6. Dahlia
DAHLIA
“Nice job today. No practice tomorrow while they do some maintenance on the course. See you Monday.” Coach Jones drops his hands from his waist and gives us a tight smile.
It’s his first year at Valley U, so we’re all getting to know each other.
He’s loads better than the last two coaches.
I’ve had a different one every year since I was a freshman. As a result, our team numbers are down.
“Hey, Dahlia,” my teammate Harper calls as I head off the practice green. I pause for her to catch up. She’s the only other member of the golf team that’s stayed through the change in coaching staff. “Emmy and I are having people over to our apartment tonight.”
“That sounds fun,” I say. “But I promised my roommate Jane that I’d go watch her sing at The Hideout.”
Harper’s eyes light up. “I’ve heard she’s amazing. Maybe we’ll stop by. I’ll text you.”
“Sounds good.” I wave with the hand around my golf bag.
I’m walking past Ray Fieldhouse, the main athletic facility, when I spot the football team.
The coach barks orders from the sidelines as they scrimmage.
Felix is easy to spot, since he’s the only one on the field in the red practice jersey the quarterbacks’ wear.
He shuffles back, scanning the field, and then sends a beautiful spiral twenty yards away, to who, I have no idea because I can’t tear my eyes off him.
It’s been two weeks since the viral video.
Things around campus have not died down.
If anything, it’s worse. There are at least a dozen remixed versions of the original video.
Oh, and they definitely figured out my name.
Desperate Dahlia. Yeah, that’s what they’re calling me.
Most people are nice enough not to say it to my face, but not a day goes by without someone recognizing me around campus.
I haven’t run into Felix again (small mercies), but Violet said he asked about me at a party last weekend.
I haven’t gone out at all. School, practice, home, sleep. That is my existence.
I know, I know. This year was going to be different. Which is why I’m forcing myself to go out tonight. That, and I’d do just about anything for Jane. Even risk public humiliation.
The action stops on the field. Felix bumps wrists with another guy and then walks toward the sideline, where someone hands him a cup of water.
I’m still staring and walking at a snail’s pace when his gaze turns in my direction.
With his helmet covering most of his face, I can’t be sure his eyes are on me, but I feel them.
I have regretted not going to the party with him that night only about a million times. Would he really have kept people from saying anything dickish? Would it have been better to face it instead of hide? Maybe that would have been the end of it. I guess I’ll never know.
The Hideout is a local restaurant. It’s close to campus and has a nice bar area with lots of tables that Valley U students take over on weeknights and weekends.
Tonight, Jane is singing with her friend Eric and his band.
They do a lot of nineties and early two-thousands covers, even though I know Jane writes original songs.
She only sings in public occasionally, when she’s filling in for their main lead singer, and never any of her own stuff.
I ride over with Jane, but she goes straight to help set up. Daisy and Violet are meeting us here. It’s early, so there’s not a lot of people yet. It’s mostly families and couples having dinner, a few guys at the bar are watching the various sports playing on the TVs.
After grabbing a soda from the bartender, I claim a table not far from the small stage area. We want to be close enough she can hear us cheering, but not so close that we can’t talk over the music.
Violet and Gavin are the first to show up. He orders a pitcher of beer, and Vi and I get an appetizer sampler. By the time Daisy and Jordan arrive, the band has started playing.
“I’m so glad you came out tonight.” Daisy leans her head on my shoulder and sways us to the beat of “Crazy” by Gnarls Barkley. “I’ve missed you.”
“Mhmm. I bet it was just terrible without me,” I say dryly and glance toward Jordan’s hand. It hasn’t moved from her thigh since they sat down, and they kiss every few minutes.
She smiles. “Not terrible, but I did miss you.”
“Same.” And I did miss hanging out with them.
Even being the fifth wheel isn’t so bad.
I like both Jordan and Gavin, and I’m getting more comfortable around them.
When Jordan first started coming over to our house, I couldn’t talk to him.
Sadly, my ability to talk to guys isn’t that much better when I’m not interested in them.
Though it’s certainly not as bad as trying to talk to someone like Felix, who makes me feel… everything.
By the time Jane takes her first break, The Hideout is packed like I expected it would be.
“You were incredible,” Violet tells her as Jane slumps into a seat at the end of our table.
She gulps down an entire glass of water before speaking. Her blonde hair is pulled up into a tight, high ponytail that makes all her sharp, angular features look amazing. “Thank you. Any more water? I’m dying. I should have hydrated better today.”
