Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 70294 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 351(@200wpm)___ 281(@250wpm)___ 234(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70294 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 351(@200wpm)___ 281(@250wpm)___ 234(@300wpm)
Turns out that when you walk into a formal party for college athletes, you don’t have to scan the room to notice wealth.
Because it’s everywhere.
It screams out at you.
“This is not a college party,” I said as I walked into the grand ballroom of the hotel. “This is fucking regal.”
Out front, there had been complimentary valet service for my Evo, which I turned down. I was able to park twenty feet away, even without the damn valet.
I liked driving my own car. End of story.
I knew exactly how easy it would be to steal a car from a spacey valet guy, and I wasn’t going to give my keys to anybody.
We were in a town called Cedarmarch about forty minutes outside of Bestens.
When I glanced at Andrew, I could tell he felt the same way I did, for once.
“The boys told me it was going to be good, but I didn’t know it was going to be this good,” he said, staring all around at the lavish ballroom. “I didn’t know this existed anywhere in a hundred mile radius of TNU.”
“Cedarmarch is small but wealthy. One of the professors I wrote an article about last year lives out here.”
Music floated through the air. The live band was already set up at the far end of the ballroom, playing lively jazzy renditions of modern songs. The whole room seemed to shimmer with the decorations, and the place was already packed with people in suits and dresses, carrying cocktails in their hands.
“Holy shit, the bar,” Andrew said.
“Calling that a bar is an insult to it,” Luke said from behind us, coming up with a dazed look on his face. “It’s a mile long and looks like it’s made of solid gold.”
“So all of the other people attending are from other Tennessee schools?” I asked. “Other football teams?”
My gaze drifted over all of them. The amount of money people in here had spent on suits was more than I’d ever seen in my life.
The observer in me found it fascinating.
The child in me wanted to take a flamethrower to the whole room.
“Yeah. The people in here are athletes of all kinds, and their plus-ones,” Andrew said.
A guy walked by and for a split second I swore it was a young Leonardo DiCaprio.
“Dapper as fuck,” Luke said under his breath, watching him practically float by. “Did you see that Rolex?”
I bit the inside of my cheek. “Wasn’t a Rolex, actually.”
“No shit? What was it?”
“Patek Philippe Aquanaut,” I said. “That thing is worth at least fifteen grand. Probably more, if it’s a rarer one.”
“You know your watches, bro,” Luke said, giving me a pat on the back before bopping off toward the bar with a little salute.
Guilt twisted in my stomach.
Only know my watches because I was forced to learn which ones were the most valuable.
Then told to take them if I ever came across one in the wild, not that I ever saw one that pricey.
When I looked back over at Andrew, he had a sad expression on his face.
His eyelashes were downcast, framing his beautiful, brown doe eyes.
“What’s with you?” I asked. “We’re at the fanciest place in Tennessee and you look like somebody just stole your ice cream cone.”
“Because I can tell you’re uncomfortable. And I hate that,” he said.
I lifted my eyebrows. “What? Nah. I’m fine.”
He shook his head a little, those pretty dark lashes flicking up and down as he looked me over.
“I can tell, Gray.”
A small little pit of hot shame was at the center of my chest.
Sometimes I thought I’d gotten good at hiding my true feelings. I’d always been the kind of person to wear masks, put up walls, and hide how I really felt about anything and everything.
Do you see through that, Peachel?
And why does that make me feel like you have me pinned up against a wall?
The jazz band finished a song and people clapped politely as they milled around the ballroom. As they started up another song, I nodded over toward the bar.
“Want a drink?”
I went up to the bar and Andrew followed after me. The crowd was thick, and we had to wait a few minutes before one of the staff came over and helped us out.
“Whiskey ginger,” Andrew said.
“Just a black coffee for me,” I told him.
“Not going to drink at all?”
I squeezed his hip. “Going to drive your ass home later tonight.”
As I downed the first sip of my coffee I tried to re-center myself.
It’s one party. One big, formal party.
Just because I don’t belong doesn’t mean I can’t blend in for one night.
Do it for Peachel.
So why couldn’t I shake the feeling that something very bad might happen tonight?
CHAPTER 15
ANDREW
“Nobody does karaoke at a fancy party like this,” I told Luke.
He was standing across the tall table. Gray was at my side and Luke was across from us, trying to convince us to try singing on stage.