Chapter 7
SEVEN
TEX (TRAVIS)
Might as well own it. Concealing a boner in these damn jeans was impossible. They showed everything. “Sorry, but it’s true.”
His gaze darkened, and his plump lips parted. “We…can’t.” He swallowed hard and picked up his bruschetta.
“I know, but I can’t stop my body from reacting to you.
” Shit, if I said any more, he might tell me we couldn’t hang out again.
I’d done my best to keep this in the friend zone.
After placing a slice of the artichoke bruschetta on my plate, I stared at it.
I half expected him to say he needed to go home soon. Had I fucked this up already?
“Yeah, okay.” He ate his food and then wiped his mouth with a linen napkin. “Who are you playing on Saturday?”
“Iowa State. You didn’t look it up?” I stuffed food into my mouth and chewed. He’d changed the topic to football. Nice move.
“Not this time. I was a little busy getting new students scheduled.” He glanced at me and then placed a fresh slice of bruschetta on his plate.
“You said you plan to watch the game in a bar in Tempe. Any idea which one yet?” My gut churned.
The idea of him hanging out in a bar when I wasn’t around was unsettling.
What if he met a woman he liked better than Sara?
He’d be with a professional fucking hockey player.
I knew how those guys were. Fuck me. He wasn’t mine.
We hooked up once, and I already wanted to own him?
“No, can you recommend someplace?” He ate more food and then sipped his wine.
With a chuckle, I shook my head. “Sorry, but I’m always at the games.” I thought for a moment. “I’ve heard Varsity Tavern is a suitable spot.” Oh hell, he’d get hit on there for sure. “Why don’t you just watch it at Evan’s place again?” That seemed safe. I ate another bite of my food.
“I don’t know. I think he’s trying to get me out more. Sort of like you.” He lifted his brows at me.
If he ended up at Varsity Tavern, I’d have to do my best to focus on the game.
This could make it tough. But at least he wouldn’t be with Sara.
Unless he ended up inviting her. Damn my head for going there.
I sucked in a breath. “You don’t think you’d, uh, invite Sara out with you and Evan, do you? ”
He snapped his brows together and cut his gaze to mine. “No. Why?”
Shrugging a shoulder, I said, “You never know.” I licked a breadcrumb from my thumb. “She might use her womanly charms to change your mind about things and then you’d introduce her to—”
Scoffing, he said, “Stop it, Tex. It won’t happen. I have no interest in her, and I’ll end the dates at lunch on Saturday.” He ticked his head as if making his statement final.
He called me Tex. The last time he did that, we were getting off in his kitchen.
It meant something, right? He’d let his guard down.
I shifted closer to him. Could I make him say it again?
“Well, if you end up at the Varsity Tavern, be careful. You don’t want to repeat the situation you had with Sara. ”
“There’s no need to worry about that. Women aren’t lining up around the block trying to get dates with me.” He huffed a laugh. “As if.”
“Are you sure about that?” I let my shoulder brush his. I could tease him but also be serious. “Don’t sell yourself short, Colton. You’re a very attractive man.”
As his breath caught, he faced me. “Do you really think so?” Creasing his brows, his gaze dropped to my lips and returned.
How many times had he looked at my damn mouth? He gave himself away every time. “Yes, I really think so. And my friends consider me a connoisseur of men, so that says something.” I gave him a cheeky grin.
“Oh, stop it.” With a sharp laugh, he pushed my shoulder. “You’re ridiculous.”
Leaning in, my lips brushed the shell of his ear. I whispered, “But not about this.” I couldn’t wait to see him for our tutoring session tomorrow when we’d be alone.
He shivered and adjusted himself. “You might be the only one who thinks that.” He ate more food.
God, didn’t he know what he did to me, saying things like that?
How could he be so clueless? He had two people pursuing him right now.
How many people had liked him in the past that he was unaware of?
I straightened as my eyes popped open. Fuck, how many of his new students would be interested in him? Damn Sara and her being helpful.
A woman looking a lot like Sara pranced into the bar, swaying her head and scanning the place, her yoga pants hugging her hips and crop top revealing a flat stomach. “Fuck.” Yep, it was her. Was she stalking Colton now?
As her gaze met mine, a smirk spread across her mouth, and she bounded toward us.
“What?” Colton’s gaze followed mine. “Oh, no.” With a scoff, he hung his head.
“Hello, boys. Are you having another casual study session?” She set her purse on the coffee table and fell into the lounge chair across from us.
“What are you doing here?” Colton glared at her.
“I saw your car in the lot when I drove by, so I thought I’d pop in and say hello.” With a wry grin, she flagged down the server. “Can I join you?”
