His burnt orange jersey went flying through the air, as he stretched out to catch the overthrown ball.
Touchdown.
Playoff hero.
And this campus can’t get enough of him. Someone painted a mural of him at a local veterans’ lodge. A local diner named a sandwich after him and an enormous banner that must be three stories high hangs on the side of this library, showcasing his athletic prowess and the veins in his arms and the dimples framing his face.
Stop.
Two girls orbit him like satellites, except much closer. One holds on to his arm while the other has her hand resting on his chest like she’s checking his pulse.
I’m sure it’s steady.
He doesn’t seem to rattle and just takes everything in stride.
That’s what fascinates me.
It’s also what annoys me.
Only half listening, because I’m caught up in my own thoughts, I hear, “…and when you got sandwiched by those two Raiders, I thought you were going to die.”
“It’ll take more than that to make me leave the game. I won the game didn’t I?” He rolls a chuckle in the back of his throat.
Yes. He did.
It’s one of the reasons I agreed to tutor him.
He’s the perfect guy.
In a completely scientific way.
His eyes lift from theirs to mine.
And something in my own nervous system misfires.
What? Why?
“This is ridiculous,” I mumble. This is just a chemical response of dopamine being released. Nothing more. He’s a good-looking guy, but also full of himself.
He extricates himself from the women hanging on him, “My tutor’s here. I’ll catch up with you later.”
“I can be your tutor,” the strawberry blonde says as she pushes out her pouty lips and looks up at him with puppy dog eyes.
Parker smiles, “Sorry. I don’t need tutoring in that department. Need to pass physiology.”
His gaze stays locked on mine as he walks towards me.
I straighten in my chair. Damn the human body is so freaking predictable.
Heart rate increases.
Breathing changes.
Pupils dilate.
I push the hatred for him back to the forefront, refusing to let my body react to Parker O’Ryan in that way.
He approaches the table while his groupies assess me and assume I’m no threat.
