Chapter 9

CHAPTER NINE

Jace

“Hey, what are you up to?” Troy asks when I answer his call.

“Just got up. Why?”

“We’re all going to the pool at ten. The place is supposed to be packed so we’re going early.”

One of the public pools in town always has a college day before classes start. It’s for students only so you need your ID to get in. The place fills up fast with people looking to find dates or hook up. Girls wear their skimpiest bikinis and show them off while lying on the lounge chairs or strolling around the pool.

Every year I go there with the guys from the team, but I’m not sure I want to today if it means breaking my plans with Kenzie. We don’t really have plans yet but I told her we’d spend the day together.

“I don’t think I can make it,” I say, “but let me know how it goes. Is Jay already drinking?”

“Yeah, he started at seven.”

Jay always gets drunk before he goes. He needs liquid courage to go up to all the hot girls in bikinis and ask them out. He’s confident on the basketball court, but put him in front of a hot girl and he clams up and starts sweating.

“You gotta come with us,” Troy says. “It’s tradition. I know that bitch messed you up but forget her. You can’t miss pool day because of her.”

Nikki. I almost forgot about her. I woke up and didn’t even think of her. How’s that even possible? She’s been on my mind since the moment we met. Am I so traumatized by the break-up that I put her out of my head? Or is it because of Kenzie? She’s the girl I woke up thinking about, which makes sense since I woke up with her in my arms.

That probably wasn’t the right thing to do, given that she’s my roommate, but it sure felt right, maybe because I was lonely and missing Nikki. But if that’s true, then I shouldn’t have done it. I shouldn’t have used Kenzie to make myself feel better. But is that really what I did? It didn’t feel like it at the time, but who knows? Maybe I was, in which case I’m an ass and can’t let myself do that again.

Kenzie’s a nice girl and I don’t want to mislead her in any way. We’re both on the rebound from long relationships and getting involved with anyone, especially each other, is the absolute last thing we should do. That’s why we made that agreement to keep each other from getting into a relationship again. It’s too soon. We need to let our hearts heal and get our minds straight.

“Jace, you still there?”

“Yeah, sorry. I just woke up. I’m a little out of it.”

“So you’ll be there, right?”

“I don’t think so. And it’s not about Nikki. I just don’t feel like going this year.”

“Why the hell not? The timing’s perfect. The place will be crawling with girls. You can have your pick. You know how many girls have been waiting for you to finally be single?”

“When I was on the team, yeah, but it’s different now.”

“Uh, no. Just last night, three girls were asking about you. If you’d been at the party, I bet you could’ve had all three. Maybe all at once.” He laughs. “Lucky bastard.”

“Who was asking about me?” I say, assuming he’s only telling me that to boost my ego after the break-up.

“Tanya, that blonde you met in freshmen English. Katrina, the football cheerleader. And some girl I’ve never met. I think her name was Steph, but I’m not sure. I was drunk when she introduced herself so my memory isn’t great.”

“And what exactly did they say?”

“They asked if you were at the party.”

“That’s it? That doesn’t mean anything.”

“Believe me, they wanted you. If you saw them when they asked, you’d know. They had that look. The look girls get when they want sex.”

I laugh. “You’re just making shit up. Asking if I was there doesn’t mean they wanted to have sex with me. And even if they did, I’m not ready for that.”

“Are you kidding me? Sex is exactly what you need right now. It’s the fastest way to get over your ex.”

“Maybe, but not yet. Nikki and I just broke up.”

“Speaking of that, you sound pretty good. I thought you’d be drunk when I called, or at least hungover.”

“I would’ve been but…” I stop before telling him about Kenzie. I don’t want him thinking there’s anything going on between her and me.

“But what? You didn’t get back together with her, did you?” He huffs. “It’d be just like that bitch to show up at your house in the middle of the night and—”

“She didn’t show up. I had some whiskey, but I didn’t get drunk. I watched TV and fell asleep on the couch. ”

I hear some guys yelling in the background. Troy lives in an apartment with three guys from the team. One of them was injured, like me, and can’t play anymore.

“What time’s he showing up?” I hear someone yell. It sounds like Brent, a senior and the tallest guy on the team. He’s just under seven feet.

“He says he’s not coming,” Troy yells back.

“What the fuck?” I hear Brent say, then I hear him take Troy’s phone. “You’re gonna be there even if it means we have to drag your ass out of bed and throw you in the back of the truck. We’re not letting some girl fuck up tradition.”

