RULES
1559 Words
By Thursday morning, Sienna had already decided one thing.
Working with Luca Bennett was going to test her patience.
She sat in the student café with Maya, scrolling through the project notes on her laptop while Maya stirred her iced coffee.
“You look stressed,” Maya said.
“I am not stressed.”
“You've been staring at the same page for ten minutes.”
“I'm thinking.”
“About the project?”
“Yes.”
“Or Luca?”
Sienna looked up.
“Why does everything have to be about Luca with you?”
“Because you keep bringing him up.”
“I do not.”
“You said his name three times yesterday.”
“Because we're working together.”
Maya smiled.
“Exactly.”
Sienna closed her laptop.
“We're meeting at noon. We're going to plan the event. That's it.”
“Sure.”
“And we're going to be professional.”
“Of course.”
“No flirting.”
“Obviously.”
“No unnecessary conversations.”
“Definitely.”
“No—”
“Sienna.”
“What?”
Maya laughed.
“You're making rules for a relationship you claim doesn't exist.”
Sienna stared at her.
“It's not a relationship.”
“I know.”
“Good.”
“It's a project.”
“Exactly.”
Maya took another sip.
“For now.”
Sienna rolled her eyes.
Before she could answer, her phone buzzed.
LUCA:
Meeting room changed. Athletics building, second floor.
Sienna typed back.
SIENNA:
Okay.
A second message appeared.
LUCA:
And don't be late.
Sienna frowned.
SIENNA:
I've never been late.
LUCA:
Exactly. Don't ruin your record.
She shook her head.
Maya watched her.
“What did he say?”
“Nothing.”
“You're smiling.”
“I am not.”
Maya grinned.
Sienna ignored her.
---
At 11:58, Sienna walked into the athletics building.
The hallway was quieter than usual.
She followed the signs until she reached the second floor and found the meeting room.
Luca was already there.
Of course.
He sat at the end of the table with his laptop open.
“You're early,” he said.
“So are you.”
“I got here first.”
“By two minutes.”
“Still counts.”
Sienna placed her laptop on the table.
“Let's work.”
Luca smiled.
“You really don't like small talk, do you?”
“Not when I have things to do.”
“Noted.”
They started reviewing the event plan.
Their first major task was choosing a date and deciding what kind of fundraiser they wanted.
Sienna suggested a campus festival with food stalls, student performances and games.
Luca suggested involving the hockey team in a skills challenge.
Sienna looked at him.
“A hockey skills challenge?”
“Why not?”
“Because half the students here probably can't skate.”
“They don't have to skate.”
“Then what would they do?”
“Shoot pucks.”
She stared at him.
“That's your solution?”
“It's a good one.”
“Maybe.”
He smiled.
“That's almost agreement.”
“Don't push it.”
They continued brainstorming.
For once, they weren't arguing.
They were actually working well together.
Sienna typed while Luca searched through the athletics department's event schedule.
“What about the weekend after next?” he asked.
“Too soon.”
“Three weeks?”
“Better.”
“We could get the team involved.”
“And I can start promoting it.”
“Good.”
Sienna looked up.
“You're actually organized.”
Luca placed a hand over his chest.
“Was that another compliment?”
“Don't make me take it back.”
He laughed.
Then the door opened.
Ethan walked in.
“Bennett, Coach wants—”
He stopped when he saw Sienna.
“Oh.”
Sienna looked at him.
“Hi.”
Ethan smiled.
“You two are working.”
Luca frowned.
“That's what we're supposed to do.”
“I know. I'm just surprised.”
“Why?”
Ethan shrugged.
“I expected you to annoy each other for at least an hour before getting anything done.”
Sienna pointed at Luca.
“He's the one who annoys me.”
Luca looked offended.
“Me?”
“Yes.”
Ethan laughed.
“I'll leave you two to it.”
He turned around.
“Wait,” Sienna called.
Ethan looked back.
“Do you know if the team has any community outreach events coming up?”
“Not officially.”
“Could you ask Coach?”
“Sure.”
“Thanks.”
He nodded and left.
Luca looked at her.
“You're getting along with Ethan.”
“He seems normal.”
