Palm South University: Season 1 Box Set (Palm South University #1)

by Kandi Steiner

  “Are you going to tell me what’s going on in that blonde head of yours?”

  Jess startles at my words as if I’m pulling her back to reality. “What?”

  I quirk a brow. “Care to explain why you’re blushing with only me in the room?”

  Jess’s cheeks shade deeper but she just jumps up into her bed, pulling the sheets up high. “I’m not blushing. I’m still hot from dancing.”

  I eye her warily, but don’t push it. “And yet you’re climbing into your clean bed?”

  “I’ll shower in the morning.”

  “Okay,” I say, chuckling. My phone buzzes and I’m surprised when I see my dad’s picture light up the screen. Excusing myself to the bathroom, I answer.

  “Hey Pops. A little past your bedtime isn’t it?”

  “You’re on the news!”

  My stomach drops. “What?”

  “Well, okay, not exactly the news – but a big blog wrote an article and you’re featured in it!”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Check your email.”

  Just as he says the words, my phone pings in my ear and I pull it away long enough to pull up the new email from Dad. Sure enough, it links to an article from a large poker blog about the top five hottest women in poker.

  And I’m number three.

  “Whoa,” is all I can say as I read through the small amount of verbiage under my picture. It talks briefly about the tournaments I’ve won in the past before complimenting me for my most recent win – the tournament Tuesday night. The rest talks about how “smoking hot” I look even in a hoodie and glasses, which makes me roll my eyes.

  “Can you believe it?” Dad asks, still excited.

  “I mean, it’s just an article talking about how attractive I am. I don’t know how to feel about it.”

  Dad scoffs. “Look past that, Sky. The fact that they even know who you are is huge.” He pauses and I can almost feel him smiling through the phone. “You’re really doing it, girl. You’re making it.”

  I read over the article again. “It is kind of cool, isn’t it?”

  “Hell yes!” Dad beams. “That’s my girl. I’m so proud of you. And just wait, they won’t be talking about your looks for long once they realize just how good you are at the game.”

  “We’ll see, Dad.”

  There’s another pause before he speaks again. “Thank you, Skyler. Thank you for sending that money… and for always looking out for us.” I feel the worry radiate off him and permeate through the phone. “We should be the ones taking care of you.”

  “Stop,” I say, not allowing him to continue. “You always have taken care of me. It’s okay to let me help out a little now.” I smile, thinking of how my parents were the only real friends I had up until Palm South. “Besides, you’re going to get that promotion soon and then you can take me out to dinner.”

  “It’s a date, baby girl.”

  “I love you, Dad. Night.”

  “Night.”

  I thumb through the article once more, sizing up the other girls mentioned. I’ve heard of every single one of them and the fact that my name is even in the same list as them floors me. Suddenly, my phone buzzes again.

  Adam.

  “Miss me already?” I ask playfully.

  “Actually, yes. Plus, I realized we need to celebrate you winning that tournament Tuesday night.”

  “Um, didn’t we kind of already do that tonight?”

  “I suppose, but the night is still young, right?”

  I glance at the clock and laugh when I see it’s just past three in the morning. “Uh…”

  “Just go with it. Come downstairs.”

  With that, the line goes dead and I’m left shaking my head. Adam Brooks is something else.

  I pull on a pair of gym shorts and a PSU tank top before sneaking down the stairs and outside. Adam has changed out of his costume and into a relaxed pair of basketball shorts and t-shirt, yet he still looks just as yummy as he did earlier. Leaning against the pillar of our house, his bright smile is illuminated by the moon and his eyes sparkle as he watches me approach.

  “Ever gone banner diving before?” he asks.

  “Uh… can’t say that I have.”

  “Well, there’s a first for everything.”

  Every house on Greek row has at least two posts where “banners”, AKA bed sheets with text and images on them, hang. Usually, the banners advertise an upcoming event or wish a sister or brother a happy birthday. When Adam explains to me that we’re going to be diving into them and tearing them down, I pull back.

  “What? We can’t do that!” I whisper, as if anyone on the completely empty street would hear me. “That’s… vandalism. Or something.”

