Chapter 19
Chapter
Nineteen
Hunter: Adam’s apartment is 3D. I hope you come tonight.
Natalie: Will you be able to recognize me?
Hunter: Give me a hint?
Natalie: I like yarn, milk, and sleeping in the sunshine.
Hunter: You’re a grandma?
Natalie: Guess you’ll have to wait and see ;)
Lingering by the door to Adam’s apartment, I read over my texts from Natalie again. My eyes bounce from my phone to the entryway, waiting for her.
Adam’s apartment is the same layout as ours, but dark. Someone set up black lights, and black crepe paper streamers and fake cobwebs hang from the ceiling. They moved all the furniture out of the living room to make space for dancing, and weird Halloween music plays through Bluetooth speakers. The kitchen boasts a makeshift bar, plus the fridge is stocked with beer. Drinks flow freely.
I sip from my bottle and lean against the wall, arms crossed over my chest. I can’t seem to stop thinking about Natalie and our not-date a few days ago. Blue Forty-Two is my go-to good impression restaurant—and it didn’t work. I’ve never had that move backfire before. She made it clear we were only out to dinner so she could interview me. Even so, I can’t deny the sparks I feel around her.
And she said she’d come tonight, so maybe I have another chance. This can’t be for her job, right?
A flash of brown hair catches in my periphery, and I turn.
Oh. It’s not Natalie, but the girl saw me and made eye contact, and now she approaches. She’s dressed like Brittany Spears circa “Hit Me, Baby One More Time,” complete with pigtails, knee socks, and a blouse unbuttoned enough to show cleavage. I fight to not roll my eyes. It feels a little overdone.
“Hi, there,” she purrs, rubbing her hands on her plaid skirt. “You’re Hunter, right?”
I nod. I’m used to people knowing who I am.
“I’m Mia,” she tells me, smiling. She’s short and curvy, and normally I’d be all over this. A pretty girl wants to talk to me at a party. The intense look she gives me lets me know that if I wanted to sleep with her, it wouldn’t take much.
But I don’t. My eyes dart to the door, but still no Natalie. I sigh. Mia takes a step closer and touches my chest.
“I saw your game the other night. You looked amazing.”
“Yeah? What was your favorite part?”
If this girl can tell me anything about the actual game, I’ll give her the keys to my car.
“Um.” Batting her lashes, she tilts her lips up to me like I’m going to kiss her. “The part where you scored.”
I laugh and spy my salvation walking by. “I think you’re confusing me with my friend Mateo. He’s the one who scored.”
I snag him, then introduce him to Mia. She gives me a little finger wave but walks off without protest. I sigh in relief and lean back against the wall where I can see the door.
Hadley, dressed as Captain Marvel, moves past me and makes a beeline for Jonas. He also came as a Marvel character—Wong from Doctor Strange. It’s a random costume to have, but it fits that he’d pick a guy who likes to hang out with books and surprise everyone with his martial arts skills.
I invited Hadley tonight, thinking that it would be easier to monitor her if I had a little control over the situation. But I didn’t factor in that I’d have to watch her flirt all night. Ugh. At least I don’t have to worry about her when she’s with Jonas.
The door opens, and finally, it’s Natalie. She glances around at the crowd, and I’m already moving off the wall to meet her. Do I imagine it, or does her face light up when she sees me? My heart pounds faster and my palms sweat.
“So, what do you think?” I ask. Natalie eyes me up and down, and I give her my best twinkling smile. “Can you figure out who I am?”
“The hat and the whip? Of course, I recognize Indiana Jones. Very nice.”
“Wait til you see it with Cooper’s. It’s a whole thing. Now, who are you?” I tap my chin, staring at her black leggings, black sweater, and cat-ear headband. She twirls a black fluffy tail in her hands, attached to her backside. “Don’t tell me. Catwoman?”
Natalie rolls her eyes. “Please. This is not a spandex jumpsuit.” Pity. Now I’m never going to get that visual out of my mind. “I threw it together at the last minute. I’m just a cat.”
“I’m glad you came.” The words pop out of my mouth before I can stop them, and I swallow as her gaze locks onto mine. Her costume is not sexy or attention-grabbing, like Brittany Spears or the three sexy cowgirls I’ve seen tonight. But she stands tall, looking confident, and damn if that isn’t more appealing than the skin-tight ones.
