JD
The Darcy Library is too quiet, and it's not at all helping me understand the fucking Public Administration shit. I rub my temples and stare at the book in front of me. It's late and I'm tired. I need to get up early for practice tomorrow and I can't understand why I need to learn this crap.
Fuck. Why the fuck did I go out with Regina? And how in the fuck did we end up at the same restaurant as Morgan?
Regina wasn't even all that interesting. The only topics she could hold a conversation on were horses and hockey. I don't know anything about horses, and I have plenty of people to talk about hockey with. And she kept laughing and stroking my arm until I wanted to tear it off and throw it at her.
This entire week and a half has been a massive fuck up. I barely even remember the conversation I had with Morgan on the phone. I woke up with a massive hangover and no idea how I got home. And I fucking fucked up. I shouldn't have been drinking in the first place. And then to call Morgan?
But the worst part, the absolute deepest, fieriest part of the hell that has been these last few days, is the look on Morgan's face when she saw me at the restaurant.
Looking back, I wanted it to be disappointment, anger, or even jealousy. Any of those would have been better. But what I saw was nothing. Either she has the best poker face I've ever seen, or she truly doesn't care that I was on a date with someone else.
Why would she? All we've shared are some wings and a kiss. And the exhibit. And...
No, it doesn't matter. Even Kat was angrier when she saw me there, and she knows there's nothing between me and Morgan. Because Morgan would have told her.
I'm still staring at the same page I've been looking at for the last twenty minutes. Maybe if I subconsciously memorize exactly what it looks like, the information will seep into my brain when I need it?
But why was Kat mad? If Morgan has told her she has no feelings for me, then Kat wouldn't care.
"Well, well, well. If it isn't the captain of the hockey team." A redheaded woman with long green nails is standing in front of me. She smiles, showing off her perfect teeth. "Hi." Her talons reach out for me. I blink. "I'm Shana." I take her hand and shake it.
"Do I know you?" I ask.
"Not yet." She sits down at the table and tilts her head. "But I think it's about time we get acquainted."
"Look, I'm kind of busy."
"Aren't we all?" She unzips her jacket and shows off a deep cleavage. I sigh and stare at the page again. "Tell me, JD, have you been with Morgan?"
Instantly, my attention is back to her. "What?"
"Morgan Roberts? I think you know her."
"I know her."
"Well, I need to know if she won the bet? She looked absolutely pissed at the Greek place the other night."
"No, she didn't."
Shana smirks and leans her elbows on the table. "I figured that you haven't slept together, but after seeing her so upset... Well, I have to make sure."
"Slept with her? What are you talking about?"
She leans back and places an arm nonchalantly over the back of her chair. "She hasn't told you, has she?"
"Told me what?"
"Me and Morgan made a bet. I bet her that she could never... get you."
I hate the way her lips curl and her eyebrow raises. It looks practiced. And I have no idea what she's talking about, but I don't like the way she's speaking about Morgan.
"Morgan made a bet?"
She gives me a small shrug and leans in again. "And now that she's failed, it's time for me to step in."
She makes a move that practically pushes her boobs at me. I blink.
"What makes you think Morgan failed?"
Her laugh is measured. Again, I get the feeling she's rehearsed it many times.
"You're not seriously telling me Morgan managed to get you into bed."
"Would that be so inconceivable?" The more she speaks, the less I like her.
"Come on," she reaches out a hand to touch my arm. I pull away. "Just admit you've never slept with her, and we can have some fun."
"I can't do that." I try to imagine Brick's stoneface and imitate it.
"Why not?"
I lean in and she eagerly does the same. "I don't like lying," I whisper.
Her face pales. "You're serious? She got you into bed?"
I'm a brick wall. She'll get nothing out of me.
Finally, Shana shakes her head. "I never thought she'd be able to do it." She leans back and stares at me. Every move she makes feels... familiar. As if I've seen it a million times.
She gets up and closes her jacket. As she flicks her hair, it reminds me of a trailer for a popular movie. And it hits me. Every move she makes looks like she's acting. Like she thinks there's a camera somewhere. I have the sudden image of her acting out her bedroom activities as if she's in a porno.
"Maybe I'll see you around," she says as she exits stage left.
Morgan never slept with me. She never even tried. So why would she make a bet that she could?
I pack up my things and toss on my coat as I'm hurrying outside.
I stumble through the snowy lawn and almost slip on a patch of ice before I make it to the dorms. Slowing down, I take a moment to calm my breathing and arrange my clothes before I knock on the door.
"Hey," Kat says. "What are you doing here?"
"Just checking up on you. I was in the neighborhood." I push past her and disappointment fills me as I notice she's alone.
"At ten forty-five on a Tuesday night?"
"It's that late?" I make a show of checking the time on my phone. "Huh, I didn't realize."
"So, what do you want?" She sits down on her bed and looks at me expectantly.
I scramble my brain for an excuse, any excuse. "I was going to ask if you ever took Public Administration?"
"No, I didn't. And you know that."
"Right."
The door opens behind me. I hold my breath as I turn.
Morgan blinks when she sees me. "What's going on?"
She's wearing an oversized white t-shirt and gray checkered pajama pants. At first, I don't understand why she looks so different. But she's not wearing makeup.
For the first time, I feel embarrassed about showing up so late. They must have been getting ready to go to bed.
"I ran into a friend of yours," I say.
"Oh? Who?" She places a small, pink toiletry bag on her dresser. As she does so, her shirt moves over her chest. I'm standing close enough to reach out and touch those hard peaks.
She crosses her arms, hiding her breasts, and I feel myself blush as I force my eyes up.
"Yeah. Oh. Shana, I think she said her name was."
Morgan wrinkles her brows. "And?"
"And she told me something interesting."
"Shana has a tendency for the dramatic."
"I noticed. She said there was a bet?"
Her face slowly reddens, and she stares at my chest. Sure, she can look, but I can't.
"There wasn't. I never agreed to it."
"What bet?" Kat asks from behind me. I ignore her.
"Well, Shana seemed to think there was. And she was under the impression that you had lost it."
Morgan clears her throat and refuses to look at me. "I never tried to win."
"I know." Why won't she look at me? "Maybe you should have?"
There we go. Her eyes meet mine in an instant, and I give her a smirk.
"I... Why... I don't think..."
I love seeing her flustered.
"Anyway. Shana might now be under the impression that you won the bet." I wink at her.
"Why?"
With a shrug, I walk past her, brushing my arm against hers. "It seemed the easiest way to get rid of her. But maybe in the future, don't promise me to other women."
"I never agreed to anything," Morgan says and follows me into the hallway. "And you didn't have to do that."
I turn and walk backward, smiling at her. "But she was so annoying."
Morgan hides her smile. "She's a friend."
I raise an eyebrow, still slowly moving away from her. "Really?"
"No, not really." She gives me a small wave and disappears back into the room.
I feel a lot better as I head back to the house. Almost like I can relax again