  He chuckles, his dark eyes still shining in the moonlight. “I didn’t peg you for a good girl.”

  I purse my lips. “I’m just saying. It’s rude.”

  “Kind of. But wouldn’t you love to see the look on the Zetas’ faces when they see their precious banner shredded in half?” He’s got a point there, I really don’t like the Zetas. And what the hell? It’s just sheets, not like we’re throwing bricks at car windows or anything.

  “Screw it,” I say and then I take off running down the street and dive straight into one of the Zeta banners proclaiming that their sister should be the Alpha Sig Sweetheart. Adam tries to quiet his laughter as I bounce back off the sheet instead of tearing through it like I’d imagined. My laughter, on the other hand, is incredibly loud and awkward.

  When a light flickers on downstairs in the Zeta house, Adam and I both snap our necks in that direction.

  “Oh shit,” I say, scrambling to pull myself up. Adam pokes fun at me trying to hobble away before he scoops me up in his arms and conceals us behind tall scrub bushes near the edge of their yard.

  The Zeta house mom appears on the front porch, straining her neck to look both ways before shrugging and retreating back inside the house. Adam and I both die in a fit of laughter and then I realize how close we are. His arms are still wrapped around me, our mouths are just inches apart.

  Adam lifts his fingers to cradle my chin before pulling me in for a long, soft kiss. It’s the kind of kiss that doesn’t make me want to go jump in the sack, but rather cuddle up to watch a movie. It’s sweet.

  It’s nice.

  We spend the rest of the night doing absolutely nothing yet talking about everything. We walk all around campus, get into places we’re not supposed to, and even play ding-dong-ditch at a few of the dorm rooms. When the sun starts rising, he drops me back off at the house with another long kiss and then I fall into bed completely exhausted, but happy nonetheless.

  Maybe Adam Brooks isn’t just a fun hookup.

  Maybe.

  “SEE! YOU’VE GOT IT,” Cassie encourages right as I lean back too far and bust my ass. The longboard jets out from under my feet and races down the sidewalk as Cassie cringes. “Well, you’re getting there.”

  “I don’t think falling eight times within one hour means I’m getting there,” I volley, wincing as I lift my sore ass off the concrete. I chase down my board as Cassie rides smoothly beside me, like it’s the easiest thing in the world.

  “It just takes time. You’ll get it.” She hops off her board and stomps her foot on the back end, popping it up and tucking it under her arm. As we walk, I continue rubbing my ass. I was serious during rush when I told Cassie I wanted her to teach me how to ride, but I didn’t think it would be this difficult. Then again, I’ve never really been active in any capacity other than catching cycling and Zumba classes at the gym, so it doesn’t really make sense that I thought I’d be a natural. I guess I just thought my experience riding other people – er, things – would come in handy.

  “So, you excited about your first semi-formal?” I ask Cassie as we walk. The sun is fading over the campus, casting it in a soft orange glow. Her hair looks even redder in this kind of light and my appreciation for it grows with every passing minute. I feel l
ike there are too many blondes in the world. I’d love to be a redhead – to stand out the way she does.

  “Yeah, but I don’t really know what to wear.”

  “It’s kind of like high school. Remember how you got kind of dressed up for homecoming, but really decked out for prom? Well, semi-formal is homecoming, formal is prom. Just get a short, sexy dress and do something nice with your hair and makeup.”

  Cassie sighs. “I need to go shopping.”

  “Oh! I want in. Let’s get the girls to go later this week.”

  “Deal. Speaking of which, who are you bringing with you?”

  My stomach drops at her question, which doesn’t make any sense because it’s an easy enough one that I already have the answer to, but for some reason my mind immediately snaps to Jarrett. “I think I’m taking Matt.”

  “The O Chi president?” I nod. “Well, looks like we can be twinzies.”

  “Wait.” I halt, grabbing Cassie’s arm. “Are you taking Clay? Holy shit. You like him, don’t you?”

  Cassie’s face screws up. “I don’t know. Maybe. He’s nice.”

  “Nice enough to take you home and bang the shit out of you on Halloween?” I waggle my brows and Cassie’s face turns crimson red.

