Tell Me You Want Me

Chapter 4

Austin jumped in his Jeep and drove home , still thinking about the girl he'd met in the locker room—not the cheerleader, but the soccer babe. He couldn't believe she'd said no to an innocent drink. Okay—not so innocent. Dirty thoughts had run through his calculating mind. A drink might have loosened her up a little and then.... He didn't hear "no" often, if at all. Still, he was no quitter. He wouldn't take no for an answer until she said it, and meant it.

He opened the door to his apartment, and a football bounced off his head. "What the hell?"

"That's why you're a quarterback instead of a receiver." Jack Wheeler laughed.

"Remind me to trade you in for a prettier roommate," Austin grumbled, his head throbbing. "One who doesn't throw like a girl."

"Carrie was looking for you. Man, was she ever pissed." Jack tossed the football into his bedroom and sat down on the couch. "What did you do to her?"

Austin dropped his backpack on the coffee table and sat down in the recliner next to the couch. He remembered doing some very interesting things to Carrie, but nothing that would— "Oh yeah." He chuckled. "We kinda got interrupted."

"Busted again? You're gonna get kicked out of school if you're not careful."

"Nah. Dean Francis will never boot me." Austin had a lot of practice talking himself out of trouble.

"Yeah, you're lucky the dean is an understanding woman."

"Luck has nothing to do with it."

"So who caught you this time?"

"Another girl."

"Oh man, no wonder Carrie was so mad. Did one of your exes catch you?"

"Nope. I've never met this girl before. I've seen her around, but for the life of me, I can't remember her name."

"I'm not surprised. What does she look like?"

She looked a little bit like... someone else. She'd worn glasses too. Damn it, why did I have to remember that? "Pretty brunette, green eyes. She wears those sexy librarian glasses."

The soccer babe had looked familiar, but he'd never notice her in a crowd. She blended in and disappeared, but now that Austin had taken a good look at her, he'd noticed a beauty he'd never seen before. She hadn't worn her glasses at practice, so he'd admired her gorgeous green eyes. The rich brown hair she usually kept pinned up flowed over her shoulders, curling a bit where sweat made it damp.

Jack nodded. "Nice."

She had a toned and athletic body—the kind made for full contact sports. "Not a lot of curves, but she looks like the type who has stamina. I'll bet she could keep up with me in bed." That thought raised him to full attention. Natalie was slender and delicate. The soccer babe could easily kick her ass.

"I'll bet you'd like to find out."

"Oh yeah. Sweet apple-sized breasts with fat nipples I could see under her shirt." Natalie had grapefruit-sized.... Stop comparing!

Jack laughed. "Okay, you noticed her body. So what's she like?"

"Stubborn. She refused to go out with me, and she wouldn't tell me her name."

"Did you ask her?"

"Uh...." Austin relived their conversation in his head. "No, I didn't think of that."

"Dumbass. You'd have forgotten it by now, anyway."

"Probably. Too many women in my life. I get them all confused." Not that he complained. He knew all the in-demand girls, the easy girls, and the girls who played hard to get.

But he didn't know her.

"Wait... you asked her out and she said no?"

"Yeah. Surprised me too, but she'll have a different answer next time."

"It might help if you knew her name. Some girls like that."

"It might help if you weren't such a smartass. She plays soccer. Any idea who she is?"

Jack smiled and his eyes danced. "Nope."

"Damn it." Austin jumped off the couch and wrenched open the fridge. He grabbed a beer and popped the top off, hoping it would wash away the sudden flood of bad memories swirling around him. "She reminds me of Nat."

Jack raised an eyebrow and joined him in the kitchen. "How?"

"They're the same type: book nerd, top of the honor roll, math club president or some bullshit like that."

"How do you know your soccer girl was president of the math club?"

"I don't." He snarled and polished off his beer, slapping the empty bottle on the table. "She has that look... like a dumb jock isn't good enough for her."

"She's a jock too."

Austin snorted. "I swore I'd never fall for a girl again. I can't."

"So she looks like Nat?"

Austin shook his head. "Not exactly like her. Just the glasses." He searched the fridge for another beer, but the case was empty.

"That doesn't mean she's gonna...." Jack put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "She's not gonna do what Nat did to you."

The one time he'd ignored his father's advice; the one time he decided to take a risk and give his heart to a girl, she'd rejected him. "Damn right. I will not fall for this girl. Keepin' it casual. Just fun. No promises."

"There ya go." Jack grinned. "What are you gonna do about Carrie?"

"Huh? Oh yeah. Carrie." He'd already decided to be done with Carrie. "I'll make it up to her." Okay, not quite done.

"And then?"

"Then I'll find out who this soccer babe is and make her say yes." Over and over.

Jack shook his head. "I've known you since the third grade, and I can't think of a single girl who's said no to you and meant it."

Austin smiled. "She will not be the first."

"Wanna bet on it?"

"Loser buys me a six-pack."

"Loser buys me a case of Coke."

"Nope." Austin smiled. "I will not lose."

Next chapter posts on 3/29! Please comment and vote. Thanks.