Cassie giggles. “You have to admit he is hot.”
“I’m not admitting anything. He has one job tonight… ensure we all get home safely. And since we still have more than four hours until midnight, we’re setting him up to fail.”
“Well,hellooo.”
I turn to see who Bella is ogling. “Hey.”
“Hey.” River’s smooth voice wraps around me like silk. His large hand cups my bare shoulder, and a shiver runs along my spine. Simultaneously, the server arrives with a bottle of champagne. “Perfect timing.”
“You drink champagne?”
River grins at Cassie. “Only the good stuff, like mywomen.” He leans down closer to my ear. “Would you like to dance?”
“I… er… our drinks just arrived.” I hold up my glass for the server.
My phone buzzes on the table, and I open the text from Giana.
I hope you’re watching this.
I open the sports app to the only game playing at this time. I’d purposefully avoided it because of a certain person I am hesitant to watch.
Brandon and his team are walking off the court.
What the…he’s shirtless.
What happened? I assume the douchebag played well?
Replay the end. Then call me!
I replay the ending, ignoring my friends, who are curiously watching. In the final seconds, Brandon hits a three-pointer from just over the half-court. His team wins by two points.Impressive.The stats leaderboard flashes onto the screen. Brandon has led in points, assists, and steals, with a career-high of forty-one points for the game. The camera spans back to him as he rips his jersey over his head and thumps his chest over his heart. I squint recognizing a new tattoo along with the commentators mentioning it.
The camera zooms in, and he points a finger at the camera.
“The fuck?” I spit.
“What?”
I pause the image and turn my phone for Bella and myfriends to see while I look up at River, who appears as mad as I do.
“Lottie?” Cassie looks at me and back at the screen. “Does he have a new girlfriend with the same name as you?”
“He fucking better,” River says between clenched teeth.
Bella stares at me. “Holyfuck.”
New Year’sDay passed in the blink of an eye, considering I spent most of it in bed recovering from a hangover. I inhaled essential oils, practiced meditative, deep breathing, and drank my weight in water, yet nothing alleviated a headache from hell.
Yet I’d rather have the hangover than sit opposite Walter in a meeting where he is giving me a headache just by listening to him ramble.
Walter taps his fingers on the table as though I’m an inconvenience.This fucker better learn his place.
“Walter.” Franklin gives him his trademark do-not-mess-with-me look. “Charlotte has a point. Bringing Brandon Johns back to the team could disrupt team dynamics.”
Jobe points his pen at Walter. “And they are asking far too much for a player who has aged years since he played with us.”
“He is playing at his peak. We know Byron and Brandon play better together.”
“That was before!” I take a deep breath when Franklin gives me the eye to remain calm.
