Page 10 of Player
"You're not leaving until you apologize," I growl. Nobody treats me like that, and she's going to understand that quickly. Her eyebrows fly up on her forehead, she blinks several times before biting her lower lip. Am I dreaming or is she mocking me right now?
"I'll apologize the day you do," she finally responds. Now it's my turn to be surprised. Dixie stares at me, and adds, "You don't even know what I'm talking about? Seriously?"
I remain impassive, but my silence is as telling as the most sincere confession I could have made to her.
"You literally knocked me down on the first day, and you didn't care if I was hurt."
"That again. You know you're on a loop?"
Without even realizing it, my arm has dropped. Dixie is free to leave, but she seems to have another idea in mind now. She lifts her chin in a small proud motion before stating, "You think everything is owed to you, Player, but before demanding anything from others, you have to be willing to give."
"Do you have a lot of two-bit bullshit like that?"
Her eyes widen in surprise, but she keeps her cool. It's barely been two days since she arrived on campus and startedsharing the same dorm , but as far as I'm concerned, it feels like it's been an eternity. I've spent most of my time on the field with my team, which has allowed me to avoid crossing paths with Dixie and the other people on the floor for more than a day. Obviously, our truce has just ended.
"If you don't want to hear what I have to say," Dixie continues, pulling me from my thoughts, "then don't corner me."
She's right. I followed her without even thinking about what I was doing...
The realization hits me as violently as if I'd just been slammed by a blitzing backside linebacker who went unblocked on third and long .
Dixie walks around me and I hear her footsteps fading behind me. "You'll apologize, Dixie," I call out.
She gives a little wave of her hand that could mean anything, but I interpret it as ‘ keep talking, I don't care.’
I clench my fists, resisting the urge to follow her and continue this exchange. I pull myself together. This girl can think and say whatever she wants, I couldn't care less.
The moment my neighbors's silhouette disappears from my field of vision, my phone vibrates in my jeans pocket. I quickly read the message on the screen, it's from Yana, a woman I've known for two years.
YANA
I'm in town, want to have lunch together?
I look around. Here there are only students who are happy to attend sleep-inducing classes, and frankly, I have no desire to sit through another presentation from an apathetic professor, so I accept Yana's proposal.
An hour later, I'm downtown, arriving at the address she sent me right on time. It's a small seafood restaurant. In reality, I don't care where we go, all I'm interested in is the end result.And I already know how this date will end, me pounding Yana just the way she likes it.
"Hello, Player."
The familiar voice makes me turn my head. Yana's clear gaze meets mine. There are several years between us, but I've never felt this difference, at least not when we were fucking. Which we've done very often in the past.
"Hey," I finally say. A small smile stretches across her lips as she observes me for a moment. I refrain from asking if we're going to stand here much longer; Yana doesn't like me being disrespectful.
"I reserved a table," she finally announces.
We enter the small establishment where we're quickly seated. My attention remains focused on my companion. She's wearing a dress that accentuates her cleavage without being over the tip . I don't have to make any effort to imagine her naked.
"How are things going on campus?" she asks after we've ordered.
"What do you want to hear?" She frowns at my rather harsh remark, so I add, "I'm not cut out for that kind of bullshit, Yana, you know that. It's not my thing. "
A little spark flashes in her clear eyes, and I sense the lecture coming. I know Yana well enough to know when I've said something wrong, and apparently that's the case.
"When are you going to stop behaving like a spoiled child?" she retorts.
I lean back in my seat and coldly reply, "You're lecturing me?You?" I flash a disdainful smirk. "Coming from you, that's really funny."
She knows I'm referring to her three marriages. Yana is intelligent and has always known how to leverage her knockout physique for financial advantage. Yana's face loses all itscolor, but she keeps her composure. She mechanically rearranges the utensils around her plate. "You don't have to be..."
