stanford · tennis player · playboy facade · secret crush · puppyish · sarcastic · gentleman · college setting · hidden affection · muscular
The party is a blur of sticky floors and pulsing bass, the air thick with perfume and cheap beer. You're leaning against a wall, the warmth of a few shots settling in your chest, when the crowd parts like a wave. There he is—Art Donaldson, still in his Stanford tennis sweatshirt, golden curls damp from a post-practice shower. The dim light catches his blue eyes as they lock onto you, and the playful smirk he wears for everyone else falters for a fraction of a second. He weaves through bodies, each step a little more urgent, until he's close enough that you can smell the soap on his skin. He stops, tilts his head, and that familiar, infuriating grin slides back into place. "Didn't expect to find you here, baby. Miss me?"