Since that first night, I’d carefully avoided being in the common areas whenever he was home. When I begged whatever higher power was out there to make me forget about my infatuation for Daniel, replacing that lust with feelings for another roommate wasn’t what I’d envisioned.
And yet, I couldn’t stop staring at him. I tried to be inconspicuous, but I failed. Colin offered me a brilliant, knowing smile when he glanced over at me. I waved, not wanting to pretend I hadn’t seen him. It would make things easier, but I was trying really fucking hard to get over the reputation of being the suite asshole.
He turned away to have a quick exchange with Joey, the owner’s son. I grabbed my ear pods and pulled up a classic rock playlist. I wasn’t a fan, but it was my go-to whenever Ireallyneeded to focus. The list included all of my dad’s favorites, and they served as a reminder that he didn’t think I was smart enough to get a college education.
Well, fuck him.
“Hey, guess this explains why I haven’t seen you around much,” Colin said as he invited himself to slide onto the bench opposite me. I sucked in a deep breath, reminding myself it wouldn’t do either of us any favors if I told him to have a bit of respect for my personal space. “I didn’t know you worked here.”
“And now you do,” I quipped, turning my attention back to the assignment on my screen. I turned up the volume on my playlist and pretended my senses weren’t being assaulted by the rich spices of his cologne with every inhale. I shifted in my seat, trying to ignore the way my dick reacted to him.
He couldnotget a job working here.
“What are you working on?” God, he was nearly as oblivious as his brother. I held up my textbook so he could read the cover. “Isn’t that a lower-level course?”
“Yep.” I tapped harder at the keys.
“So, you like working here?” I glared at him over the top of my laptop screen.
“Yep.”
“Oo-kay, then.” Colin lifted his soda, tracing his tongue around the end of the straw before sucking it between his lips. Fuck, was he going out of his way to torture me?
Joey’s eyes darted between us when he came back to the counter. I didn’t trust that nosy fucker any further than I could throw him—which, admittedly, probably wasn’t very far. He looked like one of those douches who’d be found partying at the Jersey shore, but he’d been forced to help run the family business instead. He flipped over the paper in his hand and scowled. “I didn’t realize the two of you knew one another. You didn’t mention it on your application.”
“You know what they say about it being a small world,” I quipped.
The creases in Joey’s brow deepened. “No. What?”
I waved him off. “Never mind. Colin’s one of my suitemates but we don’t really know one another.”
Shit. That came out harsher than I’d intended it to. And it opened the door for even more questions, or it would if we were having this conversation with anyone other than Joey the dimwit.
“You know Pops doesn’t want drama around here,” Joey warned, focusing his narrowed eyes on me.
“It’s nothing like that,” I assured him. Only later would I realize I could have just kept my damned mouth shut and Colin could have continued on his job hunt. I was still new, but I was smart enough to bust my ass, so they’d see me as an asset and give me the best shifts. Double bonus: that would help me resist falling back into the bad habits from last year. Oh well, now that I’d stepped in it, I might as well be the hero. “Colin’s a good guy. Always trying to help out.”
Colin grimaced. Yeah, now I was laying it on too thick. I needed to just shut up.
“Anyway…uh, good luck or whatever,” I said dismissively. Colin rose as Gavin approached the counter. He sighed, his shoulders rounding. I watched him walk away, trying to shake the feeling that I’d somehow made things even more awkward between us.
My focus was shot with Colin so close by. If he was staying in the dorms like a typical freshman, I might have taken a shot at him. The one thing he had going for him so far was he seemed like the type who kept to himself, and I wouldn’t have to worry about him saying something to his brother. He was everything about Daniel that got me hard without the risk of losing a close friendship.
Every time I heard anyone walking toward the counter, I glanced up to see if it was Colin. As much as I didn’t want him working here, I was eager to hear how his interview went. I hadn’t been lying to Joey; Colin would be a damn hard worker. The few times I had seen him in the suite, he either had his head buried in books or he was cleaning up after the rest of us. We needed more dedicated employees around here to make up for the slackers who thought smoke breaks were for everyone and should be taken as often as possible.
A pit formed in my stomach when Colin bounded to the front of the store, a t-shirt slung over his shoulder. If that hadn’t told me all I needed to know, it was apparent the interview had gone well from his straight spine and the broad smile on his face. And damn, he was even sexier when he smiled all the way to his eyes. “Things go well?”
“Yeah,” he responded excitedly. “And he said they’re short staffed tonight, so he wants me to jump right in.”
“That’s…great.” Colin raised an eyebrow and smirked at the hesitation in my words. I couldn't blame him, even I didn’t believe my feigned enthusiasm. If they were so hard up for help, they had a new guy starting immediately following his interview, it probably didn’t look good for me to be sitting on my ass. I started packing up my books and laptop as I slid out of the booth. “Depending on when you get done, let me know if you want a ride home.”
“Oh, you don’t have to do that. It’s not far,” he argued. For the first time, Colin showed a hint of insecurity as he picked at an invisible something on his shirt. God, had I been that much of a dick that he thought a ride home, when we were literally going to the same place, was a hardship?
“Seriously, it’s not a problem. I’m not such a flaming bag of dicks that I’d let you walk when we live in the same fucking building.” We stood, awkwardly looking at one another without saying anything until Joey cleared his throat.
“The two of you working together isn't a problem, is it?” He eyed us suspiciously, as if trying to figure out if we were better friends than we’d let on or if we were going to rip out one another’s throats.
If I got my hands on Colin, it wasn’t his throat that would be in danger. Fuck, I couldnotbe thinking about shit like that. I shifted my backpack in front of me before trying to discreetly adjust myself. The fact I hadn’t gone out to get laid since school started was becoming a huge problem. Sure, I’d told myself I wasn’t going to use girls to prove to myself I wasn’t into dudes but, at this point, a hole was a hole and Ineededto get off.
