“You hear that, Bax? Danny was taking it easy on you out there.” Callahan laughed as he grabbed his duffel bag from the floor and closed up his locker.
Bax fell into step beside me as the four of us headed to the parking lot. “Seriously, dude. You’ve been holding out on us, on the field and at the house. I get it now why you’ve been ditching us for your ‘friend.’ Day-um. She’s a certified smoke show.”
“Keep your eyes to yourself, Baxter,” I growled.
My roommates’ rich laughter echoed over the parking lot.
“Kinda territorial, this one,” Bax said sotto voce to the other two.
“Can’t say I blame him,” Finn added as we walked up to our vehicles. “Not only is your girl hot, but she also seems like a nice person.”
“I’m looking forward to meeting her,” Callahan said as he opened the backseat door to his truck and tossed his duffel bag in. He turned to the other two. “When did you guys meet her?”
“When we came home before practice today. He’d snuck her in while the rest of us were in class.” Finn’s tone was accusatory. “How many times have you had her over behind our backs?”
Laughter snorted out of me. “Finnegan, you make it sound like a personal affront that I had my girlfriend over. When you all went over house rules, I don’t remember anyone saying anything about not bringing girls by.” After tossing my duffel into the back seat, I slammed the passenger door on my car shut and walked around the front of it. “Callahan has had Jamaica over pretty damn often since Homecoming.” I shot ’Han a side-eye, but all he did was shrug. “And I’ve come home to you entertaining jersey chasers on a couple of occasions, Finn.” I shot him a censorious look, and he had to the good grace to duck his head. “So I’m not sure why your shorts are in a knot because Taryn and I were at the house this afternoon.”
“Taryn, huh? Pretty name,” Callahan said. “Finn’s shorts aren’t bunched because you had your girlfriend over, Danny. They’re bunched because youhavea girlfriend.” His eyes danced as he glanced at Finn, who flipped him the bird.
“Yeah, well, speaking of girlfriends, I’m heading over to see mine. Catch you all later.” With a wave over my head, I slid into my Mustang and fired it up.
A few minutes later, I was pulling into my usual spot beside T’s ride in the parking lot behind the Coffee Kiosk.
Since it was an hour till closing, there were still a few people seated at tables around the shop. I stepped up to the counter, and Hailey, Taryn’s pushy coworker, materialized at the register.
“Hi, Danny. What can I get you?”
The way she pulled her braid over her shoulder to draw attention to her rack was kinda funny the first five times she did it. Now it was just old.
“Grasshopper steamer.” I bent down to check out what was left in the pastry case and added, “And an egg sandwich.” As I pulled my wallet from my pocket, I asked, “Is Taryn around?”
A shadow crossed her face before she flipped a switch. “She’s in the back taking inventory, but I’d be happy to sit with you.”
I paid my bill and dropped a couple bucks into the tip jar beside the register. “That’s all right. I have a test to study for.”
Stepping down to the end of the counter, I waited for her to make my drink and grab my snack. I wasn’t even subtle about trying to see T in the back room, maybe catch her eye to encourage her to come out to join me. After a minute Hailey seemed to catch on to what I was doing and deliberately blocked my line of sight. Rolling my eyes, I pulled out my phone and shot off a quick text.
Me: Okay if I join you in the back room?
Hailey set my drink and sandwich in front of me. “Here you go. What are you studying? Maybe I can quiz you.” This time when she started playing with her braid, she threw her shoulders back and stuck her chest out. If not for the counter between us, she probably would have shoved her boobs directly into my face.
“Calculus.”
Her shoulders slumped. “I’m an elementary ed major. We don’t have to take calculus.”
“Hey, Danny.” Taryn’s soft alto came from somewhere behind her coworker. “The answer to your question is not tonight.” When she stepped around Hailey, her eyes teased me.
“So that means you’re open to it on another night, huh?”
“Danny.”
The warning in her tone tugged a laugh out of me. I sipped from my steamer, which was a little too sweet.
“What time are you off tonight?”
She glanced at the clock on the wall above the menu board and back to me. “In thirty minutes.”
“Actually, Taryn, I was hoping to go early tonight.” Hailey spoke to my girl, but her eyes remained on me.
