“Girls messing with your head two months before training camp probably isn’t the best thing for someone in your shoes.”
Tossing my phone on my bag, I rested my head on the table and closed my eyes. “You’re probably right.”
LAKE
Morebang bang bang,but a different rhythm. Not Everson. Why can’t a girl get some decent sleep?
Meow
“Meow yourself. Get the door. Impress me. I don’t letmydisability hold me back.” I rolled toward my clock. Mornings were not my thing. My brain refused to work properly until noon.
“Shit!” The half-packed suitcase on the floor gave my memory a quick jolt. “Shit, shit, shit… I’m so late. Why didn’t my alarm go off? Why didn’t you wake me, Trzy?”
I scrambled to the door.
Eye.
Peephole.
Shit shit shit!
I threw open the door. There wasn’t one single second to spare to look at the man of my dreams standing before me in a pair of dark blue jeans and a blue shirt that matched his eyes, but I took the second anyway.
“You did tell me 7:30, right?”
I jumped out of my daze. “Yes, ugh… I overslept. Come in.” I hurried back to my bedroom. No time for a shower.
“Anything I can do?” Cage called.
“Feed Trzy. Bowl is on the floor, food’s in the cabinet by the fridge. And if you wouldn’t mind sifting the shit out of her litter box, it’s in the laundry room. Trash bag is under the sink.”
When I decided to impress a guy, I went all out.
The worst day ever to oversleep? The day I flew to China and NFL hottie offered me a ride. I threw myself together and it wasn’t pretty. Then I threw the rest of my stuff in my suitcases. By the time I made it to the kitchen, Trzy had her nose buried in her food dish and Cage waited by the door with a spark of amusement lighting up his face.
I gave him a weak, very apologetic smile. “I’m aware that I just crossed a line by asking you to scoop cat poop for me, but Mrs. Leonard in 2A just had back surgery; she’ll feed Trzy for me, but I didn’t want her to have to scoop poop, so I thought it best to leave with it clean this morning.”
“It’s fine.”
Double checking for my passport in my purse, I shook my head. “It’s not fine. I don’t know how I manage to oversleep all the time, and you got up extra early to do this for me this morning?—”
“I’m up before six every morning. I got in a run, showered, and ate breakfast already.”
I looked up, slinging my purse over my shoulder. “Wow, you must go to bed really early.”
Cage shrugged. “Eleven most nights.”
“Early.” I wheeled my two suitcases to the door.
“Eleven is early?”
“A bit, but what do I know? Ready?”
He took my bags while I said goodbye to Trzy and locked the door.
“Your place—the decorating is really cool. Did you hire someone?”
“Nope.” I beamed as the elevator descended. “I used to love fashion, decorating, designing… all that artsy stuff. That’s what I started studying in college before the accident.” I laughed. “Shoes. Ilovedshoes—sexy, beautiful, ankle-breaking, toe-mangling shoes. I spent every paycheck on shoes. Stupid.”
