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OPERATION GET TEMPEST A DATE

TEMPEST

A fter our chapter meeting, the seniors retreated back to our room for an emergency meeting of The Donkey Sitters Club.

“Um, guys?” Hannah raised her hand like we were in still in our weekly chapter meeting. “What are we going to do about the awards ceremony next week? The whole first floor is going to be full of alums and guests.”

We’d found out in our meeting that our chapter was being honored with the April De la Reine Leadership Award. It was kind of a huge deal.

“Oh god.” Parker flopped back on her bed. “There’s going to be so many people here. And you know Lindsey’s going to want to give house tours.”

“Can we move him somewhere else for the day?” I asked, watching the donkey methodically destroy one of my throw pillows. I couldn’t even be mad about it.

“It’s kind of amazing we got this award,” Bettie said thoughtfully. “I mean, April De la Reine was such a badass. Did you know she actually lived in Denver? ”

Alice looked up from her phone. “Once a sister, always a sister. Even if she was in the University of LA chapter.”

“And her husband is coming to present it.” Hannah bounced a little. “Bridger Kingman. In our house.”

“Do you think he’ll bring any of the boys?” Bettie asked, waggling her eyebrows at me. “I heard he brings family sometimes to these appearances he does on campus.”

“Maybe Flynn will come,” Parker said innocently. Too innocently. “Since he’s already spending so much time with our Tempest.”

I threw my remaining pillow at her. “We’re not spending time together. We’re being forced to do this tutoring thing.”

“But KATman is coming up...” Bettie sang. “And you know the rules—every senior needs to ask someone.”

That was not a rule. Bettie was worse than even Abuela when to trying to get me to date.

“I’ve never had a date to KATman and I don’t intend to start now.” I focused on scratching behind the donkey’s ears. “Besides, Flynn Kingman doesn’t do real dates. Everyone knows about his two-week rule.”

I hadn’t known about it until the party. That was one of the only things I did remember.

“But you’re already breaking all his rules,” Alice pointed out.

“That has nothing to do with me.”

“Sure.” Parker grinned. “Just like he wasn’t totally flirting with you at the coffee shop, and the library, and during the Bowl game.”

“Can we please focus on the actual crisis?” I gestured to the donkey, who had given up on the pillow and was now investigating Alice’s shoes. “Like how we’re going to hide a baby farm animal during a major award ceremony where alums and guest will be filling the first floor?”

“Fine.” Bettie sighed dramatically. “But this KATman conversation isn’t over.”

“Actually...” Hannah’s eyes lit up. “I might have an idea about the donkey. You know how the basement storage room has that outside entrance? The one we use during move out and move in?”

As she outlined her plan, I tried super hard not to think about Flynn Kingman, or KATman, or the way he had texted me all throughout the Bowl game.

I failed miserably at all three.

And I continued to fail throughout the week, especially in the classes I had with him. I had no idea how I was going to make it through this study da—no, no, it wasn’t a date—this study session that I’d both been dreading and couldn’t stop thinking about.

Should I ask him to KATman?

No.

I’d never had a date before. But it was different for seniors. It was our last hurrah. All eyes were on us. A senior without a boyfriend at the dance was...weird and pathetic. Catalina had taken her now husband her senior year.

I stared at my laptop screen, trying to focus on the scene I was writing. My hero was just about to finally kiss the heroine after weeks of verbal sparring and denied attraction, but the words wouldn’t come.

Probably because in exactly seven minutes, I had my own verbal sparring match scheduled with Flynn Kingman.

After the way I’d dismissed him for ditching me for the Bowl with his family, which I knew was ridiculous of me, I’d thought things might be different between us. Because I was the one who made it weird.

The text exchange during the Bowl had been an olive branch I didn’t know I’d wanted. And yesterday in class, he’d acted completely normal, if you could call anything about Flynn Kingman normal. Still charming, still frustrating, still way too attractive for my peace of mind.

“The course of true love never did run smooth,” I muttered, then immediately wanted to smack myself. I was not in love with Flynn Kingman. I was barely tolerating him for the sake of my mother’s expectations that I tutor an athlete.

Even if he had been surprisingly sweet, and smart, and funny...

“Working on something interesting?”

I slammed my laptop closed so fast I nearly knocked over my coffee. Flynn stood there, looking unfairly gorgeous in a DSU Dragons hoodie and that smile that probably got him out of speeding tickets.

“Homework,” I said quickly. “Very boring homework.”

“Must be some homework.” He dropped into the chair across from me. “You were smiling at your screen.”

Had I been? Damn it.

