I rock my hips from side to side, holding my arms out in front of me as I sink to the floor along with my sisters. We’re dancing to a classic rock song mixed with a techno beat. Abby’s so rich she knows a famous DJ who sent her the custom song. She’s convinced it will be the reason we’ll win. I believe it’s because she knows the owner of The Sixth Floor.
After close to an hour of dancing, Abby dismisses us. Jordan grabs my hand and leads me up to her bedroom. A massive four-poster bed occupies a large portion of the open room. Soft light filters through the windows that span the right side, peeking through the silky white curtains. The furnishings are expensive, most likely from Crate & Barrel or Pottery Barn.
She drops on the mattress and pats the open space next to her for me to sit. “Everything okay with you?”
“Yeah.” I force a smile. “I missed the bus. That’s why I was late.”
Jordan nods, running her hand over the white duvet. “My dry cleaner was able to get the stain out of the dress. So don’t worry about it. Okay?”
Covering my heart with my hand, I let out a sigh of relief that turns into a real smile. I was terrified I ruined Jordan’s dress. “How much do I owe you?”
She waves her hand, a tiny smile crossing her lips. “Nothing. Jamie took care of it.”
My smile quickly turns into a frown. Jamie knows better than anyone that I don’t want any more handouts than I already have to take. It’s bad enough I have to borrow Jordan’s clothes to fit in with my sisters.
“I’m gonna kill him,” I grunt.
She chuckles. “Technically, Jamie spilled beer on my dress, so I don’t see the harm in letting him pay. He has more money than he knows what to do with anyway.”
Irritated, I grit my teeth. Why are the rich kids at this school so oblivious to the real world? Just because they have money doesn’t mean they need to spend every cent. I work my ass off at Rizzo’s Bakery for ten dollars an hour. Jamie probably makes more than that in dividends with each breath he takes.
He said his dad is in tech. I don’t know much about his family or how they have amassed so much wealth. All I know is they’re loaded. But I’ve always liked that Jamie doesn’t show it. Aside from his expensive clothes, he could blend with my friends from high school, no problem.
“I’d still like to pay him back,” I tell Jordan.
“He won’t take a cent from you, babe. I wouldn’t even mention it the next time you see him.”
“I’m seeing him soon. I offered to make dinner for him, which also means feeding his teammates.”
Jordan leans back on the bed staring up at the ceiling. “What were you thinking? Half the ice hockey team lives in that house. You’ll be cooking from now until the dance competition.”
I laugh. “I’m making pasta and meatballs since I have so many mouths to feed. It shouldn’t be that bad.”
“So, you and Jamie…” She raises an eyebrow. “What’s going on with you guys?”
I shrug, unsure of how to answer. “We’re friends, I guess. Not sure. So far we’ve kept everything casual.”
“You guys hooked up, right?”
“We made out in the backyard at the Delta Sig house. That’s about as far as we’ve gone.”
“But things are getting serious.” Her tone matches her intense gaze. “I can tell he really likes you. Jamie hasn’t dated anyone that I know of, and I know everyone.”
I snort at her comment. “We’re friends.”
“With benefits,” she adds.
“I guess. I’m not sure what to call it.”
“You wouldn’t offer to make dinner for his teammates if you didn’t like him as more than a friend.” A beat passes between us before she continues, “You and Jamie look cute together, I hope it works out.”
“Thanks, I hope so, too. I really like him, but there’s a part of me that’s so afraid to get too close.”
She sits up and pulls her legs into her chest. “Jamie’s one of the good ones. You should give him a chance. Guys like him don’t come around that often. Most of these trust-fund babies are so spoiled rotten they collect women like trophies. But Jamie is different. His dad didn’t come from money, and because of that, Jamie wasn’t raised like most of the guys on campus.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” I remove my cell phone from my pocket to check the time. “I have to get going before I have a house full of hungry hockey players attacking me.”
She covers her mouth and chuckles. “Depending on how you look at it that’s not a bad thing.”
I roll my eyes at her, laughing.
Ten minutes later, I knock on Jamie’s front door, my heart slamming into my chest. Anxiety rushes over me in waves, nerves churning my stomach. Why am I so panicked? I want to cook for Jamie. His teammates will only create more of a buffer, one I so desperately need right now.