82

Adam

The Cowboy Costume

If I had thought that fucking Piper would put everything to rest - I couldn't have been more wrong. If anything, it was worse. Morning, noon, and night, she was at the front and center of my thoughts. Everything revolved around her. If I wanted to walk across the street, she had to be on the other side.

Which is why I found myself shelling out nine hundred goddamn dollars for professional-grade cowboy boots.

The rodeo at Marrs University was packed full of people. Select players of the Romans football team were corralled to nod and smile behind the governor of Houston, shake some hands, kiss some babies, the regular thing we'd done every year. But this year was different. I had the secret. Piper got spiked hormones with cowboys and I passed over Cleo my credit card to commit to the look.

The dark rancher jacket, the washed jeans, nine hundred dollar cowboy boots, and the fucking cowboy hat to finish it off, all top of the line, all custom made. The belt buckle was the interception in a close fucking playoff game. Top of the top.

I looked good as hell.

"Woah…?" One of the sophomore football players stared at me from the stairs. "Adam?"

King turned around and his eyebrows shot up to his hairline. "Holy shit."

"Take it the hell in, boys. You don't look this good," I announced, thumbing out my jacket. "You just have to accept it."

The person who looked the most surprised was Coach Lawson. He slipped off his Romans cap and stared at me, shocked. "Goddamn, Russell." He shook his head in amazement. "It's great to see you so committed, kid. Wow. What stand did you get the hat from? That's good quality right there."

"Bought it beforehand, sir," I reassured him and sunshine caught my eye, Piper's blonde hair, standing at the petting zoo. As casually as I could, I shifted to the left. "Well, we've got five minutes, I guess."

And five minutes was all I needed. I just wanted to see her again before I was wrapped up in obligations and I couldn't wrestle my way out. Everybody tried to talk to me on the way to the petting zoo but I just gave polite smiles.

That was an improvement. At least I wasn't flipping them off.

"Piper." I grinned, sliding up to the fence. I wrapped a hand around the post, leaning in. "Hey, ice princess."

God, was she beautiful. The blonde hair pulled up in a loose bun, strands draping down her neck, the light shade of pink lipstick I kept zeroing in on, and the doe gray eyes. I could look at her forever. My hand twitched at my side, all I wanted to do was slide my fingers up her back, touch her hip, kiss her neck.

Not in public though. That could wait for later.

I tried not to puff out my chest like an ape. This outfit would get her going for sure. At the end of the night, there was a big concert on campus and I knew the crowds wouldn't be Piper's style. We could sneak off to the dorms together.

"Adam—" A flush crept up her neck in a second but when she turned around, her mouth fell open. "Um— Adam? "

I pretended not to notice. Gazing down at her, I dropped my voice. "I really want to kiss you right now."

The blush spread further up her neck and she swallowed for a moment, gazing at me with wide eyes. "Okay. Um…I…." She shook her head. "Usually, the whole Western thing isn't for me but you look…oh my god." Her eyes trailed down my jacket. "Okay - I completely jumped ship. This is my new thing."

"And you're gorgeous as—wait." The grin evaporated. "What do you mean?"

Piper chuckled. "You'll have to beat girls off with a cattle prod."

"No—Piper. What did you mean, not your thing? I thought you like cowboy stuff?"

Her eyebrows furrowed. "Who told you that?"

I froze for a second and jerked back to look at the football players, kept together by the stage. There was Ryan—I couldn't miss his scowl anywhere—and right next to him, the dark braids. Kassie. Kassie was trying so hard not to laugh, her face was turning pink, but when our eyes met, she burst into laughter, while Ryan wrapped his arms around her.

And there was Zariah. Shocked, staring at me, mouth agape. And King, pinching the bridge of his nose, snickering.

Oh shit.

I stepped away from the petting zoo and the screaming kids and the animals that couldn't have been too happy that they were stuck there. "Uh—Piper, I'll see you later, okay?"

"You don't have to," she called to me, her voice sweet.

"No, I'll be here."

"But we're seeing each other tonight?"

"Yeah." I clapped my hands together, still walking backward. " And I will see you here after contractual obligations."

With that, I whipped around before Piper could argue with me and took a one-way ticket to the King, Zariah, and the illustrator-in-chief, the girl who had tossed a mousetrap on the floor that I'd practically leaped on. All three of them were grinning when I walked up.

"Hey, guys," I said, butting into their conversation.

"Subtle," King said and Kassie and Zariah snorted.

"We love the outfit ." Kassie beamed at me.

They know .

