Chapter 3 The Player
Chloe
The girl who had squeezed into the small space beside us was still peeking cautiously toward the living room like someone hiding from a predator.
“Okay,” she said quietly. “I think I lost him.”
Annabelle leaned one shoulder against the counter and smiled knowingly.
“Running from Blake again?”
The girl groaned.
“Yes.”
She turned slightly toward me and gave an apologetic smile.
“Sorry,” she said. “I’m Shannon.”
“Chloe,” I replied.
Annabelle gestured between us.
“Shannon’s my best friend from high school,” she explained. “She went to a different university at first but just transferred here for this semester.”
Shannon nodded.
“I’ve technically been hanging around this house since the beginning of summer though.”
“Mostly hiding from Blake,” Annabelle added.
Shannon rolled her eyes.
“Unfortunately.”
Daniel leaned slightly closer to me.
“Blake spotted her the first week she came over,” he said quietly. “He’s been trying to date her ever since.”
“Trying being the key word,” Shannon muttered.
Annabelle smirked.
“He’s persistent.”
Shannon took a sip of her drink.
“He’d actually be a catch,” she said calmly.
There was a brief pause.
Then she finished the sentence.
“If he wasn’t such a fuck boy.”
Daniel choked on his drink.
Annabelle laughed.
“Fair.”
Just then Daniel looked toward the living room entrance and lifted his cup slightly.
“Speak of the devil.”
I turned.
Two guys were walking into the kitchen.
One of them looked confident, relaxed, the kind of guy who seemed completely comfortable walking into any room. I bet that’s Blake.
Beside him was another guy I had no clue as to who he could be.
Tall. Dark hair. Calm expression.
He heard Daniel’s comment and immediately pointed at Blake.
“Oh that is definitely Blake,” he said. “Not me.”
Daniel nodded seriously.
“Yeah, Max. It’s always Blake.”
Ah, Max is his name.
Blake looked mildly offended.
“I feel attacked.”
Annabelle folded her arms.
“That’s because you walked into the room.”
Blake’s attention shifted the moment he noticed Shannon standing beside us.
His expression brightened.
“Well look who it is.”
Shannon immediately turned halfway behind Annabelle like she was using her as a shield.
“No.”
Blake ignored that completely and walked over.
“Shannon,” he said. “What a pleasant surprise.”
“You knew I was here,” she said flatly.
“Yes, but now I know where you’re hiding.”
Max grabbed a drink from the counter beside us and leaned back casually.
“Man, you found her fast.”
“I always do.”
Shannon sighed.
“You say that like it’s impressive.”
“It is impressive.”
Annabelle gestured toward me.
“Before this turns into a full argument, Blake, Max, this is Chloe.”
Blake immediately switched into charming mode.
“Nice to meet you,” he said, offering his hand.
“Chloe,” I replied.
Daniel leaned toward me again.
“Blake is currently suffering the consequences of his own actions.”
Blake frowned.
“What does that mean?”
Daniel gestured between him and Shannon.
“You spent three years curating a very specific reputation.”
“That reputation is exaggerated.”
Shannon laughed.
“You were literally flirting with three girls ten minutes ago.”
Blake pointed a finger at her.
“I was talking to them.”
“You winked.”
“That was a joke.”
“You asked one of them if she believed in love at first sight.”
“That was also a joke.”
Max took a sip of his drink.
“Dude, you were flirting.”
Shannon pointed at him.
“Thank you.”
Blake turned toward Max in disbelief.
“Whose side are you on?”
Max shrugged.
“The side of reality.”
Daniel looked back at me.
“And Max here is the resident bachelor.”
Max lifted his drink slightly.
“Someone has to keep the single population alive.”
Daniel smirked.
“You were right there beside me until you got cuffed up.”
Max looked at him.
“Oops.”
He glanced at me.
“No offense,” he added quickly. “I’m just giving him a hard time. I’m actually glad he found someone.”
Daniel nodded.
“I know.”
Blake leaned one shoulder against the counter like he planned to stay there a while.
“You know,” he said casually, “you could at least give me credit for persistence.”
Shannon gave him a long, unimpressed look.
“Persistence is not the same thing as growth.”
“Ouch.”
Annabelle laughed under her breath beside me.
Blake pointed at her.
“You’re supposed to be on my side. You introduced us.”
“I did,” Annabelle agreed. “But I didn’t promise to help you.”
