The Jock by J.L. Beck Page 0,27
reception desk, the kind you see at hotels.
“Good evening, Miss Lawrence. Is this your guest?”
“Yes, Humphry. This is my friend, Blair. She will be staying with me this weekend.”
“Perfect. I’ll have her added to the guest list.”
As we walk away, I lean into Mia’s side, and whisper, “Who was that?”
“Humphry, our doorman.” Mia loops her arm around mine while pulling me toward the elevator. Zeke, of course, rides up with us, most likely seeing us to the door.
The elevator doors open, and I expect to step into a hallway. Except, it’s not a hallway at all. The elevator leads straight into an apartment. A beautiful, large apartment. I’m a bit flabbergasted, and it takes me a moment before I can get my brain and mouth to connect.
“Oh my god! Is this your place?”
“Yup, pretty fancy-schmancy, huh?” Mia downplays it. I can tell she’s still not used to this kind of life, the endless supply of money, being able to buy and do things whenever she wants.
“It’s amazing and huge. You have the whole floor to yourself?” The place is clean, sleek, and modern. It’s got a homey feel to it as well, even though there’s no personal decor.
“Yeah, well, kind of. Ah…” She looks past me.
Turning my head, I look over my shoulder to where Zeke is standing. He’s so quiet, I almost forgot he was even here. My cheeks burn as I openly gawk at him, and I give him a smile to lessen the awkwardness, but he just gives me a nod. What’s up with him?
When I turn back to Mia, I put one and one together. “Wait, Zeke lives here with you?”
“Yeah,” she admits, kicking her booted foot against the marble floor. “My dad didn’t want me to live on my own. Something about it being dangerous and troublesome, so he got me a place big enough where Zeke and I can live together. It’s kind of separate. I mean everything except the kitchen. There is only one.”
“I’m arming the security system now. Do not try to leave without me,” Zeke warns his voice rough, and I immediately wonder if she has been trying to dodge him.
“Don’t worry, I’ll behave.” She gives him a wide smile, and I wonder what the hell is going on between them? I get the sense there is a story, and I want to hear it.
Zeke disappears out of the room, and since we’re alone now, I feel safe asking her my next question. “What was that about?”
“I’ll explain later. First, let’s have a drink.” Mia huffs, pulling me through the apartment and into the kitchen.
I take a seat at the large marble top bar and watch Mia get out two glasses and a bottle of red wine. She pops the cork and pours us each a healthy glass.
“Does Zeke buy the booze for you?” Neither one of us is old enough to drink, but we have shared a glass of wine before, one time, I stole a bottle of wine from my mother.
“Maybe.” She takes a sip and shrugs her shoulders. She’s being evasive, sharing minimal things. It’s not really like her to hide anything but since her mother died, and she inherited a new father, I’ve pushed less at making her tell me things. Change isn’t easy for her.
“Tell me more about football-tutor guy,” She quips.
“I don’t think he really likes me,” I explain, taking a sip of my own wine. I let the sweet and tangy liquid swirl around in my mouth before swallowing it.
“But you like him?”
“He just wants to get in my pants, and he only wants that because I’m the only girl to ever deny him. I’m a challenge. He’s not used to rejection, and now he has to prove something to himself, and most likely, everyone else.”
“You didn’t answer my question. Do you like him?”
Do I like him? Hmm, the answer should be no, but I’m tempted by him. Tempted to take a walk on the wild side.
“I could like him, but I won’t let it come to that.”
Mia rolls her eyes. “Your last boyfriend was junior year of high school, and you guys barely went to third base.”
“Daniel was a nice boy, don’t go hating on him.”
Daniel really was a nice guy and cute in a dorky kind of way. He wasn’t perfect and definitely wasn’t popular, but he never pressured me for sex, and always found a way to make me smile, but I knew what it was that drew me to him.