All three of them knew I was puppy love obsessed with Piper. I couldn't think of anything more excruciating. Did everybody know I'd lay down on a puddle for Piper? Fuck me.

Piper could literally lose her job. And I couldn't let that happen.

Every waking decision I'd made in the last few years had been one impulsive trip after another. Telling Piper I loved her had to be done right. Because, we just had sex, and Piper didn't even want to stay in bed long enough to answer a text message. If she found out how I felt about her right now? Everything could go to shit.

I wasn't stupid enough to think she felt the same way. I worshipped the ground she walked on. There was no way she felt the same. But I was stupid enough to hope that with time, she could like me half as much as I loved her.

My voice was strained. "I wore this for the optics."

"Sure, you did," Zariah giggled.

Kassie raised an eyebrow. "Gold star."

"That's the commitment we're looking for. Nice job, Adam," Ryan said and kissed Kassie's hair.

My team captain, the only one who hadn't caught on.

"Yeah. For the optics," I echoed, with a purposeful look at all three of them. "And I don't think the optics need to know how much I did this for them. And you three are close with the optics and I don't think the optics need to know. Strictly need-to-know, classified shit. Right?"

All three of them understood but Ryan frowned.

"I don't think you're saying what you mean to, Adam," Ryan said. "I don't think you're using optics right."

"Oh my god. Gray Sweatpants." Zariah sucked in a breath. "I just figured it out."

King kept his voice low with another knowing look. "You've been dedicated to the optics all semester."

Fuck. They know everything .

" Optics doesn't know that," I muttered.

" Optics is going to find out," Kassie pressed. "It's only a matter of time."

"Is optics an acronym?" Ryan asked. "Is this one of those technology acronym things? I hate those."

"If optics finds out right now, I'm—" My throat tightened and I cleared it. "I'm kind of thinking optics will hit the road. And I can't have that happen." I slipped off my hat and ran my hand through my hair, glancing back at Piper at the petting zoo, talking with a couple of kids. "I haven't been in this position before. You've got to cut me some slack here. I need time. Please."

Kassie and Zariah shared a look but King sighed.

"Well, I think you're doing great with the optics," Ryan assured me.

If I thought fucking Piper would put everything to rest - I couldn't have been more wrong. If anything, it was worse. Morning, noon, and night, she was at the front and center of my thoughts. Everything revolved around her. If I wanted to walk across the street, she had to be on the other side.

Which is why I found myself shelling out nine hundred goddamn dollars for professional-grade cowboy boots.

The rodeo at Marrs University was packed full of people. Select players of the Romans football team were corralled to nod and smile behind the governor of Houston, shake some hands, kiss some babies, the regular thing we did every year. But this year was different. I had the trick. Piper got spiked hormones with cowboys and I passed Cleo my credit card to commit to the look.

The dark rancher jacket, the washed jeans, nine hundred dollar cowboy boots, and the fucking cowboy hat to finish it off. All top-of-the-line, all custom-made. The belt buckle was the interception in a close fucking playoff game. Top of the top.

I looked good as hell.

"Woah…?" One of the sophomore football players stared at me from the stairs. "Adam?"

King turned around and his eyebrows shot up to his hairline.

"Take it the hell in, boys. You don't look this good," I announced, thumbing out my jacket. "You have to accept it."

The person who looked the most surprised was Coach Lawson. He slipped off his Romans cap and stared at me, shocked. "Goddamn, Russell." He shook his head in amazement. "It's great to see you so committed, kid. Wow. What stand did you get the hat from? That's good quality right there."

"Bought it beforehand, sir," I reassured him and sunshine caught my eye, Piper's blonde hair, standing at the petting zoo. As casually as I could, I shifted to the left. "Well, we have five minutes, I guess."

And five minutes was all I needed. I just wanted to see her again before I was wrapped up in obligations I couldn't wrestle my way out of.

"Piper." I grinned, sliding up to the fence. I wrapped a hand around the post, leaning in. "Hey, ice princess."

God, was she beautiful. Her light blonde hair was pulled up in a loose bun, strands draping down her neck, and she had a bright shade of pink lipstick I kept zeroing in on, and those gray eyes. Oh, fuck. I could stare at her forever. My hand twitched at my side. All I wanted to do was slide my fingers up her back, touch her hip, kiss her neck.

That had to wait for later.

I tried not to puff out my chest like an ape. This outfit would get her going for sure. At the end of the night, there was a big concert on campus, the crowds wouldn't be Piper's style. So we could sneak off to the dorms together.

"Adam—" Her mouth fell open. "Um— Adam? "

I pretended not to notice. Gazing down at her, I dropped my voice. "I really want to kiss you right now."

