Chapter 20 #2
“Why?” Beau asks. “You never give a shit about what you look like. It’s weird enough that you have a real haircut and an evenly shaved beard. Clean clothes too? What’s this world coming to?”
I want to look nice for Kennedy tonight, but I can’t say that, so I just give him the finger and say, “I smell like the smoke from the grill. I slaved away making nice steaks for you fuckers. You can give me ten minutes to jump in the shower and change my clothes.”
Forty minutes later, we walk into the club.
I’m in khaki slacks and a clean, fitted, black T-shirt that shows off my muscles.
The guys were relentless with me over how nicely I’m dressed.
Do I really always look like shit? I suppose I know the answer to that.
I’ve never cared about how I look for anyone. Until now.
The bouncer allows us to butt to the front of the line and tells us the girls and Presley are already at our usual table in the VIP area.
Vance takes the steps two at a time. It’s good that he’s taking all the attention because my own excitement would otherwise be hard to hide. I’m right behind him, barely able to contain the quickening beating of my heart.
My eyes immediately find my girl. She takes my breath away. She’s so beautiful. Her ponytail and makeup are perfect, as they always are when we go out…and pretty much all the time. I don’t know what she did with her eye makeup tonight, but her green eyes sparkle particularly brightly.
She’s wearing tight, black leather shorts that show off her mile-long legs with some sort of tiny white silky top that leaves little to the imagination. And I don’t have to imagine anymore because I’ve seen the sultry perfection that lies underneath those clothes.
I have to adjust myself just thinking about her naked body. I’m hoping for a repeat performance tonight. How much longer do we have to stay here before she and I can leave together?
The table erupts in laughter just as we approach. “What’s so funny?” I ask with a smile.
Kennedy’s eyes meet mine, but I can’t get a read on her. She’s looking at me like she used to. With annoyance. I must be misreading it.
She gives me a less-than-warm glare. “I was just telling them that I can sit on TikTok for hours, watching videos of cement being power washed, thinking it’s absolutely brilliant. Then I’ll watch some award-winning documentary on Netflix and think it’s total crap.”
I chuckle. “That’s very true. I watched two straight hours the other day of someone popping pimples on TikTok. I couldn’t stop. It’s intoxicating.”
She doesn’t smile. She narrows her eyes at me. “You know what else pops up on my feed? Topless videos of my father working out. I’ve recently learned he doesn’t post them himself. Someone else does it.”
I grimace, but the guys burst out laughing. Champ elbows me. “Oh man, you’re so busted.” He looks at Kennedy. “Does Coach know? He’ll tear Daylen a new one if he finds out.”
She shrugs. “I don’t know. Maybe I should find out,” she threatens.
I gulp down the giant knot in my throat.
I forgot about those videos. I haven’t done one in a while, but they never seem to leave TikTok.
People respond to them, comment on them, share them, and duet them all the time.
I swear I created the account to help Coach after his divorce.
How was I supposed to know the whole #SilverFoxTok thing would go viral?
There are an awful lot of Daddy videos of Coach Jeffries out there. He would be pissed if he found out.
I don’t respond as we slide into the booth and order drinks, hoping they quickly move on to a new topic of conversation.
They do, and for two solid hours, everyone has a good time. Everyone except me. Kennedy doesn’t even glance my way. It’s as if the day before she left didn’t happen. It’s as if we’re not married. It’s as if we’re not getting closer.
At some point, my hurt morphs into anger. How dare she treat me like this.
Presley and Layla are doing their usual bantering thing. At some point, he announces, “Let me explain marriage in a nutshell. Your wife can spend four hours getting ready while you sit there waiting, but if your shoes aren’t on when she’s ready to go, you’re the problem.”
I shrug while my eyes meet Kennedy. “Maybe marriage isn’t for everyone. Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?”
The girls all moan in annoyance, but Kennedy fires right back, “Why buy the whole pig when you can get the itty-bitty sausage for free?”
She holds her thumb and index finger less than an inch apart to emphasize her point, and the ladies all laugh with her.
Itty-bitty sausage? She knows that’s not true.
I’ve had enough of this ice queen treatment. I pull out my phone and text her.
Me: Can we talk?
I see her react when her phone pings. She reads it and then just shakes her head and places the phone back in her purse.
She’s ignoring me. Why?
