Chapter 6 #2
She huffed. “Fine, then let’s go for a movie and dinner this weekend? What do you say?”
So, she did this to guilt me into dating her again? It might have backfired. I lifted the corner of my lips. “I might have to take some students this weekend as well, judging by the number of emails I saw. Let me get back to you.” Touché. She hadn’t thought this through very well.
“Fine, then get back to me. But try to keep Saturday evening open, okay?” She huffed. “Damn, I didn’t think that many people would contact you already.”
I wanted to watch the football game on Saturday. Shit. My chest twinged. “I’ll try, but I can’t guarantee anything.” Would Evan be around? I’d have to check his game schedule.
“So, let me know tomorrow, okay?”
“Sure, I’ll text you.” I already knew my answer. I glanced out the dark window leading to the courtyard. The sun had already set, and I still had to make dinner. “I, uh, need to go.”
“Okay. Talk to you tomorrow,” she said. “Bye now.”
“Bye.” I ended the call and sat for a moment, thinking about today’s events. I would need courage to be truthful with Sara, and then I’d have to endure an evening with Travis and not touch him. If we were out somewhere and not in my apartment, it would be a lot easier.
By the next day, I’d gotten four new students to tutor, and each one had opted for afternoon sessions, so my schedule hadn’t gotten too unbearable.
Plus, who knew? They might only need the one session.
I’d gone to classes in the morning, met with one of my new students in the afternoon, and now I was free.
I’d checked on Evan’s games, and he should travel home on Friday from Seattle.
As I closed the door from my study session, I slipped my phone from my pocket and called him. The phone rang a few times and picked up.
“Hey, Colton. How’s it going?” Evan asked.
“Good. Where are you?” I paced across the main room and settled onto the corner of my couch. He could still be traveling.
“I’m at the airport, but I have some time before my plane boards.” He took a quick inhale. “How are things going with Tex Rowlings? How was the non-date?”
My heart flip-flopped. So much had happened since then. “It was fine.” I clenched my jaw for a beat. Should I tell him the truth? He’d been right about everything. “We’re hanging out tomorrow night on Mill Avenue.” He’d be happy to hear I was getting out.
“Oh, good. So, another non-date?” He snickered. “And I suppose you’re going to tell me nothing happened.”
“What?” Shit, he knew me too well. “Nothing happened on our non-date.” That much was true, except for me spilling my guts and then…nothing happened. “I told him about my past, so he knows everything.”
“Everything? Like everything?”
“Yes, even about the pills and shit.” Hanging my head, my chest squeezed. Travis had coaxed it from me. Or maybe I’d felt safe enough to confide in him.
“You never tell people about that. You must really like him.” His smile carried through the phone.
“It wasn’t a big deal. He was very sympathetic about it.” I huffed and rubbed my palm along my thigh. He might have kissed me if Sara hadn’t shown up.
“Colton, it is a big deal, and you know it. When will you stop this nonsense and let yourself love someone?”
Now he was pulling out the big guns. I had to stop him. “When it’s the right person. Now tell me if you’re free on Saturday night to watch the ASU football game.” I pressed my lips together.
“I’m free. It’s a non-date.” He freed a soft snort and then said, “Hey, I have to go. I’ll see you on Saturday. How about a bar in Tempe? That would be fun, wouldn’t it?”
“Sure.” I bit the edge of my lip. I’d mull that over before I made a final decision. It could be crazy in those bars. “Talk to you soon. Bye and have a safe flight.”
“Yep, bye.” He ended the call.
I should text Sara and let her know I’d be busy on Saturday. She didn’t need to know when I’d made my plans. I opened my text app.
Colton
Sorry, but I have plans with Evan on Saturday, so I can’t see you.
My phone lit up with a call from her.
Shit. I started the call, pressing my phone to my ear. “Hello?”
“What time are your plans with Evan? Maybe we could see each other before or after?” she asked.
