“First off, stop winking at me like that,” she says, pointing a playfully threatening finger in my direction. “It’s embarrassing. Second, do you really think you can flirt your way onto my schedule? When has that ever worked for you? And before you ask again, yes. I’m still busy. I have a couple more guys on my list to film with first.”
“Come on, just this once,” I beg, linking my fingers together beneath my chin. “I promise to be a good little boy and won’t even flirt,” I offer, but pause, because we both know I can’t truly promise that. “Okay,fine. I’ll probably flirt a little bit, but only because with you, it’s just too easy—especially when you do that thing where you pretend like you don’t actually enjoy it.”
“Ugh,” she huffs, tossing her hands up in surrender. “Fine. You win. Let’s just get this over with.”
I’m surprised she agreed so easily, but I’m not about to question it.
“Alright, so what’re we filming today?” I ask, following after her as she leads us down the sideline, which I assume is her way of putting some distance between us and my teammates who arebusy practicing. “I’ve taught myself a few of the more recent viral dances or—”
She cuts me off. “We don’t need any of that. I have a few different questions I’m asking everyone, and that way we can get you back to the team quicker,” she says, her voice reeking of professional courtesy and nothing else.
I know for a fact she’s done more than just ask questions with the others, but I won’t push my luck—at least not yet.
“Ask away,” I say, doing my best to be the perfect subject. I told her I’d be a good boy, and that’s precisely what I’ll be from here on out.
“Alright Fletch,” she says, lifting her phone and hitting record. “What’s your dating red flag?”
For the people watching, they’ll hear her playful, almost sweet tone, but what the camera doesn’t catch behind the scenes is the sly, knowing smirk tugging at her lips.
Trying not to let it throw me I lift my chin as I figure out the best way to answer this without coming off as the pig she so clearly wants me to be. “Red flags? Me? Pretty sure I don’t have any. I’m practically a real life rom-com movie hero,” I beam at the camera with a wink just for her benefit. “Minus the whole tragic backstory, of course.”
She lets out a loud scoff, which soon transforms into a giggle. Damn, I need to hear that sound more often. I’ve never found a laugh so attractive before, but with her, I love it. Yet another small piece of her I get to be addicted to.
“So what you’re saying is, your red flag is that you’re one ofthoseguys. The kind that say they don’t have any red flags, but are actually littered with them. Noted.”
“Okay, wait,” I chuckle along with her as I raise my hands and wave them in front of my face. “I take it back. My red flag is that when I want something or someone,I don’t stop until I get it. I’m relentless.”
She stops the recording before lowering her phone. “Yeah, I’d say that tracks.”
“But you gotta admit, it can also be a green flag, too, right?” I ask, adjusting my hat, since I’m definitely sweating more than I should be, and this time, it has nothing to do with the Texas heat. “At least it lets you know I’m truly interested. If a kiss was all I wanted from you then I would’ve stopped bugging—”
“Harassing,” she interrupts, cutting me off. “You’ve gone way past bugging, Fletch. This?” she asks, waving a hand between us. “Is straight-up harassment."
When someone calls you out for harassment, you’re supposed to feel like shit and immediately apologize and never do it again, but the glint in her eyes and the amused smirk playing on her face keep me from taking this accusation too seriously.
“Harrassment?” I click my tongue. “I think I’d prefer to call it “professional flirting,’ because I mean it. I’m not doing this for some quick make-out session. You have to know by now I want so much more than that.”
“Whoa,” she says, holding up her hand. “I have absolutely no interest in sleeping with you, so if that’s what you’re after—”
Now it’s my turn to interrupt. “I don’t just want to sleep with you,” I assure her, tilting my lips to the side. “I mean, I wouldn’t say no,” I admit as I bob my head from side to side, “but that’s not what I’m talking about here. I don’t just want the physical stuff. With you, for the first time ever, I want everything.” I step closer and soften my voice. “But most of all, I want to be the lucky guy you take a chance on. The one who gets to show you just how serious he is about all this.”
She takes a step back and clears her throat.
“Didn’t you say earlier that you’d take this seriously and stop with the flirting?” she asks “Plus, it’s time for the next question,” she continues, holding up her phone and pressing record before I can object.
My hands ball into fists, before I stretch out my fingers. I admire her stubbornness. It’s one of my favorite things about her, but damn. I’d seen the way her body reacted to my words, but she’s made it more than clear she’s not ready for that deep of a discussion, at least not yet.
So, I do what I do best, shake my neck and body out, and put my game face on for the camera.
“Hey Fletch,” she begins and I nod, letting her know I’m listening. “Who on The Honky Tonks would younotlet date your sister?” she asks, that same devilish smirk reappearing.
Hollis clearly knows how to play ball. It doesn’t matter what my answer is here, because if she’s been asking this same question to the others, I’m going to assume at least a few of them said my name.
No wonder she’s been avoiding me. I’m sure today just earned me another fucking strike on her long list of reasons why we could never work. I can’t even blame my teammates, since the side of myself I’ve projected to them has only ever given them reason to answer my name, but just because I’ve acted this way in the past doesn’t mean I can’t change. And for Hollis, I’d change anything she’d ask.
“Hmmm,” I muse out loud, tilting my head from side to side. “Honestly, there isn’t anybody on this team I wouldn’t let date my sister,” I answer, which is mostly honest and a whole lot easier to say since I don’t actually have a sister, or any siblings, for that matter. “I couldn’t have asked for better teammates. But most importantly, they know they’d have to mess with these bad boys if they broke her heart,” I joke, lifting my arms as I flex my biceps.
I may not be the strongest guy on the team, but I do my due diligence in the gym and am proud of what I’ve got.
