16

Adam

Some Sick Joke

The resident assistant conference was held at a college whose ass we regularly kicked at the start of every season, but I couldn't believe my eyes when we got out of the van. We only ever hung out at the stadium. I'd never actually seen the campus, which had to have been on purpose. The place was rundown at best.

With a frown, I thought back to the training center at home, with three coffee shops and five full-time masseuses.

"Oh my god." A girl stopped on the sidewalk and both of her hands went to her mouth. "You're Adam Russell."

I almost said the usual—thanks for the support, no pictures—when I caught sight of Piper's face. My RA's irritated face, her eyebrows drawn, her lips pressed together, her angry kitten attitude at me, getting attention at a campus in the middle of nowhere.

I grinned. "You're damn right. I'm Adam Russell."

Piper rolled her eyes.

"Adam Russell…sexiest linebacker in the US," I continued.

"Oh my god," Piper muttered and picked up her bag from the back of the van.

Motioning to Piper, I asked the two girls an important question. "Do you ladies want a photo to commemorate this moment? My assistant here will be only too happy to make sure this is a treasured memory to tell your grandkids about."

"Babysitter," Piper snapped. "Not assistant."

"Sorry, my babysitter would love to take this photo."

The girls nodded eagerly and shoved their phones at Piper before they hurried close to me, beaming for the camera. Piper gave me the most ‘ are you fucking kidding me ' look and snapped the picture.

"Could you get another one?" I asked. "Sorry, I wasn't flexing in the right angle."

Piper muttered under her breath but obliged, taking another fifteen pictures before I felt like we captured the good, ol' fashioned Roman spirit. The girls were ecstatic and Piper refused to speak to me as we walked up to the student center. No matter how many, fifteen or twenty, times I asked if my new photographer was okay.

The line at the student center wrapped around the sidewalk and my good mood went with it.

June grimaced. "How do we organize dorms and we still can't figure out—okay, whatever. Whatever . Guys, we need to talk about something." She gathered us up like we were in a summer camp and put her hand on her hip. "There are behavioral expectations." An audible pause followed, and she raised an eyebrow my way.

I frowned. "Why are you looking at me?"

"Because you are the behavior problem," Piper muttered.

"Hey, now." June shook her head. "We're not pointing any fingers."

I scoffed. "What the hell? You just did."

"But if we were pointing fingers," June continued, making the active choice to ignore me. "We're pointing fingers at everybody. Remember, we have Marrs badges. No one leaves campus. No drinking, on or off this campus. No one needs to involve themselves in behavior that could reflect…poorly on Marrs University."

The line inched forward and everyone shuffled together, but I couldn't believe it. This group of nerds made a trip across state lines and that was it? No fun? Goddamn stupid. And with all the looks and stares and actual fingers pointing at me in the dorm's lobby, they might as well have dressed me in the Romans mascot.

This wasn't what I signed up for when I signed up for college football.

"This is bullshit," I swore under my breath and held up a hand when someone's flash went off next to me. "Do you want to try and ask for a photo next time?"

The guy stammered out a response and disappeared. In his wake was Piper, staring down at the paper in her hand.

I jerked my thumb towards another camera. "Aren't you supposed to tell me to play nice?"

"Adam, I'm trying to focus."

"It's sex ed," I retorted. "Just show them a bill for daycare."

"I am trying to focus ."

"Or show them a child support check. If they don't get it, they're a lost cause. Let them drown."

Piper lowered the paper a little. "You don't want kids?"

"No." I laughed. "Because I have common sense."

"Uh-huh."

She returned to her paper too quickly and I chewed the inside of my cheek, watching her as the line crept even slower.

I wasn't used to conversations ending early. Or…I wasn't used to being the one who didn't end them. Piper was so engrossed in her lesson plans, she didn't even look up at me. Her gray eyes narrowed in concentration. Her full, pink lips were pressed together with just the hint of a dimple. I forgot she even had dimples.

