Changing Lanes (Lake Park University Book 1)

by Christina Escue

  “Have you come up with anything?” He asks, and I hear a note of excitement in his voice.

  “I have a few ideas,” she responds, and I can tell she’s nervous about voicing them. “Last year when my Spanish class was looking for ways to raise money so we could go to Spain, we held a silent auction. We went around to different businesses and got them to donate gift certificates, or items that were auctioned off. We raised over eleven thousand dollars.”

  “Holt shit,” Xander says, his eyes going wide.

  “That amount would fund our program for a couple of years,” Coach says and Gray smiles shyly at him.

  “And that was in a small town. Can you imagine what we can raise in a city this size?” Nadia asks and looks at Gray. “I think it’s a wonderful idea.”

  “I agree,” Joy says and beams at Gray.

  “Beautiful and brilliant,” Westin mutters and I nod my agreement. “My family owns several businesses in the city. I can talk to my uncles and see who can donate what.”

  “I’m sure I can get my boss to donate a gift certificate or something from Mean Bean,” I say, and Gray turns her smile toward me.

  “Dad has a lot of connections, and I know he’d be willing to help get donations,” Joy says and looks at Xander.

  “And I could donate one of my paintings,” Xander says and we all gawk at him. “What?”

  “You don’t share your work with anyone,” Wren says, her eyes wide with curiosity.

  “I do so,” he responds and looks at all of us. “I’ve sold a few pieces to some of dad’s colleagues.”

  “Tell them the rest,” Joy urges and the look he throws at her makes me chuckle. He’s embarrassed and she’s making it worse.

  “I have a gallery showing next month,” he mutters. “The wife of one of dad’s colleagues owns a small gallery downtown. Her husband bought one of my paintings for her as a gift, and she contacted me a few days later. She’s set up a showing for ten of my paintings.”

  “That’s fantastic, Xander,” Gray says softly. “When is it?”

  “You’ll all get an invitation,” Joy tells us. “Now, we need to practice.”

  “Yes,” Coach says, but I can tell he’s proud of Xander’s accomplishments. We all are, even if we’re still pissed at the way he spoke to Gray last week.

  “Graycen,” Xander says softly as everyone breaks off to go to their lanes.

  “Yes?” She responds with a raised eyebrow.

  “I was wondering something,” he says then takes a deep breath. “I know I messed up, and I know I hurt you, but I was wondering if you’d come to my showing with me. As my date?”

  “I’m sorry, Xander, but no. I’m seeing someone,” she says, then walks away.

  “She’s seeing someone?” Ryder asks from my left. “When did this happen? Who the hell is she seeing? What the hell is going on?”

  I shake my head. I don’t have the answers to those questions, but I would love to find them.

  “His name’s Ethan,” Westin says from just behind us. “He’s a History major at UF, and he’s on the swim team with Gabe.”

  “When did she meet him?” I ask.

  “Last night,” he answers, and I narrow my eyes at him.

  “And she’s already seeing him?” Ryder asks. His voice sounds as shocked as I feel.

  “They’re going on a date tomorrow afternoon,” Wes answers. “I’m not sure that’s considered seeing someone, but the potential for more is there, which is probably why she turned Xander down.”

  “That and the fact that I’m a complete ass,” Xander says and we don’t disagree with him.

  “I just don’t understand why she’d agree to go out with someone she just met when she has options right here within the team,” Ryder says and looks over at me.

  “Same reason I don’t date teammates,” Nadia says, and we look at her. “Come on, guys. Use the head that’s on your shoulders. If she were to date any of you, and you happened to break up, what would that do to the team?”

  “She has a point,” Westin says and looks at us. “Come on, guys. We need to practice.”

  “Yeah,” Ryder says, and we walk toward the lanes.

  “I know Ethan,” Westin tells us as we walk to the lanes. “He’s a good guy.”

  “He’d better be,” I say and look at Gray as she warms up. “I swear, if she gets hurt.”

