Page 57 of Play For Me

“Gwen?” I ask, trying not to laugh. “Oh, buddy. You don’t want to go there.”

“Why not? She’s fucking hot!”

“She definitely is. But she, uh, usually only dates other athletes.” I make a sympathetic face. “Big ones.”

“Seriously?”

I grimace. “Her last boyfriend was the tight end of the football team.”

His expression turns to outrage. “Are you saying I’m not manly enough for Gwen?”

“She’s saying Gwen is out of your league,” Sol says. “She’s just trying to be nice about it.”

Jay visibly deflates. “It’s not fair. What does some college football player have that I don’t have?”

“Muscles,” Solomon says immediately and I struggle to stifle my laugh as Jay glares at him.

“Easy for you to talk. You get more girls than anyone at this school.”

I raise an eyebrow at Solomon. “Is that so?”

Jay scoffs. “All he has to do is stand there and act like his usual broody, grumpy-ass self and girls practically throw themselves at him.”

I feel a slight twinge of jealousy at that, but it doesn’t last when I look at Solomon’s face. “Are you blushing?” I ask, delighted.

“I’m not,” he mutters, not meeting my eyes. “It’s dark out here.”

I feel positively gleeful. “Solomon Barnes, are you a ladies’ man?”

He grumbles under his breath, cheeks even redder now.

“Don’t let him fool you,” Jay says. “Girls are obsessed with him. It’s been like this since high school.” He sighs. “Maybe I should try standing around not talking and looking serious all the time.”

I can’t keep my eyes from traveling over Solomon’s body. His height, his chest, those broad shoulders. And if that wasn’t bad enough, the man’s movie-star-worthy face is so stupidly handsome that it feels unfair.

Yeah, I don’t think it’s only the serious and quiet thing that has the girls swarming around him.

Then our eyes meet, and he doesn’t seem so embarrassed anymore. In fact, he’s looking at me like he knows exactly what I’m thinking. And he doesn’t seem put off by my blatant appraisal in the slightest.

Suddenly feeling flustered, I turn back to Jay. Much safer territory. “Did you meet Kia? Sophomore, blond hair.”

He screws up his face, thinking about it. “I think so. Was she wearing a pink sweater?”

“That’s her.” I pat his shoulder. “She broke up with her boyfriend a month ago and I heard her mention she might be ready to start dating again. She’s super sweet and she has a mean instep kick.”

Sol snorts. “Of course that’s what you point out.”

I flip him off without looking and keep my attention on Jay. “She has a corgi dog that she’s like, obsessed with. That could be your in.”

“Sweet,” Jay says, all bitterness about Gwen’s athlete preferences forgotten. “You’re the best, Ceece.”

I give him a thumbs up and he hurries off.

“You’re seriously going to subject one of your teammates to that?” Sol asks.

I smack his arm. “Be nice. Jay is a good guy.”

“If you say so.”