“This isn’t about Nikki. And going to the pool two years in a row doesn’t exactly make it a tradition. It’s not that big a deal if I don’t go. You guys will be too focused on girls to even notice if I’m there.”

“If this isn’t about Nikki, then why wouldn’t you go? Are you working today?”

“I have the day off, but I have plans with a friend.”

“What friend?”

“Kenzie. My new roommate. She wants to see the gym so I told her I’d give her a tour.”

“You’re missing pool day to hang out with your roommate?” He pauses, then says, “I get it. You want her.”

“Want who?”

“This girl. Your roommate. She’s hot and you want to have sex with her so you’re doing the friend thing to show her your kind, sensitive side so she’ll do it with you.”

“That’s not what I’m doing. I mean, yes, I’m being a friend but not so I can sleep with her.”

“Yeah, whatever.”

“Believe what you want, but I really am just trying to be her friend. She’s having a rough time right now. She found her boyfriend cheating yesterday. She was supposed to move in with him. That’s how she ended up here. She needed a place to stay.”

“So she’s on the rebound. This is the perfect time to make your move. She’s vulnerable, and pissed at her ex. The two things that make a girl want sex with a guy without any strings attached.”

“I’m not sleeping with her. She needs time to get over her ex, just like I need time to get over Nikki.”

“You don’t need time. You need sex.”

“Not with her. She’s my roommate. Nothing more.”

“Then come to the pool and find someone else. Girls love gym rats like you. Take your shirt off and they’ll be lining up.”

It may be true, but I still don’t feel ready to get back out there and date. It’s been so long since I’ve been single that it’s going to feel strange to ask a girl out. And then there’s the awkward first date and getting-to-know-you stage you have to go through before you finally feel comfortable enough to just relax at home and watch a movie instead of going out. But I guess I wouldn’t be doing that with a girl I’m just casually dating. That’s more of a relationship thing, although I never got to that point with Nikki. We tried it a few times—getting takeout and watching a movie on a Saturday night—but Nikki would get bored and we’d end up at a party.

“I’m not looking to get with a girl,” I tell Brent. “Not yet. Just go to the pool without me.”

“Okay, but you have to at least show up at the party tonight.”

“I’ll let you know later. I gotta go.” I end the call so he won’t keep pressuring me to go to the party.

I yank off my t-shirt and head to the bathroom. When I try to open the door, I find that it’s locked.

“I’m almost done!” Kenzie calls out. I hear something drop on the floor.

“Take your time,” I say. “I’ll go eat breakfast.”

“Wait, I’m done.” She opens the door that connects the bathroom to my room. “Sorry about that. You can use it now.”

She’s standing there in a long t-shirt, her hair wrapped in a towel. I’m trying not to look, but she’s not wearing a bra and her breasts are poking through that t-shirt, leaving little to the imagination.

“You don’t have to be sorry,” I say, forcing myself to keep my eyes on her face. “We share the bathroom. It’s as much yours as mine, but we should probably figure out a schedule for when classes start.”

“Yeah, absolutely.” She smiles. “So what’s first today? Tour the gym?”

“It’s up to you. We can start with the gym, if that’s what you want.” My phone rings. I check to see who’s calling but don’t answer it.

“Aren’t you going to get that?” Kenzie asks.

“No. It’s just Troy, trying to make me go to the pool party.”

“Pool party?” She leans against the door frame. “What pool party?”

“It’s not really a party. It’s college day at the city pool. Only people with a student ID can get in. It’s less about swimming and more about meeting people.”

“As in finding someone to date?”

“Or hook up with. I’ve gone every year, but it’s not really where you go if you’re already dating someone. Nikki liked it so she made us go, but I didn’t like being there with her. Guys were constantly checking her out, which she loved, but as her boyfriend, it pissed me off so I’d go hang out with my teammates and she’d go lay on the loungers with her friends.”

“But you’re single this year so you should go.”

“I don’t need to. Besides, I already promised you we’d hang out together. So the gym? That’s where you want to go first?”

She tilts her head. “Maybe we should go to the pool instead.”

“If you want to swim, there’s a pool at the gym.”

“I don’t want to swim. I want to lay out. Get some sun. And check out this pool party. Do a lot of people go?”

“Yeah, the place is packed. My friends are heading over there at ten. By noon, they’ll be turning people away.”

“Then we should get ready.” She undoes the towel on her head and her hair falls down around her shoulders. She shakes it out, which makes her breasts shake, immediately taking my eyes off her face. “What time should we go?”

I force my eyes back to hers. “You really want to go?”

