Jason opened his mouth to say something that would make this situation less awkward only to find himself gestured impatiently out of the way with a dough-covered spoon. Frowning, he stepped back, afraid of getting dough all over him, and couldn’t help but wonder what was wrong with the woman professing her love for him one minute only to shoo him out of the way the next.
“Never come between me and the man that I love,” Haley said, snapping him out of his thoughts.
Jason followed her gaze and chuckled. “Derek Jeter?”
Haley frowned as if questioning her love for the man was stupid. “Of course.”
Jason couldn’t help but grin. Damn. How had he missed this? She had a huge television, bigger than his and that was really saying something since his television was the one thing he’d splurged on, with the Yankees game on.
“That’s a really big television for such a tiny woman,” Jason said teasingly.
“Well, how else am I supposed to watch the game and feel like I’m there?” Haley asked, frowning. “Plus, this way, I get a better view of my future husband.”
“Does he know?” he asked, looking back at her.
She scrunched her face up adorably. “Not yet, but I can wait,” Haley said with a smile that made her face go from utterly adorable and sweet to heartbreakingly beautiful in less than a second.
Damn.
He shifted his feet awkwardly for a moment while she watched the game.
“Are you a Red Sox fan?” Haley suddenly asked.
“Hell, no!” Jason said, insulted by the question. He may live knee-deep in Red Sox territory, but that didn’t mean that he was a betraying bastard. Yankees were his first love and they would be his last.
“Thank god,” Haley said, sighing heavily as she sent the game one last look of longing before returning to her kitchen counter, where she had a small flat-screen television with the game playing. This woman really loved her Yankees, or at least, one in particular. What the hell was it with women and Derek Jeter? Jason wondered as he shifted his attention to the walls covered in Yankees memorabilia and wasn’t exactly surprised when he spotted a signed photo of Derek Jeter hanging above the television in the living room.
“Looks like we’re stuck inside until tonight. The exterminator said that he has to wait for the nest to calm down and that won’t happen until it’s dark,” Haley explained with a shrug.
Jason ran his fingers through his damp hair and sighed heavily. “I guess you’re stuck with me for a while, then.”
She shrugged. “It’s fine. There’s a game on, so it should help pass the time.”
“True,” Jason murmured in agreement.
“I’m making homemade pizza. I hope you don’t mind. I was planning on ordering pizza today for the game, but with the bees and all…” Haley said, letting her words trail off with a shrug.
“No, that sounds great. I’m sorry that I’m intruding,” he said, feeling like an ass. This woman had spent the last five years avoiding him and now he was being forced on her thanks to a nest of pissed-off bees.
“Not a problem,” Haley said, but he got the feeling that she was lying.
She’d never liked being around him before. Whenever he stood too close to Haley at work or went to sit next to her, she found an excuse to move. Now, she was forced to have him in her house. She couldn’t be happy about this. His eyes drifted to the television when she sighed dreamily. Then again, her attention was elsewhere at the moment.
“Beer?”
“What?” Jason asked, frowning as he glanced back at her.
“Beer,” Haley said, gesturing absently towards the fridge without taking her eyes away from the television.
“Oh,” Jason said with a chuckle as he retrieved two bottles from the fridge and handed one to her. She took it with a mumbled, “Thanks,” and then a few choice words for one of the players.
Jason leaned back and watched the show. Not really the game, but Haley while she cooked and ranted. Soon it became obvious that if she wanted the vegetables to be sliced and not mangled every time she didn’t agree with a call that he’d have to do it for her.
For the next six hours, they cooked, watched the game, ate, laughed, swore, screamed at the game, and got into an hour-long yelling match with the exterminator over the insane amount that he tried to charge them before the argument shifted back to the game. By the end of the night, Haley seemed to have come completely out of her shell and he counted himself fortunate to have another buddy, one who actually knew the stats without having to look them up. Not like several of his friends that he wouldn’t mention. It didn’t hurt that she was incredibly hot. That was just a bonus.
A nice bonus, but a bonus nonetheless from his newest buddy.
Chapter 3
