“Not. At. All.”
I chuckled as they bickered, but their teasing each other only reminded me how easy it was with Luke. In a way, it was already funny. Not for Luke, of course, but leave it to me to pull a ridiculously hot guy while dressed as a girl when my real love life was a no-show. Well, whatever. I had plenty to keep me occupied: family, school, friends and their drama.
Pfft, who needed lick-worthy men and hot sex anyway?
Myfirstsemesterofcollege was going rather well. Classes were pretty much a repeat of high school, except for Introduction to Finance. I was good with numbers, but this was new and different. Still not enough to keep my mind on school and off a certain gorgeous older man. Or the annoying irritation of hair growing back in places it should’ve nevernotbeen to begin with. Which only brought me back to thinking of my one night with Luke.
Because of course …
What I needed was a distraction, so when Savannah texted me, I’d already said yes in my mind before she told me what she wanted.
Savy
Wanna come to another event with me?
Male or female?
Savy
Ha. You’re not funny. It’s some auction thing. You wanna come and eat free food? You can be anyone you wanna be.
You had me at free food.
Savy
Awesome. You’ll need a tux.
The fuck?
Savy
I’ll pick you up Saturday afternoon.
Would Luke be there? The chances of running into him were fifty/fifty, I supposed; either I would or wouldn’t. And okay, yeah, I wanted to. Even if he hated me, never wanted to see me again, or speak to me, or exist in the same room together, I still wanted to see him. I wanted to make sure he was okay.
I hated myself for lying to him like that. I needed the torture of seeing what I couldn’t have. Penance for the awful stunt I pulled.
With the dress code requirement for this new event, I called Momma and asked about Ben’s old tux. My stepdad was a little bigger than me, but Momma could make it work. After my last class on Friday, I booked it the three hours to Hickory Bend, cruising the familiar streets before dinnertime.
“My college boy,” Momma gushed as she came out to meet me halfway to the front porch, grabbing my head with both hands and kissing all over my face and hair. “You’ve grown so much. Look at you.”
“You saw me three weeks ago,” I said but laughed at her silliness.
“Bubba. Bubba.” Next out the door were my youngest siblings, May and Lila.
“Good grief— Oof,” I grunted when they launched at me. At five and seven, they weren’t the little tots who used to climb on my back to try and weigh me down anymore. They were thebigtots who did the same. “Rawr,” I growled and made to chase them for tickles, but somehow managed to get flat on my back with them tickling me.
“I yield. I yield,” I cried between laughs.
“You’re staying for supper, right?” Momma asked while leaning over the three of us, not trying to save me at all.
“Yessssss,” I managed to squeal while trying not to be as ticklish as I was, and failing spectacularly.
“Girls, bring him inside when you’re done.”
“Momma, wait. Help me.”
Momma waved and smiled and left me at their mercy.
