“A better view of what?”
“The run.”
Huh? What the hell is he—
“Wait a minute—is this a drag race?”
“Got it in one!”
I stare at him. “I thought you said it was legit!”
“It is—no laws against watching. And anyway, I haven’t seen a single cop since I started coming to these things. They’ve got the whole place locked down, it’s crawling with lookouts, too. Chill.”
“You could’ve given me a heads-up, dude.” I frown. “If the dean finds out I’m here, my life is basically over.”
“Seriously, relax, Conley!” He plucks off his cap and pulls it low over my head. “Here, take this. Nobody’ll know.”
Am I feeling edgy right now? Sure. But I’m curious all the same, and I know the area like the back of my hand—if I end up needing to make a run for it, I know exactly which way to head.Not like you could rely on Google Maps out here, anyway!
“You better keep quiet about this, you hear me?”
“Sure.” He shrugs. “Right back at you, by the way. What happensat the race, stays at the race. Trust me, once you’ve seen these cars, you’ll be thanking me,” he adds. “You’ll bebeggingto come back. This is gonna blow your mind.”
We creep a little farther up the hill and park between two cars.
Outside, a light snow is falling all around us, lit barrels the only thing glowing in the darkness. Music is blaring out the speakers, and I feel my insides quicken in anticipation. I recognize some of the students here, and I dip Dwayne’s cap lower over my eyes, pulling up my hood for extra cover, watching as he shakes hands this way and that, and before I know it, I’m clutching an ice-cold drink and following him up the hill.
A tight knot of onlookers are waiting for us at the top. Three guys, five girls. I haven’t seen them around before, and that goes a ways toward reassuring me. Dwayne, on the other hand, seems to know them pretty well. I grab myself a spot on the picnic blanket and listen to them discuss the race. Unlike me, this clearly isn’t their first time at the rodeo.
“Who’d you bet on?” one of the guys asks my chaperone.
“The Aston Martin! Apparently snow just takes it to the next level. Odds aren’t great, obviously.” He shrugs. “Still, though. Better than nothing.”
I’m surprised to see Dwayne mixed up in this kind of stuff. He’s a rising star with an amazing future ahead of him with the NHL, and I guess I expected him to be a little more cautious. Seems like I’m the only person I know who actually breaks their balls trying to keep their shit on track.
“That yours?”
I snap my head up to see a cute brunette, one gloved finger pointed at my Dodge.
“Yup.” I nod.
“You racing?”
“Nope. That car’s my baby. There’s no way I’d put her in danger.”
“Want to show me the inside later?”
The way she’s looking at me leaves pretty much no room for misunderstanding, and I like her directness. This is exactly what I need right now—a pretty girl, no strings.
“I’d love to.”
She edges closer to me, and I let my knees fall open, pulling her between my legs. With her back pressed into my chest like this, her ass nestled into my crotch, I’m suddenly not so cold anymore. I can’t wait for this race to kick off—because I’m curious, but also because the after-party’s looking pretty promising now.
WHILE THE OTHERS HIT THEbooze, I sip on my soda. Tomorrow’s home game means I need to take it easy, and besides, I need to drive us home tonight. I never go so much as a drop over the limit—it’s a Campus Driver thing.
The brunette is pressing deeper into me when suddenly engines are revving farther down the slope, the thrumming echoing through the night sky. Planting a kiss on her neck, I jump to my feet and head over to join Dwayne at the edge of the strip, where he’s staring down into his screen. I glance over his shoulder.
“What is that?”
