Page 83 of Fight or Flight
He keeps his attention on the girls he’s talking to, but flicks his gaze over to me as I cross the room and walk over to where Ben is standing.
“Hawthorne,” Ben greets, giving me a quick nod.
“Hey.” I swirl what’s left of my drink in my glass. “How’s it going?”
“Can’t complain.” He looks between me and Shane. “So what’s going on with you and Matheson?”
“Nothing.”
He raises one eyebrow. “Really? Your supposed rival texts me out of the blue asking for an invite for you, and that’s nothing?”
“Let’s just say he knows I appreciate a good spread.” I point to the favor room. “And you always have the best spreads on campus.”
He grins. “You’re trying to hit that, aren’t you?”
“I would, but unfortunately, he’s too straight to be swayed over to the dark side.”
“So why are you all buddy-buddy and he’s getting you party invites all of a sudden?”
“Because he owes me a favor and I cashed it in.”
Shane glances over at us, then breaks away from the group of women.
“Speak of the devil,” Ben says loudly as he comes to stand with us. “Hawthorne was just telling us about how he had to cash in a favor to get you to hang out with him.”
“Yeah, he’s annoying like that.” Shane flicks his gaze to me. “Just can’t catch a hint.”
The guys all guffaw like Shane just said the funniest thing ever, and I don’t miss how Shane slips his hand into his back pocket and creeps closer to Ben.
“So, who saw that coming?” I ask the group and point to where Sarah and Derek are currently attached at the pelvis and dry humping each other in the dance area.
Everyone turns to look, and I watch as Shane slips the fake ID card he pulled out of his pocket under his shirt sleeve.
A couple of the guys weigh in on the situation as they turn their attention back to the group, and I wait until they change the subject to something equally stupid to drain what’s left in my glass.
“I need a refill,” I tell the group and hold up my now-empty drink. “And I think it’s about time I find my new friend for the evening.”
The guys laugh, and I deliberately bump into Shane as I pass him, knocking him off balance so he gently bumps into Ben.
“Sorry, I’m annoying like that,” I tell him as he levels a convincing glare at me.
The guys laugh again as I give Shane a wink and a long, heated stare, and I can hear them ribbing him about my flirting as I walk toward the bar.
When I get there, I put my glass on the counter and pretend to look over my choices.
Shane laughs and chats with the guys for a few minutes, then tosses them a wave and heads back over to the group of girls he left behind.
Instead of getting another drink, I unmute my earpiece. “I’m heading to the bathroom now.”
He rubs his thigh to let me know he heard me, and I mute our earpieces again as I quietly slip out of the main room and head for the small bathroom a few doors down from the party room.
The bathroom is empty when I get there, and unlike the one on the other side of the party room that has multiple urinals and stalls, this one is just a single toilet and sink. It’s usually off-limits during parties, but the unlocked door makes it fair game in my book.
I lean against the wall to wait, and about a minute later, Shane slips into the room.
“Holy shit,” he says incredulously.
I take in his flushed cheeks and wide, bright eyes. He’s not scared, he’s pumped up.
