Bad Rep (Bad Rep #1)(23)
Author: A. Meredith Walters

After saying goodbye to Jaz I headed back to the bar, and almost turned around and headed back the way that I had come. Olivia was leaning over the bar, her hand fisted in the front of Jordan’s t-shirt, kissing him passionately while Milla and Tabby hooted at them.

Jordan broke away with a chuckle and Olivia sat back down, clearly a little breathless. She looked up and saw me. “Maysie! Come on chica! I’ve got a beer with your name on it.” Olivia waved me over. Jordan looked up as I came over. Our eyes met and he looked a little sheepish. Embarrassed even. Which was stupid. I mean he was just kissing his girlfriend. Nothing wrong with that, right? Only it didn’t feel alright. It felt horrible.

“Hey,” I said quietly as I hopped up on the stool beside Olivia. Jordan looked as sick as I felt. His eyes darted between Olivia and me. I picked up my beer and held it up in a mocking salute. “Cheers,” I said coldly as I downed it in one go, never breaking eye contact with him.

He frowned but didn’t say anything. “Hell yeah!” Olivia shouted, draping her arm around my shoulders in a show of affection. Olivia and I had never been close but she had always gone out of her way to be nice to the new pledges. She was a senior, as was Jordan, so we ran in different social circles. But we still got along. Which is what made this whole situation completely messed up.

“So, how’s it working with our girl, Maysie?” Olivia asked Jordan. She was obviously a little buzzed. I saw Jordan swallow. His Adam’s apple bobbing up and down.

“Uh, it’s fine,” he answered noncommittally. I wanted to smirk at him, treat him with a cold indifference. But I didn’t think I could pull it off. So instead I simply looked away, feeling uncomfortable.

Olivia had already turned to say something to Tabby and Milla, leaving me all but forgotten. Jordan had picked up my empty glass and put it in the sink behind the bar. He met my eyes again and I saw it. The simmering heat that left me panting for more. It hadn’t dimmed in the slightest. Not even with his girlfriend sitting two feet away.

I broke the eye contact and joined in the conversation between my sisters, making a point to ignore the bartender who, unbeknownst to him, had stolen my heart. “I think we need to have a final party before school starts back up. I mean we only have a week and a half before classes start. Let’s plan something,” Milla suggested. I nodded in agreement, not into the discussion at all but not wanting to be rude. Olivia squealed and clapped her hands.

“That’s a wonderful idea! Jordan!” she called out.

Jordan looked up at her. “Yeah?” he asked from across the bar.

She crooked her finger at him. “Get your fine ass over here, baby. I want to ask you something.” She waggled her eyebrows seductively, laughing huskily. And I wanted to crawl under my stool and lay there in a fetal position.

I didn’t miss the exasperated sigh Jordan let out before making his way over. “What is it Olivia? Some of us have to work, you know,” he stated a little shortly. I was surprised by his terseness but Olivia seemed oblivious to it.

“I want to have a party. So we’re having it at your place. Tomorrow night. K?” She didn’t ask, she told him. Was this how their relationship worked? She said it was so and he just agreed?

Jordan’s mouth tightened and was clearly not pleased with her suggestion. “I have to work tomorrow night, Liv,” he said, his words clipped. Olivia waved away his objection.

“So? I can take care of it. I know Fred and Gio would help me,” she said, mentioning the Pi Sig brothers who shared the house with Jordan.

Jordan’s shoulders stiffened. Olivia batted her eyelashes at him. “Please, Jordie. I promise to show my gratitude,” she teased, running her finger up his arm. Oh yuck. And what was up with calling him ‘Jordie?’ It made him sound like he belonged on the Jersey Shore or something. I saw Jordan glance at me quickly. He needed to stop doing that. He was being way too obvious.

“Who would you invite?” he asked, looking back at Olivia.

She squealed again (how much could she do that in one night?). “Just my girls and the Pi Sigs of course. Only the best. Come on, it’ll be fun.” Tabby and Milla had started pleading with him as well and he finally gave in. Holding his hands up to stop them, he nodded.

“Fine, whatever. I don’t get off until midnight. Just keep it cool, Liv. Nothing like last time, alright,” he said, shooting her a pointed look.

She dismissed his words, focusing on his acquittance. “Oh, thank you, baby. You’re the best.” She turned to Tabby and Milla, immediately starting to make plans. Jordan leaned on the bar and looked at me again.

“So, Mays. Are you gonna come to my raging party?” he asked sarcastically.

I shrugged. “Don’t know. It all depends on what I have going on.” Jordan tipped his head toward me and dropped his voice.

“Oh, come on. Don’t leave me to deal with a house full of sloppy drunks by myself,” he pleaded teasingly.

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Please. You deal with sloppy drunks almost every day. By now you have to be a pro.”

“That’s why I shouldn’t have to suffer it alone on my off time. Please come,” he said softly. I looked over at Olivia and the girls but they were too wrapped up in their party planning to pay us any mind.

This felt sneaky and underhanded but I couldn’t help myself. When Jordan looked at me like that, it was frighteningly easy to throw my morals and resolve straight out the window. I sighed heavily. “Fine. I’ll come. But only for a little while,” I conceded. Jordan’s mouth stretched into a dazzling grin.

“Excellent. See, I knew you’d never let me down,” he said, tapping the back of my hand with his finger and I tried not to shiver at his touch.

“We’ll see,” I muttered, trying not to look as pleased as I felt by his words. Jordan smiled again and then had the audacity to wink at me. His flirting knew no bounds. But before I could say anything else, he moved away and went about his job.

I was only able to stomach another thirty minutes of watching Olivia and Jordan as they bantered back and forth. I couldn’t deny the connection they shared. One that obviously came from a shared history. Sure, there were times Jordan seemed annoyed by his girlfriend but she also made him laugh and he interacted with her on a level that was impossible to ignore.

It sucked. I slammed back my beer and got to my feet. Olivia looked up in surprise. “You leaving, Mays?” she asked, giving me a smile that was so sweet it made my teeth ache. Jordan’s eyes flicked over to me and I immediately looked away. Something stirred in my gut as I realized Milla was watching me.