A curl fell over her left eye before she brushed it away, and when I leaned in even closer, she looked down at my chest, pulling her hands into her lap like she was afraid they’d brush mine if she left them on the table.

“Go out with me.”

Her eyes snapped wide at that, locking on mine before that snort-laugh thing bubbled out of her again.

“Or at least, pretend to go out with me.”

That made her laugh even harder. But when I didn’t laugh with her, she paled, one hand holding onto the edge of the table as the other came to her forehead. “I think I’m going to pass out.”

“Please don’t. It would be an even rougher start to our journey of making Shawn Stetson your boyfriend.”

And of me getting Maliyah back.

Chapter Five

Giana

“You’re insane.”

“Insanely genius,” Clay argued, resting his elbows on the table between us as he leaned toward me even more. It was almost comical, how massive his arms were compared to the tiny table, which wobbled precariously on its thin legs as it took his weight.

“I… it’s just… absurd.”

I pushed my glasses up the bridge of my nose, cold fingertips brushing my hot cheeks as I uncrossed my legs just to cross them the other way. I then crossed my arms over my chest, all body language pointing to how uncomfortable I was with this conversation and the proposal in it.

I was here to coach Clay Johnson how to be better with the media after his breakup — which had thus far been agonizing not only for him, but for the entire team.

I was not here for him to tease me about my crush on Shawn Stetson, or to con me into some ridiculous fake relationship to get his attention.

The fact that he’d even picked up on my crush was embarrassing enough. Here I thought I’d always been good at hiding it — mostly because, to Shawn, at least, I was invisible. Ever since the first time I heard him play last semester, I’d all but stalked him, listening to him play on campus any time I had the chance.

I blamed my fascination with him on one of my favorite books — Thoughtless.

S.C. Stephens made me fall in love with Kellan Kyle, and when I’d finished that book and been completely lost, in the worst book funk of my life, unable to function… I’d stumbled into Rum & Roasters.

And there he was, Shawn Stetson, broody and mysterious and dark and handsome.

“Look, G,” Clay said.

“Giana,” I corrected.

“Would you rather I call you Kitten again?”

My eyes were mere slits as he smirked at his own cute joke.