A blush crossed her face but she shook her head, stunned. "Okay. Um…usually, the whole Western thing isn't for me, but you look…oh my god." Her eyes trailed down my jacket. "I completely jumped ship. This is my new thing."

"And you're gorgeous as—wait." The grin evaporated. "What do you mean?"

Piper giggled. "You'll have to beat girls off with a cattle prod."

"No—Piper. What did you mean, not your thing? I thought you like cowboy stuff?"

Her eyebrows furrowed. "Who told you that?"

I froze for a second and jerked back to look at the football players, kept together by the stage. There was Ryan—I couldn't miss his scowl anywhere—and right next to him, the dark braids. Kassie. Kassie was trying so hard not to laugh, her face was turning pink, but when our eyes met, she burst into laughter, while Ryan wrapped his arms around her.

And there was Zariah. Shocked, staring at me, mouth agape. And King, pinching the bridge of his nose, snickering.

Oh shit.

I stepped away from the petting zoo and the screaming kids and the animals that couldn't have been too happy to be stuck there. "Uh—Piper, I'll see you later, okay?"

"You don't have to," she called to me, her voice sweet.

"No, I'll be here."

"But we're seeing each other tonight?"

"Yeah." I clapped my hands together, still walking backward. " And I will see you here after contractual obligations."

With that, I whipped around before Piper could argue with me and took a one-way ticket to the King, Zariah, and the illustrator-in-chief, the girl who tossed a mousetrap on the floor that I leaped on. All three of them were grinning when I walked up.

"Hey, guys," I said, butting into their conversation.

"Subtle," King said and Kassie and Zariah snorted.

"We love the outfit ." Kassie beamed at me.

They know .

All three of them knew I was puppy-love-obsessed with Piper. I couldn't think of anything more excruciating. Did everybody know I'd lay down on a puddle for Piper? Fuck me.

Piper could literally lose her job. And I couldn't let that happen.

Every waking decision I made in the last few years had been one impulsive trip after another. Telling Piper I loved her had to be done right. We just had sex, and Piper didn't even want to stay in bed long enough to answer a text message. If she found out how I felt about her right now? Everything could go to shit.

I worshipped the ground she walked on. But I wasn't stupid enough to think she saw me that way. Even if I was stupid enough to hope that with time, she could like me half as much as I loved her.

My voice was strained. "I wore this for the optics."

"Sure, you did," Zariah giggled.

Kassie raised an eyebrow. "Gold star."

"That's the commitment we're looking for. Nice job, Adam," Ryan said and kissed Kassie's hair.

My team captain, the only one who hadn't caught on.

"Yeah. For the optics," I echoed, with a purposeful look at all three of them. "And I don't think the optics need to know how much I did this for them. And you're kind of close with the optics and I don't think the optics need to know. Strictly need-to-know, classified shit. Right?"

All three of them understood but Ryan frowned.

"I don't think you're saying what you mean to, Adam," Ryan said. "I don't think you're using optics right."

"Oh my god. Gray Sweatpants." Zariah sucked in a breath. "I just figured it out."

King kept his voice low with another knowing look. "You've been dedicated to the optics all semester."

" Optics doesn't know that," I muttered.

" Optics is going to find out," Kassie pressed. "It's only a matter of time."

"Is optics an acronym?" Ryan asked. "Is this one of those technology acronym things? I hate those."

"If optics finds out right now, I'm—" My throat tightened, and I cleared it. "I'm kind of thinking optics will hit the road. And I can't have that happen." I slipped off my hat and ran my hand through my hair, glancing back at Piper at the petting zoo, talking with a couple of kids. "I haven't been in this position before. You have to cut me some slack here. I need time. Please."

Kassie and Zariah shared a look but King sighed.

"Well, I think you're doing great with the optics," Ryan assured me.

"This isn't the right call, Adam," King muttered.

Kassie reached up and patted the side of Ryan's cheek. "Sometimes…people don't need to know things yet . Ryan doesn't know anything about his birthday party and honestly it's better. Means things go smoothly."

"I'm not having a birthday party," Ryan retorted.

"Yes, you are."

"No, I'm not."

"This is why I don't tell you things."

While the two of them argued with each other about the impending birthday party and Zariah patted my arm, heading off to what she signed up for, a wave of relief hit me. My friends wouldn't tell Piper. They had my back. But that relief was short lived as Coach Lawson told us to walk up the steps and I thought about the implications of the new situation I found myself in.

If all three of them could already see it, how long until somebody else did too?

How long until Piper figures it out?