“Nothing, but just make sure you don’t enjoy that particular variety,” he said, gesturing toward the door Alex just left through. He slapped me on the back as he headed into his room.

Alex was beautiful, smart, and funny, but I was not going to go there. She was becoming way too important to me, and whether I wanted to admit it or not, Sean was right. If something ever happened between us, it would be something big, not just a one night stand.

I was thinking about this too much. Red was my friend, nothing more. I shook off my concerns and went to take a shower.

***

The cold weather had let up enough that some of the guys decided to play some touch football in the quad. As I headed over there, I sent a text to Red.

Drew: Hey there, Red. Got a game going in the quad. You down?

Alex: For what?

Drew: Football.

Alex: I can’t play with you goons. You will crush me.

Drew: You don’t have to play, just come hang out.

Drew: We usually go out for beers and some food after.

Alex: I have to study.

Drew: Come on, Red. Bring your shit and you can study there.

Drew: It’s finally warm enough to venture outside. Take advantage.

Alex: Fine, be there in 10.

We were still picking teams when I saw Red heading our way. She dropped her backpack next to a large oak tree and took a seat. I smiled and waved at her from the field. She nodded, grabbed a sketch pad from her bag, and set it on her knee.

“Who’s the girl?” Chuck said, eyeing Red with interest.

“Re—I mean, Alex.”

“You hittin’ that?”

Chuck was not one for subtlety. I wouldn’t call him a friend, exactly, but we hung out in the same crowd. I would run into him at parties now and then, but I knew one thing for sure. I didn’t want him anywhere near Red.

“No, she’s a friend,” I said, my voice coming out a bit more intense than I intended.

Chuck took a step back, holding his hands in the air. “If you say so, man.”

The game was rough, but it felt good to run again, stretch my muscles a bit, and have some fun. Between plays, I snuck a peek at Red, who was engrossed in whatever she was sketching. The look on her face was so intense, I couldn’t help but admire her focus.

She had her long red hair piled up in a bun on top of her head with a pencil stuck in the side. She was working with colored pencils, but every once in a while she would rip the pencil out of her hair and make some adjustments, then shove it back into her hair.

I was so busy watching Red that I didn’t see Frankie headed straight for me until it was too late. He hit me hard in the chest, taking me clear off my feet as he raced toward the end zone.

I went down hard on my back, which forced the air from my lungs. All I saw was sky as I lay there, blinking, trying to catch my breath. Then Frankie’s face appeared. He asked if I was okay, but he sounded weird, like he was talking in slow motion. Red’s face appeared. Her big green eyes were wide with fear.

“You okay?” she asked, her voice coming in a little clearer than Frankie’s.

I nodded and Frankie offered me a hand. He pulled me up. My chest ached from the impact, but my head was clear. No real damage except the wound to my pride.

“Dude, didn’t you see me coming?”

“Not until it was too late.” I chuckled.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Red asked.

“Yeah, I’m good, Red.” I gave her a small smile. She was cute when she was worried.

Red refused to take her eyes off of me the rest of the game. I could feel her watching me, afraid I would drop dead any moment. I caught her eye and mouthed, “I’m fine.” Finally, she seemed convinced and went back to sketching.

When the game was over and my team had lost by six, I grabbed my bag and headed over to Red. I dropped my gym bag at her feet and she jumped at the sound.

“What are you working on?” I looked down at her pad.

“It’s a design concept for my residential design class. I’ve been working on a master suite. What do you think?” She held it out for me to see.

I knew nothing about interior design, but her talent was pretty clear from the sketch. “It looks great to me.”

I pulled my shirt over my head. It was soaked with sweat and covered in dirt from running all over the field. I used the dirty shirt to wipe off my face and chest before I grabbed the clean one stuffed in my bag. I noticed Red’s eyes were focused on my chest. I smiled a bit, liking the fact that seeing my body had gotten a reaction out of her.

I was having too much fun not to mess with her, so I dropped the wet shirt next to my bag and rested my hands on my hips. “Like what you see, Red?” I asked, smiling down at her.

She blinked and started to gather her stuff. “No!” Her voice sounded a little rattled as she got to her feet.

“No?” I took a step toward her. “Then why were you staring?” Her face flushed, and let’s just say I was feeling way more than amused by her reaction.

“I was checking to see if you had a bruise from where you got hit,” she said as a cover, but her eyes were telling a very different story.

I took another step toward her, resting my hand on the tree behind her head. “Oh really? So, you were just concerned for my well-being? How considerate of you.”

I stepped closer as she backed herself up against the tree. I was so close to her I could smell the delicious scent of her shampoo.

She swallowed as my eyes dropped to her full, pink lips. A few more inches and I could taste them. I looked back into those beautiful green eyes and saw nothing but panic. That one look brought me back to reality. What was I doing? I pushed off the tree and dug into my bag for a clean shirt.

“Don’t worry, no girl can resist.” I tugged the shirt over my head and winked at her.

Her face went from stunned to pissed instantly and I laughed as she pulled the pencil from her hair and threw it at me. I watched it sail a foot past my shoulder.

“Come on, let’s get you a beer.” I wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She playfully swatted at me, but eventually relaxed, letting me lead her toward the bar.

The guys were already a pitcher in by the time we got there. We made our way back to the cluster of little tables they commandeered in the back. When we approached, the guys started chanting, “MVP,” and slamming their fists down on the table, mocking me for how shitty I had played. I nodded, raising my arms in the air to encourage them.

“All right, all right. I suck, I get it.”

“Nah, maybe a little distracted,” Frankie said, wiggling his eyebrows at me. I shot him a don’t-go-there look. He shook his head and drank his beer.

“Guys, this is Red.” I gestured to Alex, who was standing at my side.

“Alex,” she said, giving them all a little wave.

The guys appraised Red like vultures circling a fresh kill. I was starting to regret bringing her.

I grabbed a couple of chairs for us and poured some beers from the pitcher. Chuck leaned over the table to address Red, nodding in my direction. “What are you doing with Drewfus over here?” He really is an idiot.

“Eh, my slutty roommate introduced us. Haven’t been able to shake him.” She shrugged and took a sip from her beer. Chuck laughed and smiled at her. This could be trouble.

Frankie bought a round of fireball shots. “Here’s to staying positive and testing negative,” he said, raising his glass to toast before taking the shot. We all tapped glasses and tipped them back.