Page 65 of Pucking Bad Boys

TALIA

“Very well, class.” Professor Cantucci smiles once everyone has handed their quizzes to her T.A. “I hope everyone did well today. But if you studied what we covered so far in class, you should have passed this quiz with flying colors. Now, before I dismiss you, send one person from each group down here for our exciting raffle. You’ll be excited to know that this year’s group project is about Ancient Roman cuisine and the way it’s represented in figurative art throughout the centuries. While we learned about how the Ancient Romans ate through the literature that has survived until today, art shows us exactly what that food lookedlike. The frescos and mosaics that decorated the Roman villas are especially important in showing us how the wealthy class ate. But mosaics and paintings decorated some public buildings too, and sometimes art depicted what the common people, the plebes, ate. You will draw a food from the hat and then, as a group, you’ll research that food and prepare a presentation with all the visual references you can find during the entire span of the Ancient Roman civilization. But this year, I thought it would be fun to go one step further. Each group will also replicate that food, keeping as historically authentic as possible with the ingredients available today. You’ll bring that dish to class so that we can all enjoy an Ancient Roman buffet. I’ll contribute a few dishes of my own. Doesn’t that sound fun?”

“Dude,” Tucker chuckles. “She gets excited like we were about to win a car, not be assigned homework.”

I can’t help but think that a car right now would be wonderful. Selling mine to pay for extra expenses my parents couldn’t help me with was painful. Luckily, Star Cove is a small town, but walking everywhere can be very time consuming. “Yeah, if you know of any free cars, sign me up.” I murmur.

“Tal, if you need to borrow my truck, you just need to say the word.” My brother says.

I appreciate his kindness. Tucker might be an overprotective ogre sometimes, but I know he loves me. He even promised to buy me a car as soon as he gets his sign up bonus from his NHL team next year. “I know, thank you. But I hate driving your truck. I’m too short and I struggle to even see in front of me. Last time I drove it, I had to sit on two extra cushions.”

Tucker pulls me into a side hug. “That’s because you’re pocket sized.”

I’m about to remind him how much I hate being small, but Macklin intervenes in our conversation. “If you need a car, youcan borrow mine anytime. Or if I’m not at practice or in class, I’m happy to drive you anywhere you want.”

“Who would’ve thought you’d be such a good boyfriend?” Tucker ribs him.

Before Macklin can answer anything, Gen chimes in from behind us. “Yeah, he has his moments. When he doesn’t ignore you all day on game day or dumps you for no reason.”

Macklin turns to look at his ex-girlfriend. “Sucks being dumped, huh? I’m glad you know how it feels since you broke up with me every other month. But unlike you, I had serious reasons to end it.”

His blue eyes are dark and stormy as the gray swallows the blue in his irises.

“People!” Professor Cantucci is looking at us with her hands on her slender hips. “Can we get this show on the road? I have another class in fifteen minutes. You can socialize in your own time.”

“Sorry, ma’am.” Tucker says, rising from his seat. “I’ll go draw for our group, if it’s ok?” He walks down the steps to the professor’s desk once he gets the go ahead from his group.

I shift in my seat to look behind me. Becks is too far up in the classroom to hear me unless I raise my voice, but his blue eyes are focused on me. God, he’s so hot. His facial features are different from Macklin’s despite having a similar bone structure. It’s mostly his nose and lips that are different. Their eyes, though, have exactly the same shape.

“Shall I go draw for group A?” I ask, pitching my voice as loudly as possible without shouting.

“No. Who made you the group leader?” Gen immediately snaps. “I want to go draw our topic.”

It takes all my patience to stifle an eye roll. “Fine. Go for it. I don’t care.”

As Genevieve descends the steps to the front of the classroom, Macklin shakes his head. “I didn’t know we were back in middle school. Did it matter who drew our topic?”

I shrug. “It didn’t. I think Gen is mad at me. She let me know it wasn’t cool of me to steal her boyfriend. My conscience is clean about that, but I get that seeing us together must be hard.”

Macklin’s jaw ticks. “If she gives you any trouble, let me know. You have done nothing wrong. It isn’t your fault nor mine if she doesn’t get the meaning of the word over.”

“So,” Professor Cantucci presents the students who walked down to draw a topic with a fedora hat full of folded squares of paper. “Who wants to go first?”

Gen and Tucker’s hands shoot toward the hat at the same time.

“Sorry. You can go first, Gen,” my brother offers.

“Thank you, Tucker. You’re such a gentleman.” She bats her fake lashes at him, running her long nails down his bicep.

Tucker’s face turns bright red. “Don’t mention it.” He takes a step back, clearly embarrassed.

Isn’t it funny how Gen accused me of stealing her boyfriend and then flirts with Tucker in the same breath?

Taryn has nothing to worry about since Tucker is totally devoted to her. But I know she wouldn’t like the way Gen is looking at her boyfriend.

Genevieve picks one piece of paper and hands it to the professor.

“Victor will note down everyone’s topic,” Professor Cantucci says, showing the inside of the piece of paper to the class, even though no one beyond the first row can read it. “Group A will research and reproducegarum.”