stared down at his hand, twined with Riley’s. “I’ve never felt the slightest twinge of attraction to a girl. Since I didn’t have any peer pressure to date girls or moon over them, I just accepted that for me, boys were the thing.”
“No religious stuff?”
He shook his head. “I come from a family of scientists. I didn’t know my parents well because they were constantly traveling on research expeditions. Even my grandmother was a mathematician. Never went to church.”
“Probably just as well. My parents had to struggle a little with their religious upbringing but came down firmly on my side. I’ve always been grateful and appreciative.”
“So if they accept you, why shouldn’t other people? Certainly no one else has more right to judge.”
“You do have a clear way of seeing things.”
Wish Winston thought so. “Just makes sense.”
“Have I told you how beautiful you look in your tux? I didn’t think anything could shine like your hair, but that does. Man.”
Snow ran a hand over the silk. “I asked the tailor to give me something fashionable. I never could have picked it on my own. They don’t make tuxedos in khaki.”
Riley laughed. “You’ll be the most gorgeous man at the ball.”
“Have you looked in the mirror?”
“Thank you. It means so much to me to have you with me. Not nearly as scared. Let’s go in and have fun.”
Snow opened the car door and stepped out. He wasn’t going to say that sometimes, for him, fun could be challenging.
CHAPTER 10
INSTANT AWKWARD. Riley walked up beside Snow and tucked his hand through his arm. As they got closer to the club doors and more and more students and faculty appeared, Riley’s arm got tenser, until Snow slipped his arm out and they walked side by side. Inside, they lined up with people waiting to check in at the reception table. People said hi to Riley and glanced at Snow, but no one asked the obvious—until they got up to the head of the English department, Mrs. Ishwood. She beamed. “Riley, great to see you.” She looked right past Snow. “Where’s Courtney?”
“Uh, I don’t know, ma’am.” She frowned. “We’re not together anymore.”
“Oh dear. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to pour salt in wounds.”
“No, ma’am, it’s fine.”
“So sorry.” She passed him his nametag and an envelope. “Your drink and food tickets are in there, for you and—oh dear.”
He took the envelope. “Thank you.”
She looked up at Snow with a slight crease between her brows. “You’re that chess boy, aren’t you?”
“Snowden Reynaldi, ma’am.”
She searched through her list. “I don’t have you down.”
Riley took an audible breath. “He’s my, uh, guest, Mrs. Ishwood.”
“Oh, good. Good.” She looked confused, and the man next to her, one of the music instructors, nudged her. She looked at him, then back up at them. “Well, have a good time.”
As they walked away, she turned to the music guy, and her face lit up with understanding. Clearly Mrs. Ishwood wasn’t high on the rumor tree.
At the door to the ballroom, a group of girls and guys all tried to crowd through at once. The crush pushed Riley against Snow, and he actually jumped. He looked down. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay.”
Inside, music blared and people milled around, some checking the numbers on their tickets with the numbers on the tables. A long buffet lined the walls around the room, but apparently they were supposed to go get the food according to table number. Riley examined the tickets. Snow saw the number four. When Riley glanced around the room, his gaze fixed on table four and his fair skin turned whiter. Of course, he’d been seated with his teammates and fraternity brothers, one of whom was Rog. Rog sat next to a woman who would have stolen the sexy crown from JLo. Sitting next to her was a much bigger African American guy who nodded toward Riley, but he didn’t smile or wave him over. Two seats sat conspicuously
“No religious stuff?”
He shook his head. “I come from a family of scientists. I didn’t know my parents well because they were constantly traveling on research expeditions. Even my grandmother was a mathematician. Never went to church.”
“Probably just as well. My parents had to struggle a little with their religious upbringing but came down firmly on my side. I’ve always been grateful and appreciative.”
“So if they accept you, why shouldn’t other people? Certainly no one else has more right to judge.”
“You do have a clear way of seeing things.”
Wish Winston thought so. “Just makes sense.”
“Have I told you how beautiful you look in your tux? I didn’t think anything could shine like your hair, but that does. Man.”
Snow ran a hand over the silk. “I asked the tailor to give me something fashionable. I never could have picked it on my own. They don’t make tuxedos in khaki.”
Riley laughed. “You’ll be the most gorgeous man at the ball.”
“Have you looked in the mirror?”
“Thank you. It means so much to me to have you with me. Not nearly as scared. Let’s go in and have fun.”
Snow opened the car door and stepped out. He wasn’t going to say that sometimes, for him, fun could be challenging.
CHAPTER 10
INSTANT AWKWARD. Riley walked up beside Snow and tucked his hand through his arm. As they got closer to the club doors and more and more students and faculty appeared, Riley’s arm got tenser, until Snow slipped his arm out and they walked side by side. Inside, they lined up with people waiting to check in at the reception table. People said hi to Riley and glanced at Snow, but no one asked the obvious—until they got up to the head of the English department, Mrs. Ishwood. She beamed. “Riley, great to see you.” She looked right past Snow. “Where’s Courtney?”
“Uh, I don’t know, ma’am.” She frowned. “We’re not together anymore.”
“Oh dear. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to pour salt in wounds.”
“No, ma’am, it’s fine.”
“So sorry.” She passed him his nametag and an envelope. “Your drink and food tickets are in there, for you and—oh dear.”
He took the envelope. “Thank you.”
She looked up at Snow with a slight crease between her brows. “You’re that chess boy, aren’t you?”
“Snowden Reynaldi, ma’am.”
She searched through her list. “I don’t have you down.”
Riley took an audible breath. “He’s my, uh, guest, Mrs. Ishwood.”
“Oh, good. Good.” She looked confused, and the man next to her, one of the music instructors, nudged her. She looked at him, then back up at them. “Well, have a good time.”
As they walked away, she turned to the music guy, and her face lit up with understanding. Clearly Mrs. Ishwood wasn’t high on the rumor tree.
At the door to the ballroom, a group of girls and guys all tried to crowd through at once. The crush pushed Riley against Snow, and he actually jumped. He looked down. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay.”
Inside, music blared and people milled around, some checking the numbers on their tickets with the numbers on the tables. A long buffet lined the walls around the room, but apparently they were supposed to go get the food according to table number. Riley examined the tickets. Snow saw the number four. When Riley glanced around the room, his gaze fixed on table four and his fair skin turned whiter. Of course, he’d been seated with his teammates and fraternity brothers, one of whom was Rog. Rog sat next to a woman who would have stolen the sexy crown from JLo. Sitting next to her was a much bigger African American guy who nodded toward Riley, but he didn’t smile or wave him over. Two seats sat conspicuously
Similar Books