Daniel leaned closer to me again.
“This has been going on all summer,” he murmured.
I glanced between them.
Blake definitely had the kind of confidence that filled the room without effort. The kind of guy who clearly knew people liked him and had never really had to question it.
Shannon, on the other hand, looked completely immune to it.
Which somehow seemed to make him try even harder.
Blake turned back toward her.
“Alright,” he said. “Let’s approach this logically.”
Shannon folded her arms.
“That should be interesting.”
“You’re new here.”
“I’m not new to these people.”
“Okay, but you’re new to this school,” he corrected. “Which means you should probably expand your social circle.”
“My social circle is fine.”
“You’re standing in a hockey house.”
“That’s because Annabelle dragged me here.”
“Which means,” Blake said triumphantly, “I’m part of your social circle now.”
Shannon stared at him.
“No.”
Max chuckled quietly into his drink.
Blake pointed at him.
“You’re not helping.”
“I’m helping her.”
Daniel nodded.
“Same.”
Blake looked around the group in disbelief.
“Wow. I feel incredibly supported right now.”
Annabelle tilted her head thoughtfully.
“You did earn this reputation.”
“That reputation is exaggerated.”
Shannon scoffed.
“Is it?”
“Yes.”
“You had a different girl on your arm at every party this summer.”
Blake shrugged.
“That’s because I was single.”
“You were also flirting with girls while those girls were standing there.”
“That’s just my extroverted personality.”
Shannon blinked slowly.
“That is not a personality trait.”
“It absolutely is.”
“You winked at one of them.”
“That was encouragement.”
“You told another one she had ‘dangerous eyes.’”
“That was an observation.”
Max shook his head.
“That was flirting.”
Shannon pointed at him again.
“Thank you.”
Blake groaned.
“Dude, seriously?”
Max shrugged again.
“Truth hurts.”
Daniel leaned against the counter beside me, clearly enjoying the show.
“I think the bigger issue,” he said, “is that Shannon actually knows your history.”
Blake looked back at her.
“History is just another word for experience.”
“Experience,” Shannon repeated flatly.
“Yes.”
“With women.”
“Correct.”
“Many women.”
Blake hesitated.
“…historically speaking.”
Annabelle burst out laughing.
Even I couldn’t help smiling.
Shannon just shook her head.
“You’re unbelievable.”
Blake leaned slightly closer.
“Yet you keep talking to me.”
“That’s because you keep cornering me.”
“That sounds dramatic.”
She lifted her drink.
“You followed me into the kitchen.”
“I prefer the phrase strategic approach.”
Max took another sip of his beer.
“You hunted her down like a heat-seeking missile.”
Blake sighed.
“Why is everyone against me tonight?”
“Because,” Daniel said, “you spent three years building a reputation that makes this exact moment inevitable.”
Blake rubbed the back of his neck.
“Okay, but people can change.”
Shannon tilted her head.
“Can they?”
“Yes.”
“When did this change happen?”
Blake opened his mouth.
Closed it again.
“…recently.”
“How recently?”
Blake thought about it.
“…tonight.”
Max laughed.
“That’s not a great argument, man.”
Blake ignored him and looked back at Shannon.
“Look, all I’m saying is you might be surprised if you actually gave me a chance.”
Shannon studied him for a moment.
Not amused.
Not angry.
Just… unconvinced.
Shannon pushed away from the counter.
“I have to pee.”
She pointed a finger at Blake.
“Don’t follow me.”
Blake placed a hand over his chest.
“I would never.”
She stared at him.
Then she walked away.
Blake watched her disappear down the hallway.
Max leaned beside him again.
“That went well.”
Blake sighed.
“She’s impossible.”
Annabelle shook her head.
“She’s reasonable.”
Max nodded.
“She has standards.”
Blake glanced toward the hallway again.
“Yeah.”
Daniel folded his arms.
“She’s probably standing in the bathroom right now reminding herself you’re not worth the trouble.”
Blake smiled slightly.
“She might be.”
Max raised an eyebrow.
“And?”
Blake took a sip of his drink.
“And she might be right.”
There was a brief pause.
Then he set the cup down on the counter.
“But that doesn’t mean I’m giving up.”
Annabelle laughed softly.
“Of course not.”
Blake looked toward the hallway where Shannon had disappeared.
His grin widened.
“Game on.”