“Jane!” Eric motions for her to come over to where he’s standing next to their bassist.
She looks longingly toward her empty glass.
“I’ll get it. Go be a rock star.” I shoo her away and then stand to head for the bar.
“Thank you, groupie.” She kisses the air and turns on her very high, very expensive Jimmy Choo heels.
I momentarily forgot what a feat it’ll be to get to the bar now that more people are crammed into the space. Good thing I love her.
I push through the crowd to the far side of the bar. It’s quieter and darker and there’s an open spot just big enough that I can slide up to the front.
“Another Dr. Pepper?” The bartender looks up at me as he pours a row of shots.
I shake my head and then lean forward so he can hear me over the crowd. “Water, please.”
He nods and continues pouring his shots. I stand back to wait.
Then I notice a guy sitting at the bar a couple seats down is staring at me, I fidget and keep my gaze down, but it’s too late.
“Hey.” He juts his chin toward me. I want to ignore him, but then he waves his hand and makes it impossible to do so, without looking like I’m purposely snubbing him. Plus, the people between us are now looking at me too.
I glance up and smile timidly. He’s cute. Nice smile, light brown hair that has that whole styled-but-slightly-messy look. I can’t tell if he’s a Valley U student. He looks like he’s right at that graduate student age.
“Hi.” My voice wavers slightly, but I’m proud of myself for getting any sound out. Go me. I’m out of the house and I’m talking to a cute guy. Next up: world domination.
His handsome smile turns sly, and he glides his tongue over his bottom lip in what I think is supposed to be a seductive move, but I’m instantly grossed out. “I’m no Felix Walters, but I’d have sex with you.”
People nearby snicker. My whole body warms and I’m frozen in place.
For a few seconds, I forgot about that stupid video, but this is exactly why I’ve avoided going out.
Stupid guys who think I’m easy because of what I said to my friend in a private conversation (or what I thought was private).
I want to run away, but I can’t make my legs work.
The back of my eyes sting with the threat of tears. I cannot let this asshat see me cry.
Before I can force my stupid frozen body to turn away, another voice cuts through the laughter and chatter around us. “Hey, asshole. That’s my girlfriend you’re making a pass at, and trust me, you’d be so lucky.”
Felix steps so he’s in front of me, partially blocking me from the guy still smirking in my direction. A gray T-shirt stretches across his broad back, and he smells like soap and mint.
“Sorry, man. I didn’t know you two were a thing.” The guy clearly woke up today with a death wish because he cocks his head to the side and adds, “Can’t blame me for trying. I love a desperate chick. They’re the most giving in bed. Guess I don’t need to tell you.”
Felix lunges, and on instinct, I reach out and grab his bicep to stop him. Heat radiates off him. The muscles in his arms flex as he tightens his hands into fists.
My touch distracts him enough that he pauses and glances down to where my fingers are wrapped around his warm skin.
“Here’s that water,” the bartender says and sets the glass down in front of me. He eyes Felix and then the mouthy guy carefully, like he’s trying to communicate with his stern gaze to calm down or take it outside.
The idiot that was mouthing off is already standing and walking away. Maybe he doesn’t have a death wish after all.
“I should kick his ass,” Felix grumbles, watching the guy disappear into the crowd with his beer.
“No, you shouldn’t.” I finally peel my hand off of him. “He’s not worth getting kicked out.”
“It would absolutely be worth it.” He finally faces me and slowly takes me in. A slow perusal that starts at my lips and scans my basic white tank and Levi cut-off jean shorts then finally settles on the Jordans on my feet.
“Nice shoes.” His lips quirk up into a smile. All traces of the anger radiating off him a second ago are gone.
“Thank you.” I click my heels together. Because of-freaking-course I do. I lift the glass. “And thanks for saving me back there. You didn’t need to do that, but I appreciate it.”
“Anyone gives you any trouble, just tell them you’re my girlfriend.”
A slightly psychotic sounding laugh slips from my lips. Yeah, sure, that’s what I’ll do. I lift the glass of water in my hand. “I need to get this to Jane.”
“I’m gonna grab a beer,” he says. “Maybe I’ll see you later.”
With a stiff smile, I turn and head back to the table.
“Was that Felix I saw you talking to?” Jane asks as soon as I hand her the glass.