Page 3

Mayhem seems to share my thought spiral. "I have no idea why I said that," he says.

I worry I might choke on my panic.

He continues. "I don't — it wasn't about you. Specifically."

"That's supposed to be reassuring?”

He exhales and scrubs a hand over the back of his neck. "They've been on my case. The guys. About—" He stops. Starts again. "It doesn't matter. I'm sorry. I'll fix it."

I look at him for a long moment. He doesn't fidget under my gaze, which I note. I have been around men who fidget when they're uncomfortable. This one just stands in it.

"How?" I say. "How are you going to fix it?"

"I'll tell Spinner I was joking."

"Will he buy that?”

A pause. "No," he admits.

I let out a slow breath. When I look back at him, he’s still there, same expression, same stillness. "He's going to tell everyone," I say.

"Probably already has."

My phone buzzes in my pocket. I don't look at it, but I know, with bone-deep certainty, that my teammates have heard the story and are already texting me about it.

Just then, the door to Odin’s office opens, and he leans out, looking worried. “Oh, hey, Cameron. Glad I caught you.”

Mayhem presses his lips together, silent.

“I’m so sorry,” Odin says, and it’s clear he means it. “I have a situation I have to handle. I’m going to have to reschedule.” He glances between us. "I can have Petra reach out tomorrow morning⁠—"

"Fine," Mayhem says, when things are very clearly not.

Odin retreats. His door closes. I look at my shoes on the floor and wonder how on earth I am supposed to focus on helping my team to victory when I can barely breathe.

“Costco?” Mayhem’s question comes out like a gruff command. Confused, I meet his gaze. “Do you actually want to go to Costco? I’m starving, and I think we need to talk.” He pauses. “Cashews are on sale this week.”

I try to digest his question. "You want to go to Costco together so people think we're dating?" I say.

He sighs. “You reminded me I need to go to Costco, and people already think that we’re dating.”

My phone vibrates again, and I wonder how long it will be before my entire team starts video-calling me to ask about my very serious boyfriend.

Another buzz. I don't have to look to know the Busy Beaver banter will now include eggplant emojis and Mayhem’s stats. But then I think about how often the girls nag me, how many articles they send me about the best places to meet dates or how to find a partner unafraid of a powerful woman.

What if I just … went along with Mayhem? Not just to Costco, but all the way through his “serious relationship” story? I bite the side of my lip, considering. Eventually, I say, “I do need dish soap.”

The corner of his mouth twitches. Just a hair. "I'll drive."

Chapter 3

Cameron

She stares at me like I lost my mind. “Obviously we should go to the Cranberry location. Why would we drive all the way to the Waterfront Costco?”

I blink at her and force myself to focus, trying to clear the scent of soap and citrus that’s fogging my brain. “I, um, well, I’ve always just gone to that one.” When I first moved to Pittsburgh, the Stag brothers showed us the important parts of the city they grew up in. Namely, where to buy food, where to buy clothes, and where to make out with puck bunnies.

BB has incredibly expressive eyebrows that arch toward me. “Well, I grew up here, and we Becketts prioritize proximity.”