Chapter 8
Rachel
I say goodbye to Jade at her building and make my way across campus for my second class of the day, and the only one I share with Randy.
I catch myself smiling, thinking about the past few days and everything that’s come with them.
Sure, I attend college, but I’ve never really felt like I belonged.
I go to class, talk with my three best friends, then head home.
Beyond that, my social life’s been pretty nonexistent.
But since meeting Randy, even briefly, I’ve already said hello to two different groups today.
One frat party later, and suddenly he’s tripled the number of people I know on campus.
I guess that wasn’t too hard to do…so now I know nine people.
I didn’t go back to his place that night, and he understood—I wanted to be there in the morning when Sam woke up. Since he was only allowed two drinks, he offered to drive me home.
We left around midnight and ended up having a pretty crazy make-out session in his car just down the road from my house… Okay, it was sex. Flat-out, hot, unadulterated sex.
Living with my parents isn’t always ideal but hell it worked out just fine in that spacious truck of his.
Having him looking at me the way he did on the way home, sexy man driving his sexy car.
We both had our clothes off so fast and when I sunk down onto him, able to use the steering wheel as leverage to ride out my orgasm—both of us losing control at the same time.
So good. So hot. Nothing but pure ecstasy with this man.
Sure, I’ve had great sex before—but this? This is something else entirely. It’s different. Deeper. Like my body just discovered a new language for pleasure. Next-level bliss doesn’t even begin to cover it.
Thinking about the last week, I realize that I’m in happiness overdrive, but my steps falter as I look up the path and see Randy talking to a group of girls.
He sucks on a lollipop, and it’s not hard to see where he got it as the gorgeous blonde next to him sucks on one as well.
He smiles at the girls, talking and using his hands to explain the story he is telling them.
They all laugh and the blonde rubs at his arm—what is it with the girls here and always touching his biceps?
The charisma, confidence, and charm pour from this man like Sam adding syrup to his pancakes.
I feel my chest tighten as I near them, walking straight into this confrontation, unable to do anything about it. Yep, we’ve had sex, and even went to a party together—he’s probably done that with all those girls too. Fine. I will just smile, wave, and keep on walking.
My hands grasp the straps of my backpack as I think back to this morning and the lack of effort I put into getting ready.
Definitely not as much as the knockouts in front of me.
I had fully planned to put effort into my appearance since I knew I had a class with Randy today, but Sam thought it was more important to leave his shoes in the car yesterday afternoon, and I spent a good ten minutes looking for them this morning instead of readying myself for obvious battle.
Randy is smiling, laughing, and unaware of me as I approach because he’s obviously consumed with the ladies around him. I sigh to myself, keeping my eyes down as I come within a few feet of them. “Rachel!”
I look up quickly and greet him with a warm smile. “Hey, Randy,” I say in reply, unsure what to do—do I keep walking, or do I stop? The blonde he’s with looks me up and down…and not in a nice way.
He pulls the purple lollipop from his mouth and grins. “We have our first class together,” he says as I slow to a stop.
“We’ve actually had classes together before, you just haven’t known.”
“Well, I know now,” he says.
He nods and gestures to the group of girls. “Well, ladies, I better go to class, thanks for the lollipop. Oh, and I’m really excited to see those new moves.” He waves as he falls in step with me and throws his arm around my shoulder.
“New moves?” I look up at him and ask as we walk toward our building.
“Raptor cheerleaders…they have new routines for this weekend,” he smiles the white stick poking out from between his perfect teeth, the movement making his jaw muscles even more cut. Damn him and his gorgeous face.
The campus is once again decorated in silver and blue with the upcoming finals.
People are wearing school colors and Randy, like all the other Raptors, are wearing their jerseys this week.
Team spirit is in full force as I take a seat in the middle of the lecture room as Randy falls down next to me.
We are one of the first few people to arrive, even beating the professor.
Reaching into my bag, I pull out my laptop and start getting ready. Randy’s presence makes me nervous, but he’s relaxed—dripping with swagger as he does the same.
His friends enter the room and make a commotion when they spot him, yelling from across the room. He fist-pumps them in greeting as they take seats in the row in front of us.
“Ready for tomorrow?” asks a guy with bright green eyes, turning to face us.
“Bring it.”
He sighs. “Yep,” he nods in agreement. “I’m going home to eat a bowl of pasta, drink a few gallons of water, and go to bed.”
“Lewis, this is Rachel. Rachel, this is Lewis,” Randy says. “He’s a Raptor—but I guess the jersey gives that away.”
“Hi,” we both say in unison.
Randy points to the backs of the other two guys. “Reilly and Mitch—you met them the other day,” he adds by way of introduction.
They turn briefly and give a small wave.
“Hey.” I smile.
“Hey, Randy,” a cute-looking woman says as she squats beside him in the aisle.
“Hey, Tess,” he greets her.
“I need a date to the upcoming Raptors fundraiser, and I was hoping you might want to come with me? I’m guessing you have to make an appearance anyway, so I thought we could go together—and I’d make it worth your while,” she adds with a wink.
Lewis whistles in front of us having heard the proposition, but his head stays facing forward.
I listen to their conversation, my eyesight boring into my laptop and not making eye contact with her.
Not that I think she would care anyway since I’m sitting right next to him, and she just asked him out right in front of me.
“Ahh, Tess—not this year, lovely.”
“No worries. Here’s my number if you change your mind,” she says, passing him a folded-up piece of paper. He looks at it, then slides it into his pocket.
Reilly swings around in front of me. “If Harrison won’t take you, I’m free,” he says, emphasizing his offer with a wiggle of his eyebrows.
“Thanks, Reilly, but if I ask you out, Alex will hate me forever.”
“Alex?” he asks. “Which one’s that?”
“The brunette with the massive rack,” Mitch says beside him as he types in his password.
Randy flicks the back of his head.
“Ouch,” Mitch grumbles, rubbing the spot and turning to face us. “What? She does—and now everyone knows who I’m talking about.”
Reilly loudly clicks his fingers and nods. “Yep, I know the one.”
“See?” Mitch says in his defense, turning back to the front and tapping at his laptop.
“Bye, guys.” Tess laughs as she stands and leaves.
“Wait, Tess! Get me her number?”
“I’ll text it to you.”
“Thanks, beautiful!”
“Sorry about that,” Randy says to me.
“That’s okay.” I smile.
“Want to come to the fundraiser with me?” he asks, winking. “I’ll make it worth your while.”
I can’t help but laugh, instantly at ease again.
That’s what I like about Randy. He knows how to control a football with skill and precision, but just as easily, he knows how to read people.
I liked how respectful he was to Tess—it’s never easy asking someone out, but he turned her down with tact.
And then, just like that, he eased my discomfort without making a big deal of it.
I’m not sure if it’s confidence or ego that fuels those instincts, but either way it works for him.