Page 35

“Well, well, look who it is,” I say, approaching the Alpha Theta Mu crew.
“Oh no,” Payton says. “We about to get food poisoning for a week, bro? Maybe some cyanide on top?”
“Tell me, is that just for the pizzas?” Ash asks. “Or are we safe with calzones?”
“As an employee here, I would never tell you that. But since you asked, I’d also never tell you what I’m gonna do to the calzones.”
The guys share a laugh—well, all but Marty, who looks anxious.
“Mart, don’t worry. I’d never kill you. Someone needs to run back and let those pledges know who did it.”
Despite the banter, I notice that the guy who’s usually the first to give me hell has been quiet, and my gaze meets his forthe first time.
I’ve had those brown eyes set on me plenty of times before, but it’s different now that we’ve messed around. It sends a pulsing sensation through me, like a message my nerves are carrying to tell everything in me that we’re close to that delicious experience again.
Still, I’m tense, since I can’t really read his expression. I thought we were fine, just taking some time to process everything, but with him sitting there silent, not being his usual playful self, I’m wondering if maybe I’m wrong.
“Sorry, Lance, we weren’t expecting a president, so we didn’t have the red carpet rolled out,” I tease, since I have to rag on him a bit or the guys are gonna be sus. I’m also hoping however he reacts gives me some insight into what he’s thinking.
Lance smirks. “We’ll start with some waters. We prefer to be hydrated if we’re gonna be writhing in agony from cyanide poisoning.”
His jokey retort sets me at ease. “Three waters coming right up,” I say before spinning around.
“There are four of us,” Marty calls out.
“I noticed.”
Of course I’m gonna get them all waters. Marty should know by now that my teasing is just that.
I let Jerri know I’ll be taking their table, then serve them for the night along with my other tables. Lance and I keep exchanging looks, and I see him keying into his phone at one point, so when I get a moment, I sneak a peek and find a DM on Insta:
LANCE: The cyanide was lovely…you could hardly taste it with the crushed pepper.
I chuckle. Fuck, this guy is fun.
ME: I know what you’re doing with all this talk about mepoisoning you guys. Coming for my job.
LANCE: I’d prefer just to be coming.
ME: Mean it, Stud?
LANCE: Are you fucking kidding? It’s all I’ve been thinking about the past few days.
It’s like he knows just what I need to hear.
ME: Is that why you’re stalking me at my job?
LANCE: *laughing emoji* I tried to talk them into another place, but I can’t help that Junkie’s has the best calzones. Also didn’t know if you’d be working.
ME: So you were trying to avoid me?
I’m giving him hell. But also probing to see if there is any discomfort on his end. Because if there is, I’d never want to push.
LANCE: What? No. I didn’t want to bother you.
LANCE: I know how you are with girls.
ME: Well, neither of us knows how I am with boys.