Tell Me a Secret (9 page)

Once the game ended, Sarah said good-bye while Maggie waited by Jace’s truck.

“Hey,” he yelled when he saw her. “What’d you do to your hair?”

“Straightened it. Why?”

“I like it better the other way.” He ran a strand between his fingers.

Her skin warmed. “Really? But it’s so…”

“Wild. That’s what I like about it. Where are your glasses?”

“I don’t wear them when I perform. I have contacts. Are you sure you’re okay? You went down hard on that last tackle.”

“Should have had that pass.”

“Are you kidding? You were clearly overthrown. I’ve seen you run that route a hundred times and you were exactly where you should have been. Grant misjudged and overthrew the ball. It wasn’t catchable.”

A brow lifted and he grinned. “Listen to you talking football.”

He opened the door and she climbed in. Walking to the driver’s side, he slipped behind the wheel, eased out of the parking lot and headed toward the rehearsal hall.

The late afternoon sun bathed his face in a warm glow. When he glanced over and met her gaze, he smiled and she thought
I should not be thinking what I’m thinking.

“You nervous?”
 

“A little. Why?”

“You had an odd expression.”

“I hope I don’t fall on my butt,” she said, but thought,
it’s because I was picturing you naked.

“Damn, I forgot my play book! I’ve gotta go back and get it.”

Maggie flinched. For a minute she thought he’d read her mind, then realized what he’d said. Once she did, she launched into a screaming fit. “No, no! You can’t go back!”

“It won’t be any trouble; it’ll take five minutes. You won’t be late.”

“No! That’s not it. I don’t do turn-around-go-back.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I never turn around and go back. It’s bad luck.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me. Miss Summa-cum-laude is superstitious? That’s crazy.”

“I don’t care. If you go back, I want out of this truck. I mean it.”

“Okay, calm down. What else are you superstitious about? Let me guess. Hmm, broken mirror, seven years bad luck?”

“No.”

“Step on a crack, break yo momma’s back?”
 

“No.”

“Oh, okay, I got it. This one for sure. Walking under a ladder.”

She smirked and tried to sound reasonable. “Everyone knows it’s stupid to walk under a ladder. That’s dangerous.”

He gave her a sideways glance and laughed again. “This is too funny. Do you consult your Magic Eight Ball about our games?”

“Go ahead, make fun of me. I’ll bet you’re superstitious, too.”

“No, I’m not.”

“Do you eat black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day?”

“Yeah, but that’s a tradition, not a superstition. There’s a difference you know.”

She stared out the window so she wouldn’t have to see his wicked smile, the one that made things happen in Lady Town. “Okay, I have it.” She swiveled to face him. “All athletes have hang-ups, even if it’s following a certain routine on game day. You know, always putting your socks and shoes on in a certain order.”

“Nope, don’t do that.”

“You always wear the same shirt?”

“Nope. You might as well drop it.”

“Same underwear?”

“Hmm… Nope.”

“Oh my God! That’s it!” She shifted her shoulders, pumped hands in the air, and sang. “Uh-huh, uh-huh, you wear lucky underwear.”

“Let’s get back to you. How many more bad luck phobias do you have?”

“You’re not going to drop this are you?”

“No.”

“Okay. Don’t open an umbrella in the house. Never tell a bad dream before breakfast. Never step over a grave. There, are you happy now, Mr. Lucky Underwear?”

He reached over and playfully yanked a lock of her hair. “You know what? You’re a lot of fun.”

 
~~*~~
 

An hour later, Jace filed past Sam to sit in the adjoining seat. “Man, front row. I guess it pays to know a member of the company.”

“Yeah, according to the program, Maggie and her partner perform first,” his mom said.

Jace leaned back as the lights dimmed and the announcer introduced them.

The pair stepped onto the floor holding hands. Marc towered over her by a foot. A slow song began and he lifted her over his head with ease and spun. She twined around his body until her feet reached the floor again. Jace shifted in his seat and gripped the arms of his chair. Their chemistry was undeniable; everything in sync. Marc and Maggie even sounded like a couple. The song ended with their faces close, lips almost touching.

