*First book in the Claremont Celebrities Series*
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Rylie Hickens is a small author living with her friends Nina and Mara. One morning after her friends went to the football game against Washington, Nina brought back a player from the opposing team...
Four days pass, and it's Wednesday. By now I'd gotten my mind to almost forget about that one contact in my phone.
It sounds vain, but it feels good to have someone like Dylan's contact in my phone. I would never flaunt it, or use it against him in any way, but it feels empowering somehow.
I walk through the aisles of the local supermarket in Claremont, backpack in the child seat in the cart. Since I don't do school and only work a couple of days a week, I am in charge of shopping and running errands most of the time.
When I get to the checkout, I scan all of my items. I grab the card out of my wallet—the one we all put money on for household shopping—and run it through the scanner.
"Well, if I don't believe my eyes," a voice says behind me.
I turn around and gasp. Behind me, is Dylan--standing quite close if I might add. I didn't think I would see him again.
I turn back toward my groceries and load them into the cart. "What are you still doing in California?"
"My family lives around here so I made an extended stay out of it," he shrugs.
I push the cart toward the automatic doors and he follows. I ask, "What about your classes? Don't you have to be a scholar to be on the team?"
"Yeah, but I'm doing well in all of my classes."
"Surprising," I let out sarcastically. He just has to be famous, a football player, and smart apparently.
He gives me an odd look and says, "Why aren't you at class."
"I don't go to school. Only my friends do."
"Oh, hm."
"What?"
"You just seem like the type to go to school." He quickly adds, "No offense."
My lips tip up, "None taken." I look at his hands, he has no groceries in them. "Are you stalking me?" I tease.
He shakes his head slowly, "No, I walked in and saw you at the checkout and thought I would say hi."
We get to the end of the curb where my car is parked and I say, "I should get home, I have perishables."
He nods, "See you around."
"Hopefully not."
He laughs shortly and turns on his heel toward the store again.
I grab my phone from my pocket and go straight to the group chat with Nina and Mara. At the bottom of the message chain is still the image of Dylan and I roll my eyes. He didn't look nearly as clingy in the photo as he seemed in person.
Rylie: You guys will never guess who I just ran into
Mara: Jason? Mara: WHO
Rylie: 🤢
Mara: Who is it??
Rylie: Dylan Rylie: I was getting our groceries and he just walked up behind me at the store
Nina: Omg what?! Nina: He's still in Cali?
Rylie: Yeah Rylie: I'll explain later
I smile as I put my phone in my pocket and load the groceries into the back of my car.
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On the couch, I'm writing when Mara and Nina bustle into the apartment and run full speed at me.
Mara demands, "Tell us," sitting backward on the couch so she is looking straight at me. She's on her knees so she's even looking down at me too. Nina sits more calmly on the other side of me.
"What happened?" she asks again.
I sit up straighter, "He walked up behind me in the store when I was checking out and said something like he couldn't believe his eyes?" They both sit more patiently than before and wait for me to continue. "Then I asked him why he was still in California and he said his family lives around Claremont." I shrug, "He asked if I was in school too I think, then he left to go back into the store."
They both blankly blink at me for so long that I think the cartoon blinking noise will start playing.
Nina finally says, "That's it? No juicy details?"
Mara sighs, "How will I get my fix of hot football players if you don't give me anything?"
I laugh, "If I remember correctly, you're the one that was bringing all the guys into our apartment months ago."
"That's not fair," she squints her eyes.
I laugh harder, "I'm not judging, but if anything, you're the one getting the most fixes."
Nina giggles and asks, "What was he wearing?"
I am about to answer when I realize I don't know. I'd been so concentrated on him the whole time that I didn't even notice.
"I don't remember, honestly."
Mara gets up and walks to the kitchen, "I don't know why I'm friends with you. You keep all the details to yourself."
Nina smiles and gets up to grab the remote from the coffee table and sits back down.
I go back to writing.
It's always the evenings like this that I like so much. Where Mara makes dinner, while Nina's shows fill the comfortable silence as I write.
🪿 Awh yes... the completely coincidental meeting 😌
