Best Served Cold (11 page)

“Absolutely. Just let me pull my hair back.” She vanished into the bathroom.

Jesse probably thought I was blowing him off. I opened his last message again.

Sorry about that. My roommate just came in. Have to go now, promise I will answer you tonight.

I opened my closet and found my favorite hoodie, a pale green fleece with the name of my high school embroidered on the front. The color set off my skin tone and hair and brought out my eyes. Or at least that was what my mother told me. I just loved it because it was warm and unbelievably comfortable.

Ava and I didn’t often eat at the dining hall. Our eating plan was part of Ava’s RA deal, but we could use our meal credits at the student union food court as well as the main hall. And since the food court allowed us to get take out, we usually opted for that choice.

The sun set as we made our way across campus to the brick building. The relative warmth of the day was giving way to the evening chill, and I hugged my arms tighter around my middle, glad I had put on gloves.

We went through the check-in line and picked up trays. Ava sighed in defeat. “What makes them think that someone is going to want tacos every night of the week? The smell makes me want to puke.”

“I don’t think they expect the same person to eat a taco every night. More like, someone on campus is going to crave Mexican. But I agree. Salad bar?”

“Definitely.”

We loaded our plates with vegetables and cheese, dug bottles of water from the cooler, and then I followed Ava to a round table in the middle of the room, right along the main walkway.

“Are you sure this is the one Giff meant?” I glanced around. My choice would have been tucked back in one of the dark corners.

“Positive. Sit down.” Ava dropped her tray onto the table and pulled out a chair. I followed suit.

“How long do you think we’ll have to...” My voice trailed off as three men in sweats and t-shirts approached the table, identical expressions of determination on their faces.

“Hey.” Their trays clanked on the table, nearly in unison. I was surrounded by almost-overwhelming testosterone.

They were all big guys with the thick necks I’d come to associate with football players. Their hair was buzzed short, and their t-shirts revealed muscle-knotted arms. I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly very dry.

“You’re Julia, right?” The one sitting closest to me leaned over and spoke low. “Giff said long brown hair, sitting with a short Italian girl with black hair.” He looked at Ava.

“Nice to know how my friends describe me.” She rolled her eyes.

“Yes, I’m Julia.” I smiled, conscious that Liam could be in the dining hall watching us even now. “But Giff didn’t tell me your names.”

“I’m Phil, that’s Kent and this is Marcus.” Phil’s eyes ran up and down me, taking in the hoodie and jeans. “You’re pretty cute.”

“Oh, thanks. That’s nice of you.” I lay my hand on his arm and fluttered my eyes. “How do you all know Giff?”

They exchanged looks around the table. “Uh, just around. Kent went to high school with him and—you know, Bailey.”

“Yeah, Giff was on the football team back then.” Marcus spoke around the huge stuffed taco he was cramming into his mouth.

“You’re kidding.” Ava had been quiet until now. “I didn’t know that.”

“Yeah, he’d played since he was a kid. He can move, you know. He got hurt when we were sophomores, and then after that he went into being the kicker. Got a decent leg.”

“So why doesn’t he play now?” I turned to Kent, trying to keep it all even and fair around the table.

“College ball is a lot different than high school. Way more competition, and I don’t think he even went out for it here.”

“The things you learn,” Ava murmured, and I nodded. I never could have imagined our tall and thin friend hitting guys like this on the football field.

“How about you?” Phil broke apart a roll and ripped off one healthy chunk. “Do you play any sports?”

“Nope.” I shook my head. “Not my thing. I like to watch, though.”

That elicited hoots of male laughter, and I shook my head.
Boys.

“I mean, I like to watch football. And baseball. And even soccer. When I was a freshman, I covered the soccer team for the college paper.”

“Really?” Marcus looked interested. “So you’re like a writer?”

“Yeah, I’m like a journalist.” I winked at him. “Or at least a journalism student. And I write for the school newspaper, too.”

“Tell me something you’ve written recently. Maybe I read it. I check out the newspaper now and then.” Kent looked at me, expectation in his eyes.

