Just One Glance (Oh Tequila #5) - C.A. Harms Page 0,43

dash immediately stopped me.

“What the―” I looked up and the words I’d had on the tip of my tongue disappeared. A large group of guys and maybe even girls covered from head to toe with mud were barreling in a herd across the road. They were jumping around, hooting and hollering as if they’d just won the Super Bowl or something. We both sat watching as they crossed in front of us, moving from the open field on one side of the street toward the side streets lined with big historic homes.

Most of them were so covered with mud you couldn’t tell what they truly looked like beneath it all. They were a mess.

“I’m not imagining this, am I?”

Darcy remained quiet and I looked around from the people and toward her.

“Right? You see this too?”

“Mud wars.” Two words was all I got and her nostrils flared as she continued to stare.

“Excuse me?”

“Fraternities, they have mud wars.” She seemed so bitter. “It’s some macho thing that they do. Isaac…” She practically growls his name and her chest heaved. “He’s such a child, but it’s their big yearly war with the other fraternities and it’s this big thing. Like a way to prove who’s dick is bigger or something.”

I really needed to ask her what on earth went on between her and this Isaac guy.

Before I could say anything more I jerked in surprise when there was a tap on the window at my side. Slowly and cautiously I swiveled around and found a very muddy and adorable Jay standing at the side of Darcy’s car. He was leaning forward with one hand resting on her door, his eyes level with my own.

He motioned for me to roll down the window and I swear I could hear a swooshing sound in my ear from the rapid beat of my heart.

With a shaky hand I pressed the window button and it slowly started to go down. His face had so much mud on it that the only clean space was his left cheek and his eyes. It was mostly dry, making the scruff on his chin and lip seem crunchy. I pressed my lips tightly together to keep from laughing.

Honestly, I was a nervous wreck considering the way our last encounter had ended. He walked away and I felt like I’d probably never talk to him again. Seeing him across campus with not even a wave was how I pictured things would now be.

But here he was.

“Go ahead.” He smirked and I felt the wall I had up crumble just a little. “You know you wanna laugh.”

“Maybe,” I said, the smile tugging at the corners of my mouth.

“Darcy,” he offered my friend a nod and I knew he was doing so more for me than her. “Missed you this year, would have been fun to pay you back for last year.”

Again I wondered what my friend had actually participated in that she’d neglected to share.

“I’ve outgrown mud wars.”

“Shame.” Jay looked back at me and I had yet to take my eyes off his dirty yet beautiful face. “So last time we talked it didn’t go over so well, did it?”

Shaking my head, I felt the wall slowly start to slide back into place, until he leaned in a little closer and smiled that gorgeous smile. My heart fluttered, my stomach tightened.

“I meant what I said about not being a bad guy.” I heard Darcy’s humph of disapproval. It irritated me really, because I remember her once pushing me to talk to him and go out with him. But this time, I wasn’t going to let her take this moment from me. “We’re going back to the house to celebrate, have a drink or two.” He cocked his head, looking back at a few of the guys that had hung back to wait for him. “If you’re not busy, maybe you’d like to join us.”

“We―” I held up my hand to stop Darcy and I heard her surprised gasp.

“I’d like that.” I was doing something for me for once, like he said before. I was living my life based on my own wants. “Should I come now?”

“If you don’t mind walking with a group of idiots covered in mud.” His chuckle as he pushed back off the car made me laugh. I pulled the handle and looked back to Darcy. “You should join us.”

“Go on.” She forced a smile. “I’m good. Just be careful.”

“I don’t want to be careful.” She seemed surprised, almost as