Diving in Deep (A Bay State University Novel Book 2) Read online

  Kayleigh smiled at us. “So, do you have plans with Anthony tonight?” she asked me.

  “I think so. I have to find him after I shower and get dressed,” I told her.

  We both quickly showered and put on our yoga pants and hoodies. Kayleigh and I were talking about our plans for the night as we left the locker room. As usual, Major was waiting for her.

  “You were wonderful,” Major told her, pulling her in for a hug.

  “Thanks,” she beamed.

  “And Karma, that last dive you did was incredible,” he told me.

  “Thanks Major,” I said.

  “Hey, a few of us are going out to eat later. Do you want to join us?” Major asked me.

  “She has plans,” a voice said from behind me.

  “Oh, hi, Anthony,” I said, a little startled. “I didn’t see you there.” We all stood there for a minute before I remembered my manners. “Anthony, this is my best friend Kayleigh and her boyfriend Major. Kayleigh, Major, this is Anthony.”

  “Nice to meet you,” Major said, reaching out to shake Anthony’s hand.

  “Hi,” Kayleigh said and waved. “I’ll see you back at the dorm, Karma.”

  Major and Kayleigh left, and I turned to give Anthony my full attention.

  “Hi. I’m really glad you were able to make it. Did you see the whole competition?”

  “No, there was something I had to take care of earlier, but I did see the last hour. I had no idea you were that good.”

  For some reason, that last statement irritated me. “If I wasn’t good, I wouldn’t have gotten a scholarship to come here,” I said.

  He smiled. “I guess, I didn’t say that right. I meant good like the divers I see on TV during the Olympics. It was amazing to see.”

  “Oh,” I said and smiled. “That’s a better way to compliment a girl. So, you mentioned I have plans later. What did you have in mind?”

  “My mother is throwing a party for her clients, sort of like a customer appreciation thing. I was hoping you’d want to go with me.”

  “I’m always up for a good party,” I told him. “Is this like a fancy, ball gown wearing thing? Because if that’s the case I have nothing to wear. And I don’t mean that as in, I have a million things to choose from and I don’t like any of them. I mean, I don’t own a gown.”

  He let out a loud laugh. “You’re a refreshing change from most of the people I know, Karma. It’s a cocktail party. But the majority of the people there will be older, so does that help with what to wear? I just have to put on a suit, so I don’t usually worry about dresses.”

  I smiled at the look on his face. “I’m sure I can come up with something appropriate. Will dinner be involved?”

  “Of course,” he said. “Dinner then the party. And we don’t have to stay there all night. My mother likes it when I put in an appearance, but I find most of those things really boring.”

  “Okay, deal,” I said.

  “Great, I’ll pick you up at seven,” he told me.

  “Looking forward to it.”

  He walked me to the dorm. I went upstairs to start getting ready. If I was going to a cocktail party for rich people, I was going to have to look my best.

  ****

  Bodie

  Me: Want to grab a bite to eat tonight?

  I sent the text to Tiffany and set my phone down. She was working, so I was surprised when she texted me back right away.

  Tiffany: Sure

  Me: I’ll pick you up at 6:00

  Tiffany: Tell me where and I’ll meet you

  Me: You don’t have a car, so I’ll pick you up

  Tiffany: This isn’t a date

  Me: I know. Friends are allowed to pick each other up.

  Tiffany: Fine. I’ll need to get out of the apartment anyway. Where are we going?

  Me: Alberto’s. I hope you like Italian.

  Tiffany: Love it. See you later.

  Over the last week, Tiffany and I had texted back and forth a lot. She was funny and down to earth. The best part was that I had no sexual feelings towards her at all. It was relaxing talking to her.

  “You’re smiling,” Major said, when he walked into the dorm we shared. “Got a hot date later?”

  “Nah, but I did invite Tiffany to join us for dinner,” I told him.

  He raised his eyebrows.

