Easy

by Jordan S Gray

  “Is it breaking girl code if I have sex with him?”

  Ansley snorted. “Seriously? Becca will definitely mind if you sleep with the guy she went on two blah dates with last semester while she was falling in love with her current boyfriend.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Come on, she didn’t even like the guy.”

  Shayler beamed. “Awesome. Wish me luck.” She shimmied her boobs and winked.

  “You don’t need it.”

  Ken stood by the mystery shelf to the left of the mic, a strand of lights hanging above and illuminating him like he’d been sent straight from some sort of sexual relief heaven.

  “Hey,” she said, coming up beside him. She flicked the lapel of his blazer and stuck her hip out. Maybe there was a reason she’d switched her granny panties for a thong after all.

  “Shayler!” he exclaimed, a goofy grin taking up half his face. “Wow, how are you? I haven’t seen you since … since I last saw Rebecca.”

  “Yeah, crazy! I’m good, sort of bored, but you know…” She pouted her lips. “How are you?”

  “All right. Busy with school.”

  “Well, then it sounds like we both need a break from reality.”

  “I guess. How’s Rebecca doing? She still with that guy?”

  “Yep. They’re off living happily ever after.”

  “Cool. It’s nice to see you.”

  She forced down a growl. Was she not being obvious enough? Wasn’t he supposed to be in love with her? Shayler tossed her hair to the side and bit her lower lip. “It is nice. But it’d be nicer if we could go somewhere more private to catch up.”

  Ken blinked. “Oh, I have to stay here, my—”

  “Hey, babe!” The girl who’d been on stage earlier wrapped her arms around Ken and pressed a maroon kiss to his cheek. She giggled and swiped at the new stain with her hand.

  “Selene.” He smiled and kissed her briefly once more. “This is Shayler. Shayler, this is my girlfriend, Selene.”

  She turned to Shayler and flushed. “Hi.”

  Shayler wanted to shriek and rip the damned twinkling lights off the ceiling. She wanted to climb the book shelves, tear out the books, and stomp on them until they were dust. But that wasn’t Selene’s problem, and Ken obviously didn’t want it to be his problem, so she flashed her teeth and hoped it passed for a smile.

  “Hey… Uh, you were great out there,” Shayler said. “Descriptive but not pretentious. I liked it.”

  “Thanks,” Selene said. “So embarrassing, but Ken made me. He says I have a unique voice that I should share. I told him everyone has had a sucky life, but…”

  “But you have a different perspective that a lot of people can relate to,” Ken said. “You’re amazing.” He gazed into Selene’s eyes and brushed his lips on her forehead.

  “Totally.” Shayler eyed them like they were a new strain of virus she was terrified to contract. “Well, I think it was good. You should keep it up.”

  “Told you,” Ken said, tugging her closer.

  Selene stared at her shoes before drawing her gaze back to his. The moment they began legitimately swapping spit, Shayler realized she’d overstayed her welcome. She trudged back to her table, ignoring Debbie and Trish’s intense stares at the person speaking in slow syllables.

  “Tell me you didn’t strike out,” Ansley whispered, her cappuccino completely drained.

  “Girlfriend. The one I so rudely clapped for.”

  “Did he still seem interested?”

  “I could’ve been wearing nipple tassels and bedazzled my vagina, and he still wouldn’t have been interested.”

  Ansley cringed. “I don’t think I’d be interested by that stuff either.”

  “Still. That’s five strikes. Almost two months of abstinence. I’m doomed.”

  “Two months isn’t that bad.”

  Shayler waited for the tables around them to stop snapping their fingers before she turned to Ansley. “It’s not even the Sahara anymore. I’m having the opposite problem now. I got turned on by a pizza box the other day.”

  “John is kind of cute.”

  “It wasn’t Papa John’s…” Shayler lowered her voice. “It was Joe’s.”

  “No?”

  “Yep.”

  “What’re you gonna do?”

  “Nothing. I’ve tried everything. Nothing is working. I came close with Kyle, but it … it didn’t do anything for me.” Shayler shook her head. “I’m so frustrated.”

