The Princess & The Cowboy: A Collection of Rucas One Shots

Touring Secrets

"Any questions?" A preppy, vivacious redhead asks after her incredibly long spiel. As if we really needed instruction on how to give a tour.

I couldn't believe I had been roped into this ridiculousness. After our locker room had been broken into and trashed before our homecoming game we had no other choice but to retaliate. Of course, spraypainting their field probably wasn't the brightest idea and we had gotten caught pretty quickly.

Showing freshman around campus was our punishment with coach reminding us that a good half of us are on scholarship and that we're lucky to have gotten off so easy.

"Do you think Rachelle has a man?" Brett asks me, leaning over to whisper to me while he drinks in the redhead before us.

"I doubt it. I don't think anyone on student council has gotten any action in...well, forever" I laugh. Brett smirks.

"Well, I do love a challenge."

I roll my eyes, listening to Rachelle answer mindless questions for about ten more minutes until we're set loose.

I wait in the lobby of the dormitory, leaning against the wall while other guides actively attempt to find people to show around. I, myself, would be fine to stand here until move-in time was over and then continue on with my life as normal.

"U-um are you a tour guide?" A soft voice asks from behind me. I'm about to tell the girl where she can shove her question when I turn around and come face to face with the most beautiful girl I've ever met.

She has mousey brown hair, chocolate eyes and a curvaceous figure that she shamefully hides beneath too many layers. "I suppose so" I reply.

She nods, biting into her bottom lip and I find my jeans tightening as I think of her lips somewhere sinful. My mother would kill me right now for thinking this way about a complete, innocent stranger.

"Can you maybe show me where the Chem lab is?" she asks, finding her voice and I already know I'll be hearing it long after we part ways.

"Uh sure." Now, if only I knew where the fucking Chem lab was.

We head off and I send a quick text to the guys wondering if any of them know where the hell I'm supposed to be taking this girl and luckily, Caleb is a closet nerd and knows exactly where it is. I thank him and return my attention to the girl. "So, why the Chem lab?"

"It's my first class tomorrow morning" she explains, looking down at her feet while she walks. "I'll figure the rest out on my own" she assures me and I find myself wondering why the girl seemingly finds herself to be an inconvenience.

"I mean, I am a tour guide" I remind her. "I-if you wanted me to show you around the entire school." I don't know why I'm stuttering or where these nerves have come from but I don't appreciate them. I'm Lucas Friar, quarterback and ladies man not a fumbling teenager with zero experience.

"It's okay" she argues. I purse my lips, deciding not to press the subject and lead her to our destination, stopping outside the door.

"Here we are." I turn the doorknob and open the door, allowing her to walk inside first while I close the door behind us.

"Cool" she mutters, running her hands over the lab tables as she wanders between them. "I think I can find my way back if you want to go hide somewhere."

I quirk an eyebrow at her. "What makes you sure I don't want to go help someone else?"

She leans forward on one of the lab benches and stares at me. "Because. You're Lucas Friar, captain and quarterback of the football team not to mention an entitled, rich asshole."

My eyes widen. What the hell? "Excuse me?" How did she know who I was? We just met.

"Did you ask your running back if he had any idea why your locker room was trashed?" she asks, tenting her hands on the table. "Or did you not even give a shit before you planned your retaliation."

My head is spinning. What the hell was this girl getting at? "Did he tell you that just one week before he had been screwing the opposition's quarterback and took pictures that he was blackmailing him with to get our playbook so you wouldn't lose your precious homecoming game?"

What? She had to be lying. Cooper wouldn't do something like that...right? What reason does she have to lie though?

"How do you-?"

"Because the guy your teammate screwed over is my cousin. I recognized you as soon as I saw you in that lobby. You should be ashamed of what you've sat by and allowed."

She starts to walk away but I catch her wrist. "I didn't know and yes, that's a shitty excuse but it's the only thing I can tell you. I'm sorry. I had no fucking idea."

"Of course you didn't" she cries, wiping under her eyes. I sigh, reaching out to caress her cheek. She doesn't pull away.

"I'll report him to our couch and he'll be taken off the team. I promise."

"That's it?"

"It's all I can do princess." The affectionate nickname slips out and my eyes widen causing her to giggle as she looks up at me.

"Riley" she corrects, finally giving me her name. "Sorry I didn't exactly introduce myself before."

"I don't blame you. I'm Lucas, indeed the captain of the football team and an asshole a lot of the time but also, a guy who is willing to learn from his mistakes and maybe make some better friends."

She chuckles, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Mkay. Well, do you think maybe you'd want to give me the rest of this tour so I can get to know the apologetic and polite side of Lucas Friar?"

"I think we could give it a try" I concede. "Come on, you gotta check out the cafeteria" I tell her, grabbing her hand and pulling her out of the room.