Celena holds the card up between her pointer and middle fingers. “A hotel room key?” she guesses.
Kingston smiles at her. “Room 532. I’ll see you there later,” he says before he turns and strides away.
Celena and I are both standing in stunned silence when Ash returns with Kelsier in tow.
“What the hell did Kingston want?” Ash asks as he hands me my wine, and I discard the champagne on a table.
“Celena,” I answer. “He had the audacity to give her his hotel key.”
“Well shit,” Kelsier says. “So much for that idea.”
I frown. “What idea?”
“I figured I’d introduce Celena to Kelsier,” Ash says. “I thought they might hit it off, but if Kingston has already staked a claim-”
“Staked a claim?” Celena cuts in indignantly. “Don’t I get a say? I’m not a plot of land. He can’t just stick a flag up my ass and say, ‘Mine!’”
Ash and Kelsier exchange a look that says that’s exactly what they believe Kingston just did, and they intend to honor that flag.
“I mean, in principle, no,” Kelsier says. “But if the guys on the team think he wants you, they’ll all steer clear.”
“Including you?” I ask him incredulously.
“Especially me,” Kelsier says. “I pissed Kingston off once last year, and he talked the coach into benching me a game.”
“Seriously?” Ash asks him, and Kelsier nods.
“Holy shit,” Ash says before he turns back to Celena. “Well, not that it matters anymore, but this is my best friend, Zane Kelsier. You can call him Kels. Kels, this is Gray’s best friend Celena.”
Celena shakes Kelsier’s hand, then steps closer to him and puts her hand on his chest as she leans in.
“It’s nice to meet you, Kels,” she says in a sultry purr as she runs her hand up his chest. “And it still does matter, because I’m not spoken for.”
Celena glances to the side, and we all follow her gaze to see Kingston glaring daggers from where he stands near the bar.
Kelsier throws up his hands and steps away from Celena like he’s been zapped by a heart defibrillator. “Whoa! Are you trying to get me benched for a week?” he asks Celena.
She rolls her eyes. “Really? This guy can’t actually have that much power over the coaches.”
“I don’t know for sure if he does,” Kelsier says, “but just in case, I can’t be anything more than friends until you two get this figured out.”
Celena’s brows shoot up. “Get what figured out? I think I made my feelings about his bullshit claim pretty clear.”
“Sorry, Kels,” Ash tells him. “It should have been obvious as soon as I saw her that Kingston would be interested.”
Kelsier nods. “Yup. Should’ve seen that coming.”
“Should have seen what coming?” I ask.
“Celena is just Kingston’s type,” Ash says. “We usually see him with really short, pretty women.” He looks at Celena. “What are you? Like 5’0” maybe?”
“I’m 5’1”, and I repeat, I’m not interested in that arrogant prick.”
“So none of the guys can have a woman if Kingston wants her?” I ask incredulously.
Ash shakes his head. “Nope. Not until Kingston gives up on her, which has never happened from what I hear.”
“Gunny was afraid Kingston might be interested in you when he first brought you around,” Kelsier tells me, “but luckily he wasn’t. We think you might be a little too tall for his tastes.”