Of course, she wouldn’t leave this alone. I had to tell her the truth sooner rather than later. But she’d just sent a bunch of new students my way. She wasn’t making this easy. “We’re uh, watching the ASU game together. We’ll probably meet for dinner and then—”
“Oh, the game isn’t until the evening. We could grab lunch together instead. How about meeting me around noon at Tempe Marketplace? We could try Barrio Queen. I hear it’s fantastic.”
I tipped my head back as my jaw clenched.
Did she think I never needed to study? But maybe it would be an opportunity to tell her I wasn’t interested in her this way.
“Okay, that works.” I’d buy her a pleasant lunch and thank her for the referrals.
Then maybe she’d take it better. “Can I meet you there?” Then there wouldn’t be an uncomfortable ride home.
“Can’t you pick me up?” she asked.
“I…” Think of something… “If you want to hang out longer, we should meet there. Then I can go straight to Evan’s apartment from the shopping plaza.
So it might be better, unless you just want to grab a quick lunch.
” I ground my molars. I was lying again.
Evan wanted to go to a bar in Tempe. What a fucking mess.
“Okay, then I’ll meet you there. That way we can go shopping afterward.” She chuckled and then said, “Are you able to tutor Tex as much with all the new students? Or will he have to find a new tutor?”
My brows swept up. What the hell? “No, I’m still tutoring him. I give priority to the students I’m already working with.”
“Oh…okay. I didn’t know that.” She clicked her tongue. “Anyway, I’ll see you at Barrio Queen at noon on Saturday.”
I lowered my brows. Had she attempted to slow my sessions with Travis? Why though? And what an odd way to do it. I didn’t understand her, not at all. “See you soon, bye.” I ended the call.
The next afternoon, I worked on my thesis before leaving to meet Travis at Postino’s, a wine bar on Mill Avenue. It was the place he’d picked for drinks and dinner, and I’d never been, so I’d agreed.
After parking in the lot, I stuffed my hands into the pockets of my board shorts and strolled to the squat brick building.
I checked myself in the glass door before I opened it, taking in the tighter green shirt I’d paired with my shorts.
I’d tried to look more casual tonight, and Evan always liked this shirt on me.
He’d told me it made my eyes look greener than usual.
Huffing a snicker, I opened the door. Here I was, trying to look attractive for Travis again.
As I stepped toward the hostess stand, I scanned the bar, filled with comfortable couches and lounge chairs as if it were someone’s living room. The tables featured a rustic yet trendy, modern retro aesthetic that was so popular now.
Travis waved from a couch halfway into the restaurant and beamed at me, his white shirt unbuttoned halfway down his chest and jeans hugging his thick thighs.
He looked good. Too good. With heat filtering up my neck, I dipped my head and strolled toward him.
This place resembled a place you’d take a date.
Not a place where two college guys would hang out and shoot the shit.
But here I was, with a feeling Travis had planned it all along.
Which was reeling me in for more than a friendship.
As I approached his sofa, I raised my hand and waved. “Hi.” This was awkward after the last time I’d seen him.
“Sit.” He patted the cushion next to him. “I wasn’t sure what to order, so I waited for you.” He wrinkled his brows. “Do you like wine?”
I dropped in beside him. “Yes, I like wine.” This was a wine bar, wasn’t it? “But I’m open to anything.”
“I was thinking we’d share a bottle then. My old buddy JJ used to love this place and the wines here.” He picked up the wine menu. “I think it’s time I expand my horizons beyond beer and tequila.” He chuckled.
“Let’s try a Chardonnay. It’s what all the women seem to like.” And my mother, but I didn’t want to bring her up again. I snatched a menu from the table and scanned the listing of bruschetta boards. “We should share some bruschetta.”
“Absolutely.” He set the wine menu down as our server approached us. “I’ll see what she recommends.”
After a brief conversation with the server, Travis chose a California Chardonnay, and the server left.
