Part 21 (1/2)
”Yes, I am. You too?”
”Oh, been there, done that.” Parker sighed dramatically, with a bored expression. Then he smirked. ”But I can keep you two company on the tour, and give you all the dirt and innuendo while our guide gives us only the tedious bits.”
Lacey chuckled. ”I'm looking forward to that show, good sir.”
”I'm not that good.” Parker winked. He was sort of an oddball, but Lacey found she liked it a lot.
”Neither am I,” she teased right back, and Parker feigned puritan shock. ”Well, since you know where orientation is, lead on.”
”As thy heart desires, dear lady.” Parker bowed theatrically again.
As Lacey hid her giggle behind her hand, planning on enjoying the day for all it was worth. A new friend definitely improved the day, and she was eager to learn more about Parker, the apparent life's drama major.
At the same moment, the door to the admissions office opened, and a young man came out, studying a stack of papers he was holding. He was handsome in a natural, no-nonsense kind of way, with translucent green eyes, dark golden hair gelled into trendy spikes above his head, and a man's square jaw with a tiny indentation on it. He had huge shoulders, a barrel chest, and arms and thighs like tree trunks, and the rest of his muscular body was equally riveting.
Too bad Lacey knew the real guy beneath the hot veneer. ”Deacon...?”
Chapter 18.
ABOUT the same time, Bro was hanging out with his best friend, Bradley Carlisle, and Bradley's girlfriend, Audrey Thorne. They were all going to attend Howard University in DC, and they'd had their orientation two weeks ago. Now they were all simply strolling around the college grounds, searching for the best places to have a bite to eat, hang around and chat, and study in relative peace and quiet. the same time, Bro was hanging out with his best friend, Bradley Carlisle, and Bradley's girlfriend, Audrey Thorne. They were all going to attend Howard University in DC, and they'd had their orientation two weeks ago. Now they were all simply strolling around the college grounds, searching for the best places to have a bite to eat, hang around and chat, and study in relative peace and quiet.
”I'm hungry,” Bradley complained for like the thousandth time in thirty minutes.
Bro rolled his eyes. ”We just had lunch at the cafeteria.”
”That was hours ago!”
”A little over one hour, actually,” Audrey teased, making an exaggerated gesture of checking the time from her iPhone.
Bradley glowered down at his girlfriend, who smirked shamelessly. Where Bradley was the embodiment of an all-American jock, tall, broad-shouldered, and imposing with his short dark hair, light-brown eyes, and rugged features, Audrey was a total babe, though a head shorter than her boyfriend. Her long black hair was free today, cascading down her back, and this illusion of height was only accentuated by her long jeans-covered legs and the skimpiest s.h.i.+rt that could still be called a s.h.i.+rt, definitely exposing the shape of her perky b.r.e.a.s.t.s.
The two of them were young and beautiful, and as high school sweethearts, they seemed to live and breathe for each other. They were a picture-perfect couple.
Even their constant bickering was sort of endearing, Bro mused.
”Just because you eat like a mouse doesn't mean the rest of us should go without,” Bradley countered from on high. He was only an inch taller than Bro, though.
”I thought she ate like a rabbit, only salads and stuff. You know, rabbit food?” Bro cut in, knowingly aggravating Audrey.
”Men!” Audrey huffed. ”Silly carnivores. When you all die out when there's no more meat left, we vegetarians will rule the world.”
”No meat left?” both Bradley and Bro exclaimed loudly, shocked.
Audrey laughed her wicked, taunting laugh. ”Guess you two will have to resort to cannibalism to survive.”
Bro and Bradley stopped midstep, stared at each other warily, and in unison shouted, ”I call dibs on white meat!” Then they started chortling, and Audrey shook her head with a playful scolding.
”I'm gonna head out to the undergraduate library, guys,” Audrey hollered at them, and was off before either man even got his s.h.i.+t together.
Bro stared at her receding back. HU Law School was, unfortunately, not close to the rest of the campus, about half an hour away on bike. As a pre-law undergrad, Audrey had some cla.s.ses there, so she got herself a bike to facilitate moving between the two areas, and she lived with Bradley about halfway between, at a small but convenient double overlooking Piney Branch Park. ”Dude, I can't believe you're dating a law student.”
Bradley growled. ”Why's that funny?”
Bro snorted. ”'Cause you're not exactly the most law-abiding-”
”She'll protect me when she becomes a defense attorney.”
”What if she decides on being a prosecutor instead?”
”No money in that.”
”Since when has Audrey been interested in making a profit? She's got ideals and values and stuff.”
Bradley sighed, but with a happy, lopsided grin. ”Yeah.... She's great.”
”Not my cup of tea.” Bro shuddered at the mere thought, but unsure if the reaction was because Audrey was a girl or because she was like his sister, being his best friend's girl and all.
”You don't know what you're missing, brother.” Bradley smiled at Bro with a dare.
Bro sneered with amus.e.m.e.nt. ”Right back at you, man.”
Bradley frowned with a contemplative look. ”Lacey, huh? Hmm. I wonder if-”
”Don't even think it, dude!”
Bro's fierce countenance seemed to only egg Bradley on. ”But you just said-”
”f.u.c.k that! You touch Lacey, and I'll rip your arm out of its socket and beat you to death with it.”
”Wow. That's... graphic.” Then Bradley chuckled and slapped Bro mildly on the back in comradely fas.h.i.+on. ”Come on, pal. You know I've got no interest in sucking d.i.c.k, only eating p.u.s.s.y.”
”Eww!” Bro's stomach flipped unpleasantly, but at least he tried not to grimace as hard as he wanted to.
Bradley laughed with a deep rumbling sound. ”My thoughts exactly. Okay, now that we've established our respective girlfriends are safe from any flirtations by us, what do you wanna do?” He nodded toward the blue waters of the reservoir. ”Wanna sit down?”
”I thought you were starving.”
”Well, we can get something from the closest cafeteria, and then sit down.”
Bro chuckled, and that was exactly what they did.
Ten minutes later they sat on one of the benches overlooking the McMillan Reservoir on the east side of the campus. Bradley was munching on a roast beef sandwich while Bro stuck to cheese and turkey. They watched the still-leafy trees, decked out in fall colors, swaying in the wind, and the few ducks that still swam and paddled away in the pool.
”Now that we're on the team, we're gonna be okay, right? I mean, we're not gonna f.u.c.k up or anything?” Bro asked after the silence had gone on too long for him.