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“It helps quite a bit.” Mackenzie gives a grim smile. “This was never my scene either. I tolerate it for Waylon’s sake.”
“Is the NFL better or worse?” Joss’s curiosity gets the better of her.
“Both? Like, it’s a bit classier than college football. But in the way that the cost of the drugs, booze and women goes up and doesn’t necessarily become less toxic?”
Joss and I both grit our teeth and raise our brows.
“I don’t mean Waylon. He’s as loyal as they come but it’s a hard transition for a lot of the guys. The money and the fame on top of everything, you know?”
We both nod, like we know when we absolutely do not know. Ben is as close as I’ve come to any athlete, and the jobs Joss and I look forward to in the nonprofit world pay pittance salaries that will have us struggling to make ends meet. We might be roomies forever.
“Did I just see you walk in with the football team?” A voice comes from behind me, and we turn around to see two of the guys from our grad program.
Joss turns around and hugs Milo, giving a little squeal of glee at his presence and his eyes widen at the sudden contact before he embraces her and gives me a mouthed ”Hello” over her shoulder. Topher gives me a nod and then one to Joss.
“You did. A couple of them anyway.” I answer him at last.
“They had a phenomenal game,” Topher comments, looking me over with a questioning look on his face.
“Some guys from our art program,” I explain quickly to Mackenzie, not bothering to introduce them as I assume they’ll be gone shortly.
“Gotcha. I’ll let you all chat. I’m gonna say hi to a couple of the guys really quick anyway.” She jerks her head toward the football players, and I give her a smile and a nod.
Topher comes around and settles into the spot where Mac had been, ordering a drink while I listen to Milo and Joss chat about our photography professor.
“I didn’t know you were into football.”
“I like to watch on occasion, but mostly Ben is on the team, and I was there to support him.”
“You know Ben Lawton?” Topher’s eyebrow’s raise.
“Uh, yeah. I know him.” I give a small smile.
“Well fuck. Could you introduce me? My whole family are big fans of Highland football, and he’s one of the best players we’ve had lately. I mean Montgomery and Westfield were fucking aces, but with Colton, they’re just all out ballers. And Ben is phenomenal. Hope the Rampage takes him in the draft.” Topher leans toward me as he fawns over Ben, a half drunken smile on his lips.
“Sure, I can introduce you to Ben.” I shrug, feeling awkward about Ben’s fame.
“Are you talking about Ben?” Joss whips around at his name
“Yeah, she was just finally letting us in on the secret that she knows our future hall of famer.”
“Oh, yes. Secrets. She definitely knows Ben Lawton.” Joss gives a little knowing smile that widens as I stare at her, and I’m starting to think everyone else had twice as much champagne as I did at dinner.
I shoot her a cutting glance before I cover for her comment, and I can feel myself blushing as I try to explain. “Yes. He’s living with us actually. Just for the semester. He’s an old family friend, my best friend’s brother actually.”
“Violet, my MVP. I need to buy you a shot for getting our boy back on the field.” Jake appears out of nowhere at my side and grabs me, giving me a rough hug and kissing the top of my head in his exuberance.
I squeak at the sudden appearance.
“And you are blushing. What’s got you blushing, sweet cheeks? This guy here? Bro, this guy’s got your girl blushing hard.” Jake is so insanely loud in his drunkenness that I just want to die, and that doubles when I realize Ben is just behind him.
“Is she really?” He looks at me, a smirk on his face that turns harder as he looks between me and Topher.
“She was just telling me that you guys live together, and you’re old family friends.” Topher looks at Ben like he’s hung the fucking moon, and now I’m facing my own embarrassmentandthe secondhand kind, because the celebrity crush reaction for someone I know is so new to me.
“Is that right?” Ben’s eyes shift from Topher to me. “Is that what we are?”
I don’t know if it’s just me or if the oxygen is being sucked out of the room, but somehow, I can’t breathe. Between Ben and Joss, they are determined to spill everything out in the open tonight.