  “You’ll have to get in line behind me to kick his ass,” Westin tells me, and I nod. I have no claim on Graycen, and I know she’d be pissed if she thinks I’m threatening the guy she is dating, so I keep comments to myself as we start practice.

  If Gray and I are meant to be together, we will be. It may not happen tomorrow, but I can’t let go of the hope that someday, she will be mine.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Graycen

  “This is it,” I say to my reflection. My Statistics professor let us go fifteen minutes early, so I had time to drop my things off in my room and change my shoes. I wore sneakers to class this morning but switched them out for low-heeled boots when I got back to my room a few minutes ago. I keep my hair loose and add a coat of gloss to my lips before I turn from the mirror and grab my phone.

  “Where are you going?” Brittany asks from where she’s lounging on her bed.

  “History Museum,” I answer, and she snorts.

  “That’s a lame date,” she says, and I roll my eyes.

  “Learning about the past, and the cultures that formed today’s society isn’t lame,” I respond. “I happen to love history, and so does the guy I’m going out with.”

  “Well, he sounds boring,” she says and yawns. “Anyway, I won’t be here when you get back. Brad and I are going out tonight. He has passes to a new club, and a lot of the lacrosse players are going to be there.”

  “Have fun,” I tell her as I grab my keys and wallet from my desk and shove them into the small purse I pulled from my closet that morning. I don’t normally carry a purse, but I don’t want my hands full while Ethan and I walk through the museum.

  “You too,” she says with a dramatic roll of her eyes.

  I don’t comment as I walk out the door. She’s a little too pretentious for my tastes, and her opinion on my plans doesn’t matter in the least. I’m sure Ethan and I will have a far better time than Brittany and Bradley will.

  “Hey, beautiful,” I hear Ethan call out as soon as I step out the door.

  “Hey, Ethan,” I respond and walk over to him. I stop a couple feet from him, and he starts to chuckle.

  “Where did you get that shirt?” He asks as his chuckles turn to laughs.

  My shirt today says: If History repeats itself, I’m so getting a dinosaur, and has a picture of an animated t-rex on it.

  “National Museum of Natural History in the Smithsonian.” I tell him as his laughter dies down. “Most of my shirts are funny or sarcastic.”

  “Like the bowling one you had on the other night,” he comments, and I nod. “You ready?”

  “Yes,” I answer then look at his car. It’s a bright yellow Camaro painted like Bumblebee from the Transformers. “Love your car.”

  “Thanks,” he responds and closes the distance between us. “And thanks for agreeing to come with me today.”

  “I couldn’t pass up going to the museum,” I tell him and grin.

  “So, it had nothing to do with Ryan Lochte?” he asks, and my grin grows.

  “He’s cute and all, but he’s a little too old, and a little too married for me,” I respond and shrug. I have never flirted with anyone the way I am with Ethan, and I’m finding it easy to slip into it with him.

  “Bad for him,” he says then steps into my space. “Good for me.”

  “Ethan,” I breath out. Him being this close is making me a little nervous, and I’m trying not to show it.

  “Do I make you nervous, Graycen?” He asks as he brushes a hand down my arm.

  “Yes,” I answer before I can stop myself.

  “We can’t have tha
t,” he says then takes a step back. “Let’s go eat then hit the museum. There’s this one part I want to show you, but you have to go through nearly the whole building before you get to it.”

  I don’t say anything else as he walks to the passenger side of his car and opens the door.

  Once he’s behind the wheel, I glance over at him. “You really do look like Ryan Lochte,” I tell him, and he tosses me a grin as he starts the car.

  “You’re absolutely sure that’s not why you agreed to go on a date with me?” He asks with a chuckle and I feel my cheeks heat.

  “I’m sure,” I say softly and look at my hands, letting my hair fall to curtain my reddening face.

  “Don’t hide from me,” he says softly as he reaches over and tucks my hair behind my ear. “Your face is so expressive. I find it endearing.”

  “I agreed to go on a date with you because I like you,” I admit and look at him. “And I want to get to know you better.”