“I was thinking about the donkey,” I lied. “He ate...something, and has the worst donkey farts right now. ”

Flynn’s eyes lit up. “I would pay to see your face when you smelled that.”

“Oh, yes. I would very much like you in particular to get to smell Sir Ass-tronaut’s stink bombs.”

He laughed, and something warm unfurled in my chest. I squashed it immediately. Flynn Kingman did not need to know he could make me feel warm and fuzzy.

“Tempest, oh my god, what a coincidence.”

I closed my eyes briefly, praying I was hallucinating. But no, there was Parker, with Hannah right behind her, both wearing identical looks of faux surprise. I was being stalked by my own sorority sisters. And they were going to make my life hell.

“We were just talking about KATman,” Hannah said, pulling up a chair without being invited. “You know, the biggest social event of the KAT house year?”

“And wondering who our Tempest might bring,” Parker sing-songed oh so sweetly. “Since she’s been spending so much time with a certain football player...”

I was going to murder them both. Slowly. With their own KAT badges.

“Really?” He drew the word out way, way too long.

Flynn’s eyes darted between them and me. “I haven’t heard a thing about it.”

“Oh, it’s so much fun,” Hannah gushed. “Everyone dresses up, there’s a live band, we vote one of the senior’s boyfriends KATman of the year, and all the sisters are required to bring dates?—”

“We are not required to bring dates,” I cut in. “That’s not a thing. ”

“It’s totally a thing,” Parker stage-whispered to Flynn. “She’s just being difficult.”

Flynn was watching this exchange with far too much interest. “Difficult? Our Tempest?”

Our Tempest? When did I become our anything?

“We should really start studying,” I said loudly. “That essay on Twelfth Night isn’t going to write itself.”

“Right.” Parker’s grin was pure evil. “Studying. Very important. We’ll leave you to your... academic pursuits.”

But they didn’t leave. They went to a nearby table where they could very obviously watch us while pretending to be on their phones.

“So,” Flynn said after a moment. “KATman, huh?”

“Don’t.”

“Don’t what? I’m just making conversation about this amazing social event that’s apparently coming up soon. Just how soon is soon?”

“We’re here to study.” I pulled out my book. “Unless you’d rather talk about dances than pass this class?”

“I’m definitely going to pass this class.” He leaned forward, lowering his voice. “But I’d rather talk about why you’re blushing.”

“I’m not—” My phone buzzed. A text from Parker.

Parker: ASK HIM.

“Everything okay?” Flynn asked.

“Fine.” I shoved my phone in my pocket. “Just sorority stuff. Now, about that essay...”

Oh no. No no no. He could not look at me like that, all sincere and vulnerable. Not when I was trying so hard to keep my walls up.

“Flynn—”

“Tempest,” Bettie’s voice cut through the coffee shop like a knife. Our chapter president had impeccable timing, as always. “Just the person I needed to see.”

I froze. If she was here about the donkey...

“Bettie, we were just...” Parker started, but Bettie waved her off with a wink.

I really was being stalked by my sisters. Stalked and harassed. My life probably would be easier if I just asked him.

“Actually, I need to discuss some details about the awards ceremony with everyone in the senior class. When you have a moment?”

“Uh, yeah, sure,” I managed. That had to be code for donkey hiding plans.

Flynn’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Ceremony?”

“Just sorority stuff,” I said quickly. “Nothing interesting. Now, about that essay...”

He let me change the subject this time, but there was something different in the way he was looking at me. Like he was trying to solve a puzzle.

“Okay, so for the essay?—”

“What were you really writing? Before I got here?”

Gulp. What was with everyone being all up in my business today? “I told you. Homework.”

“See, normally I’d believe you because you’re basically a walking library card. But you’re doing that thing with your nose.”

I froze. “What thing? ”

“That little scrunch you do when you’re deflecting.” He mimicked the expression, and I had to fight back a laugh.

When did he start noticing things like that?

“Maybe I just have allergies,” I said, but my heart wasn’t in the deflection.

“Maybe.” His smile was softer now, less cocky and more... something else. Something dangerous. “Or maybe you have secrets, Tempest Navarro. And now I know your tell.”

Well, shit.

“Everyone has secrets, Flynn.” I checked my phone and nearly cursed. Alice just got her grade on her bio-chem project and it wasn’t good. She needed to head out to make her professor’s office hours. “Speaking of secrets, I need to go. Sisterhood stuff.”

“We’ve haven’t even started our essays yet.” He leaned back, crossing his arms. But he was enjoying the way I was flustered.