“Who? The ones just now? Yeah, they’re too drunk. That’s not my thing.”
“No,” I say. “The sisters. Stay away from them.”
“Both?” he asks, incredulous. “Dude, you can’t have them both....unless youcan?”
“Dude,” I say, shaking my head. I throw some money on the table to cover my drinks. “What are you, like thirty? Grow up.”
I don’t wait to hear whatever smartass thing Connor has to say next. Sometimes he’s funny, but most of the time he’s just loud, obnoxious, and gross.
I shake my head as I push out the door, the cool night air cutting through the heat in my chest.
Outside, the noise fades. I pull out my phone to figure out the walk back to the hotel, glad for the quiet.
By the time I’m in my room, I’m calmer. A hot shower helps. Mostly.
After, I towel off and grab my phone again, thumb hovering over Emma’s name.
We’d agreed to go on a date, but our schedules haven’t lined up yet. I’m hoping it’s just that, not her getting cold feet.
I really want to see her. To spend time with her.
My life’s a goddamn mess, and yeah, maybe I should keep her out of it, but fate, coincidence, whatever you want to call it, brought her back.
And I’m not about to let her slip away again.
Liam:What are you up to?
She responds quickly to my basic check-in text.
Emma:Hey, you. At work. How was the game?
Liam:Good. We won.
Liam:I won’t bug you if you’re working.
Emma:I’m due for a break. Want to Facetime?
Liam:Sure. I’d love to see that beautiful face of yours.
She sends back a blushing emoji, and a few minutes later, my phone buzzes with a FaceTime call.
“Hey,” I say.
She grins. “Hey, to you. Are you at the hotel with the team?”
I nod. “Yeah. The guys went out. I went for a bit, but it wasn’t my scene, so I left early.”
“Not feeling like showing your moves on the dance floor tonight, huh?”
“Only for you,” I answer, and though I mean it, I try to make it sound jokey and flirty. I peer into the camera. “Where are you? It’s so dark.”
“Oh,” she says with a little laugh, switching the direction of the camera so I can see. “It’s our breakroom. No one is in here right now, though.”
“What’s in there?” I’m squinting, looking like a nosey old man.
“Um...a table and chairs, some lockers...” She wanders around the space. “There are two little sleeping nooks, and in the back, there’s a shower and restroom.”
“Have you ever taken a nap in those? What did you call them...nooks?”