“We don’t have to stay all day, but I’d like to check it out. Maybe I could meet some people.”

“The people there are just looking for a date. Or a hookup. You’re not going to meet friends there.”

“That’s fine. I still want to go. And who knows? Maybe I’ll end up getting a date for tonight.”

“I thought you and I were—“ I stop myself, realizing I shouldn’t assume she wants to spend her Saturday night with me. We agreed to spend the day together. If she wants to go out with some guy tonight, that’s up to her, although the thought of that causes my chest to tighten.

“You thought you and I were what ?” she asks.

“Nothing.” I shake my head. “I was just wondering if you’re ready for that. Going on a date so soon after breaking up with your ex.”

“I’m not saying that’s what I’ll do, but if I meet someone I like, then maybe. You should do the same, unless you’re not ready.”

“Guess we’ll find out.” I check the time on my phone. “We should probably leave in a half hour. If you’re done in the bathroom, I’ll take a quick shower.”

“It’s all yours.” She turns and walks to her room, closing the door behind her.

I get in the shower, trying not to think about how great Kenzie looked in that t-shirt. Just a simple oversized t-shirt, but it looked so damn sexy on her. And now she’s in her room, putting on a bikini. I quickly wipe that image from my head and finish my shower. I’ve gotta stop thinking of her that way.

We arrive at the pool just after ten. Before we left, I texted Troy and Jay to let them know I’d decided to show up and that I was bringing Kenzie. She looks really hot, wearing cutoff denim shorts and a tiny white t-shirt. I keep finding myself staring at her, then catch myself and look away.

We pay at the counter, then go through the turnstile and out to the pool.

“Jace!” Brent yells. “Over here!”

Brent’s standing by a long row of lounge chairs with Jay and some of the other guys on the team.

“You can tell they play basketball,” Kenzie jokes. “They’re the tallest guys here.” She glances around, her eyes stopping on a guy as he takes off his shirt. His abs are decent but not as good as mine. And he looks like an ass, an arrogant smirk on his face as two girls go up to him.

“C’mon,” I say, getting Kenzie’s attention. “I’ll introduce you to my friends.”

We walk over there and Jay goes up to Kenzie. “Hey, how’s it going?”

“Kenzie, that’s Jay,” I tell her. “And that’s Brent,” I say, glancing at him.

“Hi!” She smiles at them.

“Ready to move out yet?” Jay asks.

She laughs. “No. So far, he’s a good roommate.”

“Give it time,” Brent says. “Just wait until he starts cooking all that health food shit. Stinks up the whole house.”

“That happened one time,” I explain. “And it was because I cooked fresh broccoli instead of the frozen microwaved stuff.”

“His place stunk for days.” Brent’s eyes move up and down Kenzie and he motions to the loungers behind him. “You can put your stuff over there. We’re going for a swim if you want to join us.”

He doesn’t care about swimming. He’s just trying to get her to strip down to her bikini so he can see her body. Even with her clothes on, you can see she has a great body.

I’m looking at her again. At her shapely curves. Those long legs. Dammit, I need to stop.

“I think I’ll wait to swim,” Kenzie says. “It’s not warm enough yet.”

“That’s Dave and Lance,” I say to Kenzie as they walk over to us. They both have girlfriends, but they still check Kenzie out.

Dave comes up to me. “Sorry about what happened. How are you doing?”

I shrug. “It’s over. Time to move on.”

Dave nods. A few months ago, he was cheated on by a girl he’d dated for over a year so he knows my don’t-give-a-shit attitude is all for show. But actually, I’m feeling pretty good today. I think all those pep talks I keep giving Kenzie are starting to make me feel better about my own situation.

“Haven’t seen her yet,” Lance says, referring to Nikki. “But I’m guessing she’ll show up.”

“Maybe not,” Dave says. “She might have to work.”

“Work?” I laugh. “Nikki doesn’t work. As far as I know, she’s never worked a day in her life.”

“Carter said she got a job,” Lance says, “but you know him. He never gets shit right.” He smiles at Kenzie. “So you got stuck living with this guy?”

She smiles back. “He’s not that bad.”

She sets her stuff down and takes a seat on one of the loungers. I take the one next to hers while my buddies take off for the pool, which is full of girls.

“You good?” I ask.

“Yeah.” She squints at me as the sun hits her eyes. It’s cloudy, but the sun is starting to peek through. She reaches down to her bag and gets her sunglasses. “You see anyone yet?”

“What do you mean?”

