Chapter Sixteen

Finn

E ven though I'd put Chessly on notice we were going on an official date, two weeks passed before I had a chance to run into her again. We'd started DMing each other on social media, but she'd kept it light and hadn't given me an opening to ask her out. I had a bad feeling it had something to do with the fact that a certain group of jersey chasers who'd been walking toward her dorm when I dropped her off after our impromptu dinner. They'd glared at her, she'd glared back at them, and then she'd said good night without giving me even half a chance to steal a kiss.

Which I'd totally been planning to do.

I'd stopped by the Union on multiple afternoons, hoping to catch her and coming up empty. I'd checked her favorite study carrel in Hillman enough times that Ichabod, who usually had it, had started to smirk at me with something like pity in his eyes.

It was coming up on Valentine's Day, and I'd decided to ask her to join the gang for a sledding party on the old ski runs outside of town on the mountainside below the Mountain State "M." Callahan and Jamaica were going. I'd heard a rumor in the house that Bax had asked Chessly's other friend Piper, so I thought I had a better than even chance of success for making the sledding party our first official date. Asking her in person rather than over Instagram would only help ensure that success.

When I saw her in line for coffee at the Union a couple of days before Valentine's Day, I knew the gods were smiling on me. I stood at the end of the counter where she had to wait for her drink and studied her. Damn, would I ever get over how pretty she was? Today she was wearing some kind of lavender wool hat with a crocheted flower pinned to one side of it. It looked cute as hell. Something on her phone quirked up the corner of her lush mouth, and I wanted to know what put that expression on her face. Her smooth skin held a faint hint of pink, which said she'd recently come in from outside. The hem of her pink puffy coat grazed the tops of her thighs, hiding her pretty curves, yet accentuating her long legs dressed in skinny jeans.

When she glanced up from her phone, I smiled my winningest smile. "Hello, gorgeous. Long time, no see."

"Finn! You surprised me," she gasped.

"Got a minute?" I asked as we stepped away from the counter.

"Um, I'm actually on my way to class," she said. She sipped from her brew and momentarily closed her eyes in bliss.

"I'm between classes. I'll walk you."

For a second, she seemed to have to think it over—which, combined with this being the first in-person conversation we'd had for so long, worried me.

"Okay."

She started walking, and I fell into step beside her.

"I've looked for you here—and in Hillman—but you haven't been around much these past few weeks." I did my damnedest not to sound pouty, but from the side-eye she shot me, some of my frustration at not seeing her leaked into my tone.

"That quantum physics project I was working on that day—"

"Yeah?"

"It's due next week." She blew out a sigh. "Honestly, it's kicking my ass. My partners and I have been burning all the midnight oil, and the morning oil, and the afternoon oil..." She trailed off. "Plus, I was on deck for dorm programming for the past two weeks, which was such sucky timing with classes. I've barely had a chance to breathe." The look in her eyes when she glanced up at me willed me to believe her.

"I get it. I've had a few projects like that, especially in organic chemistry last year."

Tension melted out of her shoulders as she sipped her coffee. "After this weekend I might be able to snag a few minutes to do something fun."

"This weekend is Valentine's Day."

She shrugged. "So?"

"You know the old ski hill out by the ‘M?'"

"What about it?"

I shoved my hands into the front pockets of my jeans. "A few times a year the old guy who owns the land lets people come out and sled the big hill the trees haven't overgrown yet. It's lit up and everything."

"Uh-huh."

Damn . She wasn't making this easy. Why I was so nervous to ask her out was an entirely different mystery.

"Valentine's Day is one of the days he opens it up. A bunch of us are heading up there to play, and I thought maybe you'd like to go with me." Jesus, I sound like a sixteen-year-old .

Chess stopped in the middle of the sidewalk to look me in the face. "You know what, Finn? That sounds like a blast."

The expression in those stunning sapphire eyes was sincerity itself, and a smile leaped to my face.

"But half the RAs on staff have dates already, which means the rest of us are on call." She started walking again, and it took me a few steps to catch up—literally and figuratively.

"You can't get out of it?" I asked. Begged was more like it.

"Afraid not." Her mouth turned down. "There's no one left to cover for me. I'm sorry, Finn." She glanced up at me with wistful eyes. "I bet it's going to be a ton of fun."

"Not as much fun as it would be if you were there."

We stopped outside the front doors to Hillman Hall. Tilting her head she asked, "You don't think you'll take someone else?"

She was fishing in waters that were full of traps—for me.

"Nah. Most of the team goes, and not many of us bring a date." I peeked at her from beneath my brows. "I heard Jamaica's going." Then I frowned. "Guess she's one of the RAs you're covering for, huh?"

"Yep." Tilting her head, she studied me. "You're really not going to ask anyone else?"

I stared down at where I was scuffing the toe of my boot into the snow on the sidewalk. "You were the only girl I wanted to play with." Gazing into her eyes, I said, "Guess I'll have to come up with a different epic idea for our first date."

