“You told everyone that we slept together?” I asked, nearly hysterical.
“What?” I heard the genuine confusion in his voice.
“You told everyone we slept together!” I repeated. “Congratulations! You have single-handedly ruined my entire reputation. Now, everyone thinks I’m some dumb groupie slut. I can’t believe I trusted you. I can’t believe that I was foolish enough to go out with you. Why didn’t I see this coming? I must be so naïve. You couldn’t get any from me, so you just told everyone that you did.”
“I would never do that.”
“Then, why is everyone saying that, Grant? Hmm? Do you think I’m stupid? I told you I didn’t want to play this game.”
“Ari, would you slow down for one second? I never told anyone that we had sex. Who did you hear that from?”
“My friend Kristin told me that everyone was talking about it.”
“Well, they’re probably just assuming that it happened since you came backstage with me. I didn’t tell anyone that. I haven’t even told anyone I’ve been seeing you.”
I didn’t know why that bugged me just as much. “I’m so glad that not only does everyone think we slept together, but I’m also your dirty little secret. Fantastic.” I reached my car and wrenched the door open.
“Ari, you need to f**king chill the f**k out right now. I’m trying to tell you what’s going on, so shut your smart mouth for one goddamn second and actually listen to me.”
Oh, he did not just go there. “Don’t talk to me like I’m an idiot.”
“No one in the whole f**king world could think you’re an idiot, Ari. Just calm the f**k down,” he growled. “You know what? Fuck it. Let’s just meet up. I’m tired of you yelling at me through the phone.”
“Fine. I’ll just yell at you in person.”
“I like my women vocal,” he said with a chuckle. “Your place or mine, sweetheart?”
“Ugh! You’re so exasperating! Just forget it.”
“Princess, you should learn to take a joke. Just be at The Coffee Bean in fifteen.”
Chapter 19: Grant
I dropped into a booth in the back of The Coffee Bean and tossed my helmet into the seat next to me to wait out Aribel.
Fuck. It was the one word that kept replaying through my mind. I wasn’t sure how I could f**king make any of this worse.
I’d stayed the night at her place, but I hadn’t slept a wink. I’d been too lost in my own train of thought, too horny to let myself relax around her. Then, I’d lost my nerve. I’d f**king lost my nerve. I couldn’t believe it.
I’d been lying there obsessing about the fact that I liked this chick enough to give her what she wasn’t giving me—leaving myself with a painful throbbing erection, dying to at least jack off—and I’d actually stayed the night. Then, I’d freaked the f**k out and bolted.
I couldn’t like her this much. I couldn’t f**king be in her house, lying against her soft body while holding her tight, and not want to f**k her. But I f**king respected the woman enough not to push any more than I had, and I’d been pushy as hell.
Then like a pu**y, I hadn’t called her after I disappeared. I’d wanted to get laid so bad, but every time I’d closed my eyes, all I would see was her face as she climaxed. I’d never jacked off so much in my life.
How hard could it be to forget someone? Clearly, it wasn’t easy enough because as soon as I’d seen her number on my phone, I’d answered. I couldn’t stay away from her. I’d been stupid for trying, and I was going to convince her that she couldn’t stay away from me either.
The door rattled on its hinges as Ari yanked it open, and I got my first glimpse of her. A thundercloud might as well have been hovering over her head. Her eyes found me across the room. Her smile was replaced with that scowl, telling me she was going to lay into me as soon as she sat down.
This is going to be fun.
“So, I’m here,” she grumbled, taking a seat. “Are you going to explain to me why you told everyone that we slept together?”
“I didn’t tell anyone that,” I said.
Actually, I’d purposely avoided saying anything at all about Ari. The guys had just inferred that from previous behavior.
“Then, there’s no reason for me to stay here.”
She started to get up, and I grabbed her wrist.
“Sit your ass back down.”
She wrenched her arm away from me. “Why should I bother?”
“Look, I didn’t say that I slept with you! But I have slept with chicks in the back room of The League before. We were back there for ten minutes. Vin thought that was what we were doing, and I even told you that they wouldn’t believe me if I’d said we weren’t fooling around.”
“Fooling around does not necessarily mean sex!”
“For me, it does,” I told her frankly.
She glared at me.
“What? Do you want me to tell everyone that I didn’t sleep with you? Do you want me to f**k with my reputation?”
“No. By all means, I never want to see you again either,” she spat. I honestly couldn’t tell if she was being sarcastic or not.
“Fine. Don’t f**king move.”
I stood from my seat, already feeling like an idiot, but it was clear that Aribel had made me an idiot. “Excuse me,” I called out to the busy coffee shop sitting just off-campus.
“Grant, what are you doing?” Aribel hissed.
Gradually, the coffee shop quieted, and eyes moved over to me. I thought I recognized some of the faces. From the flicker of recognition throughout the crowd, I was sure people recognized me.
“Sorry to take up your time, but I’m Grant McDermott.”
Someone whistled, and then I heard a catcall from the other direction. At least I had their attention.
“I just wanted to make a quick announcement. This is my friend Aribel.”
She blushed bright crimson as I addressed her.
“I wanted everyone to know that I haven’t slept with her, that’s all. Feel free to tell your friends.”
I sat down and was about to open my mouth to ask her if that had proved my point, but she had already grabbed her bag and was rushing to get out of the building.
“Fuck,” I grumbled. I tucked my helmet under my arm and darted out after her. “Ari!”
“Leave me alone, Grant!”
“Come on. Where are you going?”