18. Brooke
“OMG! Is it really you?!”
“I haven’t seen you since Easthampton.”
“No, it was Tahoe. Since when are you a brunette?!”
Two women run toward one another across the road to embrace, dodging suitcases and foot traffic.
There”s nothing like a massive group of women descending on a mountain tourist town.
The streets are lined with small shops and markets with everything from skiing gear to T-shirts to après-ski outfits. Food vendors and restaurants accommodate the incoming tourists.
Patrons buzz excitedly, the chimes tinkle on the door of each store, and a bus engine rumbles as it drops off visitors while we walk from the parking lot to the hotel.
The air tastes like wood smoke and peppermint, making me think of hot chocolate.
I feel Miles’s arm wrap around my waist protectively as we make our way through the throng of girls toward the lodge that’s sorority HQ for the weekend.
A few women stop me to say hi, and I introduce Miles.
He grins, dazzling them.
“Wow, you’re a professional athlete,” one of them gushes.
“How tall are you?”
“What’s it like to win a world championship?”
I look up at him, willing him silently to be brief.
“Yes.” “Very.” “Great, thank you.” On the drive up, I reminded him to answer in monosyllables.
“How long have you been dating?”
My radar goes up. This is in the yellow-flag zone of questioning.
“It’s new,” I start, but he weighs in.
“When you know, you know.”
I glare.
Overkill.
Selling it,he mouths back.
We took Miles’s Range Rover, talked about lots of things.
Not the way he kissed the hell out of me. Or the fact that he outed me to my brother.
That part hasn’t come up.
The thing is, our bickering feels good—as good as the attraction between us that has him touching me, holding the door when I get back in the car after a rest stop, teasing me for my taste in music. It distracts me from everything that’s on the line this weekend.
”Here is your agenda for the day. First up, we have fun activities. Then dinner. Then a special ceremony after,” the sister running orientation explains as we reach the front of the line.
I browse the agenda as we switch to the check-in line for our rooms.
Miles peers over my shoulder. “You forgot to buy me pink outfits.”
When we reach the front desk, I give them my name.
”We have you in a queen room,” the agent says, taking my credit card.
I blink. ”I asked for two queens.”
Someone else is trying to talk to my date, and he’s not listening to my conversation. We”re surrounded by people, and it feels suspicious to argue when Miles is supposed to be my boyfriend.
The desk agent furrows her brows, tapping at her keyboard. ”I don”t see that in our system.” Another minute ticks by, and she shakes her head. “We could ask another guest if they’ll switch?”
And let them know Miles and I aren’t really together? No way.
”It”s fine. Great.” I smile and pluck the old-school key from her hand.
When I pictured all the things we’d be doing together to bolster my confidence and chances of winning this deal, I didn’t imagine spending two nights lying next to him.
The man I’ve gotten off to.
The same one who might be better at kissing than at basketball.
But I can’t afford to get distracted.
My rent is due soon, and my bank account is next-level empty.
Maybe there will be a couch.
The rooms are situated in a bunch of small, cabin-like structures dotting the resort property and linked by gravel paths.
As we take our stuff to the room, I tell Miles, ”You look good carrying bags. You do this for all your girlfriends?”
“It’s been a minute since I called someone my girl. And I haven’t introduced a woman to my Grams before.”
I let his words sink in as he adjusts the duffel on his back.
“I meant what I said. I care and it’s not an act.”
Gravel crunches under our feet. I focus on that as he goes on.
“I didn’t say anything about your financial situation and the only reason I told Jay I agreed to come was that he was worried about you and Kevin. I told him I was going to look out for you.”
“Is that what you’re going to do?” I risk a glance over at him.
The beat before he answers is only slightly longer than necessary.
“Yeah.”
We get to the cabin designated on our paperwork and find the room. Ours is one of six sharing a building.
I reach for my key and swipe it next to the handle.
The door of the room swings wide. The planks in the floor creak as I walk inside.
The room is big with a fireplace and a fur—probably faux fur—rug.
There’s no couch.
And the bed…
I feel Miles’s eyes on me as I set my bag on the stand and glance around the room.
“It’s not two queens.” I state the obvious.
“That’s not even one.”
He’s not wrong. The lone double bed stares up at us, the cozy navy duvet doing nothing to mask the postage stamp of mattress.
”We can share the bed.” I take my weekender bag from him and drop it on the bed.
Better than me being responsible for an NBA player messing up his back.
“Which side do you sleep on?” I ask.
“I don’t.”
The image of him taking up the entire bed, his body sprawled across the sheets, enters without permission.
“How do you sleep next to another human?”
“I don’t.”
“Never?” I prompt. “You’ve never let a woman stay over? Never crashed in another human’s bed?”
He cocks his head. “There was a pileup after the all-star game, but no one remembers that.”
My lips curve as I work on the zipper of my bag. I manage to get it open and start unpacking, starting with my pajamas.
“You could’ve kept him from finding out if you wanted to.” I say it without turning.
“But if I was him and I found out my loyal teammate didn’t mention he was taking my sister out, I’d be asking why the hell not.”
I’m not sure what to say to that.
* * *
I manage to avoid Caroline exactly as long as it takes to get to our first activity.
“Brooke! So amazing to see you in person. It’s been too long.” We swap cheek kisses.
“Everything looks beautiful,” I say sincerely.
“Well, it’s important to have these events,” she says, just as earnest. Her attention shifts to the man at my side. “Miles, wonderful to see you again also,” she adds as he holds out a hand.
“Again?” he prompts.
Her smile tightens. “We’ve met before. Back in college.”
“Have we?” he asks, looking confused.
I could hug him.