  “That’s good, because I want to get to know you better too,” he says softly then backs out of the parking space. Once we’re on the road that leads toward the heart of Gainesville, he glances over at me again. “I really hope you like Italian food.”

  “I love Italian food,” I respond. “I love all food.”

  “Except meat,” he says, and I shrug.

  “Me being a vegetarian has nothing to do with saving animals, or anything like that,” I tell him. “Which probably sounds heartless, but it’s true. I was born a twin. My sister and I were what they call mirror twins. I’m left handed, she was right handed, my organs and everything are where they’re supposed to be, and hers were opposite. We were identical on the outside, but opposite on the inside. Anyway, she was always able to eat whatever she wanted, but my body has an intolerance to meat proteins. Eating meat could, literally, kill me.”

  “You keep saying were and was when you talk about your sister,” he says, and I look out the window.

  “She was killed four years ago,” I tell him.

  “I’m sorry,” he says softly, and I glance over at him. “I lost my brother last year. He killed himself.”

  “I’m so sorry,” I say and lay my hand on his shoulder.

  “He was three years older than me and left behind a little boy.”

  “Death sucks,” I say, and he nods.

  “But life doesn’t,” he tells me and glances at me for a second before focusing on the road once more. “And today is about living life.”

  “Yes,” I agree. “And getting to know each other.”

  “And having an amazing lunch,” he adds as he pulls into the parking lot of an Italian restaurant.

  “I’ve never been here,” I tell him, and he grins.

  “Then you’re in for a treat,” he responds as he kills the engine and opens his door.

  I start to open my door, but he shakes his head as he closes his and walks around the front of the car. He opens my door and extends his hand. When I lay mine in his, he grins at me and bends down and kisses the top of it before he gently pulls up out of the car.

  “Such a gentleman,” I say, and he smiles.

  “My mom raised me to be a gentleman,” he tells me.

  “Well, she’d be happy then,” I say as we walk toward the door. He pauses and looks at me before opening it.

  “I must warn you, the staff here knows me very well,” he says and looks through the glass door before he opens it.

  “Oh, so you eat here a lot?” I ask.

  “You could say that,” he says, and grins then opens the door.

  “Ethan,” a woman with thick, dark hair and bright blue eyes greets him as soon as we step inside. “Your table is ready as you requested.”

  “Thank you,” he beams a smile at the woman.

  “And who is this beautiful creature you have with you?” An older man asks from behind the woman.

  “This is the lovely Graycen Kelley. She’s a freshman at LPU and is on the bowling team.”

  “Bowling? Fun,” the man says and grins. His grin is very familiar, and I turn my attention to Ethan.

  “You’re related,” I say, and Ethan’s grin grows.

  “We are,” he admits. “This is my grandpa, Jack Hartley, and my aunt, Natalie Rose. They, along with my uncle and a couple cousins, run this place.”

  “Nice to meet you,” I say softly. I wasn’t expecting to meet his family today.

  “Graycen is a bit on the shy side,” he tells his aunt then touches my cheek. “I find it adorable.”

  “Well, we will leave you two to your lunch,” his grandpa says and walks away as his aunt pulls two menus from the rack and nods to Ethan.

  “Head on over, and I’ll bring you some breadsticks,” she says and hands him the menus before she walks away.

  “Come on,” he says and gently touches my back.

  “I didn’t know I was meeting your family,” I say quietly as he leads me to a table close to the window. “I’d have taken a little more time with my appearance had I known.”

  “Why would you do that?” He asks as he pulls out my chair for me. “You look great today.”

  “Ethan, I,” I start.

  “No, Graycen,” he says softly. “You are beautiful just the way you are. I like that you’re not dolled up like most girls. I like that you’re most comfortable in jeans and a t-shirt. I like that you aren’t afraid to express your sarcastic side in the shirts you wear. I like you, just the way you are. And from what Gabe tells me, I’m not the only one.”

  “You and Gabe have talked about me?”

