Page 44 of Bad Man on Campus

“It’s all becoming clearer now. The reason for your three-year separation and his parents’ animosity to you. It also explains his parents’ animosity to each other and all his seat juggling for the game tickets.”

“Yeah.”

“Let’s go get a beer,” he says. “I’m buying.”

“I’ll come with you, but I don’t want a beer.” It’s true for a change. I really don’t want a beer, at a hockey game no less. What will happen next? Will pigs actually sprout wings and fly?

We make our way back to the concession stands just ahead of the end of the period and get in line. It doesn’t take two full minutes for my luck to break me in half as Mrs. Jennings and Kace’s aunt Theresa show up in line three spots behind us. Too close to pretend I don’t see them, but I turn away and hunch down anyway, whispering to Dooley.

“It’s her—Kace’s mom. Dools, you have to pretend you’re my boyfriend. Promise me you’ll go along?” I clutch his arm, tension shooting through me.

“Okay, okay, ease up on the grip.”

I don’t even realize I’m squeezing the life out of his arm. Letting it go, I point with my chin in their direction and Dooley smiles.

Kace’s mother and his aunt turn to me. I nod. His mother’s face is frozen and his Aunt Theresa looks surprised and hesitant. Dooley steps forward, dragging me with him, slipping his arm through mine and clamping it to his side. The guy is stronger than he looks and that helps to quell my panic. But for insurance, I whisper in his ear. “Congratulations, you just became my new boyfriend.” I kiss his temple for good measure.

To his credit, he doesn’t flinch, instead laughs and pretends the kind of affection I know he doesn’t have given his proclivity for men. He’s a damn good actor.

“Mrs. Jennings, Aunt Theresa,” I say and nod, realizing I don’t know what else to call his aunt because that’s who she’s always been to me since I was thirteen and started hanging out with Kace and Sky. Aunt Theresa was a fixture at their house. Taking a deep breath, I continue, “This is Dooley, my boyfriend.”

The frost on Mrs. Jennings face thaws a fraction, but she looks wary and I know she’s remembering catching me with Kace only a month ago. But Aunt Theresa, although surprised, is far more gracious. She can afford to be because she didn’t lose her child, her baby girl, the way Mrs. Jennings did. To be fair, though, Aunt Theresa was close to Sky, but she knew Sky’s mischievous streak, knows that Sky was drunk that night and that that’s the reason I was driving. She wrote me a letter not too long after the funeral and it was one of the kindest gestures anyone made. I re-read that letter many times in the past three years to lift my spirits. I smile at her now, trying to put all my heartfelt appreciation into the lift of my lips.

“Nice to meet you Dooley,” she says. “You’ve got a real firecracker there.”

“Don’t I know it,” he says. Then he looks to Mrs. Jennings.

“Nice to meet you,” he says. “You must be wicked proud of Kace.” She nods, but says nothing and he senses her reluctance to buy in. I squeeze against him, trying to tell him with my body language to do something to convince her. I feel him tense, a tiny fraction of movement not visible, and he takes a quick breath, like he’s going under to rescue a drowning person. Maybe he is.

“I’m so grateful to Kace for introducing us,” he says, then he turns to me and with all the prowess of his acting ability, he kisses me on the lips. I feel the tension in him, but I lean in to make it convincing, hoping he’ll forgive me later for the charade. It’s not a terrible kiss, akin to kissing Sky on the lips. I close my eyes and it’s over.

“So nice to meet you, too.” Mrs. Jennings finally speaks, her face clear of that pinched look, but she avoids my eyes. “We should get back to our seats.” With that she turns, taking Aunt Theresa with her, but not before Auntie gives me a wink over her shoulder.

I’m not sure what to make of that, but I take in a gasp of breath when they disappear into the crowd like I’ve nearly drowned and I turn to my lifesaver.

“Oh my god, Dooley. You were incredible. Thank you so much. I don’t know—”

“Stop your gushing. I’m an actor. It’s what I do. But don’t you ever tell anyone—most fucking especially Kace—that I kissed you. Talk about ruined reputations.” I laugh and give him a hug of real affection.

“Your secret is safe with me. Let’s get those refreshments.”

Because we’re all sitting in the same section, and I have the worst luck on the planet, we quickly run into Kace’s father with his wife Tamara. So, naturally, we continue the charade and I introduce them to Dooley my newly minted boyfriend.

“If you’ll excuse me, I need to use the lady’s room.”

“I’ll come with you,” Tamara says. My belly does a roll in protest, but I manage a nod and smile. Mr. Jennings isn’t any happier than I am about it judging by the even more sour look on his face, if possible. I hate the charade, but who am I to stop a girl from peeing.

When I get into the ladies’ room, the first person I see is Phoebe. Of course. My pulse rate kicks up and I squelch a hiccup of panic. I know she’s going to ruin my cover with Tamara. In the very next instant, she opens her mouth.

“I’ll see you and Kace at my party later, right?”

Tamara looks up and scrunches her brows. “I thought you were with Dooley?” she says to me. I see Phoebe’s eyebrows shoot up, furrowing her brow like an accordion and I jump in right away with an explanation.

“Of course, I am. Dools and Kace are tight friends.” I lift my two entwined fingers as if that’s going to convince her.

Phoebe gives me an odd look, but thank the lord she doesn’t say anything. She probably can’t imagine what to say. Tamara, on the other hand, who must be running for mayor, has no such problem with running her mouth as she turns to Phoebe.

“Hi, I’m Tamara Jennings, the new Mrs. Jennings—senior that is.” She laughs. “I’m not Kace’s wife. Wouldn’t that be a hoot. He’s a very hot young man.” I’m watching Phoebe’s face, seeing the confusion and the amusement and the churning of her substantial brain behind the scenes. I need to do something, to say something, before she does.