The decision to invite Kevin was a little surprising. Silas and he never seemed thrilled to be in the same room as one another. So, perhaps, his invite was more strategic. I often watched how Kevin interacted with the guys on the team. They respected his straightforward, no-nonsense manner of speaking. I know Kai recognized as much too. If he earned Kevin’s respect, he’d gain a lot of ground when it came to the others.
“Emmy,” David greeted with a curt nod as he slid in next to me in the booth. “I remembered this time.”
I raised a brow because he was attempting to joke. His deadpan tone threw me off a bit. I was surprised Kai even had David’s number. The guy never looked like he enjoyed his supposed friend’s company, let alone wanted to expand his circle.
“Bravo.” I tipped my half-empty beer bottle in his direction before taking a sip. “Impressive.”
He snorted and gave me what I believe was his version of a friendly smirk. It was more of a subtle twitch of his lips but hey, I guess it was something.
We’d all tried to cram into one booth, but half of us were left standing. Dakota was a part of the standing half. He hadn’t even tried to slide in next to me, which made my heart sink a bit. When he started talking to Ari, my chest continued to ache, but I masked it by sipping on my drink. I tried to find interest in Yara’s recollection of how the Grand Prix used to be when she was a kid.
“How about we do a few rounds of mini-golf?” a girl with silver braids in her hair suggested. She’d introduced herself as Olivia. There were braces in her mouth, making her look a few years younger than she actually was. Her friend, Abbie, a girl with large glasses nodded in agreement and asked, “Girls versus boys?”
“Sounds fun,” I agreed, perking up a little because it’d give us a chance to move around. And it’d give me a chance to look less obvious about wanting to speak with Dakota.
“Losers pay for a round?” Silas asked while ignoring my glare.
“Why not?” David agreed as he slid out of the booth. Yara frowned when he offered his hand to help her out of her seat. She ignored his offer and the brush-off earned him a chuckle and jeering from the guys. David didn’t look too pained. In fact, from the amused glint in his eyes when he watched Yara walk away, I think he actually enjoyed it.
“All good?” I asked Yara as we all made our way to the customer service desk. “We can ditch the guys on the green if you’d like. I know hanging out with them can be annoying sometimes.”
“No, they’re all great, except for him,” she muttered and did her best not to look at David. “Thanks for the offer, but I’m going to suck it up. I don’t think he can get any more patronizing at this point. Can he?”
I shrugged. “Honest? Probably.”
Her shoulders sagged in defeat. “Unfortunately, I think you’re right.”
I offered her a sympathetic smile. She started towards the front of the group, ready to take charge like she always did. I lingered in the back, looking but not finding Dakota.
“So,” he whispered in my ear.
I almost jumped. He laughed a little at my scare. Instead of turning around, I kept my eyes trained forward. I was half-afraid he’d see how desperate I was for his attention.
“I missed you,” he continued, not at all bothered that I didn’t look back at him. Dakota slipped a hand around my waist and pulled me closer so I felt his body on my back.
“Miss me?” he wondered.
“A bit, yeah.” I took another sip of my beer because Silas was right, a small buzz never hurt anyone. In fact, it was helping me keep my cool long enough to make complete sentences.
“A bit?” Dakota asked. I could hear a smile in his voice. “And here I was thinking I’d ask you to be on my team. But since it’s just a bit, maybe you’re okay with spending tonight on opposite sides.”
“It’s boys versus girls,” I reminded him. “So, it was going to be that way anyhow.”
“They’d let you on our team if I asked.”
His thumb massaged small circles into my skin. Though his touch was lighter, he was making the same movements he did a few nights ago. My body reacted in an instant, more awake and in tune with my surroundings. He knew what he was doing. His hand inched down further, squeezing around the same roll of fat he held onto when he came.
“Come on. I want an excuse to teach you the proper form,” he confessed.
I let out a breathy laugh. “Like every cliche date moment at a golf course? Wrap your arms around me from behind, and I feign to not know how to swing a golf club?”
When he chuckled, I felt the tension and release of his stomach against the small of my back. My heart hammered at his warmth and the deepness of his voice.
“I always thought it a rite of passage in the dating world,” he mused. “But maybe you’re right. It’s cliche. Besides, I don’t need an excuse to be behind you. Right?”
I nearly choked on my drink. My gaze fell on our group, making sure no one heard what had come out of his mouth or seen my reaction.
“They’re arguing,” Dakota assured with a wave of his hand. “They’re not paying us any mind, any time soon.”
