My phone buzzed in my hand, but I studiously ignored the temptation to read Danny’s response. Instead, I stuffed my phone into the front pocket of my hoodie and grabbed the remote to turn up the sound on the movie. Austin Powers was in yet another pickle for which he needed Basil’s help, and as expected, Basil was no help at all. I settled into the cushions and stuffed popcorn into my mouth while my friend shot me a death glare to rival Scott Evil’s and downed more wine.
By the time the credits were rolling across the screen, we’d killed the bottle of wine (Zoe drank most of it) and a massive bowl of popcorn. After the initial discomfort of Zoe’s attitude toward my crush, we’d laughed ourselves silly at how many penis puns one movie could portray with a relatively straight face. I was sleepy and yet wired. Despite Zoe’s stance on my relationship with Danny, that unread text explained why I felt simultaneously sleepy and wired.
After a long stretch, I unfolded myself from the couch and headed for the door.
“You sure you’re okay to drive?” Zoe asked with a yawn. “You’re welcome to camp out on my couch.”
Smiling, I said, “I had a glass and a half of that ‘tasty’ wine you bought, and my last sip was over an hour ago. I’m good.”
She stood and joined me at the door. “See you in class tomorrow.”
“See you tomorrow, chicka. Thanks for the distraction—and the tough love. I needed both tonight.”
“A dollar says you won’t wait till you get home to read that last text.” Her eyes sparkled with mischief.
Holding my hand out, I said, “You might as well pay up now.”
“Uh-huh.” She smirked. “See you tomorrow.”
I actually made it all the way to my apartment before I pulled my phone from my pocket. Technically, I was home, but I was still in my car parked in the street out front, so I guess that meant neither of us had won.
Scrolling my phone open, I saw three new texts.
Danny: Kinda feels like you’re avoiding me.
Danny: You’re not texting back. Definitely avoiding me.
Danny: Tina says you work at some place called the Coffee Kiosk. I’ll catch up with you there tomorrow.
Crap.
My little sister had a very big mouth.
So much for putting him off about where I worked. I didn’t need Danny doing me any favors like leaving me a big tip for serving him when he stopped in with his latest conquest. Hopefully he’d be too tired after practice to make good on his threat. But now that he knew the name of the coffee shop, it was only a matter of time before he showed up there.
Get a grip, Taryn. You can be his friend for the next six weeks, I admonished myself.
Once classes started, both of us would disappear into our routines and eventually drift apart. He could pursue his football dreams and I could finish up my undergrad and prepare for grad school without seeing him. We might cross paths occasionally, but we could just say hello, and it wouldn’t be a big deal.
A stab of heartburn had me pushing the heel of my hand into my sternum.
Okay, so maybe it would be a big deal to only see him on occasion as the semester wore on, but I’d yearned for him for long enough. For my own mental health, I had no choice but to convince my heart that we were friends. We’d been friends for five years. Sure, the past four were mostly via email, which was easy, but I could do this. I could show him around campus, take him to some of the more fun bars, hang out with him sometimes. Who knew? Maybe he’d introduce me to another football player who could light up my world.
At the thought of dating someone, a vision of the disgust on Aaron’s face the night he walked out blew up in my mind. Hot on the heels of that vision was another from New Year’s Eve my junior year of high school when I thought Danny and I were on a date at a house party until I saw him walk out of Kaitlyn’s bedroom zipping the fly of his jeans and heard her whine for him to come back as he closed the door.
I was the friend, not the girlfriend. My entire life experience had made that clear. Besides, what would I do with him if he ever showed a romantic interest in me? He ran hot, but even his brand of heat couldn’t thaw a bonafide ice queen who literally froze up whenever things started to get intimate. No doubt Danny would be nicer about it than Aaron, but his pity would be worse than Aaron’s disgust.
If I kept my own flaws front and center in my head, I could do it. I could be Danny’s friend. Maybe if I spent more time with him rather than avoiding him, I’d outgrow my feelings and actually become a mature adult capable of loving him as only a true friend could without all the angst and drama of romance.
Those bees buzzing around in my belly every time I saw him would just have to find something better to do.
?Chapter Eight
?Danny
“You got agirl at home?” Tamatoa asked from where he’d stretched out on his bed with his laptop on his lap. Since he had his earbuds in, I couldn’t hear what he’d been laughing at onscreen, but the regular timing of his guffaws told me he was watching a comedy. His laughter implied he’d tuned out the world.
Guess he was good at multitasking.
