Palm South University Season 1 Omnibus (11 page)

And I’m not even sure what we really are, anyway.

The South Florida Pole Dance Event is this Saturday and everyone in our troupe is entered in the competition. Leslie is the owner of Kitty Heels, our small-but-talented dance company, and she tells me every day that she could all but kiss Hayden for bringing me to them this summer. She sees potential in me, and this will be my first time to prove her right.

“You ready for your first competition, Ashlei?” Kya asks, her eyes shining in the flattering lighting of the studio. Kya is another star student of Leslie’s. She’s been dancing with Leslie since the beginning. Standing just shy of six feet and breaking that point in heels, she’s the tallest girl in our troupe. But, she’s also the strongest, and her moves are perfected to a point that I’m envious of. I’m not easily intimidated, but I’m threatened by her, for sure.

“Getting there.” I answer, trying to feign confidence.

“You’re going to be amazing,” Hayden says, stretching on the floor by his pole. They brought Hayden in a little over a year ago, but he seems to fit in perfectly. He’s one of only two males in our entire studio and when he’s on the pole, he’s absolutely hypnotizing. His strength is out of this world. “When you bring home better awards than the rest of us, I expect a kiss of appreciation.”

“And just where do you want this kiss, Hayden?” Leslie teases.

Hayden flashes his model grin. “I have a few ideas.”

The girls chuckle and I drop to the floor long enough to toss my sweaty towel at him. Hayden Rivers is trouble walking. He’s covered in beautiful tattoos, has a pierced eyebrow, and wears his shoulder-length hair back in a man bun that I swore I would never find attractive but did after the third time we hung out. He’s lean, ripped in every muscle group from his neck to his ankles, and has just the slightest bit of facial hair. His piercing blue eyes top off his look and I swear he’s the most exotic creature I’ve ever come in contact with. He’s just as handsome as he is strange – and I love it.

He’s also into hard drugs that Leslie doesn’t know about, which makes me worry more often than I care to admit. But, he’s a big boy – he makes his own decisions.

We run through our routines until we can barely stand anymore. By the time we finish, it’s past midnight and I know I’ll have to figure out a way to sneak back into the house again. Luckily, I room with Erin this year and she’s always passed out by this time. With all her campus and sorority activities, she’s exhausted by the time night rolls around and she sleeps heavier than anyone I know.

“Stay with me tonight,” Hayden whispers into the back of my neck just as I pull a loose white t-shirt over my sports bra. He wraps his arms around my middle and pulls me back into him, pressing his hard on against my ass and forcing me to exhale a long, needy breath.

“I can’t,” I turn toward him, wrapping my arms around his neck. “I have class early in the morning and a sisterhood event tomorrow night. I have to get some sleep or I’m not going to make it.”

“Sleep is overrated.” He holds me tighter and nips up my neck to my earlobe, pulling it between his teeth. Hissing, I place my hands on his chest and try to put distance between us.

“You’re killing me.”

“I could be pleasuring you if you’d come home with me.”

I push him off and grab my gym bag. “Goodnight, Hayden.”

“Temptress,” he teases, but he lets me go and I silently thank him for not trying again. Lord knows I can only say no to that kind of offer so many times.

When I climb into my little white Lexus SC convertible, my phone rings and I’m surprised to see Erin’s name on the screen.

“Hello?”

“Where are you?! It’s after midnight!” she yells into the receiver. At first I think she’s scorning me, but then I realize it’s exceptionally loud wherever she is and she has to yell over the noise.

Shit. The O Chi party.

“I… uh,” I stammer, trying to figure out how to save my ass. I promised the girls I would go out to the Omega Chi Beta party tonight since I’d bailed on so much this semester. “I’m on my way. I got caught up working on this group project thing.”

“Listen, if I’m up past my bedtime on a school night, you can blow off a group project,” she jokes. “Get your ass here!”

“See you soon!”

I end the call and curse. All I want is a hot shower and my bed, but it looks like I’ll have to settle for a quick shower and a frat party. I guess there are worse things I could be complaining about.

Running to the sorority house just long enough to rinse off and change, I make it to Omega Chi just after one. Erin and Jess find me as soon as I get through the door.

“About fucking time!” Jess yells. “Here, drink this.” She shoves a red plastic cup full of beer into my hand and tips it up to my lips. Before she has the chance to spill any on me, I meet the lip of it with my mouth and drink. She’s not satisfied until it’s drained. “You have some catching up to do.”

“I see that,” I laugh the words, wiping beer from my lips. “Sorry I’m late.”

“Whatever,” Jess cuts me off. “Let’s get hammered!”

Erin leans in to whisper to me. “I think someone already is.”

We both giggle and start to follow Jess toward a game of flip cup in the next room when Clinton’s booming voice carries from down the hallway.

“Just fucking drop it, Skyler!”

He emerges from the hallway just as Skyler tries grabbing his arm. He rips it away and turns to face her. Seething, he yells so loud it silences everyone else.

“It’s none of your fucking business. If I wanted to talk to you about it, I would. But I don’t, so leave me the fuck alone. Stop being so goddamn nosey!” With that, he storms through the front door and slams it hard behind him.

Everyone is staring at Skyler, including us, but like a pro she doesn’t miss a beat. Smiling, she shrugs. “Well damn. Anyone got a shot ready?”

The crowd laughs, although a little uneasily, and then the games resume and everything is back to normal. Skyler’s eyes find ours and she makes her way across the room.

“What was that about?” Erin asks.

“It’s nothing. He’s fine, just stressed.”