  “Uh, no. I mean, I went home with him for a while but… we didn’t… do… it.”

  “Oh? What did you do?”

  Cassie covers her face with her hands and starts walking again.

  “Oh my God! Spill!” I jog to catch up with her and she mumbles something into her hands, but I can’t make it out. “What was that?”

  “He went down on me.” She says the words just above a whisper even though we’re the only ones on this path.

  “He ate you out?” I say louder. “Well damn, get it, Cassie!” She shushes me and I just laugh. “You should be proud. Why are you acting like it’s a bad thing?”

  “I didn’t really like it, to be honest. And I think he expected… more.”

  “Ugh,” I groan. “I hate when they don’t know what they’re doing down there. It’s like, why even make the effort if you’re just going to slobber and make a mess without getting me off?” Cassie blushes and looks down at the ground, which makes me laugh. “Sorry. I’m kind of crass, aren’t I?”

  “I’m just not very experienced in this kind of stuff.”

  I pat her shoulder with sympathy, leaning in a bit. “It just takes time. You’ll get there,” I tease, repeating her encouragement about me on the longboard. She smacks at my arm but misses as I drop my board and hop on it, speeding down the sidewalk.

  “How’s my carving?” I call out behind me, my eyes on my feet as I shift my balance from my toes to my heels. Cassie yells something back at me but I don’t hear it. My speed is picking up faster than I anticipated and I realize I’m on a hill. Before I have the chance to jump off or correct it, I slam hard into what feels like a brick wall and bounce back off the board, crashing to the ground.

  I groan, squeezing my eyes shut against the pain already throbbing in my skull. When I finally lean up on the heels of my hands and squint to see what I hit, I immediately regret it.

  “Well, fuck.”

  Jarrett reaches down and helps me to my feet, steadying me as I try to gain my balance again. Just having his hands on my arms sends flashbacks of Halloween parading through my memory and suddenly it’s not just the fall that’s making me feel disoriented.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Peachy,” I remark, snatching my board from the ground. The quick motion of bending over and standing upright again sends me spinning and Jarrett’s hands find my waist to steady me again. “My phone on the other hand, not so much.”

  At that, Jarrett’s lips twitch into a devilish smirk. “It was a necessary casualty.”

  My heartbeat quickens and my mouth feels like I swallowed cotton. I know Jarrett can sense it. He feels my nerves. He can feel me trembling. I know, because he’s smirking wider now, his dark eyes hooded in a mixture of lust and amusement. When he bites his lower lip and drags his teeth along the tender flesh, my eyes flutter closed before I realize what I’m doing.

  “I can buy you a replacement, if you’d like,” he adds, but he says it huskily and I know it’s on purpose. “We could go to the mobile store on campus after class Wednesday.”

  “It’s fine,” I say, snapping out of my trance. “It’s already being fixed.” Why is my voice shaking? Why am I staring at him like he’s stark ass naked instead of fully clothed in a tight gray t-shirt and basketball shorts? Wait… he’s wearing basketball shorts? My eyes fall lower and I can clearly see the outline of him straining beneath them.

  Oh, for fuck’s sake.

  Really? Like really?

  Jarrett coughs and my eyes snap to his. He’s clearly entertained by my squirming, one brow quirked as he nonverbally calls me out on my crotch staring.

  Clearing my throat, I salute him. “Okay. See you in class.” When I turn around and race back toward where Cassie stands watching, I cringe and shake my head. Did I just salute him? Like a fucking skipper or a sergeant? Good God, I’m a fucking idiot.

  “Was that – ”

  “Yep. Let’s go.” I grab Cassie by the crook of her arm and drag her in the opposite direction, regardless of if it was where we were originally heading. When I glance over my shoulder, Jarrett is still watching, his arms crossed over his chest and a smug look cemented on his face. He knows he has the upper hand now. He knows he affects me in a way I can’t control.

  Fuck me.

  I FEEL BETTER TODAY than I have in weeks. It’s been rough at the studio, but today I feel strong – focused – and as I spin fast around the pole, the smile on my face is irreplaceable. The moves I’ve been working on since July are starting to come effortlessly to me and I know if I stay on track, I have a chance of taking the title in January.

