Page 27 of Hard Count
“I have to go have dinner with my dad,” I reply. I wouldn’t say I’m looking forward to it but I’m not dreading it knowing I get to drag Nash with me.
“I think someone’s trying to get your attention.” She elbows me with a big grin on her face.
In the middle of the sea of Newhouse students, Nash is waving me down to the field. I shake my head. No way am I going down there. He got us great seats on the fifty yard line but we’re a few rows back. I would have to fight everyone leaving the stadium or climb over all the seats to get down there. I’m not doing that.
He signals for me to come down again and huffs in irritation when I deny him a second time.
“I think someone has a crush on you,” Frankie says when Nash hands Eli his helmet and starts high stepping over each row of seats to get to me.
“What makes you say that?” I ask, looking for some kind of proof to her hypothesis.
“Because that's not a look you give to someone who's just a friend.”
“Hi,” I say when Nash is within earshot. “You played great,” I add, when he doesn’t respond.
Without a word he lifts me over the row of seats separating us and into his arms. I hold onto him around his neck. It’s a little awkward with his pads, but I don’t mind.
“Thanks.” His eyes flick from mine down to my mouth. I swipe at his cheek, removing some of the eye black that dripped down his face.
“Will you wait for me by the locker room?” he asks, giving the side of my thigh a squeeze. I nod. I’m not capable of forming actual words while he’s holding me in his arms wearing his uniform and covered in sweat after a hard fought game. “Frankie, you should come too. Eli will want to make sure you get home safe.”
Nash puts me down but not before taking one more look at my lips. He wraps his hands around my neck and leans forward. “I would kiss you right now but I have a feeling you would prefer the privacy of the bathroom over publicly in front of half the school,” he says, before kissing me in the middle of my forehead. My skin tingles and flushes from his touch.
With his hand in mine, he leads us down the stairs and back toward the stadium locker rooms. We can only walk a few steps at a time without someone stopping us to congratulatehim. He squeezes my hand as we weave through the crowd. Occasionally he looks over at me to make sure I’m okay.
He handles the attention like a seasoned pro. It makes me wonder why he’s picked me and if I’m even good enough to be the one that walks by his side.
10
NASH
Professor Castillo clicks on the remote in his hand, producing another slide of questions for us to copy for an upcoming quiz. I glance at the clock. Only five more minutes left. His sport marketing class is one of my favorites this semester.
As interesting as this class is, I’d prefer to be spending time with Drew. Other than practice with the guys, I haven’t seen much of her the past week. She’s been busy with classes and she started working part-time at The Round Table. Even when she’s not working, I can sometimes catch her there studying.
I pack up my things before class gets dismissed. I’ve started to sit in the front row by the door of all my classes so I can be the first one to leave. My dad told me years ago when I was starting to get serious about sports that I had to make opportunities for myself. They wouldn’t be given to me.
He would roll his eyes and laugh if he knew I was applying his logic to getting a girl to date me but it still applies. Drew’s confident but she’s also hesitant and unsure when it comes to letting me in. I sense it every time we’re together.She might let me get close but she’s still standing on the other side of a glass wall.
Professor Castillo dismisses us with a reminder on our reading assignment and a paper due at the end of next week. I should probably not wait to start that until the last minute like I usually do. I bolt out the door and speed walk across campus, keeping an eye out for Drew just in case my instincts are wrong about her.
Entering The Round Table, I’m immediately hit with the sweet aroma of freshly baked pastries and bread. A few students are sprinkled around the small cafe but there’s only one I’m interested in finding. I scan the room looking for a ponytail of blonde hair.
I spot her reading a textbook and typing notes on her laptop. I step in line and order myself a croissant sandwich and a cinnamon roll for my girl. That was the first and only thing she ate off the plate of food I made her last week.
“Is this seat taken?” I ask, standing by the empty side of the booth she’s sitting in. It’s a small two seater in the back away from the kitchen and the chattier customers who tend to sit by the front windows looking out on campus.
“Now it is.” She smiles as she closes her book and laptop and stacks them on the far side of the table against the wall. “What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to see you.” I slide the cinnamon roll in front of her.
“Thanks but you should have let me get this with my employee discount.” She swipes her finger in the cream cheeseicing that’s dripping off the side of the plate and brings it to her mouth, sucking it clean. My eyes linger on her lips until they curl into a smirk.
Moving my gaze to her eyes, I say, “I got the popular athlete discount.”
Her head tilts. “We have one of those?”
“I don't think they tell everyone. Only a select few get it.” I wink.