For a long moment, we stared into each other's eyes.

She blinked first. "Give me some advance notice so I can shift my call if it's my turn."

Well, if that wasn't a green light for pursuing this girl, I didn't know what was. "I'll need your number for that."

Somewhere inside the building a bell rang, signaling two minutes until classes started. "I've gotta go."

I pulled my phone from my pocket and pulled up a screen. "Digits, Chessly."

She rattled off her number, flashed me a quick grin, and headed into Hillman Hall. Over her shoulder she called, "I'm looking forward to epic."

Long after she disappeared inside the building, I stood on the sidewalk with a stupid smile on my face. Chessly Clarke wanted to go out with me. She was looking forward to an epic date. I'd made her a promise, and I had every intention of delivering.

The Monday following Valentine's Day, my physical chemistry prof decided people weren't taking the class seriously enough. To drive home his point, he assigned quizzes for every class for the next two weeks. By Thursday I was up to my ears in calculus, physics, and chemistry problems all rolled together, leaving me in serious danger of drowning in a sea of red marks, so I sent up an SOS to the one person I thought wouldn't mind helping me. I hoped.

Me: Hey, you busy this afternoon?

Chess: I need more advance notice than a couple hours for an epic date.

Me: No doubt. And I promise to give that to you.

Chess: So what's up?

Me: This is me phoning a friend. ;) Would you mind helping me with some physics problems? I'll pay you in coffee or ice cream or both. Your choice.

Chess: Both. Coffee before, ice cream after.

Me: Deal. Meet you at the Union in thirty?

Chess: Done.

I'd texted her some videos of a couple of the more spectacular wrecks on the sledding hill on Valentine's Day with a "wish you were here" note. She'd texted back laughing emojis. Other than that, we hadn't burned up each other's phones in the past week. If not for my pouty prof giving me an excuse, I probably would have resorted to barraging her with texts.

"What's with the cheesy grin, Finn? You got a hot date?" Danny teased as he passed through the living room with a load of laundry in his arms.

I swear, our new roommate practically lived in our laundry room. Of course, since he wasn't on scholarship—yet—he had a job at a local tire shop. Guess it was dirty work.

"Not yet. But I'm working on it."

He stopped and leveled me with a glare. "Not with one of those jersey chasers, I hope."

"No, Dad. I've figured out the deal with those girls. Especially since it means less money for my friends for scholarships." It was my turn to level him with my stare.

"From what Callahan told me the other night, some other donor stepped up and offered to fill the void Buzz Miller left when he pulled out of the alumni association in a huff. The guy runs a trucking outfit or something." He shifted his clothes higher in his arms.

"Who?" I asked, suspicion coloring my tone.

Danny smirked. "Jamaica's dad. He's directing the money specifically for football and Letters and Science scholarships—and his donation is bigger than Miller's."

"I hope that means your days at the tire store are numbered." I chuckled. "'Course, the job does give you an extra workout, which can't hurt, Fly Boy."

I had Danny by 80 pounds, but his years as a mechanic in the Air Force had stacked on the muscle. Plus he was wiry as hell, which made him a great receiver—and meant I'd never challenged him to a wrestling match despite my weight advantage. Didn't mean I wouldn't razz him though.

He snorted. "From the way you staggered up the hill with your tube the other night, you should probably join me slingin' tires around in the afternoons."

"Whatever." I flipped him the bird. "I made two runs for every one you made since you had to fool around with your girl at the top and bottom of each one. It's a wonder the two of you managed any tubing at all."

As he headed up the stairs, he huffed out another laugh. "Better get on that date so you can start having your own fun."

Thinking about meeting up with Chessly put a goofy grin on my face. I'd told her half an hour, but I wasted no time in stuffing my shit into my backpack, throwing on a hoodie and heading to the Union. I ended up waiting at the back of the coffee line for ten minutes before she arrived, but I didn't care. Sunshine followed her right into the building when she walked through the door, the sight of her warming me from head to toe.

"Hello, pretty girl. Thanks for agreeing to help me out," I said as she joined me.

She shrugged. "What can I say? I'm a sucker for problem-solving."

But I noticed the rosy glow tinging her cheeks at my greeting.

I moved a little closer to her and dropped my voice half an octave. "Is that right? Care to help me solve another problem I'm having?"

"What problem?" The words came out breathy.

"Figuring out how to spend more time with a certain hot physics major I know."

Her luscious lips flattened into a line. "Is that what your plea for help was? A sneaky way to see me? You don't need to make up excuses, Finn. You can just ask me out."

Putting up my hands in a slow-down gesture, I said, "My physical chemistry prof is on a tear. He's assigned a quiz for every day this week and next with the problems increasing in difficulty at a rate I'm struggling to keep up." I ducked my head. "I truly do need your help."

The barista signaled it was our turn to order. After Chess ordered her usual café au lait and I asked for an Americano, she shot me a look from beneath her brows while we waited for our drinks.

"So this afternoon isn't a date."

