Page 10 of Pucking Good Girl

She hesitates with her hand on the door handle. “Macklin, I was thinking… if you aren’t busy after tonight’s practice, do you want to get together?”

Her pretty face doesn’t give me any clue about what she’s thinking.

Of course I want to spend time with her.

Call me crazy, but if I could, I’d spend every waking moment with her. But I almost tell her that I can’t.

What if she’s already made up her mind about ending our deal now that my brother wants to date her?

“Sure. Do you want me to pick you up from somewhere?” I finally force out. If she wants to talk, I need to tell her how I really feel about her. Even though that might make no difference in her decision, I want her to have all the information before she chooses Becks.

Talia shakes her head, her blonde ponytail dancing with the movement. “No, Sam is in my last class of the day. If meeting at the Gamma House works for you, I’ll get a ride back to Greek Row with her.”

“See you later, then.” I grab her chin between my fingers and press my lips to hers. “But text me if something changes and you need to be picked up. Ok?”

I don’t start my car until she disappears into the building.

Then I text Vaughn that something came up and I’ll be a little late to our workout session.

Greek Row is fairly empty at this time of day, but Gen’s car is parked in the spot reserved for the president in front of the Zeta House.

Just as I thought. Whether she has any classes or not, there’s no way my ex-girlfriend would spend her Friday afternoon doing anything even vaguely resembling work.

“Oh, good afternoon, Mr. Shayba.” Giovanni’s robotic voice greets me as I ring the doorbell. By now I should be used to the ultramodern amenities of the sorority house. But the high-tech mansion still surprises me every time.

“How are you, Giovanni?” I greet him as I would if he were a human butler. “Can I come in?”

The small flat screen by the doorbell changes from the greeting screen to an hourglass. “Can you please state the reason for your visit?”

My hand goes to the back of my neck. I had forgotten that when there’s a party, Giovanni’s security features are disabled. And if you’ve been expressly invited, he lets you in, no questions asked.

Giovanni doesn’t ask me to show him any identification. He recognizes me because I’ve been to the house many times for parties and when I was dating Gen. But since this is an impromptu visit, he isn’t granting me access without a valid reason.

I don’t mind that. It’s actually a great feature, and I’m glad Talia lives somewhere this safe.

“I’m here to see Genevieve Bergen.” I offer.

The hourglass blinks. “Nature of your visit?” Giovanni asks.

“It’s a social call.” I say, feeling like I was just transported into a futuristic remake of Bridgerton.

“Please stand by.” The hourglass spins in circles, buffering.

Thirty-second later, it disappears, replaced by a green checkmark. “Welcome to the Zeta Theta Beta House, Mr. Shayba. Miss Bergen is awaiting you in the president’s office. Please follow the lit path to your destination.”

The door unlocks and I step into the sorority house.

I’ve been here countless times, but this time it feels different. Like I’m going on a mission behind enemy lines.

And I guess that might be true for all intents and purposes.

A strip of lights appears on the floor, flashing green to show me the path to the president’s office. It’s like the emergency strip lights on an aircraft, I think as I walk through a wing of the house I’m not familiar with. I never had a reason to visit the office when Candace was Zeta president.

“Come in.” My ex-girlfriend’s voice calls out after I knock on the door.

As I set foot inside the room, I don’t even notice the sleek, modern decor. My attention is zeroed in on Genevieve.

“Mack,” she purrs, rising from the white leather chair behind an imposing desk. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”