  “I said it before…” Ansley tightened her ponytail, looking insufferably smug.

  “I’m not craving a real relationship, you psycho.”

  “We could try Timber again,” Ansley offered.

  “No, thanks. I’m sure I’ll survive.” Shayler covered her face with her hands. A thought crossed her mind and she peered out of her fingers at the blonde. “But can we stop for a supersized pack of double-A batteries on the way home?”

  “You keep using that thing, and you’re gonna burn out the motor.”

  Shayler gasped, interrupting the woman giving a teary-eyed performance of some Sarah McLachlan song. “They can burn out?”

  Chapter Twenty

  Shayler showed up for her first Criminology test without even the slightest hint of a hangover. Not that the three lattes she’d had at poetry night had been able to give her the usual roaring headache, but, regardless, she was still pretty pleased with herself.

  That morning, she’d managed to scramble together a last-minute study session with Rebecca while they fought over the last blueberry muffin, and she’d brought a number two pencil to class—or whatever number pencil had been in Rebecca’s purse. Shayler felt like a total winner, though she hadn’t actually gotten the test yet.

  Hale moseyed up and down the rows, handing out tests to her peers and sneaking looks at her from the corner of his eyes, not good looks either. She knew what the gleam in his crinkled eyes really meant, the way his lip quirked up in the tiniest smirk. Judgement. Superiority. He didn’t think she’d pass. Hale probably thought she’d flunk, and he’d get to kick her out of his precious starter class.

  Shayler tied her hair into a quick braid, interweaving each strand with a sharp tug until her scalp begged her to stop. She glanced around the room, catching David’s gaze. The thumbs up and small smile he gave her before returning to his work were enough to make her grin and forget about Hale and his dumb ego. At least for a few seconds anyway.

  She wiggled in her seat, anticipation coursing through her body. It felt a lot like the time she’d had four Red Bulls and vodkas and climbed onto the bull at the redneck bar downtown, but with higher stakes. This was the make or break moment. She’d either prove she was worthy or fail.

  A test fluttered onto her desk and a Scantron sheet followed. Shayler glanced at the blank bubbles she’d need to color in and then up at Hale. He gave her a brief nod before taking his overly dramatic footsteps elsewhere. She turned the first page of the tiny packet, which had insanely detailed instructions for a multiple choice sort of test, and read the first question. Her confidence sputtered out and exhilaration morphed into dread as a cold chill wracked her spine.

  Which of the following best describes the concept of legality?

  Shayler dug her heels into the floor. She didn’t understand. Why didn’t she know it? Her heart pounded, her breaths were coming in short, quick spurts. What the fuck? Was she freaking out because of some test?

  Clenching her fists, she forced herself to concentrate and read the words in her mind slowly like David had advised her to do. She knew this. They’d studied this last week. She shaded in her answer, inhaled, and found herself looking at David. His gaze was already on her as he nodded once.

  The nod wasn’t at all like Hale’s. It wasn’t cold or callous. It was reassuring, kind, and her chest contracted like a heart attack was impending. Shayler swallowed and returned to the paper. There would be time to think about that reaction later.

  The clock on the wal
l ticked obnoxiously. It would’ve been distracting had Shayler not forced herself to stay focused. Time would take away a lot from her—fun, freedom, her life—but right now, she wouldn’t let it steal her grade. Besides, Shayler had heard more distracting noises before, like Whitney’s protesting chants whenever Shayler ate a burger. And that certainly had never stopped her.

  An hour later, Shayler skipped to the front of the class and tossed her Scantron onto Hale’s desk. He sat in front of David and had to crane his neck to glance at her. She didn’t care that she was next to last to turn it in and leave, she let herself smile victoriously.

  “Thank you,” Hale said.

  “Could you grade it now?” she asked, sticking her new pencil in her back pocket and hoping it wouldn’t stab her in the butt. That would make for an awkward ER visit.

  “What?”

  “I know you have that little machine thing that grades it for you, and since you were so worried about my presence in your class, I think it’d give us both a peace of mind.”