"Nothing epic about coffee and studying together." I winked. "And I promised you epic." Clearing my suddenly dry throat, I asked, "Are you on call next Saturday?"

"No." She dragged the word out almost into a question.

For a second I stared down at where I was toeing the linoleum tile, then I glanced up to catch her eyes. Jesus, her eyes were so blue and clear. Staring into them almost made me forget what I wanted to ask. "Got anything else going on?"

"Not yet." A smile came into those stunning eyes.

Damn , my mouth had gone as dry as the Mojave. I swallowed, and asked, "Would you like to go on an epic date—with me?"

"Order up for Chessly," the barista interrupted. "Got one here for Finn."

I grabbed my coffee and scalded the roof of my mouth in my haste to manufacture some spit.

A hint of a twinkle played with Chessly's warm smile before she hid it behind a sip of her latte. Another customer crowded in front of us to grab his drink, and I let my free hand dip to the small of her back to guide her over toward an open table at the back of the room.

We set our drinks down and pulled up chairs opposite each other, the unanswered question hanging in the air between us. But I couldn't take the suspense.

"You up for something epic?"

"After all the buildup, anything less will be anticlimactic to the point of implosion. You sure you want to promise that?" she challenged.

I relaxed. "Don't you worry. I've had lots of time to think and plan. All you have to do is say yes."

Her smirk stretched into a full smile that threatened to blow my socks off. "Okay, Finn. Yes. I'll go out on an epic date with you next Saturday."

For a long moment, we sat there smiling at each other before I remembered why I'd asked her to coffee.

"Um, we should probably work on—"

"Yeah, we probably should."

Still, neither of us made a move to unload our backpacks until Chessly's friend Piper Maxwell materialized beside our table.

"Here's an interesting pair," she said with a chuckle. "Since when did you two start hanging out together?"

Chess cleared her throat. "Finn asked me to help him with some physics."

Piper crossed her arms over her chest. "Is that what the kids are calling it these days?" she teased.

To emphasize her point, Chessly opened her backpack and pulled out a notebook, a calculator, and some pencils. Raising her brows at me, she blinked twice and slid her gaze to where my backpack rested on the chair beside me.

Taking the hint, I unloaded my laptop, a notebook, and a pencil.

"Huh. From over there"—Piper nodded in the direction of the coffee line—"this looked pretty cozy for a study session."

"Don't you have a class or some corporation to dominate today?" Chessly grumbled.

"For the record, it's about time the two of you started hanging out." Piper laughed. "Maybe now you'll stop putting your grump on every time Finn's name comes up."

I didn't know how to take Piper's comment, so I asked, "I make you grumpy?"

"Only when jersey chasers are involved."

"Ah. Well, you don't have to worry about that. We put out the word we don't want them coming around the house, and Stromboli's hasn't let them through the door since the semester started." I leaned my forearms on the table. "Plus, I've taken up studying at Hillman instead of at the library."

Chessly's wide eyes told me she didn't miss my meaning.

"For the record, the two of you are cute together." A naughty grin accompanied Piper's observation. "Maybe you should study—"

"Piper." No one in a three-table radius could have missed the warning in Chessly's tone.

With a grin, I let my study partner know I kind of agreed with whatever Piper was going to say. The cute way she wrinkled her nose back at me only made me grin harder.

The deep baritone of my roommate's voice interrupted our little standoff. "Hey, babe. Sorry I'm late." Bax threw his arm over Piper's shoulders and brushed a kiss over the side of her head. "Finn. Chessly." He did a double-take. "Wait—are you two here together? I thought after that night at finals—"

It was my turn to shut my friend up. "Chess is helping me with some physics. No big deal." Why was it so hard for our friends—our friends , for crying out loud—to admit it was cool if Chessly and I hung out?

Bax's jacket hung open enough for me read today's T-shirt: "I enjoy long romantic walks to the beer fridge."

"I don't get it, Piper. How can a classy girl like you hang out with someone wearing that?" I pointed to Bax's shirt.

He glanced down at it as if he hadn't seen it before then glanced back up and grinned. "Piper appreciates honesty—right, babe?" He tugged her tighter against his side.

She smirked at him. "Absolutely."

I shook my head in wonder. Across the table Chess rolled her pretty eyes.

"We should get going, Piper." Something intimate colored my roommate's tone, and it didn't take a genius to know why he wanted to leave.

"Have a good afternoon, kids," Piper said with that naughty smile again. "Don't get into trouble."

Chessly bared her teeth at her friend while I deliberately took a long drink from my coffee.

When they finally moved off, we exchanged a glance before she broke the silence. "Well, that was awkward."

"Is it going to be awkward for you to go out with me?" With the uncomfortable way she'd acted after her friend arrived, I worried she might change her mind about our date.

"And miss the epic date to end all epic dates? Um, no." The mischief in her smile warmed my chest.

With a nod I said, "Good because we're going to have a great time." After a beat, I winked. "An epic time."