happy coeds, and by the time I made it there, I had booze in my hair and a sweat-soaked shirt. When I walked in, the players all started shouting, “Ball!” I didn’t even have to remind myself that it was a term of endearment. I was surprised by how happy it made me that they were all happy to see me.
Oakley ran up to me, practically giddy, and wrapped his thick arms around my waist. He easily lifted me and twirled me around. I briefly wondered if he could lift me over his head Dirty Dancing style, but he set me back down. I giggled at the look of pure happiness on Oakley’s face.
“Hey there, Stud. Word around town is that you just won a football game. How does that make you feel?” I joked and held my fist up to his face like a microphone. The entire locker room went nuts when I mentioned the win. I didn’t understand it before, but now it was easy to see why people celebrated for days.
Oakley leaned in close so that only I could hear him and asked in a low throaty voice, “So you think I’m a stud?” His hot breath on my neck sent an instant wave of heat up my entire body.
“Uh, no. I mean yes, on the field. You’re a stud on the field,” I said lamely. “Have you done your interviews yet? How about that party? We don’t want to leave Kelseigh hanging!”
“I like the way you think, Solver. Interviews went great. I answered a couple of questions, but since Hanley broke a school record, they’re more interested in him tonight.” I frowned. My PR brain was already working to think up ways to make the media interested in Oakley. “Let me grab a quick shower, and Coach wants to chat for a minute, then we can go!” he added.
I was already hot and bothered. Picturing Oakley and his vagina miner in the shower was not going to help. I needed a distraction. Most of the other guys were already in the showers, so I pulled out my phone to keep me occupied. I texted Dad to make sure they got to a hotel okay and then looked at my calendar for tomorrow. All I had was a late breakfast with my parents and then seeing them off to the airport. I opened YouTube and saw that there were a few new mantra videos in my favorite channels. Huh. I hadn’t watched one in days.
I had done such a good job of distracting myself that I didn’t even notice when Oakley walked over to me. He cleared his throat and bowed deeply, extending his hand to me. “M’lady, are you ready to go?” Weirdo.
I didn’t take his hand. I was too busy staring at him now. Oakley looked good. His hair was effortlessly styled. His shirt was way too tight. His jeans hugged his long legs. I felt tiny standing next to him. “I’m taking you to dinner first,” he said matter-of-factly.
“Huh?”
“I’m hungry,” Oakley explained with a smile. “I'm always starving after a game. And since our date that wasn’t really a date was interrupted by Dale, I figured we could grab a bite to eat.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but Oakley cupped my cheeks.
Oh yeah, this would definitely get some curious stares. The locker room was still a flutter of activity. Some players were getting prepped for ice baths. Some were getting cuts and bruises tended to. One was having his groin stretched. And I wish that were a euphemism, because the way the middle-aged trainer was up in his no-no zone just looked wrong.
“I’m taking you out, Solver. I’ll even go over the interview with you so you can pretend it’s work.” He pulled me out of the main area of the lockers and toward the outside hallway. All of the coeds and press had filtered out, so we were alone.
I bit my lip, and his dark eyes zeroed in on the movement. Fuck. Was it hot in here or just me? “Oakley,” I said with a sigh. “Are you gonna have dinner with me, then disappear with one of those girls? The client thing is a big problem for me, but also…” I debated for a moment how to tell him my issues with the party scene without revealing my deepest shame. “We are very different. I feel like a short-lived challenge to you, and once the novelty wears off, you’ll find something