I pushed that thought away as I found a seat in the lecture hall near the back. Paying attention would be difficult, but I had to focus. My number one goal was to get a degree and find a good job after graduation. Within ten years, I wo
uld open my own sports medicine practice.
That was the plan. Austin would be a simple stress release for me, something enjoyable but nothing to take seriously. After he had me once, he would act like most men with his good looks and go away, on to the next one. Class started, and I found it difficult to concentrate on the day’s lesson, which happened to be about treating men with testicle injuries. The pictures used for the lecture did not make it easy for me to keep my mind off Austin.
As the professor explained how to work your way around a man’s junk, I couldn’t help but think about how later I’d be doing just that. The difference was, he’d be working his way around me too.
TEN
Brooke
Eight o’clock on the dot, I heard a knock on the door. After downing the last of my second glass of wine, I stashed the empty glass behind the couch.
On the way over to the door, I pulled my pink tee-shirt down, wondering if it was too tight. Would he think I was trying too hard?
I took a deep breath then unlocked the door. Trying to act cool, I opened it. Austin stood on the porch wearing jeans and a red Buffalo State sweatshirt.
“Can I come in? It’s getting chilly out here.”
“Sure.” I unlocked the screen door.
He opened it and walked inside, brushing against my breasts as he passed.
“Jocelyn’s not here, is she?”
“No,” I said as I closed the door and locked it. “She’s gone for the rest of the night. Well, until midnight or one, but I doubt you’ll be here that late.”
“I’m not, am I?”
He flashed me a view of those perfectly white and straight teeth. How was it possible for one man to be so right in so many different ways?
“We’ll see.”
“I’m tired. It’s been a long day. Did you want to talk about something? Your football career?”
“Nah, I’m good, but I did want to see you and hang out.”
“How about a game of Madden? If I stomp your ass, you owe me something special.”
“And if I beat you?”
“I’ll give you something special.”
“I don’t get to pick?”
I shook my head. “Game?”
“Let’s do this,” he said, dropping his arm.
We walked over to the couch and sat down next to each other. I grabbed the remote control and switched over to the PS4 screen.
“Were you playing earlier?” he asked, nodding at the controllers on the glass and steel coffee table in front of us.
“Yeah, I was practicing, but just a little.”
“Uh oh, Brooke’s got some game.”
“Be warned,” I said, picking up one of the controllers.