Page 19 of Most Valuable Players
Halfway through the class, I turn my head slightly to get a glimpse of Wes, certain he’ll be sleeping again, but I am surprised to find him staring at me. Our eyes lock, and I offer a small wave. He lifts a brow as if he’s still trying to figure out my angle, but I just smile sweetly and return my focus back to the front.
When the class is over, I take my time packing my things.
Wes waits until the class has filed out and steps down a stair so he’s very much in my way. “What’s your play? Coffee and muffins just because?” He narrows his eyes.
“I work at the café on campus.” I don’t meet his gaze.
“You worked before class?”
Looking up hesitantly, I admit, “Well, no, but it was on my way.”
Wes shakes his head. “Thanks for the coffee. I actually managed to stay awake for once.”
He gives me a salute with his cup before he shuffles away.
“Wait,” I call. Before his steely blue eyes have a chance to regard me in that arrogant, calculating way, the words spill from my lips. “One score makes happyoneplayer. An assist makes two happy.”
“Uhhh, what?”
“The quote on your coffee.” I can feel my face warm and know I’m beet red. This is humiliating. Did I really use coffee and a cheesy basketball quote to win him over?
He lifts his fingers and turns the cup until he can read the words I scribbled.
I hang my head. Might as well go all in at this point. Too late to pretend this never happened. “I was wondering if you wanted to get together sometime this weekend to study? I can work around your schedule.”
“Aww man, you mean I drank bribery coffee?” He looks down at the cup in his hand and curls his lip, eyes still smiling.
“Not bribery,” I protest. “Friendship coffee. Come on, I need help. Just one time. Let me join you guys the next time you study, and I’ll never bother you again.”
It’ll be easier to ask for more help once I’ve shown him what a quick learner I am.
Joel nudges him as he tips his head back finishing his coffee. When he’s drunk every drop, he speaks, “You know Z and I are going to need to talk it out a bit more, let her join. Plus, girl used a Tony Kukoc quote. Mad props for that. Wait are you the café quote girl?”
I bite my lip and nod.
Wes shoots him a look to zip it, to which Joel just shrugs. Zeke just watches silently, but there’s the slightest upturn to his lips.
“Fine. Be at the house at four this afternoon.”
“Yes!” A victory smile breaks out on my face, and I don’t even care if I look as ecstatic as I feel.
I hold on to those good feelings until I meet David at the library. He’s disheveled, clothes wrinkled, hair mussed like he’s been running his fingers through it. I hold back questions about how he’s doing because, frankly, I don’t care if he’s having a rotten day.
“We had a pop quiz in computer programming,” he says as I take the seat across from him.
It’s the only class he didn’t shove off on me because most of the work is done in class. You’d think he’d be able to manage one freaking class on his own, but apparently, he can’t. I pass over the folder filled with the latest assignments he gave me without saying a word.
“I convinced Professor Reilly to let me do some extra credit to make up for the grade.”
“Un-fucking-believable,” I mutter as he hands me the paper with directions for the additional work. “I don’t know shit about programming, David.”
His lip twitches on one side, and he takes out a heavy textbook and plops it down between us. “Thought you’d say that.”
I’m still staring at it baffled when he stands. “Need it by Tuesday next week.”
Awesome. Add programming to my list of classes this semester, why the hell not?
I read the directions five times. Yep, five. I give up and shove it in my bag. I’ll deal with it this weekend.
