Vannah shook her head as her insides got even tighter because that thought had occurred to her, even before today. She felt too silly to even share with Xochitl, but she’d been secretly disappointed that the moment her and Byron’s eyes had met at Starbucks had been the moment she’d been wiping the whip cream off Matt’s lip.
“Think about it, Vannah,” Xochitl went on with even more conviction. “Maybe Matt’s the reason why there was no smile this time.” This time her too excitable friend stopped and looked back toward the doors of the gym. “Maybe you should approach him.”
Grabbing her friend’s arm and nudging her along before she got any crazier ideas, Vannah shook her head. “No way.”
“Why not?”
“Are you insane?” Vannah continued to tug her friend along toward her car even as her heart’s thudding sped up with every step she took. “I freeze up just looking at the man. You expect me to just waltz back in there and actually start up a conversation with him?”
“It’s a gym, Vannah. Wouldn’t be unheard of to try and strike up a conversation with someone who catches your eye. Especially someone whose eye you’ve obviously caught.”
The moment they were close enough to her car, Vannah clicked the doors open so she could jump in as quickly as possible. Even as Xochitl climbed into the passenger side she was still going on with the now unnerving topic. “Okay, I get it. You’re shy and not used to approaching guys—”
“Men. This isn’t even a guy, Xochitl.” Vannah turned to look back as she pulled out of the parking space, giving her friend a hard look in the process. “This is a grown ass man we’re talking about. A college grad seven years older than me. Not to mention he’s a very hot man. One who likely has women, not little eighteen-year-old college freshman girls throwing themselves at him.”
“Oh, I can guarantee you that man has plenty of college girls throwing themselves at him too.” Xochitl retorted, though her comment didn’t help—at all. “But who said anything about you throwing yourself at him? I just meant you go up to him and introduce yourself—”
“Would you?” Vannah turned to face her equally timid friend when they came to a stop. “Would you be willing or even able to just go up to him and introduce yourself if you were in my position?”
That stumped Xochitl just as Vannah expected. Slumping her shoulders with a sigh, Xochitl turned to face forward. “Probably not.”
“Absolutely not and you know it.”
“I know.” Xochitl turned back to face her just as the light turned green. “Frat Row Friday. Let’s do it. Let’s go there tonight and practice our approach to guys. Maybe then you can work up the nerve to eventually talk to this guy.”
Breathing in deeply, Vannah let out an exasperated but much-needed laugh. “Practice our approach?”
“Yeah, yeah. Granted approaching drunken frat boys will be far less intimidating than approaching someone like this guy but it’s a start.” Xochitl pulled her phone out of the glove compartment. “I’ll invite Clarissa and Sylvia. Sylvia can get her sister to buy us some booze. This way we can loosen up a little. We’ll make a game out of it and take turns. You know Clarissa will be down and after a few drinks so will Sylvia.”
Just like that, it was settled. They’d be practicing their approach tonight, though Vannah knew there was no chance in hell she’d ever approach Byron. She was certain her awkward ass would make a complete fool of herself if she ever tried. But Xochitl didn’t have to know that. Vannah had been curious about Frat Row Fridays ever since she heard of it. She’d focus on this instead of her friend’s belly-tightening theory about why Byron hadn’t smiled today. Drunken college boys out looking for just a good time, she could deal with. But Vannah meant it when she said Byron was a grown ass fine man way beyond her league. She’d humor her roommate for now and let her think she’d consider approaching him eventually, but she knew better. That was never happening.
Five
Unexpected Rescue
Byron
The phone ringing just as Byron got out of the shower broke him out of his inadvertent ongoing thoughts of the little college girl. Glad for the interruption he smiled when he saw it was Gus and he answered. “Sup?”
“You home?”
Grabbing a pair of briefs from a drawer, Byron dropped the towel to slip them on. “Yeah.”
“Dick. Then why aren’t you answering? We’ve been knocking for a while.”
“I was in the shower. I just got out.”
After throwing on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt he hurried down the stairs of his apartment that sat above the now closed auto shop. He opened up the shop doors and Gus and Nando walked in bearing gifts in the form of a twelve-pack and a pipe. He let them into the shop, took a beer but passed on the weed. “Gives me the munchies,” he explained. “I’m in training right now.”
“To fight?” Gus asked wide eyed.
“Nah, just to get in shape.” Byron touched his abs over his shirt. “I was getting kind of soft.” He lifted the beer bottle. “Even this I’m trying to cut back on, but I haven’t had one in a while. One’s not gonna kill me.”
“There you go.” Nando tossed his keys at Byron who reacted just in time to catch them. “We got ourselves our designated driver.”
“That’s right,” Gus said despite Byron already shaking his head. “Only reason we were just gonna kick it here tonight is ’cause we’re both too tight to spring for Ubers all night and we both felt like throwing some back.”
“So just stay here,” Byron said tossing Nando his keys back. “I’m not going anywhere tonight.”
“C’mon, man. Don’t be like that,” Gus pointed at Byron. “Didn’t you just say you needed to get laid the other day.”
Byron frowned remembering how he’d muttered the comment under his breath a little too loudly the day he’d gotten back to the shop after being annoyed over the whole freshman chick with the meathead at the gym. “Maybe I already did.”
Not really, but these two idiots didn’t need to know the details of his sex life.
“So, do it again. You have been kind of an irritable ass lately.”
Before Byron could retort to that, Nando chimed in. “Frat Row Friday.” He pointed at Byron then Gus. “Easiest way to get laid. Drunk college girls are a shoo-in.”
As the instant thoughts of the one random college girl who’d invaded his mind so much lately assaulted him, Byron shook his head even more adamantly than he had earlier. “Hell no.”
“Why not?” Gus and Nando asked in unison.
Their comical expressions almost made Byron smile. Almost. “Because I’m too old for that shit.”
“You just graduated last year, ass.” Gus pointed out. “A lot of those girls might even be older than you if they’re working on their masters and shit. It’s easy to tell which ones are fresh out of high school. Just stay away from those and you’ll be fine.”
More assaulting thoughts of the one thing he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about since he walked into the fucking gym today hit him again. Still shaking his head, Nando lifted his beer in the air before Byron could retort.