Chapter 58

Milena
Milena was out to lunch with her BFFs, Taylor and Crystal. Her crush on David was causing her distress. When she’d seen the reports of him with Fiona Beckham, her confidence had gone into a tailspin. How was she supposed to compete with that?

“This isn’t like home,” Milena said as she plunged a fry into her ketchup. “I knew where I fit there. I was Homecoming Queen and dated who I wanted. At my granddad’s lake house, I know where I belong. At home, I know where I belong. But here with David, I don’t know where I fit. I don’t understand why I feel like I have to chase him.”

“Wherever you are is where you belong. You’re an Alpha Mu. That may not mean shit to anyone else, but it should mean something to you. You have all your sisters to back you up, and we’ll help you get your man,” Crystal said.

Taylor gave Milena a thoughtful look. She would tell Milena what was on her mind once she’d gathered the right words. Taylor was like that—she never spoke until she’d thought through what she was going to say.

Taylor reached over and put her hand on Milena’s leg to stop it from nervously bouncing up and down. It led Milena to wonder why girls consistently fidget about boys they like.

Both Milena and Crystal saw that Taylor had finally figured out the right words. They waited for the pearls of wisdom they knew would roll off her tongue.

“You need to get laid before cobwebs start growing down there. Lack of hard cock has made you an irritable bitch. Jump his bones. Grow a smile. Just like he plays ball, I’m sure he gives his all in the sack.”

“Wha—what?!” Milena asked.

Crystal had another take as she offered up her advice.

“Forget about him. What makes you think he’s any different from the string of losers you’ve dated recently? I mean, Michael was all about Michael in bed. I think your exact words were that he was a selfish prick. Then Jacob had the bod that got your panties wet but was dumb as a doornail. He was the one who thought a lime turned into a lemon, which turned into an orange, which turned into a grapefruit. And let’s not forget the old geezer, your history pro...” Crystal trailed off when Milena gave her a warning glare.

Taylor’s eyes got big.

“Tell me you didn’t sleep with your history professor.”

“I didn’t. He just got handsy when I went to his office. I did get an ‘A’ in that class,” Milena admitted.

She knew that Taylor would be in her room later, wanting details.

“What I’m trying to say is you should have no worries. There are plenty of sardines in the can. Heck, that cute Phi Sig was checking you out the other night,” Crystal finished.

Milena’s friends’ advice was to either jump him or run. She paid cash and threw the change into the charity jar next to the cash register. This week it was for some guy with a baby dick.

Taylor’s class was the other way, so Crystal and Milena parted company with her as they walked toward their classes.

“If you forget about David, it would be for the best,” Crystal continued.

“Why do you say that?”

“I’m not supposed to say anything,” Crystal said before continuing, “but Matt is at his wit’s end as to what to do about him. I would love for whoever you date to hang out with us. Plus, Matt overheard the coaches in a heated discussion over whether to start letting David practice on offense.”

“Would that be so bad? Didn’t you tell me that we have no decent backup at quarterback?” Milena asked.

“Matt is afraid if they do let David play quarterback, it’ll only be a matter of time before David’s pushing for his job,” Crystal shared.

Milena knew her friend too well. If she was acting hesitant, there was more to it, so she had to ask.

“I can see something else is troubling you. Come on, out with it.”

“I think Matt may have gone beyond worry to taking action,” Crystal admitted.

“They don’t plan to do anything to David, do they?”

“I don’t know for sure, but he was talking to some of the linemen about solving his problem. I think they were talking about David,” Crystal shared.

“What will you do if they hurt him?” Milena asked her friend.

“I don’t know.”

She knew that Crystal wouldn’t be happy knowing her boyfriend pulled something like that. But then again, Crystal’s plans were for Matt to go to the NFL and take her right along with him.

Milena would have gone about it differently. She didn’t think she wanted a man to support her. She also knew that Crystal was capable of so much more than being Matt’s arm candy.