“We’ll catch up at dinner,” Caroline promises.
She turns and disappears into the crowd. There are a few hundred sisters and their dates, and I deliberately did not seat us at the same table, but there’s no time to think about it.
The day is filled with team-building activities and games, some of which are actual fun. We were instructed to dress in activewear, so for the afternoon, I’m in leggings and Miles is in shorts.
Our first activity is a scavenger hunt. Miles and I work well together, and we quickly gain the upper hand over the other teams.
I can”t help but feel conscious of Miles’s presence. Every time our eyes meet, I feel a jolt of electricity pass between us as we run through the streets, collecting clues and solving riddles.
When we’re done, I spot Elise surrounded by a group of women.
“Elise!” I cut through the crowd of Kappas and partners to the stunning woman with a chic brunette bob and a knit two-piece set. She’s giving Audrey Hepburn vibes, glamorous but somehow attainable.
“Brooke, lovely to see you. And Miles Garrett!” She introduces her husband, who starts talking to Miles.
“My husband is a big Kodiaks fan,” she confides in me.
I do an imaginary fist pump.
“Well, don’t rush off. There’s time before dinner to catch up.”
Miles looks between us. “Let’s let the ladies catch up. Why don’t we play a little three-on-three?”
Her husband’s eyes widen with delight.
“You’re on your day off,” Elise says, giving him an out.
“It’s my pleasure,” he says smoothly.
God, I could kiss him.
“Go easy on them,” I call as Miles and the husband gather another four guys to their cause, which takes all of thirty seconds.
A crowd gathers before someone finds a basketball.
He lifts his shirt to wipe his face and my throat dries.
“What did you want to talk about?” Elise asks.
I force myself to concentrate. The stakes are too high to screw up.
“I’m a huge fan of your company, and excited for the new line you’re announcing. It’s going to be a game changer. Can you tell me more about your distribution?”
Elise happily complies. “We’re seeking one person to really be the public face of the campaign. We’ve had several influencers approach us on this, actually, and we want to get this right.”
“I’d love to be considered.”
“The schedule this weekend is pretty packed, but let’s find a time to talk more.”
When I finish with Elise, Miles jogs over. “How’d it go?”
“I think she’s open but I didn’t get a commitment yet.”
Miles nods. “I signed some stuff for him and offered to show him around when he’s in Denver.”
My heart flips over in my chest. “I guess we make a pretty good team.”
“Guess we do, Princess.”
He hooks an arm around my shoulders, and we head back side by side.
* * *
“Little Sis!” Ruby hollers.
I run across the dining room and throw myself into her arms. “It’s so good to see you.”
“Sorry I’m late. Emergency.”
“You missed scavenger hunts and pin-swap ceremonies, but you’ll hear about every minute because you’re sitting at our table.”
Miles and I take our seats, close enough together that our legs brush underneath the table.
We took turns showering after the afternoon’s activities, me trying not to think about how hot he looked playing basketball with the other guys.
Now I’m wearing a cute minidress and chestnut-brown heels that make my legs look extra long. He’s in chinos and a button-down shirt and looks like Hamptons sailboat porn. I’m congratulating and cursing myself for taking an already smoking-hot professional athlete and making him sinfully sexy.
“You must be Miles,” Ruby says, extending a hand. “I’m Ruby, Brooke’s big sis from school.”
“Doctor, right? She talks about you a lot.” Miles smiles easily, and Ruby’s eyes brighten with delight.
“I’m glad she talked about that and not the pranks we pulled.”
“Oh yeah? Let’s hear it.”
They swap stories, and I bite my cheek as I listen to them. I didn’t expect Miles and Ruby to hit it off, but his easygoing vibe and her professional veneer work together. I’m actually having a good time until Caroline sits on her other side… with my ex.
Seeing Kevin right across the table is worse than seeing him at my mom’s event. At least there, I could sprint the other way.
You put them here?Ruby mouths.
I shake my head and glance at the table cards. Someone moved them around.
I’m willing to bet that someone was Caroline.
”Small world,” Kevin says.
His attention flicks to Miles, his smile faltering, replaced by coolness.
It used to take a lot for Kevin to be intimidated. It feels good that Miles sets him on edge.
“I thought Hannah was sitting here,” I say with a smile. I’d put her and Matt at our table after we ran into them, remembering how much I enjoyed her.
Caroline waves a hand. “She’s not coming. It’s better this way.”
I frown. “Better how? You were inseparable.”
“You’re obviously misremembering. She never had her priorities in order. I don’t know why we accepted her into Kappa in the first place.”
I pull out my phone and find Hannah’s contact and send off a quick message.
When I tuck the phone away, Kevin is flirting shamelessly with Caroline. He plays with a piece of her hair, grinning at her.
We’re long over, but it still messes with my insecurities that she’s better than me in some way I can’t fix.
Out of nowhere, Miles’s hand brushes against mine under the table. I glance over, and he gives me a reassuring smile. It”s as if he knows what I”m thinking, knows how I’m feeling. I’m grateful for him yet again.
“Brooke, you must be happy to find a guy taller than you,” Caroline starts. “You were always so statuesque.”
“It is a relief,” I say, playing along.
One of the other girls at our table leans in. “I bet he barely fits in your bed.”
Without missing a beat, Miles presses a kiss to my forehead. “We don’t need a bed, do we, Princess?”
I’m too surprised to respond, but Ruby laughs into her drink. Caroline’s eyes narrow so dramatically she could be asleep if it wasn’t for the tight lines around her lips.
The lights are dimmed, and a hush falls over the room.
My phone buzzes with a message. I discreetly check it to find a response.
Hannah: Hey! