“Like I said before,” I say, holding my head high. “You might disapprove of my actions, but it always takes two to tango. And every woman who’s spent time with me knew that it would be a one-time thing and that I wasn’t looking for anything serious. I’ve never lied to get what I wanted, and I’m not going to start now.”
There. If they want to kick me off the team or expel me, they’ll have to justify their actions to the rest of the school.
“Fine,” Coach doesn’t look half as perturbed as the Dean. “If you don’t want to lie, and you don’t know anyone who would believe you’ve suddenly fallen for them, we’ll assign you a girlfriend.”
Someone please pinch me.
Did I wake up in some kind of fucked up parallel universe?
“Assign me a girlfriend?” I stutter. “Who?”
Thankfully, the Dean is just as perplexed as I am.
“That isn’t a bad idea,” he says to Coach. “But Hart is right? Who would we choose? It would have to be someone pretty enough to be believable as the woman who reformed the biggest man-whore of this campus.”
I take offense to that. “Why, thank you, sir.” I sound as butt hurt as I feel.
“Maybe one of the Zeta Theta Beta girls.” Coach suggests. “They’re affiliated with the Gammas, and we could probably explain the situation.”
Luke chooses that moment to intervene. “Forgive me for the unsolicited advice, but that wouldn’t work. Most of the Zetas who are single party with us on a regular basis and I’m betting that the ones who would be suitable candidates for the role of Hart’s girlfriend have a Bunny Card. I know it sounds like a complete misogynistic double standard, but puck bunnies aren’t considered girlfriend material. Pairing Jamie with one of them wouldn’t change anything. The rest of the team would take it as a sign that nothing has really changed. Besides, with the familiarity between the Zetas and the team, I’m afraid that choosing a sister would put the entire operation at risk. This is going to work out only if no one outside this room, and aside from Jamie’s new girlfriend, knows that the relationship is fake.”
Coach considers our team captain’s words. “I hadn’t thought about that, Harper. You have a point. If we want this to be successful, we need to find someone that hasn’t slept with the entire team, or isn’t friends with all the players. But if we don’t choose a Zeta, are we going to look at another sorority? The cheerleaders?”
Luke shakes his head. “No, sir. We need to keep this plan close to our chests. We need to choose someone trustworthy, and I think I have just the right woman.”
That gets the interest of both men, and mine too.
“Who?” I ask.
Luke’s lips curl into a smile, and I guess what he’s thinking a second before he says it out loud.
“My twin sister Bex came to visit me this weekend. She goes to college in Bridgeport, but due to some personal circumstances, she’s taking a gap year. Bex would like to stay here in Star Cove for the foreseeable future, and I’m struggling with finding her a job and accommodation. I asked the Zeta president to help me with the job, and she’s looking into hiring Bex to work at the Zeta’s new Art Center. It would be perfect because art is Bex’s major, anyway. I’m going to ask her to help us with Jamie in return for you putting in a good word for her with the Greek Council, and for free accommodation on campus.”
This is shocking. I look at my team captain.
I assumed that Luke would never want to see his sister with someone like me. I mean, granted, this would be a fake relationship, but still.
The Dean and Coach agree pretty quickly with Luke’s terms.
“The only problem,” the Dean says. “Is that at this point of the year, campus is at capacity and it’s very slim pickings in town.”
I know what Luke is going to say before the words leave his mouth.
“I spoke to the Gamma president, sir. There’s a room for me in the fraternity house. I would be happy to move into the Gamma house and live with the majority of my teammates, and give Bex my current room.”
When Coach observes that Bex would be sharing with three of his players, Luke knows how to sell that part of the deal, too.
“A lot of dorms are coed on campus. And every room in the condo we share has its own private bathroom. So living with three men would be no big deal. Besides, Jamie is one of those three guys, and that would definitely help to give more credibility to the fake relationship.”
The Dean is happy with that solution and promises to help Bex’s cause with the Greek Council.
We’re dismissed with a warning. If we don’t clean up our image—especially mine—and lose the school its ranking, there’s going to be hell to pay.
Jamie
I don’t say anything until Luke and I are back out in the still deserted parking lot.
“When Coach made you captain, he said your determination is one of your strengths.” I say, before he can unlock his car. “I guess he was right. You got your way about having Bex staying at our place.”