“Girls.” She leans over to me and lowers her voice. “Do you see any you’d want to ask out?”

Honestly, I haven’t even looked at the girls here, except Kenzie. My eyes keep going to her, even though I told myself to stop.

“Hey, Jace,” a girl says.

I look up and see Andrea. She dated Troy last year. They broke up, but they’re still good friends. They hang out together so much I keep wondering if they’ll get back together, but they claim they’re better as friends than as a couple.

“Andrea, I want you to meet someone.” I stand up and motion to Kenzie, who also stands. “This is Kenzie. She just moved here.”

“Hi.” Kenzie shakes Andrea’s hand. “Do you know Jace from school?”

“Yes, but he’s also friends with Troy.”

“Are you Troy’s girlfriend?”

“I was. We broke up last summer.”

“Oh.” Kenzie looks embarrassed. “Sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Andrea says. “Troy and I are friends now. We hang out together all the time. I’m actually here with him today. He gave me a ride in case I end up going home with someone.” She smiles. “Hopefully, that someone will be Tad Langley.”

“You’re interested in Tad?” I say.

“What’s wrong with Tad?” she asks defensively.

“The guy wears a tie to class. He’s stuffy. Boring. And I’m pretty sure he wears hairspray to keep his hair like that.”

“Yeah? So? Guys can use hairspray.”

I shrug. “Sorry, but I can’t see you with Tad. He’s the complete opposite of Troy.”

“I’m trying something new. I had the party boy. Now I want a man. A man who has goals and knows what he wants in life.”

“And what does he want?”

“I don’t know, but he seems to have his life together which is more than I can say for Troy. I love the guy, but he’ll never grow up. He’s a forever bachelor.” She turns to Kenzie. “Do you have a boyfriend?”

“I did yesterday,” she says. “Not today.”

I’m surprised Kenzie would say that. Saying it means having to talk about it, which I know she doesn’t want to do. But Andrea has a way of making people talk. She makes you feel comfortable, and before you know it, you’re spilling your guts.

“Sorry about that,” Andrea says. “Was he cheating?”

I’m about to tell Andrea to let it go but then Kenzie says, “Yeah. I found him with another girl.”

“Been there.” Andrea rolls her eyes.

“Really?” Kenzie asks, surprised. “You found your ex with another girl?”

“Not Troy. A different guy. I dated him freshman year. He was my first college boyfriend and I thought we were in love, but it turns out he was seeing someone on the side.”

“I’m sorry,” Kenzie says. “Do you know how long it went on?”

“The whole time we were dating. I’m over it now, but at the time I was a mess. Looking back, I wasted far too much time getting over him. Months that I could’ve been dating someone else.” She goes over to Kenzie and loops her arm around hers. “You need to get back out there. Let’s go take a tour.”

“A tour of what?” Kenzie asks.

“Men!” Andrea smiles. “The trick is to look discreet. You don’t want them thinking you’re interested.”

“But what if I am?” Kenzie asks, her eyes going to a group of guys walking in front of us. It irritates me that she’s interested in them, but it shouldn’t. Kenzie wants someone new. Someone who will take her mind off her ex.

“You can’t let them know,” Andrea says. “At least not right away. You want them to come to you, and then you pretend you have to think about it before finally agreeing to go out with them.”

“Seems complicated,” Kenzie says.

“It’s easy.” Andrea adjusts her bikini top so it shows off more of her boobs. “Let’s go. Oh, but first you need to ditch all those clothes.”

I was looking at the pool, but Andrea’s words make my eyes dart back to Kenzie. No matter how hard I try, there’s no way I can look away now. Her shorts are already off and she’s peeling off her t-shirt. She’s left in a tiny black bikini that shows off the hottest body I’ve ever seen, even hotter than Nikki’s. Nikki’s skinny, but has no curves. Kenzie has curves in all the right places, like her perky round ass and big beautiful breasts.

“If that’s any indication,” I hear Andrea say, “I think it’s safe to say you’ll have your pick of men today.”

Kenzie blushes, and when I glance at Andrea, I see she’s pointing at me and smiling.

She was referring to me ? Oh, shit. I was staring at Kenzie, practically drooling, and she caught me! Or Andrea did. But why did she have to point it out?

“You should probably start your tour,” I say. “Before all the good guys are gone.”

Andrea takes Kenzie’s arm and they walk off, following a path around the pool.

I wonder if Kenzie bought my attempt to encourage her to find a guy. I tried to sound convincing, but the truth is, it’s a total lie. I don’t want her finding some other guy. I want her to be with me.