  David snorted, and Shayler beamed harder. Hale jumped to his feet, nearly crashing into her had she not jumped out of the way at the last second.

  “Come,” he commanded, using his index finger to beckon her like a misbehaving puppy.

  She sneered but followed him to the back of the classroom, where he’d disappeared to before. He turned the handle to the small door and let it creak open, a single light in the ceiling illuminating a cluttered mess.

  His office was overwhelming. The filing cabinet in the corner was open and folders were spilling out of the top. His desk was covered with electronics it couldn’t quite fit, and she saw the Scantron machine nestled beside a printer and the monitor that he’d obviously bought because he was overcompensating for something.

  He took two steps and hit the machine’s On button before rolling up his sleeves and shoving the rectangular sheet inside. As it graded her paper, Hale glared at her. His gaze dropped to her cleavage for a moment and then moved back to her face.

  “I hope you studied.”

  “I did.”

  “Trying to impress me?” He smirked, but the cocky smile looked all wrong on his slightly wrinkled face.

  “Like I have to try,” she bit out, hoping he didn’t think it sounded as flirty as it had to her ears.

  “You know, I don’t usually allow this.”

  “I appreciate the exception.”

  Hale inched forward, and Shayler had to press up against the pointy cabinet to avoid her body brushing against his. “I’d make a lot of exceptions for you.”

  His gaze stayed on her face as his stare traveled from her eyes to her mouth. Instead of the heat she’d expected earlier in the semester, all she felt was cold. Not the comfortable sort of winter cold that meant wearing long socks and cuddling with her stuffed Barney either, but the dreadful kind of cold that crept up the back of her neck in the dark after she’d watched a scary movie. The machine blipped, and Shayler was thankful when he turned and yanked the test out. He bent over and grabbed a red pen, scribbling something at the top.

  “Give this to my TA, and tell him I left.” He paused. “Good job, Thompson. You might even get a hundred next time.”

  She stared at the paper. A ninety-four. It was good. Perfect almost. But not quite. His words meant no more to her than someone praising their cat for using the litter box. He wasn’t impressed, he was condescending. She stalked out behind him, waiting until he left before throwing the test in front of David and making him jump.

  “Ninety four,” she said, not bothering to explain more than that.

  “Wow.” He picked it up as she sat on the desk in front of him. “Nice!”

  “I got three wrong.”

  He studied her. “Out of fifty. That’s amazing.”

  “Thanks. But I feel like I should’ve gotten them all right.”

  “There’s always next time.”

  “Ugh. I forgot I have to take more of these damn things.”

  David smiled, and she used the sudden silence to put her feet on the edge of his chair. He put a hand on her calf, and Shayler wondered how many days she’d be willing to sit there for if he never moved. At least three, but she’d need breaks to change her panties.

  The last person working on the test dropped it off on the desk, gave her a strange look, and jogged out of the room. David and Shayler were the only ones left. She held in a wistful sigh as she stared at him. His eyes were super dark today, like a midnight sky or a well-done steak. She clicked her tongue to distract herself from the wiggling worms in her stomach.

  “So, what’s the plan for tonight?” David asked. “We don’t have much to study now. You can take the night off, spend it like a normal co-ed.”

  Shayler grinned, but the idea of a Friday night without David felt … dull. She could dance with her friends and destroy her liver on Saturday. Friday was their day.

  She shrugged. “What are you gonna do?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe catch up on Stranger Things before everyone spoils it.”

  “What if we still hung out?”

  He raised an eyebrow. “You want to spend your Friday night watching Netflix with me?”

  “Ew. No. That show creeps me out. I mean, what if I took you out on the town?”

  “Clubbing, bar hopping, hooking up with random people? Not my scene.”

  “Come on.” She nudged him with her foot. “We’re supposed to be friends, right? This is what I do with friends.”

  “I don’t dance.”

  “You don’t have to. But I’ll buy you a beer.” She batted her lashes. “And I did really good on my test, remember?”

  He sighed. “I might need something stronger than beer.”

