“Don’t you ever fucking talk about her again, you sorry sack of shit.”
He gets one swing in before I take him to the ground.
All of a sudden, Olly and Meyers are pulling me off him. My friends leave him on the floor.
“Fuck, you chipped my tooth, motherfucker!” Winston yells as he stands and then staggers.
“You deserve it for fucking with Sienna.” He cheats on her, breaks her heart, and destroys her house? “If you get near her again, I’ll really kick your ass.”
39
SIENNA
Olly’s voice is muffled on the other end of the line, and I can barely hear him.
“What? You want me to meet you at the front door? How is this being stealthy?”
“Just trust me.”
The line goes dead, and I sigh. This had better work. I lower the visor and check my lipstick in the mirror before I get out of the car.
After I scoot my minuscule skirt down and hike up my halter top, I head around to the passenger side and lift out six giant pizza boxes. The food smells delicious, and my stomach growls. Maybe I should’ve eaten first before I tried to sneak into Ben’s dorm, but it’s too late now.
I giggle as I speedwalk around the side of the building.
This is crazy. But fun. And needed.
It’s Thursday night, and I haven’t seen Ben for over a week. We’ve talked on the phone every night, but it’s not the same. I know he’s stressed out and worried about this season, and I decided I needed to sneak in for a visit. Otherwise, he doesn’t get his first day off until this Sunday, which feels like an eternity.
Lily has been doing well with Magnolia, and the three of us get along like gangbusters. If I weren’t missing Ben so fiercely, this wouldn’t be so bad.
When Olly sees me, his eyebrows lift to his hairline, and he lets out a low whistle. “Ben’s gonna lose his mind when he sees you. You went all-out, huh?”
My options were a standard Pizza Hut uniform or a wench costume from the Pizza Castle. Guess which one made my boobs look better?
“Shut up and get me inside.”
He laughs as he opens the glass door to the main entrance, but then pauses to tell me what I need to say to the security guy.
“Are you serious?” I hiss. “I thought you said you could sneak me in!”
“Don’t be a pain in the ass.” He’s talking out the side of his mouth now so that the guard doesn’t see him. “Just do it.”
And then the asshole leaves me behind.
He jams his card through the swipe thingy, and then he’s gone.
Holy crap, I’m going to kill him.
I take a deep breath. Here goes nothing.
The guard looks like he’s just a student with a badge. That makes me feel better. If it were Melvin, he’d never fall for this, but I’m dealing with a horny twenty-something. I can do this.
I use a bored voice, like I do this all day. “Six pizzas for room three oh five.” I pull out the receipt for gas in my pocket—thank God I got gas before I came here!—and pretend to read off it. “For Ben Rodriguez.”
He eyeballs me from head to foot and back up again before he clears his throat and grabs his clipboard. “I’m sorry, ma’am. Nobody in that room called down, but you’re welcome to leave it here.”
“No can do. The last time I did that, someone else nabbed the food, and I had to pay for eighty dollars’ worth of calzones.” I hate doing this, but whenever Penelope pouts, my father gives her whatever she wants. I suppose it’s worth a try. I check out his name badge and jut out my lower lip. “Come on, Roger. I have three more pies I need to deliver in the next hour or I won’t be making my rent. Help a girl out.” I bat my lashes for good measure.
“Um. Gosh.” He wipes his forehead, looks around, and then studies his clipboard again. “What did you say your name was?”
I should use a fake name, right? “Gina, from Pizza Castle.”
He nervously glances behind him, like we’re in the middle of a drug deal. He jots down the info and gives me a wide smile. “Lookie here. Must’ve missed it.”
“You’re an angel. Thank you so much!”
He buzzes me in, and I scurry through the gate. I’m halfway to the elevators when they open and several football players start to head toward me, including Derek.
Oh, shit!
If I get busted here, will I get Ben in trouble? Olly seemed to think breaking the “no women in the dorm during camp” rule was a big deal. And I’m still pissed at Derek for not giving me a heads-up about Cal screwing half the campus while we were dating.
A giant hand yanks me into an empty corridor, and I’m about to let out a scream when Olly grabs my teetering tower of pizzas.
“Holy shit, you scared me. What the hell!” I smack him, and he yanks me further back as the guys from the elevator walk by.
Thankfully, no one noticed us.
My heart is racing. “I don’t think I could ever be a spy.” I laugh, exhilarated that I got through security and somehow managed to go undetected just now.
Olly points to a stairwell across the hall. I follow him. He has to scan his card, and then we’re both in. When we reach the third floor, he points to Ben’s room. “I think his roommate is watching a movie down the hall. He should be all yours.”
I smile, giddy to finally see Ben. “Thanks, Olly. Appreciate your help,” I say, too excited to be upset about how he handled the security issue downstairs. All that matters is being here now. “These are yours.” I hand him five of the pizzas.
He takes a whiff. “Have I mentioned that you’re one of my favorite people?”
I’m all smiles, giddy at the thought of surprising Ben.
Until I knock and hear a muffled groan.
What... was that?
I pause, frozen by a flashback to earlier this summer when I thought surprising Cal was a good idea.
My throat tightens, but then the door opens and I see a sleepy, rumpled Ben. He’s just wearing boxers, and his hair is adorably standing on end. Behind him, his room is dark and blissfully empty.
He smiles this huge, beautiful smile when he sees me. It brings tears to my eyes, and I drop the pizza and fling myself into his open arms.
He pulls me in and starts to kick the door closed, but I wiggle out of his grasp. “The pizza!”
I peek into the hallway to make sure no one’s out there before I grab the box and yank it inside. After I place it on a small coffee table, he pulls me into his arms again.
“What are you doing here?” He kisses me before I can respond. “And what are you wearing?” Laughing, he looks me over. “Not that I’m complaining. You look hot as fuck.”
“I’m moonlighting as a Pizza Castle wench,” I say as I shimmy in my scandalously low halter top. “You like?”
“Hell yes, I like.” Suddenly, his eyes get serious. “Is Lily okay?”
“Yes! She’s fine. Magnolia is watching her tonight for a few hours. I just couldn’t wait until Sunday to see you, so Olly helped me sneak in.”
In between kisses, he says, “Remind me to thank him.”
I palm his handsome face, but he hisses and pulls back. “What’s wrong?”