  That’s my sole focus now.

  Sometimes it takes getting to a low place, maybe even falling to the bottom, before you realize that it’s time to start climbing up again. For me, I didn’t know I was falling until I came face to face with the dirt. Literally. In a way, I’m glad it happened quickly. At least now I can save myself before it’s too late.

  A stream of sunlight interrupts the darkness of Kitty Heels as Hayden and Kya enter through the front door. When Hayden’s eyes find mine, he offers me a forced smile, but I just drop to the floor and walk in the opposite direction toward the water fountain.

  “Hey,” he says softly, sliding up next to me as I continue to drink. I wipe my mouth with my wrist when I stand to face him, but the pit in my stomach almost makes me spew the liquid out.

  “What do you want, Hayden?”

  “Listen, I’m sorry about what happened.” He can’t even say it out loud, which just makes it hurt more. “We got a little carried away, it happens sometimes when you’re high. But it won’t happen again.”

  “Damn right it won’t because I’m never touching that shit again. Ever. Do you hear me?” I turn on my heel and retreat back to my pole, but Hayden follows.

  “Christ, Ashlei, just wait a second.” His long hair is disheveled and stringy, his eyes surrounded by dark circles. Hayden is insanely sexy to me – or at least, he always has been before now – but today he just looks sad. And broken. And pathetic.

  He nervously plays with his eyebrow ring as he tries to find the words to say next. “You weren’t hurt, right? I mean, everything is okay, right?”

  My mouth drops open. “Are you fucking serious?” When he doesn’t blanch, I snap my mouth shut. “Wow. You are.” Hayden snatches my arm as I try to turn away from him again, but I rip it free.

  “Why are you acting so crazy?”

  “Crazy?!” I scream louder than I intended. “You shoved me out of a moving vehicle, you vapid asshole. You could have killed me.”

  “We weren’t even going thirty miles an hour, Ashlei. It was a joke.”

  “Yeah, well I’m not laughing.”

  “We were high.�
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  “Exactly!” I cut him off just as he says the word. “We were being stupid. And you? You’re always being stupid. You mess around with that stuff like it’s not going to catch up with you. Well, I’m done. I’ve sat on it for weeks now, trying to figure out how I felt about all of it, and now I know. I’m staying to dance, to work for Leslie, but I want no part of what you and Kya are mixed up in. Do you hear me? None.”

  “Ashlei.”

  “Eat a wiener, Hayden.”

  I don’t give him the opportunity to answer before I climb back up my pole and start working on my advanced moves, the adrenaline still pumping hard through my veins. There’s an achingly heavy pressure on my chest at the thought of not having Hayden in my life anymore, but I know this is the right move. I was crazy to let him talk me into trying cocaine in the first place. I should have known it would blow up in my face.

  The night after initiation, I blew off my sisters to hang out with him and Kya. It was only my third time getting high with him, but apparently the third time is a charm. What started as a fun evening letting loose ended up with me limping on the backroads back to campus. Since then, I haven’t been myself. I’ve been lost. The only night I felt even semi-normal was on Halloween with Bo.

  I bite my lip at the thought of her and slip a little in my transition, making me fall into a Nose Breaker Drop without meaning to. I catch myself just in time, my face inches from the ground. Circling the pole a few times to gain my composure again, I swing my way back up and do a few rounds, trying to ignore the voice in the back of my mind that wants to talk more about what Bo means to me.

  “You okay?” Leslie’s voice is kind and soft, but it startles me nonetheless and I drop back to the ground, panting.

  “I’m good.”

  She assesses me for a moment before nodding. “Okay then. I need you sharp for January. I know the holidays are coming up and you’re probably stressed with school, but I need your focus here as much as it can be. Can you do that?” I nod. “Great.” Her eyes soften and she glances up at Hayden before addressing me again. “I’m always here if you need help, Ashlei.” She levels her eyes and I have a feeling she means more than just pole practice, but I just give a curt nod again and climb back on the pole.