Page 71 of Vacancy

“I…” Foster looked cornered. His eyes were wide and panicked as he lifted his hands and backpedaled fast. “Fuck! I’m so sorry. Imeantto say Stacey. Oaklynn’s just…”

“Standing right in front of you,” Damien drolled matter-of-factly.

Foster blinked at him. “What?”

Both Alec and Keene cracked up, no longer able to keep straight faces. When I joined in, leaning against Damien as I cackled, he started to chuckle as well, leaving only Foster to glance at us all, still clearly stumped.

“Isn’t she funny?” Alec demanded.

“I am so confused right now,” Foster admitted.

So I had mercy and set a hand against my chest to tell him, “You were right to begin with; I really am Oaklynn.”

“You were messing with me?” he echoed as if not understanding. Then he turned his attention to Damien. “And you took part in it? Except…you don’t mess with people.”

Damien only shrugged. “I think I might start.” Sliding me an impressed glance, he held up his fist for me to bump. “That was awesome.”

Glowing, I bumped my fist into his. “Thank you.”

Pointing at me, Foster glanced toward Alec and Keene with lifted eyebrows before he smiled wide. “Okay, I like her.”

“Right?” Alec agreed. “I think we should keep her for sure.”

Damien stroked a hand down my back as if to say,too bad; you can’t have her, and the possessive move made my skin shiver with delight.

While, across the room, Keene sounded very uninterested as he muttered, “Yeah, she’s a hoot. Can we have our pizza now?”

Foster tossed the boxes on the table in an equally uninterested way, not even looking to see where they landed, so he could stick out his hand to me in friendly greeting. “I’m Foster, by the way.”

I nodded back as I shook with him, saying, “Glad to hear the billboards across campus don’t lie.”

Which made him groan. “Oh God. I hate those things. If I’d known they were going to plaster ten-foot-tall pictures of my face everywhere, I would’ve refused to sign the photo release.”

“Whatever. You know you like them,” Alec challenged as he and Keene descended on the pizza boxes and flipped both lids open. “Damn, man! How much did you eat?”

“Just a couple of slices.” Foster said and laughed before he smacked Keene in the shoulder just as he took a bite. “Dude. Pay up. I ain’t delivering this shit for free.”

“Mmph…oh yeah.” Keene dug into his pocket and came up with a wad of green. “There. Keep the change, sweet thing.” He patted Foster on the chest, leaving the cash behind as he withdrew his hand. Foster had to scramble to catch all the bills as they started to scatter and fall. Then, he carefully smoothed out each one, stacking them neatly while he counted, only to lift his eyebrows in surprise. “Hey, you actually tipped me this time.” Glancing at Damien, he guessed, “Hudson leave grocery money with them again?”

Damien lifted his brows and cocked his head to affirm it.

“That guy…” Foster sighed as he stuffed the cash away. “He never learns, does he?”

“He nevercares,” Damien corrected.

“True story.” With a satisfied sigh, Foster stretched his arms out in front of him and then rolled his head on his shoulders. “Well, I gotta bounce. Got another order in the truck I have to deliver. So, Oaklynn…” He smiled warmly and sent me a polite salute. “Glad I got to meet you.”

Leaning into Damien, I waved back. “You too.”

“Arch…” Foster lifted his brows once at Damien in farewell or maybe it was a congratulatory,way to go, kind of thing.

Either way, Damien answered with a bob of his head. “See you. Good game today.”

“Thanks. As for you two…” Foster turned to eye Alec and Keene severely. “Screw you, I’m leaving.” Flipping them off as he started for the door, he grinned gleefully and called over his shoulder. “Thank Hudson for the tip.”

“We hate you too,” Keene called back with a mouthful of pizza.

“Yeah,” Alec sang. “You suuuuck…”

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