“Hmmm...well, a few weeks ago, I did a feature on how social media is changing our campus. It was part of a series.”

“Hey, I think I read that.” Phil nodded. “You said people were staying in their dorms more, not hanging at the SU so much. Right?”

“That was part of it.” I laid down my fork and glanced across the table. Ava’s eyes were tracking something—or someone behind me. She looked over at me and gave a barely perceptible nod. Liam was there.

I took a deep breath. Time to step up my game. But before I could say anything or try to get my flirt on, Marcus spoke.

“Yeah, social media. Like Facebook and shit, right? My roommate was telling me about this web thing, like, a page or something? A website? They want girls to go on there and bitch about how guys screwed them over.” He shook his head. “Stupid crap. So all the girls are going to get themselves real worked up over, you know, like, life. It is what it is, man.”

An odd mix of anger and interest ignited behind my eyes. “You think it’s stupid? Have you read it?”

“Nah, and I’m not gonna, either. Waste of my time.”

“Hey, dude.” Phil caught his eye and shook his head. “Drop it.”

“I’m just saying.” Marcus leaned forward. “If guys did the same thing, talking about how girls treated us, they’d be moaning all over the place.”

“Well, tell me about it.” I pasted on a smile. “What has a girl ever done to you? Has she lied to you about who she was sleeping with, beside you? Pretended she loved you, then you found out she was with someone else?” I dropped the smile and pierced him with a stare. “Told you she was breaking up with you in front of a huge group of your friends?”

To my surprise, Marcus didn’t back down. “Yeah. To all of that. You want to hear the down-and-dirty? I was in high school. First girl I ever—dated. She told me I was her first, and then she told me we were having a baby. I was like, man. I had this scholarship, I was going to play ball, but then I was having a baby? I went crazy, but I didn’t let her down. I made plans, how we could get married, I could still come to school. Had it all worked out. So on Valentines’ Day, I had a party, invited all our friends, and in front of everyone, I proposed. Down on one knee, the whole thing.

“And you know what she did? She laughed at me. Said the baby wasn’t mine, I was her back-up plan, and the real daddy had stepped up. She was playing me to see how much I’d do for her, in case the other guy didn’t man up. So, yeah. I know all about that. And you don’t see me bitching on some Facebook page about it, either.”

Marcus stood up, pushed back his chair and stalked away. I closed my eyes and swallowed hard, feeling small and stupid.

“Hey.” Phil patted my arm. “Don’t feel bad. You couldn’t know.”

“Maybe not, but I assumed. Sometimes...” I shook my head and stood up. “I need to go talk to him.”

“Jules.” Ava caught my arm. “Are you sure?” Her eyes darted to a table behind me.

“Yeah, I’m sure. I’ll be back.” I gave her a half-smile and wove through the tables, following the same path Marcus had taken.

He was still outside the dining hall, standing just beyond the doors. It was fully dark now, but the lights from the building glinted off his blond buzz cut. I took a deep breath and approached him.

“Hey, Marcus.” I touched his arm. “I am really, really sorry. I didn’t mean—no. I did. I just didn’t think. I got all wrapped up in my own drama, and sometimes I forget I’m not the only one who’s been hurt. And even that girls aren’t the only victims out there.”

“It’s fine.” He spoke through his teeth, and I knew it wasn’t fine at all.

“It isn’t. I mean, I don’t know you. Not at all. But from what I saw tonight, I’d have to say, that girl was an idiot. I don’t know why women act that way, any more than I know why guys do it. It just sucks.”

“Yeah.” He spared me a glance. “I know what Bailey did to you. I heard about it. You’re right, it sucks.” He set his mouth in a firm line. “That’s why I told Giff I’d help tonight, you know? Because I know what it feels like. I thought, why not help out someone who’s been where I was?”

My stomach plummeted. “That makes me feel even worse. Here you and the other guys are doing me a favor, and I baited you. I’m sorry.” I could only repeat the same words. Nothing I could say would take away what I’d done. Unless...

