Page 8 of Snowballed

No. There’s no way. All my good feelings screech to a halt, as I consider what Rocky said. My mother was in a dress, and she never said exactly where she was going. “Euw. It’s too soon.”

“It’s been two years now.” Rocky’s voice is gentle.

Has it been that long? Then why do I still believe that if I can turn my head fast enough, I’ll catch my father sitting in his favorite chair or walking in the front door? There’s a dull ache in my chest—one that keeps appearing out of nowhere—and I rub until it lessens.

When I turn, Rocky is watching me with concern.

“I’m fine,” I say to stop her from asking any questions. “Let’s eat.”

We sit down at our big kitchen table. Rocky has a bite of pizza and moans with pleasure. “Zee, this is soooo delicious.”

I flush with delight. My mother and brother have been eating my pizza and telling me it’s “not bad.” But for a gourmet like Rocky to love my pizza, that’s a real compliment.

We update each other on our summers as we clean up the kitchen, then go to the living room.

“Let’s find out more about this Noah guy. Do you think he’s real, or is Derek pranking me?” It’s exactly the kind of thing my brother would do: get my hopes up about having help on the farm and then laugh his face off when I fall for it.

Rocky shakes her head. “No offense, but I think it’s too complicated a scam for your brother. Look, the email address says it’s from NoahMGoodwin. I can’t imagine Derek going to all the trouble of creating the perfect fake email account.”She reads the email again. “Plus, he doesn’t sound completely enthusiastic about living here. More like, he’s willing to do it until something better comes along.”

I nod. I’d noticed that too.

“Let’s find out if his middle name begins with M or not.” Then she sucks in a breath. “Oh mon dieu.”

“What is it?” I ask.

Her eyes crinkle at the corners, “I regret to inform you that the guy you’re going to be living with is extremely…” She pauses dramatically. “Hot!”

Rocky turns her phone my way, and Noah Goodwin’s Instagram page is revealed. He is playing hockey of course, but also doing all the California things: surfing, skateboarding, and strolling an actual red carpet. And he is absolutely gorgeous. He has messy dark hair that flops over his forehead, brown eyes with ridiculously long lashes, and cheekbones for days. His skin is deeply tanned, and his naked torso is… perfect.

I can’t swallow. Having a younger brother who plays hockey means I’m used to guys hanging out here and taking off their shirts at every possible opportunity. But none of Derek’s friends look like this Hollywood god.

“I really feel like I’m being pranked now,” I finally manage to say. “This guy goes to premieres. His home looks like a mansion. Why would he want to live on our farm?”

“Maybe he likes animals?” Rocky suggests, but her tone is skeptical.

We scroll through more photos.

“That ass.” Rocky points to a beach photo where Noah’s board shorts are soaking wet. Hockey butts are big. We need gluteal strength to power our skating stride, so we all have big butts. It usually looks better on guys though, and Noah’s butt is a thing of sculpted beauty.

“I can’t live with him,” I say, the lump in my throat growing. “I’m not even sure if I can email him. I’ll get my mother to do it.”

“Why not?” Rocky asks. “It’s not like you have to tap that ass. Although given a chance, it’s hard to imagine a woman who would say no.”

“Really good-looking guys make me nervous. And you know how I am when I’m nervous.” I’m kind of on the hyper side to begin with, and when I’m stressed, I can’t shut up. I can hear embarrassing things coming out of my mouth, yet not stop them.

“That’s crazy,” Rocky said. “Haven’t you ever dated anyone cute?”

I shake my head. My only serious boyfriend was Bobby, the guy next door. Bobby is hardworking and nice, but not even his doting mother would say he’s handsome.

I look back down at the gorgeous Noah Goodwin on the screen. “Wow, look at the beautiful women he dates.” There’s a tiny, sparkling fairy on the red carpet with him. She is exquisitely beautiful with dark hair and a pleated red dress outlining her curvy body.

“Not that I was even interested,” I add. Realistically, I’m not dating material for a guy like Noah. I’m tall with an athletic build. In the Middle Ages, I would have been in high demand for my wide child-bearing hips. If a cute guy approaches me, it’s usually to ask if one of my cuter teammates is available.

“Well, maybe it wouldn’t be correct to sleep with your boarder anyway,” Rocky says, but I can tell that wouldn’t stop her.

It is ridiculous that I’m 21 years old and I can’t talk to cute guys. “Rocky, please. You have to help me. I’d like to have a boyfriend this year. A nice one, you know, that I’m really attracted to.”

She nods. Ever since my drunken road trip confession that I’ve never actually had an orgasm during sex, Rocky has pushed me to get out there and experiment. And what is my last year of college for if not to go crazy? A little crazy anyway.

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