tonight he was here, at a party with half the campus, and the better-looking half, at that. His too-smart housemates and his frustratingly perfect fuckbuddy were far away. Out of sight and out of mind, and there were a lot of other distractions here to push it all even further still. Mind made up, he weaved around another tight cluster of kids.
It was a little less crowded over on the other side of the room where Ben and the other guys from the team were set up. As soon as Marsh got close, Ben held out a hand, and they clasped, pulling each other in for just a second. Ben clapped Marsh on the back before letting go.
“Glad you could make it, man.” Ben held out a silver flask, and Marsh took it and downed a swig. Nice and smooth. Ben always brought the good stuff.
Marsh passed the flask back and wiped his mouth with his wrist. “Wouldn’t miss it.”
He exchanged similar greetings with the other guys, but before he could get pulled into whatever they were talking about, Ben grabbed his attention again. Ben was leaning against the wall as he quirked an eyebrow up. “So, what’s this I hear about you living over on the west side this year?”
Oh. Right. A knot formed in Marsh’s stomach, and suddenly he remembered why he’d been a little scarce at team social things for the past month. He covered up his discomfort with a one-shouldered shrug as he took a pull from his beer. Christ, that tasted like piss after Ben’s bourbon. “Just how it worked out.”
“Is that right?” Ben’s skepticism was clear.
Marsh gave another shrug. “More or less.”
Who knew what Ben had heard about the whole situation. Chances were, the other guys involved hadn’t painted Marsh in the best of lights. They still thought he’d screwed them over, after all.
From Marsh’s point of view, though, it had been exactly the opposite. He’d been excited as hell when the other guys from the team had invited him to go in on an apartment with them last spring. Told them how much he could swing and what he was looking for in terms of space. Figuring it was all in good hands, he’d gone off to do his training camp thing over the summer, leaving them to sort out the details. Come fall, he’d headed back into town only to discover the place they’d picked had been about double what he could afford, after everything had changed.
And that didn’t stick in his craw. Not at all. He downed some more beer to try to wash down the bitterness that was even sharper than whatever crap they were serving at this thing, striving all the while for the casual nonchalance that had always carried him through.
Whatever problems he was having with his housemates and his team both now, he’d been damn lucky the geek squad had put that ad up on Craigslist. Even the room he was letting from them was at the edge of what he could swing with his budget the way it was, but he was managing.
And he didn’t need to take any shit for it.
Before Ben could ask any follow-up questions, Marsh caught the eye of the girl from before. She was looking at him like he was something to eat. Like he was exactly what she wanted, and like he wasn’t lacking, and yeah. Forget two years ago or two weeks ago. He could go for that.
“Excuse me.” Marsh downed what little was left of his beer and shoved the empty cup at Ben as he stalked away. The girl’s sly smile was a full-on sultry grin now. When he was just a few feet away from her, he keyed in on the music playing, matching his stride to it. He stopped way too close to her, right in her space. She was dancing, and her tits were perfect even if she wasn’t what he really wanted. It was probably just as well, because at least he wouldn’t have to feel like shit when she hightailed it out of there as soon as they were done.
Moving his hips in time with hers, he leaned in close, lips brushing the shell of her ear and asked, “What’s your name?”
“You gonna remember it tomorrow?”
“Depends. Don’t you want me
It was a little less crowded over on the other side of the room where Ben and the other guys from the team were set up. As soon as Marsh got close, Ben held out a hand, and they clasped, pulling each other in for just a second. Ben clapped Marsh on the back before letting go.
“Glad you could make it, man.” Ben held out a silver flask, and Marsh took it and downed a swig. Nice and smooth. Ben always brought the good stuff.
Marsh passed the flask back and wiped his mouth with his wrist. “Wouldn’t miss it.”
He exchanged similar greetings with the other guys, but before he could get pulled into whatever they were talking about, Ben grabbed his attention again. Ben was leaning against the wall as he quirked an eyebrow up. “So, what’s this I hear about you living over on the west side this year?”
Oh. Right. A knot formed in Marsh’s stomach, and suddenly he remembered why he’d been a little scarce at team social things for the past month. He covered up his discomfort with a one-shouldered shrug as he took a pull from his beer. Christ, that tasted like piss after Ben’s bourbon. “Just how it worked out.”
“Is that right?” Ben’s skepticism was clear.
Marsh gave another shrug. “More or less.”
Who knew what Ben had heard about the whole situation. Chances were, the other guys involved hadn’t painted Marsh in the best of lights. They still thought he’d screwed them over, after all.
From Marsh’s point of view, though, it had been exactly the opposite. He’d been excited as hell when the other guys from the team had invited him to go in on an apartment with them last spring. Told them how much he could swing and what he was looking for in terms of space. Figuring it was all in good hands, he’d gone off to do his training camp thing over the summer, leaving them to sort out the details. Come fall, he’d headed back into town only to discover the place they’d picked had been about double what he could afford, after everything had changed.
And that didn’t stick in his craw. Not at all. He downed some more beer to try to wash down the bitterness that was even sharper than whatever crap they were serving at this thing, striving all the while for the casual nonchalance that had always carried him through.
Whatever problems he was having with his housemates and his team both now, he’d been damn lucky the geek squad had put that ad up on Craigslist. Even the room he was letting from them was at the edge of what he could swing with his budget the way it was, but he was managing.
And he didn’t need to take any shit for it.
Before Ben could ask any follow-up questions, Marsh caught the eye of the girl from before. She was looking at him like he was something to eat. Like he was exactly what she wanted, and like he wasn’t lacking, and yeah. Forget two years ago or two weeks ago. He could go for that.
“Excuse me.” Marsh downed what little was left of his beer and shoved the empty cup at Ben as he stalked away. The girl’s sly smile was a full-on sultry grin now. When he was just a few feet away from her, he keyed in on the music playing, matching his stride to it. He stopped way too close to her, right in her space. She was dancing, and her tits were perfect even if she wasn’t what he really wanted. It was probably just as well, because at least he wouldn’t have to feel like shit when she hightailed it out of there as soon as they were done.
Moving his hips in time with hers, he leaned in close, lips brushing the shell of her ear and asked, “What’s your name?”
“You gonna remember it tomorrow?”
“Depends. Don’t you want me
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