All of Molly’s conditions regarding Colton’s takedown had been met: Lesbian access to the GM clubhouse? Check—albeit far less than she had wanted. Introduction to the editor of theDaily Oklahoman? Check. (Through Matt’s connections with Nicholas—and Nicholas’s connections with theOklahoman, Molly was now interning for the crime reporter there.) She was perfectly positioned to snap the photos that would be Colton’s undoing—and make Bella Bottoms a star.
And, yes, Bella was also solidly on board with the plan. She’d seen samples of Molly’s work and approved. She’d agreed to pay Molly for use of her photos after a one-year freebie.
There was still the issue of Bella’s third condition, but Matt felt confident he could pull that off as well.
Matt looked around. The room was almost empty. Two of the holdouts were a girl and one of the parliamentary geeks, both of whose names escaped him. The girl was flirting with the pimply geek, flipping her hair and batting her eyelashes. Poor thing. She was wasting her time.
Geek guy had already shot his wad—verbally—with one too many motions. Mentally, he was smoking a cigarette, drowsing off to sleep, oblivious to the hot girl in front of him.
Matt’s dorm was packed with guys like this one—earnest,straight guys who’d never been kissed—except by their mothers and saggy-breasted aunts. Guys who wanked in the shower, making love to fantasy women, but couldn’t interact with the live ones all around them. Guys who believed that the man was the head of the house but expected a woman to take the initiative physically—until marriage, after which point she was “to submit to her husband as to the Lord.”
Valentine’s Day was less than a week away. There was little chance Matt would get to spend it with Adam. He decided to play Cupid for this couple. Maybe if geek guy had to spend more time with this girl, he might trip and fall into her embrace.
“Hey you two!” Matt said, walking over to them.
“Mustang!” said the girl.
“Hey,” mumbled the guy.
Matt addressed the girl. “Weren’t you one of the speakers in favor of that vegetarian resolution?”
She nodded.
“I thought so! Good speech,” Matt said. He wanted to tell her that his boyfriend was also a vegetarian but couldn’t—for obvious reasons.
“And this guy—” Matt playfully jostled the pimply geek “—had the nerve to table your resolution!”
Geek guy blushed and stammered.
Vegetarian girl ramped up the fake indignation. She was a quick study.
Matt slipped a reassuring arm around geek guy’s shoulders, like they were best buds.
“I think,” Matt said, giving the girl a conspiratorial wink, “that if I were the guy who had tabled your resolution, the least I could do to make it up to you would be to have dinner with you tomorrow night and see what it’s like trying to eat without true vegetarian options.”
The girl looked expectantly at geek guy, who stood there blinking, suddenly lost for words.
Matt turned to him and whispered: “This is the part where you ask if you can join her for dinner.”
It was awkward, but geek guy managed to arrange his first date, then beamed triumphantly like he’d just discovered the cure for cancer.
Matt ushered them towards the exit, promising that, once the vegetarian resolution came up for consideration again, he would vote for it.
Vegetarian girl mouthed “thank you” to him on her way out.
Matt closed the door behind them. Now he was alone in the room with Mike Huebsch and Colton Langley. He took a moment to center himself before turning around.
“What do you want?” Colton snarled.
“I was hoping you and I could have a private conversation,” Matt said.
Huebsch was indignant. He puffed out his chest and stretched himself as tall as he could, none of which made any difference on his 5’6”, 95-lb frame, a Chihuahua in a big dog world.
“Anything you’ve got to say to Colton, you can say in front of me,” Huebsch yipped. “We’re a team.”
Matt ignored him, gave Colton an imploring look. “Please?”
Colton sighed. “Fine.” Then he turned to Huebsch. “Beat it.”