“How have the last few days been?” He reclined further into the couch and swung his arm across the back, behind me.
Wasn’t this the sort of position that led me into trouble last time? I peeked at his lips and then forced myself to look at the menu. “I’d like to try the one with pesto and maybe the one with artichokes.”
“You like artichokes?” He leaned in closer, his attention drawn to my menu.
His heat shivered across my body, and I swooned for a moment. It was insane how attracted I was to him. I had to control myself. “I…I do. Why? Don’t you?”
Turning his face to mine, he smirked. “Sure, I love artichokes.” As he swept his tongue across his lips, he said, “Get whatever you want. I eat almost anything.”
“Okay.” As my dick perked, I set the menu down and breathed in deeply. Where was the server?
As if on cue, the server arrived with our bottle of wine and poured two glasses for us. She then took our food order and left.
“So, will you be watching the game on Saturday?” He picked up his wine and drank it. “Damn, this is good. Flavors of oak and citrus, just like the menu said.”
“Yeah?” I raked my gaze over his large frame. It seemed unlike him to make such a comment. I let out a soft laugh.
“What’s so funny?” He tilted his head, taking me in from head to toe.
“Nothing, it’s just comical watching a guy like you enjoy a glass of wine.” I sipped the wine, the flavors he’d described gliding across my tongue. “Damn, that is good.” It was nice to share this with him.
“I appreciate the nicer things in life.” He sniggered and drank more of his wine. “There’s more to life than football.”
I stared at him. Had he really said that? Evan would never say that about hockey. “Oh, really?” I relaxed into the couch.
“No, not really. Football is pretty much everything to me. At least right now.” He freed a sharp laugh. “Once I’m drafted and get an NFL contract, then I can relax a little.” He swirled the wine in his glass. “Speaking of football, you never answered me. Are you watching the game on Saturday?”
“Of course. Evan wanted to go to a bar in Tempe to watch it. We’ll see.” And I had agreed to see Sara beforehand. My heart sank. “I’m, uh, I’ll be meeting Sara for lunch.” My gaze crept to his.
As his nose wrinkled, he leaned away from me. “So, she weaseled a second date out of you after all?”
“It’s not like that. I thought I could use the time to come clean with her.
” Maybe I shouldn’t have mentioned it. But not telling him felt wrong.
Why though? It wasn’t like we were dating.
Fuck, my mind was so messed up right now.
With a huff, I poured more wine into my glass and drank it. A warm buzz played through my body.
“You’ll tell her you don’t want to date her anymore on Saturday, then?” He peered at me.
“Yes, that’s the plan.” I dared a peek at him. I hadn’t dated since I’d gotten here and now, I had two people wanting to date me? One I didn’t want and one I…shit. I wanted.
“Have you seen her since you last saw me?” His forehead wrinkled.
“No, I haven’t. I’ve been busy. She sent me all those new students, remember?” I huffed a chuckle. “Tomorrow, I have two sessions before you come over.” It would be a busy day.
“You better not be tired when I get there.” As a smile grew across his lips, he bumped his shoulder on mine. “I might be a handful.” He waggled his brows at me.
I opened my mouth. What could I say to that? Was it meant to be a flirtatious comment?
The server set our food on the table and walked off.
“Don’t worry, the other students have easier classwork to discuss.” I sipped my wine and then pulled a slice of the pesto bruschetta onto a small plate, and some sauce slipped onto my finger. “Oh, shit.” I sucked my finger into my mouth.
Travis squirmed next to me, fixating on my mouth. “Damn, you’re such a tease.” He adjusted himself.
“What?” I freed my finger with a wet pop. “I had pesto…” How was I a tease? I glanced down.
The outline of his hard cock stretched toward his hip inside his jeans. With his teeth raking across his lower lip, he said, “I can’t stop thinking about what happened the last time we were together.”
Need shivered up my spine, and my dick jerked.