Jace fisted his hands. Marc was a surprise. She’d described him as big and strong, but failed to mention he resembled a Greek god.

A familiar voice interrupted Jace’s thoughts.

“Hey,” Jared said.

His mom moved down a seat and Jared sat in the one next to his brother.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Jace asked.

“Dad couldn’t come, so Mom gave me his ticket. Why? Is there a rule saying I can’t come to see Maggie dance?”

“You missed her.”

“No, I watched from the door. She was beautiful, wasn’t she?”

Jace started to answer, when his mom leaned over. “Shh—you two stop talking, they’re about to start again.”

Sarah and her partner appeared, flitting across the floor in a quickstep.

As other couples performed, Jace couldn’t keep his mind on their routines thinking instead of how Marc touched Maggie. He didn’t like it. Not one bit. A pain shot up his cheek and he realized he’d been grinding his teeth. He rubbed a hand across his jaw bone.

For their final routine, the music had a sexy beat. Marc started solo in the spotlight, then a second spot appeared on Maggie, her body and head wrapped in towels as if she’d stepped out of the shower. Jace tried to listen to the words of the song, something about a man standing at a mirror, rinsing off his razor and a girl wearing nothing but a towel. As the two lights came together, she stood behind Marc and wrapped her arms around him. Walking hands down his body to his thighs, then back up again, Marc spun her, removing the towel as she twirled away. Underneath, she wore a low-cut body suit with sequins strategically situated, and a skimpy shimmering skirt. When Marc pulled her back to straddle his leg, tugged the towel loose and ran his hand through her hair, Jace’s head pounded. Marc popped her face forward, cupped her chin and pressed their lips together.

“
Damn
,” Jace muttered and whispered to Sam. “Anything going on between them?”

“No, man.”

The couple’s hands traveled the length of each other’s bodies, their movements like positions from the
Kama Sutra
. She spun away, then ran toward her partner at full speed. He caught her, flipped her, and slid his palm to the small of her back. Balancing her on one hand, he spun her above his head.

The crowd gasped and Jace gripped his chair arms tighter. “Are you sure?”

“He couldn’t get a hard on for her if he tried.”

“So he’s gay?”

“One hundred percent.”

Jace took a deep breath and released it. Until that news, he’d thought Marc the enemy, now, he loved the guy.

For the grand finale, a select group of female cast members appeared on the floor, all wearing black wigs and harem costumes. In exchange of veils, they wore bandanas tied around their faces. The music started and they belly danced into the audience. Jace became mesmerized when one appeared in front of him, shimmying and shaking. Her hips gyrated and vibrated to the point he couldn’t pull his eyes away from the movement. When she placed fingers under his chin and lifted his face, his heart somersaulted. Maggie’s green eyes stared back. Then she winked and moved away.

To hell with what she deserved. He wanted her and that was that. Tonight was the night.

While she changed from her costume, he waited with Sam and Jared. He spotted a girl coming toward them.
Jessica. Shit
. He halved the distance between them, hoping to get rid of her before Maggie showed up. Unfortunately, his plan failed.

Within a few minutes, Marc, Maggie, and Sarah joined the others. Maggie fixed her gaze on the girl. Jace tried to read her face. Anger? Disappointment? Hurt? He couldn’t be sure. “Hey, Magpie, you were great. You have some moves.”

“Thanks. I’d like for you to meet Marc Papadakos. Marc, this is Jace and Jared Sloan and you already know Sam.” She cut her eyes back to Jace. “Don’t you want to introduce your friend?”

He stuttered. “Uh—sure. Everybody, this is Jessica.”

Jessica looped her arm through Jace’s, leaned into him, and assessed Maggie. “You were fantastic.”

“Thank you.”

He shrugged away, grabbed Jessica’s elbow and ushered her toward the exit, then returned to the group.

Marc draped his arm around Maggie’s shoulder. “Beboula, a group of us are going to Delilah’s for a drink. You coming? Of course, Jace, Jared, you’re welcome, too.”

