Claiming Callie: Part two (10 page)

Just what I need.

Putting her top and jeans back on, she gathers up the clothes and drifts
through the ladies’ section to the shoes, where she spots a cute pair of Calvin Klein booties and stops to inspect them. They
’
re on sale, but the ninety-dollar price tag is a little steep for her budget.

She scoffs at herself.
Ten dollars is too much for m
e right now.
Besides, in her arms, she’s carrying several hundred dollars’ worth of merchandise, and she’s worried about one more thing? Pursing her lips, she holds the shoe down by her foot and imagines it with the new pair of black skinny jeans she holds
in her hands.

Hot.

Her phone jingles in her pocket and she has to balance the pile of clothes in her hand to find it. Palming her phone, she glances at the screen and sees Dean
’
s name on the caller ID.

She freezes, as the six thousand dollars he gave her
flashes in her head like a warning sign. Money he gave to her in confidence. He trusts her to not squander the opportunity he
’
s given her
, and that
’
s exactly what she
’
s about to do.

She scowls and places the bootie back on the acrylic stand. Her gaze
flickers to the clothes in her arms, the exorbitant price tags hanging from the fabric like reaching arms.

What am I doing?

A salesman with platinum hair and a distinguished suit approaches her. “Can I help you try something on, Miss?”

Callie takes a deep
breath and stands there for a moment, unable to say no, but unsure of whether she can say yes, either.

Don
’
t do it.

Her hand moves toward the shoes.
Just these things in my arms and then one pair of shoes. I
’
ll just try them on and see…

The salesman blinks
, still smiling, still waiting for her answer.

Her phone bleats out the signal that she has a voice mail and guilt pelts her as if she’s been caught in an epic hailstorm.

I can
’
t do this.

The clothes in her arms suddenly feel too heavy. Their cost is more
than the price tags. Forcing her legs to move, she begins to back away, then drops the garments right there on the floor and leaps back as if they
’
re a bed of coiled snakes.

Her arms twitch with the pulsing need to pick them back up, but the salesman is
now staring at her as if she
’
s crazy. Turning, she runs from the store, the sharp taste of shame coating her tongue.

DEAN

Dean slides on his white Pitt jersey, then shakes his arms and rolls his head, trying to loosen the ball of tension at
the base of his neck.

“Dude, you
’
re all worked up.” Emmett smacks him in the chest. “Loosen up, bro, or you
’
re gonna do us no good out there. It
’
s not like Callie
’
s never been to a game before.”

Dean leans down, resting his hands on his knees, then
straightens again and runs one through his hair, unable to stay still. “I know. It
’s just
…
I don’
t know, but it
’
s different somehow. She
’
s here as my girlfriend. It needs to be different.”

Emmett snorts. “What, are you gonna tap dance at halftime for her?
Relax, man. It
’
s just a game. The difference is you
’
ll be leaving with her on your arm.”

Dean frowns. “Yeah, I guess. But that
’
s the thing…” He glances around to make sure no one
’
s listening, then leans in to whisper. “We
’
ve been going along with this char
ade all week. And all we
’
ve done is walk around and hold hands or have coffee or lunch together. That
’
s going to get me
nowhere
.”

Emmett rubs his jaw. “I feel you. You need to up your game for sure.”

Dean nods. “This is my chance. I can
’
t blow this,” he
says, making the monumental mistake of glancing across the locker room to where Jason dresses.

Jason’s eyes meet Dean
’
s and a smirk grows over his cocky face. The heat in the locker room rises and Dean
’
s hands ball into fists. All he wants to do is erase J
ason
’
s smug expression, but he reminds himself he can
’
t. Jason still thinks he won with that article, and as much as Dean wants to beat the piss out of him for it, he knows that his silence is best for Callie. He plays it cool and Jason leaves Callie alone
. Right at this moment, though, it
’
s hard to tell himself that.

Dean forces himself to turn away from Jason, just as his teammate Ron walks up to him. “
Getting nervous
, Michaels? Got your girl watchin’?”

Dean smiles and they exchange their usual handshake,
the cocoa of Ron
’
s skin a sharp contrast with his own.

“Yeah, that
’
s right.” Ron bumps Dean
’
s shoulder with his knuckles. “I saw ya
’
ll getting cozy on campus the other day. All holding hands, and you looked so smitten.” The six-
foot
-seven athlete pinches
Dean
’
s cheek and raises his voice. “It
’
s so cute. Our wittle Dean, all in love.”

Emmett laughs. “You have no idea, man.”

Dean can
’
t help himself; the tension melts away and he smiles. “Whatever.”

“No, seriously, though. She
’
s fine. Better watch or a
better man might swoop in and steal her. Maybe she
’
d like a taste of the dark side,” he says, winking.

“Pfftt. Dark and flabby,” Dean says, punching him good-naturedly in the abs, and knowing full well Ron is one of the biggest and most built on the team.
Ron simply winks at him and walks away.

“
Feel better?
” Emmett asks.

Shaking his head, Dean
’
s eyes brighten as a thought occurs to him. “No. But I will. I have an idea.”

Dean opens his locker and grabs his wallet, then slams the door shut and spins on his h
eel toward the exit, with Emmett calling behind him, “Do I even wanna know?”

CALLIE

Callie settles next to Jinny on the bleachers. Todd is working, so it
’
s just the two of them. The darkness she felt earlier in the day seems to evaporate in
Jinny
’
s presence like a fine mist, floating out and away from her, as it always does. For that, she is grateful. She can breathe a little easier, relax the tense muscles in her back, and take a deep breath without a vice squeezing her chest.

They
’
re sittin
g on the bottom riser, so Callie swivels in her seat to glance at the crowd surrounding her. She strains her neck, moving around to peer into the droves of people. But there
’
s a large turnout and Callie finds it difficult to notice anyone in particular. No
signs of Maya that she can see, but according to Dean she attends most of the games. For his sake, she hopes tonight is no exception. If she
’
s there, Callie will be sure to make a display at congratulating Dean at the end of the game. Just the thought mak
es her smile.

“What are you grinning about?” Jinny asks, nudging her.

Callie glances at her. “Nothing. It
’
s just funny, you know... Being here as Dean’s ‘
official girlfriend,
’”
she says. “I
’
ve come to his games before. It shouldn
’
t feel any different, but
for some reason it does.”

Jinny
’
s eyes sparkle. “Good different?”