“He shouldn’t talk to you like that, Skyler,” Jess points out. “That’s fucked up. Whatever has his panties in a wad, he didn’t need to go all douchebag captain on you.”

“It’s all good. I’m fine.” She turns to me and smiles. “And Lei is here! Let’s drink!”

And we do. All night long. By the time we stumble our way into the house, I only have two hours to sleep before I have to be up for class. So much for sleep.

Tomorrow is going to be rough.

“SO I’LL SEE YOU there, right?” I ask the three freshmen girls standing in front of me. They all giggle and nod, their eyes flitting from the flier to me before they turn and walk away. I throw Jeremy a cocky grin and he just shakes his head.

“Only you could pull this off, you know that right?”

“Anyone could have before me,” I say, handing a few fliers out to groups of students walking past our booth. “It’s just that no one made the effort.”

“That’s because no one cared.”

“And that’s exactly why we’re the lamest fraternity on campus,” I deadpan.

“Touché.” Jeremy chugs half of the water bottle in his hand and wipes his forehead. “Damn it’s hot. Florida sucks.”

“What’s wrong, Michigan? Can’t hang?”

He glowers at me before grabbing another stack of fliers. “Shut up or I’ll make you do this shit by yourself.”

“You’ll make me flirt with every girl on campus to convince them to come to our concert? Wow. What a dick.”

He flips me the middle finger before walking up to a group of Zetas. I laugh, but it’s cut short when I spot our president making his way toward the tent.

Shit.

I’m not in the mood to put up with Clay, but I don’t really have a choice. Out of all the brothers, he’s the most resistant to the changes I want to make to our organization. In my opinion, he should have been doing all this a long time ago.

“So do we have a packed house for the concert yet?” he asks mockingly, eying our booth. I want nothing more than to smack that smug look off his face but I smile instead.

“Getting there. You want to help us pass out some fliers?”

“Nah, I’m on my way to the gym. Just wanted to see this shit show for myself.” He snickers. “I can’t wait to see this thing fail. Then maybe the alumni will realize why I didn’t listen to you the first time you suggested it.”

“Why are you against me on this?” I finally ask him, perturbed. “We’re brothers, Clay. If we pack this concert, we’ll put Alpha Sigma on the map again.”

“We’re on the map now.”

I scoff. “You really are stupid if you honestly believe that.”

His face drops and he steps forward, bowing up his chest to mine. “Maybe you should watch the way you speak to your president if you want to keep those letters.”

I bite down on the inside of my cheek hard to keep from opening my mouth. Shaking my head, I don’t give him another word before taking off toward a group of Omega Chi Betas. As much as we’re rivals with them, we need their support just as much as the girls’ at this event.

I’m still steaming over the conversation with Clay two hours later when Jeremy and I start breaking down the tent. It pisses me off that he can’t stand to see me try to better our fraternity. Part of me thinks he’s jealous or worried I’ll overshadow him, and part of me knows he’s just a miserable human being.

“Looks like I missed the party,” a soft voice says behind me just as Jeremy and I pack the large navy tent into its cover. When I turn and come face to face with Cassie McBee, I smile.

“We can always take the party somewhere else.”

“Oh yeah?” She grins. “Where to?”

Cassie is cute, I can’t deny that, and part of me wants to tell her we can move whatever party she wants to my bedroom. But there’s something about her that’s innocent – too innocent for me to screw up. “Ralph’s?”

Her face falls a bit, but she snaps out of it quickly. “Wish I could. I’m actually on my way to class.”

“Let me walk you?”

“Uh,” she falters, holding up the longboard I didn’t realize she had tucked under her arm before.

“I didn’t know you longboarded,” I say, genuinely surprised. “Can’t say I’ve met a sorority girl who rides before.”

Cassie blushes. “Yeah well, I’m not initiated yet. Maybe the sorority girl life will wipe away my longboarding habits eventually.”

“I hope not. But, can you ditch it long enough to let me walk you the rest of the way to class?”

“Sure.”

I toss a glance at Jeremy to make sure he’s cool with taking our equipment back. He nods and I grab a flier from our bag and hand it to Cassie as we turn away from the Student Union.

“Oh yeah, the concert,” she assesses. “I already told you I’d be there.”

“Just making sure you didn’t forget. You bringing your slip-n-slide sister?”

She scrunches her nose in a way that makes her look even more innocent than before. “I don’t like that nickname. But yes, she’ll be there, too.”

“What’s wrong with that nickname?”

“I think it sends the wrong message.” She waits for me to catch on and when I do, I blanch.

“I’m sorry, but that’s hilarious. I like it even more now.”

Cassie punches my arm lightly and I grin. Her bright scarlet hair is braided over her right shoulder, accenting the natural pink blush of her cheeks. I’ve never really been into red heads, but there’s something about her that intrigues me.

The problem is, I feel the same way about her Big.

Skyler Thorne has always been a gorgeous girl, but getting to talk to her more this semester has piqued my interest. She’s a spitfire and her confidence is unparalleled by any girl I know. Funny – it’s like she and Cassie are almost polar opposites. One is innocent and light, one is mysterious and dark. They’re like two sexy little devils perched on each one of my shoulders.

“This is me,” Cassie says as we reach the Sciences Building. “Will I see you before the concert?”

Her hazel eyes assess me and I throw her a sideways grin. “I’d be disappointed if you didn’t.”

When her cheeks flush red, I’m not sure how to feel about it, but I don’t have time to analyze it before she turns and disappears behind the large wooden doors. Pulling out my cell, I type out a text to a few brothers to meet at the house. We have a lot to get done before next weekend and I’m determined to do it right.