“Well, if y’all don’t mind an almost thirty-year old at your party, I’m in,” Jared said, then turned his attention to Jace. “You had a rough game today, so if you’re not up it, I’ll be happy to get Maggie home.”

He tightened his jaw again. “That won’t be necessary.” He twisted to face her. “You want to go?”

“No, I’m tired.”

After the group walked away, Jace looked at her. “What did Marc call you?”

“Oh, he called me beboula. It’s Greek slang for baby girl. Depending on his mood, he calls me that when he’s pleased with me, beba when he teases me, booboo when he makes fun of me, and bebeca when he’s mad at me, and they all mean the same thing.”

Jace sensed something in her tone and decided it had everything to do with Jessica. “I’ll be happy to go to the club.”

“No, that’s okay. But why don’t you catch up to Jessica. I know you want to and I can find another ride home.”

“No, I don’t. I want to take you home.”

“Just because you brought me to the recital doesn’t make you responsible for me all night.”

“Are you mad at me?”

“No.”

He wasn’t a fool. He knew she was angry, regardless of what she said.
Damn, Jessica.
Why did she have to show up when things were going so well? Maggie probably thought he’d asked Jessica to meet him there. He started to explain, but thought better of it.

Once in the truck, he asked again. “Are you sure you don’t want to meet your friends? I’m fine.”

“No, that’s okay.”

Twenty minutes later they wheeled into her drive and he made one last attempt. “Can I come in?”

“I’m tired. Maybe another time.”

“Well, at least let me walk you to the door.”

“No need. Thanks for the ride.”

He waited until she went in, then drove away. No doubt she was pissed, but he wasn’t sure why. He kept going back and forth about sleeping with her. He wanted her. More than he’d ever wanted a woman. But he sure as hell didn’t like being rejected.

An hour later, at Jessica’s apartment, he stared in the mirror.
Why do I keep doing this
? Jessica didn’t mean shit.

When he came from the bathroom, she lay in the center of her bed, smiling. “Oh, your tutor called. I asked if she wanted to leave a message, but she said she’d talk to you later.” She pitched his cell phone to him and he caught it.

His heart rate accelerated to full throttle. “You answered my phone?”

“Yeah.”

“Shit, Jessica, why did you do that?”

“I thought it might be important.”

“The hell you did!” He yanked his boots on, opened the door and slammed it behind him.

Apology is only egotism wrong side out.

~Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

Maggie ended the call and fell back against the headboard. What a fool. She’d called to apologize for being curt and caught him with Jessica. If Maggie wanted to admit it or not, she was jealous. To make matters worse, she heard the delight in Jessica’s voice.
Bitch
.

She needed to stop torturing herself. Her attraction to Jace would never be returned. If she doubted it before, now there was proof. He hadn’t batted an eye when he lied and then went straight to the bimbo. Maggie stared at the ceiling and calculated the remaining study sessions. Eight more times before finals. She wasn’t sure she could hide her lust that long.

It occurred to her she could leave after work on Sunday and spend a few days in Abilene. All her mother’s belongings needed to be packed and she could avoid a confrontation. By now, he knew Jessica answered his phone and he’d want to offer some lame excuse.

Aphrodite stretched paws against the bed and Maggie lifted her onto her lap. “That’s what I’ll do, Dydee. As soon as I get off tomorrow, I’ll head to Abilene. I haven’t missed any classes all semester, so I can afford to skip a few days.”

Aphrodite purred and Maggie’s spirits lifted in spite of the man-whore. If she left tomorrow, and came back Wednesday, that would cancel two meetings. A couple of missed sessions might not be enough to get over him, but it was a start.

As a precaution, she checked the weather forecast, and when she did, plans changed. The weatherman predicted snow and ice. If she waited until the next day, she might not be able travel. After calling the hospital to change her schedule, she texted Sarah. Thirty minutes later, with the car packed and Aphrodite in her crate, Maggie headed east to Abilene, three hours away.