Bad Rep
Page 12

 A. Meredith Walters

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“I'm gonna go hang with the girls. You want to join?” I asked Riley as we gathered our things from the back. Riley rolled her eyes.
“I'll pass on sorority bonding for the night. I'll meet you at home, I'm wrecked.” I wasn't surprised by her answer. I had not as of yet, convinced her to hang out with my new sisters. And I knew better than to push her about it.
“Well, don't wait up, because I'm supposed to hang with Jordan after his shift.” Riley's mouth set in a grim line.
“Didn't we talk about this Mays?” she asked.
I looked away from her. “It's just hanging out.”
“And denial is just a river in Egypt. You ain't foolin' nobody,” she quipped and I just shook my head.
“Well, I'll talk to you tomorrow.” And with that, I walked away, not wanting to hear anymore of my friend's caring but annoying warnings.
I took my hair out of the pony tail and let it fall over my shoulders. I figured I could hang out with my friends while I waited for Jordan to get off of work. He was on the clock until 12:00. That gave me time to have a few drinks and try not to obsess about how nervous I was to spend time with him.
Coming out to the bar I was surprised to see Jordan chatting it up with Vivian and Milla. Though, he was a Pi Sig, so it made sense that they knew each other. Gracie had saved me a spot beside her and I hopped onto the barstool. Jordan was still talking to Milla, so Lyla took my drink order. She knew I was only twenty, but she hooked me up with a Jack and Coke anyway.
Working here was definitely going to have its perks.
I could tell Gracie was already a little drunk as she leaned over to give me a beer scented hug. “How was your shift?” she asked me. I looked over at Jordan, but he seemed to be engrossed in whatever Milla was telling him. I felt a twinge of jealousy at seeing him talking to another girl. But I reined that in quickly.
“It was pretty good. Though I had to shadow this chick named Evian and she was a complete slave driver. I'll be lucky if I can feel my feet in the morning.” I sipped on my drink, wishing Jordan would look at me.
Vivian leaned passed Gracie and kissed my cheek. “We've missed you at the house this week! You need to get your ass over there so we can start planning Fall Rush,” she enthused. Vivian and I were Rush chairs and we were expected to plan the parties for the fall. I was excited to have some responsibility in the sorority. I loved the girls and I couldn't wait to meet some new people.
I realized Jordan had finished his conversation with Milla and was watching my exchange with Vivian with a strange look on his face. I gave him a smile. “Hey, Jordan,” I said. Jordan glanced from me to the other girls and he looked as though he had swallowed glass. What the hell was his problem?
“So, you get to work with the infamous Jordan Levitt,” Milla commented, looking between Jordan and me. I turned to Milla and smirked.
“Infamous, huh? Do tell,” I joked, drinking some more of my cocktail. I was starting to feel a little light headed. I was a cheap date, that's for sure.
“Uh, there's nothing to tell,” Jordan interjected, looking suddenly nervous. Milla grinned at him. Though even I could see how predatory that smile was. Damn, she wanted to jump his bones too! Was there not a girl within a sixty mile radius that was immune to Jordan Levitt's irresistible charm?
“That's not what Olivia tells me,” Milla said coyly. Olivia? Did she mean Olivia Peer, our president? Did she know Jordan? I looked at Milla questioningly.
“I'd better get back to it,” Jordan said quickly, moving away without looking at me again. Milla drank her beer.
“Don't tell me you don't realize who he is,” she said, looking over at Jordan who was putting glasses away behind the bar. I frowned.
“Um, that's Jordan Levitt. He's a Pi-Sig right?” I didn't get what she was trying to say.
Vivian sighed. “He's not just any Pi-Sig, he's the president. And he's dating our president. Together their going to have little president babies. They've been going out since our freshman year. How did you not recognize him? He's over at the house all the time.” Vivian looked at me like I was an idiot.
It felt like the floor had just opened up underneath me. He was dating someone? And not just anyone. He was dating Olivia f**king Peer. The most beautiful and perfect human being I had ever met. Everyone loved Olivia. Including, apparently, the guy I had just spent the entire evening lusting after.
What the hell? And he had been shamelessly flirting with me the whole time while he had a girlfriend! I downed the rest of my drink, feeling the sudden need to get very, very drunk. Milla was watching me closely. My discomfort with Milla intensified. She was a huge gossip and was forever circulating rumors about people. So far I had stayed out of her line of fire and I didn't need to give her any reason to look at me at all.
I smiled painfully. “No, I didn't recognize him. But I don't think I've ever met him before.” I choked out, waving a hand at Lyla to get me another drink. Gracie grabbed a handful of peanuts and tossed them into her mouth.
“They're only like Rinard royalty for Christ's sake. They are the most perfect couple. It's almost sickening,” she remarked.
Sickening is right. I felt like a moron. And more than that I wanted to punch Jordan in his stupidly gorgeous face. He had been totally leading me on and that did not sit well with me. I noticed that Jordan was making a point to stay on the other side of the bar.