“You wouldn’t dare.”
God, was it hot in here? I adjusted the neckline of my shirt and swore the electricity between us ebbed and flowed.This is new.“Enjoy the rest of your shift, Kenz. Find me when you get home.”
“We’ll see how I’m feeling,” the tease responded, with an edge to her voice.
“Find me, Kenzie.” I slid out of the booth and fought every urge to touch her. The little minx just winked at me in response and the anticipation of seeing her alone had my blood pumping.
No more fucking Felix.Just me.
Chapter Seventeen
Kenzie
We need to talk about your list.It wasn’t worry or dread forming in my gut—it rivaled intrigue. What could he want to talk about? Adding more? Adding fewer times?That could be it. Nineteen is a lot of hook-ups.
Yeah, of course I edited the numbers each time we did it. I was an organized freak.
It stung, thinking about not getting to enjoy him again, but it made sense. He didn’t have time for anything but baseball and I understood that. What I didn’t understand was the fact we weren’t talking about why we were continuing this. I didn’t need affirmations from him, declarations that didn’t matter, or promises. There were no expectations beyond hooking up nineteen more times, and that was the truth. I swept the foyer and let my gaze wander to the remaining players. They showed Dedication beyond anything most could comprehend outside of the sports world. I knew it—hell, I’d grown up with it.
Zade had his arm around Callie and toasted his beer to another kid on the team. Aaron looked on, the natural leadership in him making players flock to him with or without his permission. Tanner fitted in there too, with his silent style of leading and his intentionality of how he lived his life. He was intense, loyal, purposeful and, damn…I appreciated that about him. It showed in the bedroom and in all his friendships.Tanner is a hell of a guy.
“Looking a little flustered there, girl. Did Felix get the nerve to ask you out?” Greta knocked her hip into mine and spoke a little too loudly for my liking. She knew two volumes, excessive and obnoxious. Literally the only person to deal with my brother.
I laughed and shook her off. “Nope. Just sweeping and thinking. That’s all.”
“Your brother will fuck this up, but he wanted to talk to you about staying with us a couple of nights when they’re gone for the week.” She made a concerned face and I chose to understand her words as kindness, not as though I couldn’t take care of myself.
“They’re gone six days, huh? Long time.”
“I know, it sucks. It’s gunna be worse when they sign with a team next year, but…” Her voice trailed off and a deeply rooted sadness escaped. “No need to worry about it now.”
I changed the subject, hoping to erase the look on her face. “I’m supposed to talk to Clyde about setting a schedule and, after I get mine, I’d love to hang with you gals for a couple of days.”
Her expression shifted from sadness to joy really quickly and she pulled me into a half-hug. “I’m so glad. We like you, Kenz, for real. I know we’re a lot to take but you’re kinda sorta in our tribe and once you’re in…you don’t escape. We’re like a friendship cult.”
“I’ve always wanted a friendship cult!” I joked, getting a loud laugh from her. “Thank you for inviting me and getting me this job. It’s been so wild and fun. I prefer to keep busy and, well, yeah, I love it.”
“I knew it’d be a good fit. Fuck those idiot ballplayers. They don’t know everything all the time.” She gave me a coy smile before walking to greet the latest customers. It was still early afternoon and the crowd wasn’t busy for a weekday. Clyde had told me that it could be packed at any given time during the school year, but the summer months were chill.Fine by me.
I finished sweeping and mopping the tiles and checked all the condiments at each booth. I was finishing up the final one when Aaron plowed into the empty bench across from me and I paused. “Yes, brother?”
“You’ll be okay at the house alone? It’s a big house.”
“If I said no, would you stay home from your tournament?” I felt a little bolder and sat taller. “Forgive me, but, how many nights since I moved in have the three of you left me alone?”
“Shit. I’m doing it again, huh?”
“Being a bit of a twat? Yeah.” I threw a packet of sugar at him and he caught it with ease. “Don’t worry, Greta talked to me. I’ll hang out with them a couple nights.”
“Good. That makes me feel better. You don’t have to be alone so much once you live in the dorms. You’re fucking surrounded by people then and not left to fend for yourself in a massive empty house.” He smiled, as if the thought of being alone was horrible. It didn’t sit well with me.
“I don’t mind being alone. Mom and Dad left me to watch the house for days at a time when all this started and I had a lot of time to deal with it. I’m not an extrovert like you, bro. Really, you don’t need to worry. I like silence sometimes.” I gave him a pointed look, daring him to contradict me, and he didn’t.Aaron can learn.
“You’ll let me know you’re okay?”
“Yes. I’ll send a carrier pigeon with a scroll detailing my safety.”
“Such a fucking smartass.” He rolled his eyes and got up from the table. “I’ll be at Greta’s tonight, but we’ll do something fun when we get back.”
