One Kiss (One Kiss Book 1)

03. Deal

Drew

My friends already have a nickname for Haley - nerd. Not a very original nickname but they make fun of her anyway. I go along with their jokes for the fun of it without telling them that I know her.

We are in the locker room after practice. I am putting on my shirt when Jason Jackson asks me, "What do you say we make a bet?"

I chuckle. "What's the bet?"

"I would bet on my car that you wouldn't kiss her in front of everyone."

He knows I like his car better than mine. He owns a Lamborghini for crying out loud. Why would he bet on his car? He really thinks I do not have the balls to do it? I would do anything for a Lamborghini.

"Deal." What could possibly go wrong? I have nothing to lose - possibly my dignity but I would regain that with the Lamborghini.

"What if he changes his mind?" Brody Groves asks Jason.

Jason stares at the lockers blankly with his hands on his hips, thinking about it for a minute. Then he looks at me. "You have to set me up on a date with Rosie Bright."

Rosie Bright is an ex of mine. She is also the hottest girl in school, according to most of the guys. I used to think so too before I dated her. Our relationship lasted a month and all the guys on the football team wanted to know all the details of how she was in bed. I gave them enough information to leave me in peace.

I do not want to speak to her ever again. She talked my ear off for a whole week after I broke up with her. "Deal," I say. I am sure that I will win this bet. It will be as easy as playing football for me. "Are you prepared to lose?"

"Not a chance. You won't have the balls to do it."

I am up for the challenge. "I'll do it today during lunch. You'll see."

The whole team roars and applauds in unison. I laugh and shake my head at their reaction.

Lunchtime comes sooner than I expected. I try not to think about kissing Haley. Instead I focus on the reward - Jason's Lamborghini. Eyes on the price. I own an Audi but I prefer a Lamborghini over it any day. I sit with the guys at a table in the cafeteria and we wait for Haley to show up. She enters a minute later with another girl. They both wear the same hideous kind of clothes - casual and plain.

Jason slaps my back. "Off you go."

I stand up and walk toward Haley and her friend whose name I do not know. I stop in front of her, blocking her way.

"What do you want?" she spits out. She is still pissed at me.

I do not reply to her question. In a split second I hold her head with both hands and press my lips to hers. I feel my lips tingling as they touch hers. What is this? I never felt this with other girls before.

Haley stops the kiss before I can explore this feeling by pushing my chest and stepping backward.

She looks even more pissed at me than before if that is even possible. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Nothing." I already won the bet and I do not need to explain anything to her. She is better off not knowing what this is about.

I turn and walk back to my friends. The applaud loudly except Jason who looks at me flabbergasted. He was not expecting me to go through with it. "You owe me a Lamborghini," I tell him. Everyone else congratulates me and teases Jason for losing his car.

When everyone calms down, my thoughts are consumed by Haley. The way her lips felt on mine. She did not kiss me back but I wanted more anyway. Why did she not kiss me back? I look around but I do not see her anywhere - not even her friend. Where is she?  Why do I even care? She is not family, my girlfriend or my friend. My thoughts go back to what my mother told me before we went to pick up Haley from the airport: "Be nice to her. She just lost her mother, her only family." I shake all thoughts of Haley out of my head and focus on my friends.