"Kids fuck up your life," I blazed on, keeping an eye on Piper for her reaction. "They're messy, their immune systems aren't developed, they get sick all the time, they're so much work. I mean—look, you're talking about condoms during your class, right? I should be your poster child," I assured her, pointing at myself. "I wrap it up every time. Not just because if Ryan ever found out I got someone pregnant, he'd kill me. That'd get a hell of a lot more views than the Marrs Manwhore video. No one is more careful than me—"

" Adam ." Piper yanked down her paper.

"Yeah?"

"I. Got. It."

"Fine." I shrugged, nonchalant. "Understood. Okay."

"Good." Piper sighed with relief and returned to her paper, rounding past the next length of rope.

I lasted thirty seconds before the question blurted out of me. "So, do you want kids?"

"Oh my god." Piper rubbed her temples. "Yes, I want kids."

"Why?"

" Adam ." Piper folded up her paper as we approached the table. Her voice dropped to a whisper. "I don't need to know that you're single-handedly funding the condom industry. You don't need to know how many kids I want. We're just coworkers. We don't need to know these kinds of things about each other. In fact—"

"Ma'am?" The desk assistant raised her eyebrows at her. "Name?"

A flush crept up Piper's neck, and she hurried to the desk. "I'm so sorry. Piper Fontaine?"

The lady at the desk busied herself through the folders until she came up with a bright green piece of paper. "And Adam Russell?"

"Oh, yes, that's him. He'll need his too."

I nodded at her but the desk assistant frowned. She held up the piece of paper. "No, I meant and Adam Russell."

"And?" Piper blinked and took the paper from her.

I understood the situation a lot sooner than she did once I saw the ink. Oh man, now that was fucking funny. I snickered next to her, shouldering the duffel bag and feeling a hell of a lot lighter.

Piper's mouth fell open. "There has to be some kind of mistake—"

"He was a last-minute addition," the desk assistant apologized, waving us away from the line. I gladly stepped away, but Piper tried to get out of it, pleading.

"Roommate!" I thundered. "You have a class soon!"

Piper squeezed her eyes shut and made a noise at the back of her throat. "This is some sick joke ."

"This is a hilarious joke. I don't know what you mean."

"You—" Piper stopped herself and hurried to Zariah. "We could bunk together."

Zariah tried to console her, and it just made me laugh harder. "Piper, I'm sorry, I have to room with June. We're doing the inspections together."

"If you need a night alone though," June dropped her voice, "just come on over. We've got you."

"What if I need it now? "

"Oh, come on, roomie." I wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led her to the elevators.

Piper stiffened and slipped away. Her gray eyes flashed with danger. There was a permanent scowl on her lips. It was the funniest development of this entire trip. Honestly, it made the whole thing worth it.

"Don't worry, I'll check under your bed for monsters," I reassured her.

"What if the monster's in my room?" she grumbled.

"Ouch." I put a hand in mock horror to my chest as we stepped into the elevator together, along with fourteen people over the elevator's limit. "Self-deprecating jokes are often a sign of deeper issues, Piper."

"Self-deprecating?!" she demanded, her mouth wide open.

"It hurts me to see you treat yourself that way."

"Why, you—" Piper stopped herself, giving the completely full elevator another look. "You—you—"

"Gorgeous hunk of man."

She crossed her arms over her chest. "I can't stand you."

"You'll get used to it." I laughed and followed after her as we trailed along the dark, dingy hallway of an Oklahoma college that hadn't gotten a donation since Y2K.

I took the key from the little baggie stapled to the paper and slipped it into the lock. The door swung open, creaking all the way to reveal a small bathroom area and two single beds, a couple of feet away from each other.

"Because, if I'm guessing anything…" I chuckled. "It's about to get cozy."

Piper let out the most adorable whimper in the world and took two steps into the room.

I strode in and flipped over on the right mattress with my arms behind my head. This weekend was looking a whole lot brighter.

I could feel Piper's eyes on me.

"How is this whole situation between us not embarrassing to you?" she finally asked.

"The weekend?"

"No. Us . The contract."

"That's the trick." I shrugged. "I'm never embarrassed, ice princess."

"But it's like I'm your babysitter," Piper retorted.

A big grin stretched across my face. "I've got a hot babysitter. What's the problem?"