  Shayler clapped her hands, bouncing up and down. He chuckled, and she noted that her body liked the sound of that even more than it liked the perfume ad guy whispering words like fresh and hot.

  “Did you want me to pick you up?” he asked.

  “What?”

  “Just ’cause, uh, you know, one car is easier.”

  “I normally Uber.”

  “I don’t mind, and it’d save you money.”

  Shayler wished she’d undid her braid because she desperately wanted to yank on a curl to divert her attention away from the squirming in her stomach. “Okay, sure. Plus, this way, I know you won’t get lost.”

  “We’re not going to Skeeter’s, are we?”

  “No, David. We’re not.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Shayler held up two outfits to her body and tilted her head. Her mirror was so not helping her pick out an outfit for her and David’s club outing. “Vivian!”

  The platinum blonde’s footsteps echoed down the hallway before Shayler’s door was shoved open and Vivian flopped onto her bed. Shayler held up her two options, a body-hugging dress or a skirt, crop top, and leggings combo.

  “What?” Vivian asked.

  “Help.”

  “What am I helping with?”

  Shayler faced her mirror again. “If you had to pick, which one of these looks better for Club Social?”

  “Isn’t it study night?”

  “Yeah, but we’re taking a break. I got an A on my test.”

  Vivian pursed her lips. “Is this a date?”

  “No! It’s two friends going to a club and having some drinks.”

  “That sounds exactly like a date.”

  “Well, it’s not.”

  “I’d go with the dress. It’ll make your boobs look bigger.”

  “Hey.” Shayler covered her chest. “My boobs are perfect.”

  “Chill. Go with the dress.”

  “’Kay.”

  Shayler took off her top and pants and pulled the dress up from the bottom. The body of it was solid black, but the sleeves and chest were made of black lace. She’d never worn it out before, but for some stupid reason, she’d grabbed it earlier, thinking it might impress David.

  She twirled in a circle. “So?”
/>
  “Good.”

  “Just good?”

  Vivian smiled. “You look amazing, Shayler. Your date’s gonna love it.”

  Shayler tossed her pants at Vivian’s head, laughing as it hit the intended target. She looked at the mirror as Vivian left the room. She’d been right, Shayler’s boobs looked huge in a good way, and her hips and butt were smoothed out. It wasn’t unusual that Shayler felt pretty, but that feeling made her happier tonight than it normally did.

  She grabbed her keys, studded clutch, and a tube of Chapstick, and then pranced out of her room. Her hair was still nicely curled, her makeup hadn’t smudged, and she’d found a perfume sample in one of her magazines that smelled like vanilla and almonds. A total score.

  Sarah lounged on the couch next to Vivian, her legs thrown over the armrest as poorly timed, canned laughter floated out of the TV. Shayler waved and tried not to frown.

  “Sarah.”

  “Shayler.”

  Shayler pulled out her phone and checked the time. Two more minutes until David would be there. She stepped into a pair of strappy black heels she’d left by the kitchen and tightened them.

  “Are you gonna leave?” Vivian asked.

  Shayler blew a curl away from her face. “He’s picking me up.”

  “You got a date?” Sarah asked, raising her too-dark eyebrows that fought her pale, yellow complexion. “Never thought I’d see the day.”

  “It’s not a date. Not that I’d expect you to know the difference. Weren’t you caught on a date with some sorority girl last week?”

  “That wasn’t a date.”

  “Right. It was only dinner, a movie, gelato, and sex. Or am I leaving something else out?”

  “Viv and I were on a break.”

  “Seemed like that, what with Vivian staying home every night, crying herself to sleep.”

  “Shayler,” Vivian warned.

  “What?” Shayler smiled. “I was just reminding Sarah that her opinion on dating probably isn’t one that should be taken seriously.”

  Three short knocks interrupted whatever Sarah was about to say, and Shayler opened the door immediately. She was so sick of Vivian’s asshole of a girlfriend. Sarah always came and went as she pleased, and Vivian continued to wait for her. Shayler was caught up in her thoughts when she realized David was in front of her. Her knees wobbled and her tongue went limp.