The Deal

She’s so pissed she’s actually trembling. “Then how do you explain her?” One manicured finger lifts in Hannah’s direction.

Great. Well, now I’m screwed. I can’t insist that it’s not a date, because Kohl is supposed to think it is. But if I say it is a date, Kendall might very well slap me.

I lower my voice. “She’s not my girlfriend. It’s a date, yeah, but it’s not a serious thing, okay?”

“No, not okay. I’m really into you! And if you’re not into me, then fine. But at least have the decency to—”

“Why?” I’m unable to stop the question that had bitten at my tongue last week when she and I called it quits.

Kendall blinks in confusion. “Why what?”

“Why are you into me?”

She scowls at me, as if she’s genuinely insulted that I would ask that.

“You don’t even know me,” I say softly. “You haven’t tried to get to know me.”

“That’s not true,” she objects, her scowl dissolving into a worried frown.

I let out a troubled breath. “We’ve never even had a real conversation, Kendall, and we’ve seen each other dozens of times since the summer. You haven’t asked me a single question about my childhood, or my family, or my classes. My teammates, my interests—hell, you don’t even know my favorite color, and that’s the kind of thing you find out in Getting to Know You 101.”

“Yes, I do,” she insists.

I sigh again. “Yeah? What is it then?”

She hesitates for a beat, then says, “Blue.”

“Actually, it’s black,” another voice pipes up, and then Hannah appears at my side, and I’m so fucking relieved that I almost give her a bear hug.

“Sorry to interrupt,” she chirps, “but…dude, where’s our beer? Did you get lost on your way to the kitchen or something?”

“I got sidetracked.”

Hannah glances at Kendall. “Hi. I’m Hannah. Sorry, but I need to steal him away for a second. Thirst calls.”

The fact that Kendall doesn’t object tells me that my point has hit home, and Kendall’s expression is a mixture of shame and guilt as Hannah takes my arm and drags me into the hallway.

Once we’re out of sight, I lower my voice and say, “Thanks for the save. She was either about to burst into tears, or kick me in the balls.”

“I’m sure the latter would’ve been well-deserved,” Hannah replies with a sigh. “Let me guess—you broke her heart.”

“No.” Annoyance rises in my throat. “But it turns out our amicable parting wasn’t as amicable as I thought it was.”

“Ah. I see.”

I narrow my eyes. “So my favorite color is black, huh? What makes you think that?”

“Because every frickin’ shirt you own is black.” She shoots a pointed look at my sweater.

“Maybe that’s because black goes with everything—did you ever think about that?” I smirk. “Doesn’t mean it’s my favorite color.”

“Fine, I’ll bite. What’s your favorite color then?”

I let out a sigh. “It’s black.”

“Ha! I knew it.” Hannah sighs, too. “So, what, do we have to hide in the hall for the rest of the night now to avoid that girl?”

“Yup. Unless you want to take off?” I say hopefully. I’ve lost all enthusiasm for this party, especially now that Kohl has arrived. Before she can answer, I strengthen my case by adding, “Kohl took the bait, by the way. So if we take off now, you’ll leave him wanting more, which was the plan, right?”

Hesitation digs a line into her forehead. “Yeah, I guess. But…”

“But what?”

“I was enjoying talking to him.”

Damned if that doesn’t feel like a knife to the heart. But why? I’m not interested in Hannah. Or at least I hadn’t been before. All I’d wanted was her tutoring services, but now…now I don’t know what I want.

“What did you guys talk about?” I ask, and hope she doesn’t hear the edge in my voice.

Hannah shrugs. “Class. Football. The showcase. He asked me if I want to have coffee sometime and study for Ethics together.”

Uh, what?

“Are you shitting me?” I burst out. “He’s macking on my date right in front of me?”

Amusement dances in her eyes. “We’re not actually together, Garrett.”

“He doesn’t know that.” I can’t control the anger simmering in my gut. “You don’t hit on another man’s date. Period. That’s a dick move.”

A frown touches her lips.

I eye her. “Would you want to go out with a guy who does something that shady?”

“No,” she admits after a long beat. “But…” She appears to be thinking it over. “There wasn’t anything overtly sexual about the invitation. If he was hitting on me, he would’ve asked me to dinner. Coffee and studying can be construed as a friend thing.”

She could be right, but I know how guys think. That son of a bitch was hitting on her in plain sight of the guy she came to the party with.

Dick. Move.

“Garrett…” Her voice becomes wary. “You know that kiss didn’t mean anything, right?”

The question catches me off guard. “Uh. Yeah. Of course I know that.”