I gaped. Could we tell her no? I watched her order a glass of white wine. Too late now. “Sure.”
“Well? What subject are we discussing tonight?” She crossed her arms on her chest and glanced at each of us.
“N-nothing, we were just hanging out tonight.” Colton’s lips formed a grim line. “I decided I needed to get out more and he—”
“Took you here? A nice wine bar? Seems like an odd place for two college buddies to hang out. Why didn’t you go to one of the college bars, like, I don’t know, Devil’s Hideaway, or something?
I mean, Tex is a footballer. It seems like he’d get free beers in a place like that.
” She pressed her tongue inside her cheek.
As the server set her wine down, she peered at our food.
“Mind if I have a piece?” She picked up a slice of the pesto bruschetta and bit into it.
Jesus fucking Christ. Who does this? I hadn’t been sure I’d liked her very much, but now? I was sure I didn’t. “Please, help yourself.” Pressing my lips together, I tilted my head.
“Thanks.” She smacked her lips and wiped her fingers on one of the extra napkins at the table. “So, I thought you’d be busy with students tonight, Colton.” Her gaze grew hard as she sipped her wine.
“I…I have two students tomorrow afternoon. I needed to work on my thesis today.” He slumped his shoulders.
“Oh.” She plucked another slice of bruschetta from the table. “I’m starved. Should we order more food?”
“Why not?” With a huff, I sank into the couch, draping my arm across the back. She was here to stay. Was she stalking Colton? “Where were you going when you drove by?”
“Oh, I was coming home from a Target run. I needed some new clothes.” Her gaze flashed at Colton. “I wanted to look nice for my lunch date with Colton on Saturday.”
Colton shrank further.
“I heard about that. Colton’s looking forward to it.” I gave her a smirk. She wouldn’t know why yet.
Rubbing his temple, Colton said, “Yeah, it’s too bad I already had plans with Evan to watch the game on Saturday night.”
“Maybe we could watch the game together? All three of us?” She drank more wine. “I like football.”
Heat swept across my chest. Hell no. What would Colton say?
“Maybe.” He gnawed his lower lip and then took a few gulps of wine.
“Oh, honey, you shouldn’t drink wine that fast.” Leaning across the table, she touched his knee.
He wouldn’t. He was supposed to break it off with her at lunch. I peered at him. He was a people-pleaser for sure. My chest stung. Was this his reason for being with me now? No, he found me attractive. It showed. His body language was completely different with Sara than it was with me.
As the waitress stopped at the table, Sara ordered a few more bruschetta boards.
“So, when is your next tutoring session, Tex?” She arched a brow, eyeing me.
“Uh, tomorrow afternoon.” I shifted in my seat as my gut tensed. What would she say about it?
“Do you two meet every other day now?” She gave a stuttered laugh. “Wow, you must really enjoy each other’s company. I only see Colton, what, once a week at most?”
The server set down the additional boards.
Colton lifted his head, staring straight at her. “We’ve become friends, Sara. It’s not unusual.”
“If you say so. But Tex is gay. Are you also queer, Colton?” Her smile dropped.
I clenched my jaw. What a bitch.
“No, of course not. Why would it matter if he’s gay?” He scoffed. “Evan is good friends with a queer hockey player. It doesn’t make him queer.”
I couldn’t take any more. With heat swarming my chest, I held my palm to her and said, “You need to watch yourself…honey.”
As she faced me, her gaze softened. “Oh, I’m sorry. I meant nothing by that. It just seems…” She shrugged a shoulder. “I’ve never known a straight guy who’s had a gay friend.”
“Well, now you do.” Colton straightened his shoulders. “Apology accepted. Right, Travis?” He patted my knee.
I mumbled, “Yeah, guess so.” Fuck her. I picked up one of the new bruschetta and ate it. I’d happily eat her food, but I wouldn’t pay for it.
We sat in awkward silence for a while, eating the rest of the food and drinking our wine. If only I could escape the place with Colton at my side. I wouldn’t let him stay here with her.
As she ate the last slice, she wiped her mouth with a napkin. “You two sure are quiet.” She chuckled. “What do you discuss when I’m not around? Football?” She downed her wine.
What did we talk about? Our lives and how he didn’t like her. I smirked. “We talk about whatever is on our minds.” I drank more wine. We were done with this. “Let’s get the check.”
After splitting the bills and paying for the food and wine, we rose and strolled toward the door.
Sara turned at the entrance and reached for Colton’s hand. “Walk me to my car?”
Flicking his gaze to mine, Colton winced. “Yeah, sure.”