  “I asked him an endless string of questions before and after practice yesterday,” he admits.

  “What kind of questions?” I ask. I’m not sure how I feel about him questioning Gabe about me.

  “Nothing to be concerned about,” he responds, picking up on the slight shift in my mood. “I was curious about you, Graycen, and I wanted to know a little more about you before today. I didn’t want to say or do the wrong thing and blow my chance with you. It seems that by asking him about you, I have upset you though.”

  “No,” I say a little too quickly. “Well, maybe a little. I’ve never had a boyfriend, Ethan. This is my very first date, and I don’t want to say or do anything to mess it up either.”

  “Well, then let’s make your first date a memorable one,” he responds with a grin just as his aunt walks to our table.

  “Have you had a chance to look at the menu?” She asks me after she sits a basket of breadsticks on the table between us.

  “No,” I answer and quickly scan the vegetarian options. “Oh, cheese tortellini. I’ll have that in alfredo sauce, please.”

  “Excellent choice,” she says and smiles before looking at Ethan. “You want your usual?”

  “No,” he answers and looks at me. “I’m going to go meatless this afternoon, too. I’ll have what Graycen is having.”

  “You don’t have to do that for me,” I say, and he grins.

  “I know,” he responds as his aunt takes the menus and walks away. “I want to though.”

  I don’t know what to say to that, so I grab a breadstick and break off a small piece. I pop it in my mouth and close my eyes as the garlic and parmesan cheese hits my tongue.

  “Graycen,” Ethan says softly, and I open my eyes to look at him.

  “Hmm?” I ask as I chew slowly.

  “You are the most real girl I have ever gone out with,” he says then bites the end off of his own breadstick.

  “Is that a good thing?” I ask with a tilt of my head.

  “It’s a very good thing,” he says after he swallows.

  I smile at that and take another bite. I don’t know what’s going to happen next, but I am looking forward to finding out.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Rico

  “Have you heard how her date went?” I ask Wes at practice on Wednesday. Gray hasn’t arrived yet, and I’m wanting to find out everything I can before she gets here.

  “She c
alled me after he dropped her off, and she couldn’t stop talking about him,” Wes answers. “Al, man, she likes him. Be happy for her.”

  “I am happy for her,” I tell him, but know I’m not being completely honest. “I’m just worried about her.”

  “Ethan is a great guy,” Wes assures me. “I wouldn’t have let Gabe introduce them if he wasn’t.”

  “I think she should invite him to one of our after practice pizza parties,” Wren says from behind me and I start a little. I didn’t hear her walk up.

  “Do we really want him subjected to these hoodlums?” Nadia asks and I narrow my eyes at her. “Let them get to know each other and see where this is going before she brings him into our group. If it’s not serious, then he doesn’t need to meet the family.”

  “She’s already met some of his family,” Wes tells us, and I frown. “The place he took her for lunch is owned by his family.”

  “That was risky,” Wren says, and Nadia nods her agreement.

  “Risks have their rewards,” Wes says then nods toward the door. “Look at the smile on her face.”

  “She hasn’t looked that happy since before everything happened with her mom,” Wren says, and I shake my head. I will try to be a supportive friend. For her, I can do this.

  “Hey, Gray,” I call out in greeting as she nears us.

  “Sorry I’m late, everyone. I was talking to Ethan,” she says and blushes.

  “Shouldn’t he be at practice, too?” Wes asks with a raised eyebrow.

  “He is, but he called to ask me something,” she answers.

  “What did he ask you?” Wes asks with a knowing grin on his face. Something is up with him, and I want to know what.

  “He wanted to know if I’d go to the swim team’s party with him on Saturday night,” she answers and Wes’ face cracks in a huge smile.

  “You said yes, right?” He asks and she nods. “Yes! That means I won’t be stuck talking about swimming all night.”

  “I thought you liked talking about swimming,” I say, and he grins.

  “I do, but I also like to talk about other things,” he says. “Like bowling, and boys.”