A DEAL WITH THE CAPTAIN

11. MAKING AMOVE

CHAPTER ELEVEN

LISA POV

MAKING A MOVE

I have just walked out of my Human Physiology class when I find Cassie waiting for me outside the building, a stack of textbooks balanced precariously in her arms. The poor girl looks exhausted. Her blonde hair is pulled into a messy bun, there are faint shadows beneath her eyes, and judging by the way she's practically leaning against the wall for support, I suspect she hasn't slept properly in days.

Unlike me, Cassie is majoring in Biochemistry. I'm studying Food and Dietetics, mostly because I've always had a genuine fascination with nutrition and the way food affects the human body. I like knowing what different nutrients do, how the body processes them, and how something as simple as changing someone's diet can dramatically affect their health. Cassie, on the other hand, seems to have chosen Biochemistry for a completely different reason. Mainly family pressure.

Her mother is one of the most respected biochemistry scientists in the country, and Cassie has spent most of her life being compared to her. Apparently, becoming anything other than a scientist would be considered a betrayal of the family legacy. It doesn’t help that her older brother is already deep in the same career, working in a lead research company in globally, in Japan.

I've never understood that kind of pressure. But I've also never had to live under it. My parents are relatively chill compared to most parents. They’ll support if I were to keel under pressure and drop out.

"You look like death," I tell her.

She glares at me, "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

She pushes herself away from the wall, adjusting the books in her arms before falling into step beside me.

"I'm starving."

"You say that every day."

"Because I'm starving every day." If anything, the one thing Cassie possesses is a good metabolism. She could eat a whole elephant and still not gain a single pound. I’m not saying mine is bad either. But definitely not as great as hers. I always spend at least twenty minutes on some short workout every morning before classes.

I laugh at her statement as we make our way across campus toward our usual lunch spot, a small diner just a few blocks off campus. It's nothing fancy-old wooden tables, faded booths, a jukebox that hasn't worked properly in years-but the food is good, cheap, and the owner has taken a particular liking to us. The old man always recognizes us the second we walk through the door and somehow manages to give us portions large enough to feed an entire hockey team. By the time we reach the diner, my stomach is growling too.

"I swear, if he doesn't give me extra fries today, I'm going to cry," Cassie announces as we walk through the door.

"You said that last week."

"And I meant it."

We slide into our usual booth near the window, barely having settled before Cassie drops her books beside her with a heavy thud. Then she looks at me.

"Ben asked me out."

I raise an eyebrow.

"Ben?"

She stares at me.

"Yes. Ben."

I continue staring, "Who the hell is Ben?"

"Oh my God, Lisa." She throws her hands into the air. "You have a serious problem."

"What?"

"He is in your nutrition class."

"So?"

"He has been very openly flirting with me for weeks."

I pause, registering the memories of that particular guy.

"His name is Ben?"

"Yes."

"I always assumed he was a Chad or something."

Cassie bursts out laughing.

"What the hell does that even mean?"

"I don't know. He just looks like a Chad."

She shakes her head, laughing as she reaches for the menu.

"And you wonder why you don't know anyone's names."

"I know plenty of names."

"Bill."

I immediately glare at her. She freezes.

"Too soon?"

"Way too soon."

"Sorry."

She offers me an apologetic smile before looking back at the menu.

"So?"

"So what?"

"Did you say yes?"

She looks at me as if I've just asked her whether water is wet.

"Duh."

I grin, "Good."

"Why wouldn't I?"

"No reason."

She narrows her eyes.

"You're not going to give me some lecture about how I should be careful, are you?"

"Absolutely not."

"Good."

"I actually think it's great."

She studies me for a second.

"What?"

"What?"

"You sound genuinely happy for me."

"I am."

Something about her expression softens.

"Thanks."

I shrug, reaching for the menu.

"Besides, you deserve to have some fun."

Her eyes narrow playfully.

"And maybe you should take your own advice."

I immediately know where this is going.

"No."

"I didn't even say anything."

"You didn't have to."

"Lisa-"

"Don't."

She grins.

"I'm just saying..."

"And I'm just saying that if you finish that sentence, I'm leaving."

She laughs.

"Fine. Fine."

Our food arrives a few minutes later, and for the first time all day, I allow myself to relax. The smell of fries and grilled meat immediately distracts me from the mess inside my head, and for several blessed minutes, Cassie and I focus on eating instead of dissecting my nonexistent love life.

Unfortunately, I know that peace isn't going to last. Cassie is physically incapable of leaving a subject alone once she's decided it needs discussing. Sure enough, she eventually looks up from her plate, her expression already giving away exactly where this conversation is headed. I beat her to it.

"Fine. I'll sleep with someone."

Her fork freezes halfway to her mouth, "But not Hunter."

Her eyes widen, "Wait. Really?"

"Yes."

I take another bite, trying to act like I've just announced I'm changing my major instead of making a decision that could potentially alter the entire trajectory of my emotional stability. Cassie slowly puts her fork down.

"Okay. I'm listening."

"You know how Ray has been pushing us to actually take a day off?"

She nods.

"Well, I've got some money saved. And since tomorrow is Friday, I'm thinking we ask for both tomorrow and Saturday off when we clock in tonight."

Her eyebrows shoot up.

"Both days?"

"Both days."

"And do what?"

I lean back in the booth, suddenly feeling more confident about my terrible plan than I probably should.

"There's a new club opening in town tomorrow night. We should go and check it out."

Cassie stares at me for a beat. Then her face splits into the biggest grin I've seen all week, "You mean we're going d**k hunting tomorrow?"

I nearly choke on my diet coke.

"Leave it to you to make it sound absolutely disgusting."

"What? I'm just calling it what it is."

I roll my eyes, but I'm already laughing, "Fine. you could call it that."

Cassie points her ketchup-covered fork at me.

"Lisa Carter is voluntarily going clubbing."

"Don't make it weird."

"You're voluntarily going out to find a man."

"I'm aware."

"You're actually going to flirt."

"Potentially." I say, shrugging. I knew she would make an absolutely big deal about this.

"You're going to let someone buy you a drink."

"Maybe."

"And you're going to stop thinking about Bill."

I pause, "That's the goal."

She stares at me for another second before breaking into a delighted grin.

"If I wasn't so covered in ketchup right now, I would hug you."

I laugh, "Please don't."

"Too late. Emotionally, I'm already hugging you."

She reaches across the table anyway, and I quickly shove my plate between us.

"Absolutely not."

She laughs so loudly that the elderly couple at the next table glances over. I feel something loosen inside me. Maybe this is exactly what I need. Just one night where I'm not Lisa, the girl who got cheated on and got so emotionally scarred that she lost captaincy of the figure-skating team. One night where I'm not thinking about Bill, wondering who he's with or whether he regrets what he did. One night where I can dress up, drink something expensive, dance until my feet hurt, and remember that I'm twenty-something and allowed to have a life outside of heartbreak.

So, yeah.I'm f*****g doing it. I'm going to get over Bill by getting under someone else.It might be a terrible plan. Or it might be exactly what I need. Either way, tomorrow night, I'm done being miserable.

Fuck Bill Turner!