“That's because you haven't spent enough time with him.”
Sienna smiled.
“You're all impossible.”
“Probably.”
---
They finished the first part of their plan just before one.
Sienna closed her laptop.
“Okay. We need to divide the rest of the work.”
Luca nodded.
“I'll handle the athletics side.”
“I'll handle publicity and media.”
“And sponsors?”
“I'll contact businesses.”
“I know a few people who might help.”
“Good.”
They looked at each other.
“Anything else?” Luca asked.
Sienna shook her head.
“No.”
“Then we're done.”
She packed her things.
As she stood, Luca spoke again.
“Wait.”
“What?”
“We need rules.”
Sienna paused.
“Rules?”
“For the project.”
She sat back down.
“Okay.”
Luca opened a blank document.
“Rule one.”
Sienna looked at him.
“We keep everything professional.”
“Agreed.”
“No disappearing when something goes wrong.”
“Agreed.”
“No making major decisions without talking to the other person.”
“Agreed.”
Luca typed.
“Rule four.”
Sienna waited.
He looked at her.
“No calling me Car Guy.”
She laughed.
“That isn't a project rule.”
“It should be.”
“Fine.”
She leaned toward his laptop.
“Rule four: Luca isn't allowed to call me Suitcase Girl.”
He looked at her.
“That's unreasonable.”
“Why?”
“Because it's a great nickname.”
“It's terrible.”
“You're just sensitive.”
She reached for the laptop.
“Delete it.”
He moved it away.
“No.”
“Luca.”
“Sienna.”
They stared at each other.
For a second, neither moved.
Then Luca smiled.
“Fine.”
He typed.
RULE FOUR: NO NICKNAMES.
“Happy?”
“Very.”
“Good.”
He closed the laptop.
“Rule five.”
“What?”
“No getting distracted.”
Sienna raised an eyebrow.
“By what?”
“Anything.”
She nodded.
“Agreed.”
Neither of them mentioned that they'd both been staring at each other for the past few seconds.
---
Later that afternoon, Sienna walked across campus with Maya.
“So,” Maya said.
Sienna already knew where this was going.
“What?”
“How was the meeting?”
“Fine.”
“Just fine?”
“Yes.”
“Did you fight?”
“No.”
“Did you flirt?”
“No.”
“Did he annoy you?”
“A little.”
Maya smiled.
“Progress.”
Sienna sighed.
“We made rules.”
Maya stopped walking.
“Rules?”
“For the project.”
“What kind?”
“No disappearing. No making decisions alone. No nicknames.”
Maya burst out laughing.
“You two are ridiculous.”
“Why?”
“Because you're acting like a married couple who just started a business together.”
Sienna groaned.
“Please stop.”
Maya continued laughing.
They reached the student center.
Sienna noticed a crowd gathered around a large television.
Another hockey highlight was playing.
Luca appeared on screen.
Number 17.
The commentator talked about his impressive preseason performance and how much attention the freshman recruit had already attracted.
Sienna watched quietly.
“He's good,” Maya said.
Sienna nodded.
“Yeah.”
Maya looked at her.
“You said that very quickly.”
“Because it's true.”
“You're becoming a hockey fan.”
“No.”
“That's how it starts.”
Sienna walked away.
“I am not becoming a hockey fan.”
Maya followed.
“We'll see.”
---
That evening, Sienna sat at her desk working on her journalism assignment.
Her phone buzzed.
LUCA:
Did you send the sponsor list?
Sienna checked her email.
SIENNA:
Not yet. I'm finishing it.
LUCA:
Okay.
A few seconds later:
LUCA:
Need help?
She stared at the message.
SIENNA:
I can handle it.
LUCA:
I know.
She frowned.
Why had he asked?
Then another message appeared.
LUCA:
Just making sure.
Sienna smiled slightly.
She typed:
SIENNA:
Thanks.
LUCA:
Anytime.
She put her phone down.
For someone she had spent two days calling annoying, Luca was becoming surprisingly easy to talk to.
That thought made her uncomfortable.
She returned to her assignment.
She wasn't going to overthink it.
They were partners.
Nothing more.
At least, that's what she intended to keep telling herself.
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