Cal opens his mouth, and I know he’s about to protest, but if we sit at the actual bar, we won’t be able to see the entrance.

“You guys have a nice evening,” the hostess says with a smile before heading back to her stand by the door.

“I should get her number before we leave,” Cal says.

I grunt in response. I don’t care if he gets everyone’s number. Waiting for Ellie to show up with some douchebag is going to kill me.

Fortunately, we don’t have to wait long. Of course, the waiter shows up and completely blocks my view of Ellie and her date being taken to their table, so I have to lean way over to see them.

I have to admit, he doesn’t look like a total dickweasel. He’s dressed in jeans and a green button-down, so he’s clearly made an effort to look presentable. But what guy doesn’t do that on a first date? Appearances mean nothing.

Then my gaze tracks to Ellie, and my breath freezes in my chest. Apparently the answer to the question I wondered about ages ago is bright and sunshiny. I had my money on that one. She has on a flouncy pink skirt that swishes around her knees as she walks and a sleeveless top with a high collar that ties around her neck but has a cutout beneath, giving a tantalizing view of her cleavage. I want to tug gently on that bow and spread open her top, like opening a present on Christmas morning …

Cal smacks me on the arm, jolting me out of my horny fantasy. When I give him a confused look, he gestures at the waiter standing ready to take my order. “Right. Sorry.” Blinking a few times to clear my head, I open the menu and give it a quick scan before ordering the chicken, which is drenched in some kind of cream sauce. At least the trainer has me bulking right now so I’m supposed to be eating extra calories. I’m not sure Cal is, but that’s not my problem.

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