I’ve spent most of the evening managing Vance and his raging hard-on for Sulley. God, he’s obvious. He needs to tone it down. She’s barely paying attention to him, but he’s practically burning a hole through her.
After a while, I stop listening to him, unable to take my eyes off Kennedy. Why is she acting like this? What did I do wrong?
Vance and Sulley eventually disappear at the exact same time. Like that’s not suspicious. They’re probably off fucking in the stairwell. Lucky him.
I look at Kennedy and loudly announce, “I got you a new agent, like you asked me to do.”
Her eyes widen.
Palmer appears confused. “Why would you ask Daylen for help with a new agent?”
Kennedy’s face turns murderous at me. “Oh…umm…I was talking about it with my father, and Daylen overheard us. He offered to do some legwork while I was gone because he has a few connections.” Her mouth tightens. “Why don’t we go somewhere and chat about this privately, Daylen? Somewhere quieter.”
Finally.
I nod. “Yes, let’s go have a private chat.”
We both stand and excuse ourselves. She’s walking briskly like she’s on a mission. I almost have trouble keeping up. I may have poked the bear a little too hard, but I need to be alone with her. I itch to touch her.
We keep going until we find ourselves in a private bathroom stall. When we walk inside, she locks the door behind me in a manner that suggests I’m in big fucking trouble.
“Why would you say that in front of them?” she immediately spits in anger.
“What?” I ask innocently, even though it was anything but. “You asked me to find you an agent.”
Her hands ball into fists at her side. “There’s no good reason for me to have asked you. It was private. You did it to get a rise out of me. Grow up.”
My shoulders fall. “I’m sorry. You’re right.
You were ignoring me, and I wanted to get your attention.
” I run my fingers through my nicely styled hair.
“I…I missed you. And you haven’t called since you got back.
I wanted to pick you up from the airport.
I wanted to know how your two weeks went.
I don’t understand why you’re ghosting me. What did I do wrong?”
Her face softens a bit. “I’m sorry, Daylen. You’ve done nothing wrong. The past two weeks gave me some time to consider things. I think us sleeping together again was a mistake.”
I grab her hips and pull her body flush to mine. “It can’t be a mistake when it feels so right. I wasn’t alone in there. I know you felt it too. We’re good together.”
Her eyes fill with tears, and she briefly relaxes into my body, placing her hands on my shoulders. I’ve missed her touch so damn much. For a few seconds, I can sense that she missed me too.
Eventually, she gently places her hands on my chest, pushing to give us a little more distance.
“It was amazing, but we both know it can’t last. We should stop now before one of us gets hurt.
” She briefly looks down before she looks back up at me.
“This arrangement has an expiration date. Our friends are close. It’s taken me a long time to find a circle of women who I can depend on.
I won’t do anything to mess that up. I think we should do what we’re asked to do by Judge Jurassic and then try to part at the end of the year as the frenemies we’ve always been. ”
I open and close my mouth a few times. I’m in shock. “That’s what you really want?” I ask.
She looks away and nods, croaking out, “I think it’s for the best.”
I’m not begging. Daylen Humblecut doesn’t beg for women. It’s the other way around.
I step away from her, puff out my chest, and steel my expression.
“Fine, Cruella. If that’s what you want.
Back to frenemies it is. Meet me at the park tomorrow afternoon, and we’ll pick up where we left off, per court orders.
Judge Geriatric said to add an extra day each week until we catch up from your time away.
I guess you’ll have to suffer through seeing me three times a week for the next month. After that, it’s back to status quo.”
She wordlessly nods, but I can’t drop it quite yet. “Why are you like this? Why do you enjoy misery?”
Her lower lip wobbles a bit, but she otherwise doesn’t emote. “It’s all I know. Why are you always so overly happy?”
I stare at her in disbelief. “Why wouldn’t you want to be happy? It’s like you go out of your way to be unhappy. Who chooses to live their life like that?”
An errant tear drops from her eye, but she says nothing.
I unlock the door and open it. Before walking through it, I announce, “By the way, you’re now represented by Montgomery Sports Management, the top agency in the country. Kamryn Hart will be your agent.”
Her face jerks in surprise.
“Yes, that Kamryn Hart. She can be the one to explain it all to you since we’re nothing but frenemies. She’s expecting your call. You’re welcome.”
I walk out the bathroom door and straight out the door of the club, no longer interested in being around anyone but my dog.