“Marcus, can I tell you something? Can you keep a secret?”

He cocked a brow at me, and I took that as assent. “The thing is, why I got all defensive about that website...it’s my site. My idea. Well, mine and another girl’s. It’s part of an assignment for a class. And we were trying to let girls tell their stories about boyfriends behaving badly, but maybe our focus was too narrow.”

Marcus nodded. “Okay.”

“So maybe—could we tell your story on the site? Just as a look at the other side of the coin? And we’ll widen our scope. I’ll keep it all confidential, but we’ll open up the site to boys’ stories, too.”

“I don’t know. No one knows about me. I lived in South Carolina, and nobody else from my high school is here. Only the guys know.” He pointed to the dining hall. “And only because I told them one night when I was wasted.” He stretched back, looking up into the clear starry sky. “You’d make sure it couldn’t come back to me? No one could figure it out?”

I nodded. “Absolutely. I’ll change details. Make it general. But maybe it would help someone else to know he’s not alone.”

He was silent for a few minutes, and then finally he met my eyes. “All right. Let’s do it. But I’m telling you, if anyone finds out it’s me, I’m coming for you.” He pointed one finger in my face, but the crinkling of his eyes took some of the heat of his words.

“You got it. I’m going back inside before I freeze to death. You coming?”

He shrugged. “Yeah, I still need dessert, right?”

We walked back into the dining hall, and as we cleared the food service section, Marcus slung one muscled arm around my shoulders and pulled me close. He leaned down to whisper into my ear.

“Bailey’s over there, and his eyes are about bugging out his head. Want me to plant a wet one on you, right on the lips? Really give him something to wonder about?”

I giggled, raising my shoulder. Marcus’ breath tickled my neck. “Thanks for the offer, but I think I’ve caused you enough angst for one night.”

He moved his hand to close around my neck as we stopped at our table. “Aw, c’mon, sweetheart, just a little sugar.”

With a twinkle in his eye, he leaned down and covered my mouth. It was more a sham kiss—his lips stayed closed—but it took me by surprise, and I imagined that from Liam’s point of view, behind us, it looked a lot more involved than it was.

I gave Marcus a playful shove and dropped back into my seat. “Listen, you guys, thanks for doing this. I don’t know how Giff gets people to help him out, but I do appreciate it. You’re all really good sports.”

Kent shrugged. “I have a little sister, and some dude hurt her like that, too. I want to mess up his face, but I can’t, or I’d lose my place on the team. So this lets me feel like I’m doing something, you know?”

I smiled. “Yeah, I do. Thanks.”

Phil laughed. “I just did it ‘cause Giff makes me laugh. He’s a good friend. Why the hell not? Just have dinner with two hot chicks?” He leered toward me. “Not really a hardship.”

I covered his hand with mine. “Still, I’m grateful.” I looked over to Ava. “Are you finished? Ready to go?”

“Hey, we eat with girls, we leave with them, too. C’mon, let’s go.” They all stood with us, and Kent grabbed for my hand, imprisoning it in his huge grip.

I didn’t look toward where I assumed Liam was sitting; I just headed for the exit with my massive bodyguards.

Once we got back to our room, I pulled out my phone and opened my text messages.

Okay. Yes. What time tomorrow night?

Dr. Lamott, who taught my last class on Fridays, had a tendency to run late, and I was anxious to get to my car and head for work once he finally dismissed us. Focused on that goal, I almost didn’t see my ex-boyfriend as he stepped into my path.

“Julia.”

I careened to a halt, and the girl walking too close behind me smashed into my back. She favored me with a scowl and a muttered expletive.

Glancing up at Liam’s face, I made to step around him, assuming he hadn’t actually meant to make me almost trip. But he shot out an arm and stopped me.

“Julia, please. I just want to talk to you for a minute.”

I blew out a breath. A cold front had moved in the night before, ending our one day of near-spring, and the last thing I wanted to do was linger in the frigid air and shoot the bull with Liam Bailey.