3

Adam

Let's Be Realistic

"Adam." Zariah gestured with her coffee towards my new best friend. "This is Piper Fontaine. You have to meet her. She's, like, the hardest working person here. She put this whole event together with her own two hands. I mean, look at that banner ."

Ah, Piper joined the housing committee. Good to know.

Did she transfer?

"We're already acquainted." I grinned. "Haven't we met each other in a past life?"

Piper put down the clipboard. "It's lovely to meet you, Mr. Russell," she replied, each word carved out like ice chips. She looked sweet, but she was made of pure ice. "My name is Piper Fontaine. I see you have my decoration in your hand. I'm so happy to be your resident assistant for this semester."

Ah.

Shit.

The smile dropped right off my face.

My resident assistant? Piper? Like, living on my floor? Enforcing the rules?

That changed things like a bomb changes a landscape. I stared down at her, mind whirling. My dorm wasn't exactly ‘in code' for most of the year, but I always had it slid through the system because…I'm Adam Russell.

She gazed back at me, chin jutted. "I'll see you for rules and regulations night."

"That's not happening." I rubbed my temples, trying to think of a way to get out of this glue trap. The two of us had to set some ground rules and understand each other's position. "Outside of athletics, I don't have to go to campus events."

"You have to. Rules and regulations night is part of your contract," she corrected me. "I bought punch and the PowerPoint will go by super quick. We'll popcorn read it."

Adorable.

It wasn't happening. The girl was cute, but we needed to be realistic.

"I'll get a pass." I broke it down piece by piece. "We're football players, Piper. This is a big learning lesson for you. It'll be a no and get used to hearing that. We're not doing any of the housing crap. No hard feelings."

"What did I tell you?" Zariah raised an eyebrow. "Jockheads are assholes."

I shook my head. "Why would you say that about me?"

"Because it's true."

"That doesn't mean you need to say it."

Piper's jaw set. "I put in a lot of work—"

"You look like a princess." I cocked my head to the side, finally deciding that's what she reminded me of most. "Do you get that all the time?"

For a moment, her icy demeanor faltered, back to the princess she was meant to be. Her hand moved almost subconsciously up to her thick blonde hair, and she gazed at me. Soft was the best word for her.

Poor Piper. Sullender really did a number on her.

If she wasn't down to make him jealous, I'd make sure to throw him some foul moves next season. Maybe even a punch in the face for my new RA.

But then Piper snapped back into position. "Do you hear yourself talking?"

I smirked. "Every day. It's a heavenly choir."

"Is that the tinnitus? Because it's white noise."

"Oh my god." Zariah gave both of us a long look. "Please. It's ten in the morning on winter break. Relax. Both of you."

I shrugged. "Tell her to relax. She's the one obsessed with me."

Piper's mouth fell open. " What?! "

Grimacing into her coffee, Zariah pushed up and strode away from the table, muttering something about us being morons. She could leave. I was just beginning to have fun.

"You're already daydreaming about what I'm thinking about." Leaning down, I placed my hands on the table.

She was so close, I could smell her perfume. Something flowery and sweet. It was so intoxicating; it made my mouth water.

Damn, I want this girl.

"Semester just started, Piper. I don't need a stalker."

"A stalker," she scoffed, blushing hard.

"We can be friends," I murmured. "Right across the hall from each other in that little corner, three feet apart. Those walls are pretty thin. We can let everybody know just how great you're doing, now that you're at Marrs."

Her lips parted. Those full, luscious lips.

My smile widened. "You don't have to pull the hard RA crap."

"Oh." Piper stiffened. "I understand."

"Shit. No. Wait. Back up. Look, Piper, I've known you since—"

"And I know you too. Marrs Manwhore ."

The nickname usually didn't mean anything to me. It was catchy. I couldn't deny it.

The Marrs Manwhore social media pages always beat my regular ones in terms of engagement. Bleacher bunnies wore Marrs Manwhore shirts to games, people had me sign homemade posters with the nickname. It cemented my place, so I never thought to care.

But for some reason, I had to stop grinding my teeth when Piper said it. From everybody else, fine, fuck it. Whatever. The video of me hauling ass on a ledge in only boxers was funny. But the nickname from Piper Fontaine?

It…hurt?

What the hell?

I smiled without humor, pushing past that weird, new feeling. "You know what, Piper?"

She narrowed her eyes. "What?"

"I'm known as the Marrs Manwhore by every girl who wants my dick. Not known for cheating on somebody and getting caught on camera. That's amateur hour. I guess he couldn't have wanted to keep it quiet that badly."

It was too much. Too heavy-handed.

She picked up a slice of key lime pie from the table and smashed it into the side of my head. And that wasn't enough for her. Piper smeared it into my hair and on my face, a slow, deliberate smushing.

Yep. I went too far.

Resident assistants stopped to watch with open mouths. Everything fell quiet in the lobby. The music even skipped a beat.

"Thank you so much for being our first contestant for the pie-throwing event." Piper beamed, heavenly sweet.

Nice move, Fontaine.

I dragged a finger through the key lime pie on my jaw and popped it in my mouth.

No one spoke a word.

"Piper?" My humorless smile widened. "You, angry, is absolutely fucking delicious."