Page 72 of Daring the Hockey Player

"Are you sure about this?"I ask Charlotte, glancing at my reflection in her full-length mirror at her apartment. I didn't have any sexy clothes, as she blatantly put it, and we are planning on attending a campus party that I don't even have any interest in attending.

"You look dynamite." Charlotte flashes me her biggest grin.

I'm in a short, black skirt which isn't going to keep me warm tonight. The long-sleeved ensemble is cute but a little tight, showing off my bust.

"You need to wear these too," she says, shoving her fuck-me boots into my hands.

We're within half a size for shoes, so I shove some toilet paper in the toes to keep them from being too loose.

"You should totally hook up with an NYU hockey player tonight."

I grumble under my breath. "I'm not hooking up with anyone." I shoot her a look and then glance at my reflection again. I've put a touch more makeup on than usual, accenting my eyes with thick eyeliner and my lips with a natural red.

Damn, I do look hot.

"Because you're hung up on Jasper?" Charlotte quips. She grabs my phone and snaps a picture of me. "Send this to him, and I'll bet you he'll show up at the party."

"I'm not texting him a photo." I shove my phone into my purse. "He's busy tonight. Plans." I don't elaborate. He has the night off, and he's in town. I'm not actually sure what he has planned, but he mentioned seeing the guys.

"Plans with a girl?"

"Friends. Leave it alone," I warn Charlotte.

"I know you two are friends. I'm trying to get you a little more action."

I had meant that he was with friends, but I leave it be. "Party. Let's go." I'd rather mingle at a party and get ditched by Charlotte when she finds herself a hottie to hook up with for the night. At least then, I can have a few drinks, dance, flirt, and call it a night.

For the record, I don't plan on hooking up with anyone tonight. Not even a little tonsil hockey.

We arrive at the party, and within twenty minutes, Charlotte has already ditched me. I should be furious, but I'm used to her flaking on me when there's a hot guy who catches her attention. The girl is like a magnet to them.

I'm leaning against a wall, drink in hand, keeping to myself. I don't really feel like mingling. I thought going out would be fun and a good idea, but now I'm regretting the decision.

"Hey, I think we have statistics together," Atlas says.

He's well known on campus as one of the star athletes for NYU's hockey team. The fact that he even notices me is shocking.

I glance around, making sure that Atlas isn't talking to someone else because that would be far more likely. We've never said two words to each other in class, but he's right. We are in statistics together.

And I despise that class.

"Yep," I say and take a sip of punch, which offers quite a bite. No clue what alcohol they dumped in, but it's more alcohol than punch.

I'm not overly chatty. Atlas is nice-looking and has a decent body. I mean, he is an athlete. But I feel awkward and force a smile. Which, unfortunately, he seems to think means that I'm interested.

In his defense, he's probably never met a girl who wasn't interested in him.

"You're chatty," he jokes and smiles warmly at me. "Let me guess, you came here with a friend, and she ditched you for a guy?" Before I can answer, he points at the corner toward a couple making out. "My friend, and he ditched me."

I don't actually know where Charlotte ended up. Probably in a bathroom with one of the hockey players. If she becomes, as Jasper referred to it,a puck bunny, I don't know what I'll do. She'll need an intervention for sure, but we're not there yet. I'm not sure if the guy she's hooking up with is even a hockey player.

"Some friends we have," I say, and he nods. He's got a red solo cup in his hand with punch. He taps my cup.

"Cheers."

I'm not sure that's something worth drinking to, but I don't comment on it. I keep that thought to myself.

"Does your friend drag you to a lot of parties and ditch you?" I ask. I'm trying to keep the conversation going, but I don't really feel it. He seems nice, but there isn't the spark, the chemistry, that I feel around Jasper.