  “It’s not like that,” I said. “We’re just friends. Really. She’s hung up on her best friend’s guy. I’m just someone she can talk to.”

  “Fine,” he said, raising his hands in surrender. “When was the last time you got laid?”

  “What does that have to do with anything?” I asked.

  “Just answer me.”

  I thought about it for a minute. “Friday.”

  “Like yesterday?”

  “No, last Friday.”

  “What the fuck, dude? You had more pussy than that in high school. What’s going on?”

  “Nothing,” I said.

  “Bullshit. It’s because of Karma isn’t it?”

  “What? No.”

  “Then what is it? The Bodie I know has women practically following him around everywhere, like the Pied Piper or something.”

  That actually made me smile. “I’m fine, really, man. I mean it. I’m not depressed or some shit like that. It’s only been a week since I had sex, it’s not like it’s been a month or something. When I see someone I want to fuck, I’ll do it.”

  Major just shook his head at me. “Whatever,” he said, but not like he really believed me.

  A couple of hours later, I left to go pick up Tiffany. She was waiting outside her apartment when I got there.

  “Everything okay?” I asked, as she got in the car.

  “Yeah, it’s hard to see them together sometimes. I’m seriously considering finding a new place to live,” she told me.

  “It’s that bad, huh?”

  “Yeah. I’ve known Trevor forever and I’ve liked him for almost as long, but I guess he never saw me that way. It just hurts to think about it when I see how happy they are together.”

  “Yeah, that’s gotta suck. So enough about Trevor tonight. I hope you’re hungry. Alberto’s doesn’t do anything small.”

  “I’m starving actually,” she said with a smile. “I haven’t eaten since this morning.”

  “Good. I mean, not good that you haven’t eaten, but good that you’re hungry. Have you been to Alberto’s before?” I asked her.

  “No, but I’ve heard about it.”

  “You’ll love it,” I said. “And by the way, Major and Kayleigh will be there. Kayleigh had a competition today and we usually go out to celebrate afterwards.”

  “No problem. I like meeting new people.”

  We beat Major and Kayleigh to the restaurant. We got a table and ordered drinks.

  “Get whatever you want,” I told her. “Dinner is on me tonight.”

  “You’re not paying for me. I told you this is not a date,” she said firmly.

  I grinned at her. “I know it’s not a date. But I like to do nice things for my friends, so let me buy you dinner.”

  “Don’t bother arguing with him, you won’t win.”

  I looked up to see Major smiling at us. He and Kayleigh sat in the booth across from us.

  “Tiffany, this is my best friend, Major and his girlfriend, Kayleigh,” I said. “And he’s right, no one ever wins an argument with me.”

  “You sure are arrogant,” Tiffany said, but I could see a smile forming on her lips.

  “And stubborn,” Kayleigh added. “Nice to meet you, Tiffany.”

  The waiter brought our drinks and took Major and Kayleigh’s order. Both Kayleigh and Tiffany asked a lot of questions about the menu, since neither of them had been here before. I ordered a couple appetizers for the table since I was starving, and I wasn’t sure either of the girls would ever decide what they wanted.

  When the fried ravioli and bruschetta arrived, the girls had finally picked something. We all dug into the a
ppetizers. It didn’t take us long to devour them.

  “Have you eaten today?” I asked Kayleigh.

  “Not since the meet,” she said, and grabbed another piece of bruschetta.

  “Meet?” Tiffany asked her.

  “Kayleigh is on the swim team at Bay State,” I said. “They had a competition today.”

  “Oh wow,” Tiffany said. “How did you do?”

  “I only placed first in two events today,” Kayleigh told her.

  “How many do you do?”

  “Nine.”

  “Holy shit,” Tiffany said. “Do you do anything but swim?”

  Kayleigh laughed. “Yes. I have a full class schedule and I even have time to have fun.”

  By the time dinner was over, Tiffany and Kayleigh had plans for a girl’s night. For some reason, I was glad they were getting along.

