Page 16 of Playing to Win
“Good to meet you Ryan Adams.”
“You too, Kyle. Thanks again, man. You never told me what you were here for.”
“I came to see about a girl.”
“Aren’t we all?” With a salute, Ryan walked off, holding the card Kyle gave him in his hand. Kyle just hoped he stayed true to his word and didn’t post the picture on social media until after he was off campus. Otherwise, he would be there all night signing autographs when all he wanted to do was hang out with Callie.
“Well, that sure was nice of you. But what are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to meet me at my house.” He turned to see Callie walking toward him, wearing a Thunder t-shirt that looked to be about three sizes too large, black leggings, and knee high black boots. As usual, her crazy mane was pulled up in a bun on top of her head, with those errant curls he loved framing her heart-shaped face.
“Waiting to see if our study date paid off. Are all your shirts three sizes too big, Curly?”
“I have to wear baggy clothing to make up for the fact I wear next to nothing when I’m dancing for your team,” she said, poking him in the chest. “We better get out of here before everyone gets finished and starts filtering out that door. There’s usually people everywhere, but this is one of the only classes this afternoon, so it’s pretty quiet. You’re lucky. But if they catch you and you’re a sucker like you were for that guy, we’ll be here forever and miss supper with my dad. Now let’s go. I actually rode with Cassie to campus today, so I’ll just text her that I’m riding with you.”
“Why are you the only one leaving?”
“Easy. I finished early. I had this smartie pants who helped me study and I think I aced it.”
Kyle smiled and with some hesitance, risked draping his arm around Callie’s shoulders. To his surprise, she let him keep it there.
Now this is progress, he thought.
“Is that Kyle Kelly?” he heard a voice behind him say.
“We’ve been made. Haul tail and run!” Callie yelled, grabbing his hand and pulling him to his car. Laughing, she grabbed his keys from him, opened his driver’s side door and hopped in.
“What do you think you’re doing? I don’t let anyone drive my car!”
“Well, now you do. I’ve always wanted to drive a BMW Z4. It’s either let me drive or be mobbed by the masses.”
Kyle looked over his shoulder to the people congregating on the steps of Gaylord College, phones in hand, all pointing his direction.
“Ah, screw it,” he said. “But you better know how to drive a stick.”
“I was born to drive a stick,” she told him, a mischievous look on her face.
“Is that so?” he asked with a wink, tugging on her curls. “I have so many questions that come to mind, but I will hold them off for now, just so you can pull a James Bond and get us out of here.”
With a jerk of the wheel, Callie took off, leaving the mass of people and their phones in a cloud of smoke.
Callie hadno idea what she was doing. Here she was supposed to be playing it cool with Kyle, being immune to his charm, and she was about to melt in a puddle on the floorboard of his fancy car, all because he came to see how she did on her test.
Jeez, get a grip, girl, she thought.
“Callie, you might want to slow it down a notch. I know I’m a so-called celebrity, but I can still get tickets. And you’re going almost ninety.”
Callie looked down at the speedometer. Holy shit. “Well, it’s your fault,” she said grumpily.
“Me? How’s it my fault? I’m not the one who has my foot on the gas like I’m in the Indy 500.”
“You just got me all flustered, waiting on me outside of class. I wasn’t expecting it.”
“And here I thought I was being all romantic.”
“I told you, I don’t date professional athletes.”
“So you say. Maybe I’ll change your mind.”
“Maybe when hell freezes over.”