They reached the point where they had to part ways. As Milena walked alone, she contemplated her situation. She had to do something. Secretly crushing on David was making her a little cracked around the edges. Her friends were right; she either had to go for it or move on.

David had sent Milena a text saying he’d left her two tickets at the will-call window. Milena’s imagination had run wild, which made her feel rebellious, daring, and crazy all at once.

He did like her!

“You have to go with me tonight. But first, you have to help me pick out the right clothes,” Milena told Taylor.

“Crystal shared with me that there’s a store that sells nipple tassels. You could wear them with that cute miniskirt you had on yesterday. I bet they even have them in our school colors.”

Milena just stared at her.

Taylor took that as a ‘yes’ to her suggestion.

“I’ll drive,” she offered.

“That might not be the message I want to send him.”

“And yet you’re going to spend the next hour obsessing about what to wear, and in the end, you’ll agree with me, and we’ll have to fight rush-hour traffic to go buy them,” Taylor predicted.

“You cocky bitch,” Milena fired back.

“Don’t bother denying it. You know I’m right.”

“Now that you’ve planted the idea in my head, I’ll think about it. I would die of embarrassment if I wore something like that in public. I don’t want him to think he’s going to get lucky,” Milena obsessed.

“Right. You want him to have to work for it. What was it he did last time he took you out?”

“Pointed at me and said, ‘you,’” Milena admitted.

“I bet you could wear a gunny sack, and he wouldn’t care,” Taylor said and then raised a finger as she had an idea. “What did you call the girls that hang out at the player’s entrance?”

“Jock bunnies.”

“He’s a guy, and he’s taken you out twice and hasn’t gotten lucky. I thought it was common knowledge that when they picked a bunny, that was what they did. If I were him, I would pick someone else. Are you sure we shouldn’t get the tassels?” Taylor asked to mess with her.

“Gaaa!” Milena managed as she grabbed her pillow, intent on smothering her best friend.

They were late for the game because she couldn’t decide what to wear. When Crystal got back to their room, she took charge. She told Milena to wear jeans, a USC t-shirt, and a baseball cap. Taylor was pissed because she’d all but convinced Milena to buy the tassels. Milena was sure it was so Taylor could make fun of her for the rest of their lives.

When Taylor and Milena found their seats, the Trojans were coming up to bat. The girls’ timing was ideal because right after they settled in, Milena saw David walk to the batter’s on-deck circle to warm up. He glanced back in her direction, and their eyes collided. David winked. Milena hated that he’d done it because Taylor was chuckling. Milena mostly hated it because although she loved that he’d done it for her, she shouldn’t get butterflies in her tummy over a wink. She was always more in control.

Then David took his helmet off for a second. God, his hair was to die for. Plus, the scruff on his jaw, a day or two of growth, made him look like a real man. And had she noticed his butt before this?
When David got up to bat, his whole demeanor changed. He stared at the pitcher with a look of total concentration. David held himself differently from other batters. At that moment, Milena was sure of two things: Matt did need to worry about David taking his job, and Taylor had been right. For David, she would have worn tassels to the game.

David sent her a text to meet him at his car. She appreciated that he didn’t make her stand by the door for the cattle call. When he came out, he walked to the parking lot, sporting a cocky smile. His hair was wet and looked like he’d spiked it, like a kid who’d stolen his mom’s beauty products.

“I’m starved,” he announced.

’And how exactly are you going to fix this?’ the teeny, tiny sane part of her thought from a faraway place. She didn’t want to just go eat this time.

“We could get takeout,” he said as he read her reaction to his suggestion.

Milena could see that David knew she was attracted to him. It was all she could do not to jump ahead and make this more than it was. Right now, it would be two people indulging in a bit of fun. So why was she acting goofy about all this? That was easy and obvious. David was the first guy she’d even thought of dating that she really liked, the only guy she’d chased.