  “I like her,” Major said, as we were leaving. “She’s not like the people we grew up with. She’s …”

  “She’s like Kayleigh and Karma,” I said interrupting him.

  “Yeah,” he said grinning. “And you’re sure you don’t want to date her?”

  “I don’t date,” I said seriously. “Do you think I want to turn into a pussy like you?”

  “Fuck you,” Major said, but was laughing. “One day you’re going to fall hard for someone and I’m just going to laugh.”

  “Not going to happen,” I said, and I meant it.

  Chapter 10

  Karma

  I’d spent the last few hours getting ready for my date with Anthony. I straightened my normally wavy hair and took extra care with my makeup. I looked through my closet and smiled when I saw the royal blue dress that I had for special occasions. I paired it with my favorite three-inch black stilettos and a simple silver necklace.

  “Perfect,” I said to myself, when I looked in the mirror.

  It was almost seven, so I went downstairs to meet Anthony. I got several appreciative looks from guys as I walked through the dorm lobby which put a little extra swagger in my walk. He was waiting outside when I reached the door.

  “Wow,” he said, when he saw me. “You look stunning, Karma.”

  “Thanks,” I said, doing a little twirl. “Will I pass your mother’s fancy party test?”

  “It’s not a test, but you’ll fit right in. Shall we?” he said, and put his elbow out like a proper gentleman.

  I grinned and looped my arm through his.

  Dinner was at a trendy seafood restaurant and everything was delicious. By the time we were done, I was starting to get a little nervous about the party. My having a tendency to say whatever was on my mind probably wasn’t going to go over very well with the wealthy crowd, so I was going to have to watch what I said.

  We left campus and he drove us to a place called Eastwoods. When we walked in, we were greeted by a man in a suit who showed us to a table in the middle of the restaurant. He held the chair out for me while Anthony took a seat across the table. After I was seated, I took a moment to look around. The lighting was dim and the whole palace had an intimate feel to it.

  “Have you ever been here before?” Anthony asked.

  “No. I think it’s a little out of my price range.”

  “You’re in for a treat then. I think they have some of the best food around.”

  Our waiter filled out water glasses, gave us menus and told us the specials.

  I decided on the grilled chicken breast in a white wine sauce and Anthony ordered a steak.

  While we waited, he asked me about the rest of the meet he didn’t see and wanted to know how the team was doing overall. I loved that he was interested in my passion. I told him about my family and what it was like growing up in Tulsa.

  By the time the food came, I was practically drooling. I was starving and the whole restaurant smelled heavenly. The first bite of the chicken had me wanting more. The sauce was full of flavor but not overpowering, the chicken was super tender, and the rice pilaf added a nice texture.

  “Did you just moan?” Anthony asked me.

  “Um … maybe? It’s really good.”

  He chuckled. “You may want to keep the moaning to a minimum at the party, or I can’t be held responsible for my actions.”

  “That sounds like a challenge.”

  He shook his head. “At least, I can say you’re not boring like the people I normally hang out with.”

  “I’ve never been accused of being boring.” I winked at him.

  When we were finished, he drove us to his place. An actual valet took his keys and moved his car to somewhere away from the main entrance to the house. A butler or something was waiting at the door and opened it for us.

  Stepping into the foyer was like stepping into a different world. The large, open space was expertly decorated, and everything looked expensive. The floors were white marble and dark wood accents were used for the doors and staircase. In the center of the foyer was a table with a huge vase full of fresh flowers. I wondered if they were just for the party or every day.

  “Shall we?” Anthony asked, and held his arm out for me.

  I nodded and looped my arm through his. He led us into a large room full of people. I guessed there were at least a hundred people there and all of them were around the same age as my parents. The men were all wearing suits like Anthony and the women were all in dresses. I was really glad I was dressed appropriately. I’d been worried about that.

  “Can I get you something to drink?” he asked.

  “Water would be great,” I told him.

  “Coming right up,” he said, and went to the area that was set up as a bar.

