I chuckle. “Umm well, it’s the same company my dad works for in Appleton. It’s a software company in the healthcare sector.”
“Nice.”
“I would be writing and editing sales materials, I think. The interview was kind of a blur. It’s a good company, though.”
“That’s really awesome. Congratulations.”
“Thanks. I haven’t decided if I’m going to accept it. I probably will. I don’t know. I haven’t lined up any more interviews so I most likely should.”
“You don’t sound very excited. Is there something else you’d rather do?”
“No, that’s kind of my problem. I keep waiting for something to come along that makes me as excited as I thought I would be when I was interviewing for jobs. They’re all fine and I think I’ll be happy wherever I end up, but I don’t feel that glee that everyone else seems to when they talk about their jobs after college. Are you excited about working for your parents?”
“Yeah.” He shrugs and leans back on his hands. “I’ve worked there every summer since I was sixteen though.”
We’re quiet for a beat and I realize I haven’t congratulated him on the game in person.
“Oh my gosh, I’m the worst Valley fan ever. Congrats on the win and your assist.” I move forward to hug him. He’s warm and smells like laundry soap and my pulse quickens being so close.
“Thanks.” He smiles. “I still can’t believe it. Totally surreal.”
“Campus was nuts last night. Everyone is so excited that the championship game is here.”
“Us too. Adam and I stayed up half the night talking about it. We’re so freaking pumped.”
“Did you guys get to go out somewhere last night to celebrate?”
“Coach took us out to dinner and I think a few of the guys might have went down to the hotel bar when we got back, but most of us were too amped up thinking about the next game.”
“I had this mental picture of you in some bar, shirtless, slopping beer around on unsuspecting women who then pulled you into the bathroom.”
He lifts a brow and then slowly sits forward until his face is inches from mine. “You’re the only girl I want to slop beer on,” he replies playfully and winks.
“Wow, I feel so special.” I say the words sarcastically, but my stomach is filled with butterflies.
“What are you doing later?”
“I’m not sure. Why?”
“We’re watching game film at five, but I was hoping we could hang out after.”
“What did you have in mind?”
“Anything you want? You could come over or… anything.” Come over. Translation, spend the night kissing and possibly more.
“Anything, huh?”
“Uh-oh. Why do I feel like I just unwillingly signed myself up for more brutal yoga or something equally humiliating?”
“That all depends. How’s your voice?”
“Why are you torturing this poor man?” Josie asks as we walk around Prickly Pear, looking for a table. As soon as we walked in, Rhett went to grab drinks. He looks back and smiles at me from across the bar and my body tingles.
“I’m not torturing him. We haven’t done this in ages. It’ll be fun.” We squeeze through another large group of people searching for somewhere to sit. “I don’t remember karaoke night being so packed.”
“Uh, Sienna.” Josie nudges me with an elbow and points to a sign that says, Speed Dating Event. Sign in at the bar.
“Oh no!”
Rhett joins us with the drinks and an amused smirk. “Is this your way of telling me you want to see other people?”
“I thought it was karaoke night. I’m so sorry. We don’t have to stay.”
“Yes, we do,” Josie says. “Look at them.” She waves a hand toward a large group of guys with nametags on their shirts. “One of those guys could be my next boyfriend.”
Josie and I take our drinks from Rhett and thank him.
“Nametags are in my back pocket.” He turns so I can see them sticking out of his denim-clad ass.
He filled them out for us and I admire his small, neat penmanship as I pull the sticky label off and attach it to my shirt.
“You’re cool with this? Really?” I move closer to him and drop my hand to his forearm.
“Yeah, it’ll be fun.” He cocks his head to the side. “Or really awful, but either way we’ll have stories.”
There are more guys than girls at the event. They sit the women in a line of chairs with about two feet of distance between us and a chair directly across where the guys take turns sitting with each of us for fifteen minutes before the timer goes off and they move to the left. Because we’re at a bar, they also have special add-ons. If a guy wants to keep talking to you, he can buy you a drink and earn an extra fifteen minutes. And you have the chance to do a question and answer game where every correct answer about your partner, earns even more time.
I’m as nervous as I would be if it were a real first date when the first guy sits down in front of me. I glance down the line until I find Rhett a few chairs away. It occurs to me for the first time that while I might not be interested in chatting to these other guys, he might not be as opposed to getting to know some different girls. Ones that don’t drag him out for a night of karaoke turned speed dating because they’re terrified of hooking up and having their heart smashed into tiny pieces.
He’s the hottest guy here by a mile. He ditched the hat tonight, but still went with his usual jeans and a gray T-shirt. He flashes a smile in my direction and then the first timer goes off for us to begin.
Will, my first date, tells me about his job working for a small advertising firm. He’s nice and sort of cute, but I’m only half listening. I keep letting my gaze slide to the left to see Rhett. He’s paired up with a pretty blonde. She’s sitting on the edge of her chair so their knees touch and has his hand in her lap.
“What was that?” I ask Will. I’m pretty sure he asked me a question.
He glances in the direction I was staring. “I asked if you were seeing someone, but I think I got my answer.”
“It’s new. What about you?”
“A couple of girls. Nothing serious.”
How charming.
“How do you feel about threesomes?”
I giggle because I think he’s joking. He isn’t. After that I stop pretending to be interested in Will and I watch Rhett to see what’s happening with his date. They’re both laughing and talking so I guess better than mine.
Needless to say, Will does not buy me a drink or ask me to play the game so we can spend more time together.
My next suitor is a graduate student at Valley named Chad. He’s nice and doesn’t ask me about threesomes. Who knew the bar was so low? I’m not feeling any sparks of attraction between us, but we’re able to chat about classes and professors to kill the time.
I’m antsy for my chance with Rhett. If chatting with other guys and seeing him with other girls has shown me anything, it’s that I want to spend time with him. I don’t know how far I’m willing to put myself out there, but I’m not ready to walk away.