empty at the table.
From a foot away, Snow could still feel Riley trembling. All around the big room, people whispered and stared. Snow wanted to run. No way. He had to be the strong one. He rested a hand on Riley’s arm. “Why don’t we go use some of those drink tickets?”
“What? Oh, good idea.”
Snow pulled him toward the back bar. Suddenly a big hand landed on Riley’s shoulder. “Hey, man, those dudes give new meaning to the term spherical asshole, and I don’t mean that in a good way. Come on over to our table. I sent Wiznicki and his girl over to hang out with the homophobes.”
Snow looked up at the tall, lanky guy he’d seen in the coach’s office. Danny.
Danny stuck out his hand. “Hi. I remember you. Hell, I’d want to come out for you too. You are fucking beautiful. I’m Danny. Remember me?”
Snow grinned. “No filters?”
“That would be me.”
Riley nodded, though he didn’t quite smile. “Thanks, Danny. We’re in.” They followed Danny to a round table where Snow met Stanley and Esther, Ed and his fiancée, Jennifer, and Danny’s date, Carlos Herrera. Carlos was out of college and in dentistry school, and he must have practiced on himself, because his teeth were gorgeous.
While the band played, most people concentrated on food and the nonalcoholic punch rather than dancing. When Riley and Snow got back to their seats, Carlos passed a flask to Riley. “Here, man. That punch needs a lot of help.”
Riley held up a hand. “I better not. I’m designated driver. But Snow can have all he wants.”
Snow shook his head. “I’m not much of a drinker. Thanks.”
They both picked at their food. Riley talked a little football with Danny, but he didn’t look comfortable. A rise in noise volume near the entrance made them both look up in time to see Courtney arrive on the arm of a handsome guy Snow had seen on the football team. “Who’s that?”
“Second-string quarterback. He’s a junior. He’ll take over as first-string for me after I graduate. He’s good.”
Danny leaned over. “Looks like she promoted him to first-string already. Way to get even, I guess.”
Snow watched her smile and cling to her date’s arm. If he didn’t know she’d been a beard for Riley, he’d have thought she was a betrayed woman paying him back.
Another tall, athletic-looking guy stopped behind them, a pretty girl on his arm. He patted Riley’s shoulder. “Hey, man, good to see you.”
“Thanks.”
He held out a hand to Snow. “I’m Mike Henderson. This is my girl, Sheila.” She smiled. Mike looked back at Riley. “I heard. Takes guts. I’m proud of you, man.”
Riley looked half pleased and half embarrassed. “Thanks.”
“See ya.” He walked off.
Snow said, “He seems like a nice guy.”
“Yeah. Captain of the lacrosse team. We’re not close, but I like him.”
The music got a bit louder, and more people hit the floor. Carlos took Danny’s hand. “Come on, guapo. Let’s show them how it’s done.”
As Carlos and Danny walked to the floor with lots of eyes following them, Professor Kingsley and Anitra danced by. Wow. She swooped and twirled, holding her pure white dress out to the side like she was performing in some kind of Viennese opera. The dress outdid everything in the room—so much so that it hovered at ostentatious, but Anitra’s bold features and flaming hair beat the flamboyance of the gown into submission. Professor Kingsley smiled, but under the twinkle lights his face looked gray and his cheeks sunken.
Riley whispered, “Is Professor Kingsley okay?”
“I don’t know. He’s been really tired lately.”
Danny cha-chaed up to Riley. “Come on, man. Get out here and show some support for the team.”
“Team?”
“The rainbow team. Come on.” He danced away.
Riley looked a little ill himself. “You want to?”
“No need. You’ve made enough of a statement for one night.”
Riley stared at the dance floor. “Oh hell, come on.” He
From a foot away, Snow could still feel Riley trembling. All around the big room, people whispered and stared. Snow wanted to run. No way. He had to be the strong one. He rested a hand on Riley’s arm. “Why don’t we go use some of those drink tickets?”
“What? Oh, good idea.”
Snow pulled him toward the back bar. Suddenly a big hand landed on Riley’s shoulder. “Hey, man, those dudes give new meaning to the term spherical asshole, and I don’t mean that in a good way. Come on over to our table. I sent Wiznicki and his girl over to hang out with the homophobes.”
Snow looked up at the tall, lanky guy he’d seen in the coach’s office. Danny.
Danny stuck out his hand. “Hi. I remember you. Hell, I’d want to come out for you too. You are fucking beautiful. I’m Danny. Remember me?”
Snow grinned. “No filters?”
“That would be me.”
Riley nodded, though he didn’t quite smile. “Thanks, Danny. We’re in.” They followed Danny to a round table where Snow met Stanley and Esther, Ed and his fiancée, Jennifer, and Danny’s date, Carlos Herrera. Carlos was out of college and in dentistry school, and he must have practiced on himself, because his teeth were gorgeous.
While the band played, most people concentrated on food and the nonalcoholic punch rather than dancing. When Riley and Snow got back to their seats, Carlos passed a flask to Riley. “Here, man. That punch needs a lot of help.”
Riley held up a hand. “I better not. I’m designated driver. But Snow can have all he wants.”
Snow shook his head. “I’m not much of a drinker. Thanks.”
They both picked at their food. Riley talked a little football with Danny, but he didn’t look comfortable. A rise in noise volume near the entrance made them both look up in time to see Courtney arrive on the arm of a handsome guy Snow had seen on the football team. “Who’s that?”
“Second-string quarterback. He’s a junior. He’ll take over as first-string for me after I graduate. He’s good.”
Danny leaned over. “Looks like she promoted him to first-string already. Way to get even, I guess.”
Snow watched her smile and cling to her date’s arm. If he didn’t know she’d been a beard for Riley, he’d have thought she was a betrayed woman paying him back.
Another tall, athletic-looking guy stopped behind them, a pretty girl on his arm. He patted Riley’s shoulder. “Hey, man, good to see you.”
“Thanks.”
He held out a hand to Snow. “I’m Mike Henderson. This is my girl, Sheila.” She smiled. Mike looked back at Riley. “I heard. Takes guts. I’m proud of you, man.”
Riley looked half pleased and half embarrassed. “Thanks.”
“See ya.” He walked off.
Snow said, “He seems like a nice guy.”
“Yeah. Captain of the lacrosse team. We’re not close, but I like him.”
The music got a bit louder, and more people hit the floor. Carlos took Danny’s hand. “Come on, guapo. Let’s show them how it’s done.”
As Carlos and Danny walked to the floor with lots of eyes following them, Professor Kingsley and Anitra danced by. Wow. She swooped and twirled, holding her pure white dress out to the side like she was performing in some kind of Viennese opera. The dress outdid everything in the room—so much so that it hovered at ostentatious, but Anitra’s bold features and flaming hair beat the flamboyance of the gown into submission. Professor Kingsley smiled, but under the twinkle lights his face looked gray and his cheeks sunken.
Riley whispered, “Is Professor Kingsley okay?”
“I don’t know. He’s been really tired lately.”
Danny cha-chaed up to Riley. “Come on, man. Get out here and show some support for the team.”
“Team?”
“The rainbow team. Come on.” He danced away.
Riley looked a little ill himself. “You want to?”
“No need. You’ve made enough of a statement for one night.”
Riley stared at the dance floor. “Oh hell, come on.” He
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