“Cool. I’ll text Tanner. Give him a heads-up.” He left the machine and groaned into his towel. “Nicole and Callie are walking over here with more clipboards.”
I grinned at them. Callie, already in an animated conversation with Nicole, wore a little radio and fanny pack. They were literally the most unattractive things in the world, but Callie made it cool somehow. Jeff moved to stand next to my machine and helped me write down my reps, but I kept my eyes on her. “You think they’ll make us do more today? My legs and arms feel like jello.”
“Speak for yourself, bro. My arm is on a two-week break and with the running, my legs feel stronger than ever.” It was true. They did and I felt fucking great.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah, asshole. You’re on that bitch-ass high from Callie. I want to take you out back and punch the hell out of you. Hey, Callie. Boss lady, Nicole.”
“Cute, Jeff. Real cute. What’s not cute is the next exercise we have for you. Move to the water tank,” Nicole barked at him and eyed me. “Callie, you run Jeff through the wringer. Do what she says, Jeff—she’ll report to me.”
Jeff glanced at me and nodded. Callie gave me a wink before smacking Jeff playfully with the clipboard. A surge of jealousy went through me but I swallowed it down. I had no right and it was Jeff.My brother.Nicole watched me with a hint of a smile. “Okay, lover boy. You’re with me. Finish up and hit the treadmill.”
“I’ve been running eight miles almost every day a week,” I said, not wanting to complain about running but also not wanting to run more. I might’ve lied to Jeff about how tough my legs were doing.
“Cool. I watched three episodes ofHouse of Cardslast night. Life is dandy. Get on the treadmill and wipe that stupid grin off your face.” She pointed her head in the direction of the slanted one, the one I hated. It sucked ass.
“Your people skills are amazing,” I grumbled to her, at which she smacked me with a towel. “Sorry, boss lady.”
“Shut your trap and run.” She studied a chart and watched me run for ten minutes straight. The elevation on the mat sucked ass. My knees throbbed every step and my thighs burned something fierce. I wiped sweat from my face while Callie sat on a stool and shouted something at Jeff. She met my eyes across the gym and winked again.Fuck my life.I stumbled a little bit and Nicole noticed.Shit.
She slowed down the treadmill and leaned over it. Her pretty, makeup-free face hovered in front of mine. I couldn’t read her to save my life and I gulped. “Here’s the situation, Zade. You’re talented as hell. You have a semi-decent head on your shoulders and work harder than most people on the team. So, I’m only going to say this once. Callie told me of your involvement together. She had to.”
“Okay.”
“Don’t mess it up.” Her steely eyes told me one thing—she preferred Team Callie one hundred percent. It made me smile. If Callie had Nicole on her side, it meant Callie wasthatgood.
“I won’t.”
“Good. Glad that’s settled. Now, stop dicking around and push yourself.” She sped up the machine and I knew our little heart-to-heart was over. I groaned in pain into my towel and obeyed her for the next thirty minutes. I wanted to pass out for a week when I’d finished.
“Go shower and get in the ice bath,” Nicole barked at me and left. I did what she said. My pain distracted me from everyone else. I showered off the layers of sweat, threw on an old shirt and headed to the ice room. Nicole already had a bath prepared for me and I hopped in, welcoming the pain and relief. I knew I had to sit for fifteen minutes and it did wonders for my overused muscles in the end.
“Now, you play first?” A familiar voice broke through my tired haze.
“Yup. Always have.” A gruff voice answered, one I knew to be Max. “If you’re a Sox fan, you must love Konerko.”
“All-time favorite.” She walked into the ice room with a clipboard and Max immediately checked her out. My fists clenched. “So, have a seat and I’ll get you ice.”
“Got it.” He hopped onto the table on the other side of the room and gave me a grin I had no trouble reading.Fucking hell.“Now, Callie, how did you get roped into this gig?”
“Hmm.” She hadn’t noticed me yet and continued bagging the ice to wrap him. I listened, because I had no choice, but also because I wanted to see how much she told him. “I paid a guy. You know.”
“I doubt that. Nicole is a tough cookie to crack.”
“That’s putting it kindly. Now, sit still.”
“Kind of hard when you’re around me.”
I held my breath.
She paused and stepped back from him. “Max. Don’t even try that. Ain’t going to work and you’ll embarrass yourself.”
“Come on. We hit it off.”
“We talked baseball. I can talk to anyone, ages three to three hundred, about baseball. I’m going to be around here all year. We won’t happen.”
“Are you involved with someone?”
“Regardless if I am or not, this won’t happen.” She didn’t warn him before putting the ice on his shoulder. He hissed and the sound gave me an odd satisfaction. “But, yeah. I am.”
