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Olivia: You sound like you’re ready. Like you really want to go, I mean.
Me: Only a little. I just wanna see you.
Olivia: I’m ready :)
I snatch my keys off the counter and lock my door on the way out, just as Olivia is exiting as well. When I turn, I’m slightly disappointed. While she’s not wearing a hoodie, I still have no idea what she’s really wearing thanks to a black coat. Stupid winter. It’s killing me. Her dark jeans, however, satisfy me for now as I run my gaze over her.
Olivia takes my hand and starts walking towards the parking lot. I steer us to my car because she isn’t driving. She has to tell me the name of the bar again since I wasn’t listening before. We’re about a twenty-minute drive from the place, so I reach for her hand, intertwining our fingers. I’m about to be surrounded by people, football players, Olivia’s friends. All I have to do is be, or pretend to be, normal for a few hours.
“Hey, thanks for coming with me, Corey.” I glance over at her for only a moment. I hate when she thanks me. “Just let me know when you’re ready to go, and we’ll leave, okay?”
“I’ll be ready whenever you are.” Oh, I hope I can last that long. It can’t be good if I already doubt myself, right?
When we get to the bar, I let Olivia lead the way. These are her friends, after all. There’s seven or eight of them crowded around a small table, half sitting on bar stools, half standing. Three girls are sitting and Ben gets up to let Olivia have his stool. She pushes her bangs back into place and tugs on my hand for me to step closer to the table, forcing me into their group between her and one of the girls.
“Guys, this is Corey.” She points to everyone as she introduces them. “Corey, that’s Ben, of course. And then Big Ed, Ricky, Quinton, Lisa, Vanessa, and my best friend, Chelsea.”
We exchange hellos. Based on how the guys are standing with the girls, very close next to them, Ben is the single in the group. Chelsea, the girl to my left, smiles at me. She’s not the same chick from that night at the club.
“It’s nice to finally meet you, Corey.” So, Olivia has talked about me to someone. What does she tell them? All I am is my secret that only she knows, but she wouldn’t tell anyone that. “I was beginning to think Olivia was making you up. She said you were pretty perfect and I mean, no one could really be as perfect for her as she said.”
With a grin, I look to Olivia. She thinks I’m perfect for her? We’ll worry about the how-in-the-hell part later.
“I never said that!” she objects.
“If you say so,” Chelsea laughs.
“What do you do, Corey? Besides be Liv’s neighbor?” Ben asks as Olivia shrugs out of her jacket. The action distracts me, especially when I see what was hiding from me. Her black and pale pink top hugs her everywhere it needs to, enunciating her hourglass figure and her breasts.
With a sly smile, she bumps her shoulder into me. “He asked you a question, Corey.”
Right. “I’m in grad school, but I took the semester off.” Sounds better than the truth, and he definitely doesn’t get to hear that.
“I swear you look like someone I know,” Big Ed speaks up from behind Lisa. He’s definitely a football player. There aren’t many guys I remember well, but I transferred to the rivaling school, so most of the players’ faces are familiar at least. They call him Big Ed for a reason. He’s huge and can tackle almost any player without putting too much effort into it.
Either I wait until he figures it out, or I admit it. I place my hand on Olivia’s lower back and she leans into me slightly. I can do this, right? They might not ask about it. I can say who I am, who I was, just like I did with the guy in line at the restaurant that day.
“I used to play for Salem University. Patrick and Jonathan Kennedy are my younger brothers.” There. I said all I have to say.
“I knew it!” Ben slams an open palm on the table. “I knew that’s who you had to be, but Liv wouldn’t ever say anything about you, to me at least.”
Big Ed grins. “We beat their asses this season,” he gloats.
“Are we seriously going to talk football?” Chelsea complains. “Not all of us care. Where is the waitress anyway? Olivia and Corey need a beer.” I think I might love Chelsea.
“Corey’s driving, so he gets water,” Olivia corrects.
The waitress eventually comes and Olivia gets pulled into conversation with the girls. The place gets even more crowded, so I move to stand behind her, my hands on her hips. Until the girls decide to go dance together, leaving me with the guys. She abandoned me with at least two other football players. I don’t recognize Ricky or Quinton.
“How long have you been seeing Olivia?” Ben asks.
Why is that any of his business? Is something going on between them that I don’t know about? Is that why she said it was easier to have him come to her house for tutoring? “I’ve seen her since she moved in.” That sort of answers his question. It’s technically how long I’ve been “seeing” her.
“No shit,” he deadpans. “I didn’t know
much about you until I found out you might be working with my dad.” His dad? Ben explains once he sees my confusion. “Olivia is my cousin. Dad told me she asked him if he had a job vacancy for a guy she knew with no experience, but could really use it. Lucky for you, he does and he would be willing to take you on.”
My eyes scan the dance floor until I find Olivia. Why couldn’t she have mentioned he’s her cousin? I wouldn’t have disliked him nearly as bad and I could have made a better impression.