Although, you know, if she wanted to go that route, I wouldn’t complain.
“Hey, check it out!” Cooper interrupts us, flinging an arm around my shoulders. “Can you guess our theme?”
I can’t believe he agreed to this costume. I guess love (or sex) can have that effect on people. He poses next to me in his tall boots, dark pants, white Henly, and open brown vest. He pulls a plastic squirt gun out of his low-slung holster and leans against me back-to-back.
Natalie giggles. “Do you have Jack Ryan in here somewhere, too? Any other famous Harrison Ford roles I’m forgetting?”
“See?” He nudges my shoulder. “I knew people would figure it out.”
It’s not a bad theme, especially considering I got the cooler outfit, with the leather jacket, hat, and whip. Jasmine, dressed as Princess Leia, comes up and twines herself around Cooper, her Han Solo.
Natalie bursts out laughing.“Oh, I get it. This way he ties in with you both. Cute.”
I shrug. “It was a compromise.”
“A good one,” Jasmine says, smiling at me. “Thanks for letting me join in.”
I tip my hat to her as she tugs Cooper off with her, then turn to Natalie. I shove my fists in my pockets and rock on the balls of my feet. “Can I get you a drink?”
“Sure. Lead the way.” She gestures to the kitchen, a few feet away, and I hold out my hand, so we don’t get separated. There’s not enough people here to justify that move, but I make it anyway, hoping it works.
Natalie laces her fingers through mine, and I turn away so she doesn’t see my triumphant smile. Her palm is soft, as I somehow knew it would be, and her touch sends a frisson of awareness up my spine.
In the kitchen, I point out the ingredients for any mixed drink she could want, and then I open the fridge and show her the shelves full of Coors and White Claw.
“Black Cherry, please.”
“The best flavor, right?” I take a beer for myself and grab her one of the hard seltzers. She pops it open and takes a sip, and my eyes lock on the long column of her throat.
“So I have a confession to make,” she says after another swallow.
I meet her gaze over the rim of my can. My beer fizzes on my tongue, crisp and cool. “Yeah?”
“Remember how I told you I had never been to a frat party?”
“I’m not sure picking up Hadley actually counts, by the way.” I take a step closer in the kitchen to hear her over the music. “Remind me to check on her after this. She has a two drink limit tonight. But what’s your confession?”
“Um, I actually haven’t been to any college parties. This is my first.” Tipping back her can, she takes a drink, not looking at me when she says this. I do my best to hide my shock—I don’t want her to feel bad.
“We are honored.” I sweep off my hat and try to execute a fancy bow, but the kitchen isn’t big enough. Natalie giggles and her laughter fizzes in my chest like I’m drunk on it. “Is there anything in particular we should do to mark this milestone?”
She taps her chin. “Well, I’m trying to think of quintessential college movie cliches. It’s already a costume party, so that’s good. Is someone wearing a toga? That would be a nice touch.”
I take a step closer as a guy comes into the kitchen. “If not, I can make a freshman put one on.”
“Isn’t that an abuse of your captain privileges?”
“Technically, yes. But for you… I’d do it.” Evan would probably do it for nothing. I take a sip of my drink, studying her. I don’t want to spook her, but I say what’s on my mind. “If you don’t mind me asking… why haven’t you been to any parties before?”
She’s a gorgeous girl—surely, it’s not a lack of invites?
Natalie shrugs and adjusts her cat ears. “I don’t mean to imply that there’s anything wrong with this. But college, for me, isn’t really about the experience. I’ve got a lot on my plate. My plan is to get in, get out, get my degree, and start working.”
“What’s the rush?”
She bites her lip. “I have people depending on me.”
I can respect that. I clear my throat. “That reminds me. We should go find Hadley.”
The smile Natalie gives me lights up the dark room. “It’s sweet—that you’re such a softie over your little sister.”
“I’m not a softie. I’m just looking out for her.”
She links her arm through mine, and I get a whiff of her fruity perfume. It hits me low in the gut and leaves me wanting more. “You’re a good guy. She’s lucky to have you. Even if she doesn’t know it yet.”
No one’s ever thought that about me before. Has it ever been true before? I’d like it to be. I let her lead me around the party, and it hits me—I think I’d let her lead me anywhere she wants.