  Luckily, he wasn’t gone long. He handed me a champagne glass full of something bubbly. I put it to my nose and sniffed it. That made him laugh.

  “It’s just sparkling water Karma. They didn’t have any bottled water.”

  “Oh. Cool, thanks.”

  Anthony started making the rounds. He stopped and talked to a few people. Everyone was very polite. When he introduced me, he just said I was Karma, not his girlfriend or anything else, and I appreciated that.

  “Anthony, you made it,” a beautiful woman said, and hugged him.

  “Yes, mother. I told you I’d be here,” he said to her.

  “And who is this beautiful young lady?” she asked.

  “Mother, this is Karma. She’s on the dive team at Bay State.”

  “How lovely,” she said, and seemed to mean it. “Did Anthony tell you he was on the fencing team there?”

  “Yes, he did actually,” I said, with a smile.

  “We were so proud of him. I suspect your parents are as well.”

  “Yes, they are,” I said. “It would be nice if they were closer though.”

  “Where are you from?”

  “Tulsa. Oklahoma,” I added.

  “You’re a long way from home,” she said. “Are you here just for diving?”

  “I got a scholarship to Bay State to dive, but I take my education seriously.”

  She smiled at that. “Smart, athletic, and beautiful. Take care of her, Anthony,” she said and went to greet someone else.

  “So, it looks like I passed the mom test,” I said.

  “I knew you would. And it wasn’t a test,” he said, grinning at me.

  “Whatever,” I said smiling back. “So, how long do we have to stay here?”

  “At least another thirty minutes. Bored already?”

  “No. But I’d really like to show you what I have on under my dress.”

  I think he muttered “fuck” under his breath, but he looked at me and said, “You’re going to pay for that later.”

  “I hope so,” I told him.

  He shook his head. “It’s going to be a long thirty minutes.”

  ****

  We ended up staying at the party for over an hour. Every time we’d try and leave, his mother was introducing him to someone else. It was funny watching him try to be polite when I know he just wanted to tell everyone to fuck o
ff.

  Finally, we snuck out of the party and walked the short distance to the guest house. As soon as the door shut, his mouth was on mine.

  “That was fucking torture,” he said, when he pulled back. “All I could think about was getting you naked. I was hoping no one would notice how hard I was for you.”

  I took that opportunity to find out for myself if he was still hard. I opened his suit jacket and put my hand on the front of his pants. I looked at him and grinned.

  “I think we need to do something about that,” I told him, and kneeled down in front of him.

  I undid his pants and pushed them down, along with his boxer briefs. I smiled as I watched his cock spring free. Without saying a word, I covered his dick with my mouth. I heard him suck in a breath of air and I grinned. I’d always liked having this power over a guy. A minute later, he stopped me and pulled up his pants.

  “I need to be inside you,” he said, and picked me up.

  I loved it when a man was so hot for me, he couldn’t wait, it was a huge turn on for me. Anthony set me down in the middle of the bed.

  “You are breathtaking, Karma,” he said, looking down at me.

  “I think I have too many clothes on,” I told him.

  “I think you’re right,” he said, and picked me up off the bed and set me on the floor.

  I stripped out of my dress and watched his face as he saw that my bra and panties were the same color as the dress. I started to take off my shoes.

  “Leave those on,” he said, with a devilish grin.

  I smiled right back and slowly took off my bra, then my panties.

  “Much better,” he said, giving me an appreciative look.

  “I think it’s your turn,” I said, and moved back to the bed.

  Anthony wasn’t slow about getting undressed. His clothes seemed to fly everywhere and before I knew it, he had a condom on and was slamming into me.

  “Fuck that feels good,” he said, and I had to agree.

  I liked sex a lot of different ways. I knew this was going to be quick and dirty, and that was exactly what I needed right now. I came calling his name and he came right after me.

  “Wow,” I said, when I could breathe again. “I think we need to do that again.”