“I know the captain of the team. He has a clean stash. I’ll talk him into sharing it, so we can make our own,” I told them.
“Seriously?” Mia asked me with appreciation.
“Sure, I’ll make us a pitcher of margaritas.” I looked between the two of them. “That cool?”
“Yes,” Ava said eagerly. “Is it weird I’m now more cautious of the soft drinks?”
“No,” I told her as I reached out and rubbed her knee. “Guys are scum, it’s simple.”
Mia high-fived me, and I caught the eye of the cab driver and raised an eyebrow in challenge. The fact that his eyes dipped to my chest before he looked away confirmed my earlier statement.
The party was already in full swing. The last few weeks had been fun watching people decorate their dorms and things, and I had my own mini-Halloween theme going on in my own dorm, but the basketball team had gone all out.
I jumped when the skeleton appeared from behind the giant pumpkin, and Mia screamed when the guy with the papier-mâché chainsaw grabbed her ankle from under the entrance steps.
Inside, there was no furniture, and I was a regular visitor here, so I knew they had a shit ton of stuff, but it was all gone.
I saw Denzel at the makeshift bar, and, grabbing Ava, who grabbed Mia, I led the way through the partygoers. Denzel saw me at the same time and gave a long whistle of appreciation.
“Quinn, you look incredible!” He looked past me, his eyes taking in Ava and Mia, and he lingered on Mia the longest. “I think I just got hot for blue,” he said to her with a wink.
Denzel was dressed as a Roman centurion. Honestly, sports guys needed imagination. I knew with certainty my Devils would walk in with their football gear on.
“Don’t be a dick,” I chided Denzel. “I need your booze,” I told him with a look at the bar.
He stood back as his arm swept out and gestured to it all. “What’s mine is yours,” he told me with a slow, lingering look over my costume.
“Good,” I replied as I reached out and tilted his head up to meet my eyes. “Now give me the clean stuff.”
“It’s all clean.” Denzel lost a little bit of his flirtatiousness. “We all heard about the douchebags spiking water. I swear I have three guys, all sober, on the drinks all night.”
I met his stare and then looked behind him to the three freshmen. With a grimace, I shook my head. “Gimme access to your stash, and don’t make me ask again.” I felt Ava squeeze my hand in appreciation. “I’m making margaritas for me and my girls,” I added with a smile. “If you’re extra nice to me, Denzel, I’ll even make you one.”
“You’re gonna make me a drink withmybooze and my ice?” he asked with a laugh. Denzel hooked his arm over my shoulders. “It’s a good thing you rub me down so good,” he said as he led the three of us to the kitchen.
As he sorted out the bottles from his hidden stash and I got the blender, Ava and Mia talked to Denzel easily. He was a good-looking guy, tall obviously. He was the center for the team. His skin was a warm chestnut, and he wore his hair in a groomed afro. He was so incredibly laid-back; it was always a pleasure when the professor let me practice on him.
“So how come you got the football house again?” Denzel asked me as he leaned against the counter, watching me mix the drinks. “Do they request you or something?”
“For my assignment?” I asked him as I prepared the plastic tumblers he had given me.
“Yeah, we all got asked if we would be willing to volunteer for your class, and then we got Chas, and she’s good, but she’s not you,” he told me as he looked me over again, and I realized he was flirting with me.
“Well, no one’sme,” I drawled as I looked for salt.
“I know, that’s why I’m sad we got Chas.”
I caught Ava’s grin as she listened, and I saw Mia watching us both, too. “Well, it would probably have been easier if I got the basketball house,” I said to him with a smile as I put the blender on. When it was finished, I looked at them all as I raised the jug victoriously. “At least you guys would eat what I tell you to,” I added, hoping my casual conversation would be a hint.
“Baby, I’d eat whatever you were offering,” Denzel said as he leaned into me.
Ava’s mouth dropped open in surprise at his brazenness as Mia hid her smile behind her hand, and I knew I blushed as I looked away and met Gray’s stormy gaze across the room.
Shit.
“Drinks are up,” I announced as I poured our drinks. Turning, I dismantled the mixer and shoved the dirty jug into the dishwasher. “Thanks,” I said to Denzel with a hasty smile. “We’re going to mingle.” I grabbed Ava’s hand, and the three of us left him behind. My attempts to shush them both were wasted, and I stopped midway between the kitchen and the door where the football team had arrived.
“Ooh, Jett’s here!” Ava saw, and Mia turned to look too, quickly grabbing Ava and pulling her back to us.
