“I have practice. Do you watch the game at all?” Before I could stop myself, my nose wrinkled just the slightest bit. I was ready to backpedal real fast, but he just laughed. It was beautiful. As I was admiring the light in his eyes that appeared when he laughed, he caught me off guard and leaned over to kiss my nose.
It was just a silly little thing, but it made my toes curl. “Oh, wait, before I forget, give me your phone.” I got it out of my pocket and passed it to him with butterflies taking flight in my chest. He pressed in his number and hit call, and I heard the phone in his pocket go off before he pulled it out.
“Good, now I have your number, and you have mine.” He even went so far as to add them to contacts. “Go on inside. Do you have plans to go anywhere later?” I shook my head and lifted my bag higher on my shoulder. “Fine, I’ll call you once practice is over.” And with that, he turned and walked away.
I watched him walk away, not quite sure what to make of that little episode but knowing I could’ve handled it much better than I did—way to go, Lisa. You’re finally out from under mom’s thumb, and the hottest guy on campus shows interest, and you froze.
It’s about what I’d expect from my inexperienced self, but I was still disappointed nonetheless. I pretended to be looking for my keys when he turned at the end of the hallway and looked back at me. His grin told me that he wasn’t buying it, and I smiled shyly before opening the door and stepping inside out of his view.
Jess ambushed me as soon as I hit the room. Hers was downstairs in the same building, yes, but damn she got up here fast. It was as if she’d been watching for me. “I saw that.” She squealed and pretended to swoon, which sent me into a fit of giggles.
“Saw what?” I pretended ignorance even though I was as giddy as she was. Instead of answering, she pulled me down next to her on my bed as we both tried to catch our breath. “Tell me everything, from beginning to end. If you leave out anything, I’ll kill you.”
I told her how he’d been waiting for me outside of my last class and how he’d walked me to the building. She fanned herself and fell back across the bed dramatically. “Okay, this calls for something, like, this is huge.”
“I don’t see what the big deal is; he just asked for my number.” She gave me a look like I’d lost my mind. “Okay, let me let you in on something. Since day one, all I’ve heard since I came here was Cody this and Cody that before I even laid eyes on him.” She rolled her eyes in her Jessica way.
“He’s like some kind of legend on campus or something, and part of that is because of his elusiveness. Do you know how many females have done their best to land this guy?” She went on without giving me a chance to answer.
“I mean, even girls who are already taken have been rumored to throw themselves at him, but he just has no interest. I’ve seen with my own two eyes the most beautiful girls on campus literally drooling in the stands when he’s playing and nothing, but you, your first day here, and it’s like magic.” She snapped her fingers and gave me a proud smile.
For some reason, she jumped up from the bed in the next second and made a mad dash to the closet on my side of the room, flinging the doors open in her haste. With lips folded, she shook her head and tapped her foot after perusing my clothes.
“Nope, we have to go raid my closet.” I rolled my eyes at her and sat up with my chin resting on my bent knees.
“What’s wrong with my clothes?”
“Nothing if you’re trying out for a convent.”
“It’s not that bad; I have some jeans and tees in there that I haven’t worn yet.” She rifled through once more but came away unsatisfied.
“Look, I don’t think you get the severity of the situation. We’re talking about the hottest guy in the state.” I listened to her lectures on how to hold Cody’s interest and didn’t bother to remind her that I’d got that interest being just the way I am with no additives.
I thought it best to keep that little tidbit to myself since she was on a roll, and I knew when she got like this, there was no stopping her. Her excitement kept me on the edge as well, and I was starting to see our innocent little walk as something more, which, when I think about it, could be dangerous.