He slipped his phone from his back pocket, and fingers thrumming faster, he pulled up his credit card app again to check Legs’ shopping progress. No purchases. Fuck’s sake, it was noon. Had she changed her mind?
He checked his texts to find out. Nothing from Legs. But there was one from his brother.
Marcus: Heard about your plus-one tonight. Hope it’s not one of your DTFs. Mom is already suspicious.
I don’t have Down to Fucks because I don’t do repeats. Well, not often. But who the fuck does he think he is?
Avery: She’s perfectly acceptable, not that it’s any of your fucking business.
Blaze elbowed him. “What’s going on with you?”
Avery’s head snapped up. “What do you mean?”
“You were checking your phone every ten minutes while we were playing.”
Was I?
Maverick shook his head. “You’re allowing phones on the course now? Man, you guys have changed.”
“The rules haven’t changed. No phones. Just us and the game.” Dane’s brow rose as he pinned Avery with a questioning stare. “What’s up?”
Leaning forward, Avery slid his phone in his back pocket, feeling like a thief hiding the evidence. To the grave meant he could trust them, but he’d planned to keep his agreement with Legs a secret.
“Is it that crazy stalker chick from last night?” Kade asked with a shit-eating grin on his face, saving Avery from having to answer Dane. “What did you call her? Tits? Is she texting you?”
Avery shook his head. “Blocked her.”
Maverick chuckled. “You’re still naming women after body parts?”
“And to think I missed having your ass around,” Avery muttered, feeling ganged up on. “You can go the fuck back to Austin now.”
“You have a stalker?” Bryce asked, his tone part concern, part accusatory, as if hurt that Avery hadn’t told him.
Avery waved a hand in dismissal. “It’s not that serious, and you’ve been busy with your own shit.”
“That’s what happens when you shackle yourself to one woman,” Gage pointed his mug toward Bryce. “You miss out on the fun, and believe me, you missed a lot last night. Watching Avery run from Tits was too fucking funny.”
Kade barked out a laugh. “Every time he turned around, she was right there. On the dance floor, at the bar. He couldn’t take a piss without her cornering him outside the john. I don’t know how she got past the VIP gate, but she walked right in and sat on his lap like she owned him. Ran off the girl he was talking to.”
“How did you get rid of her?” Bryce asked.
“I didn’t. I had to fake an emergency call.” Even that hadn’t worked, and Avery eventually cut the night short and went home alone just to have some peace and quiet when all he’d wanted was a piece of ass. Just not hers.
“Amusing as it is, why don’t you just tell her to fuck off?” This from Linc, the guy who hated women but enjoyed fucking them.
Blaze squeezed Avery’s shoulder and shook him. “Our boy’s got a soft heart. Can’t hurt her feelings, can you?”
Avery winced and rubbed his shoulder. “I might have to make an exception.”
“Nah, I like watching you squirm.” Kade doubled over, laughing harder. “Fuck, man. Every time…she cornered you…your face…” He wheezed through another series of laughter.
The others joined in, his laughter infectious. Even Dane was smiling.
Drumming his fingers, Avery sighed, not relishing the retelling of his night’s demise.
“When you answered your fake phone call,” Kade continued, “and stood up like your ass was on fire…” He tried to catch his breath. “Oh my god, the way she rolled off your lap…and down the platform…” He wiped his eyes. “Jesus, that was funny.”
“Glad I could amuse you.” Avery slumped lower in his seat.
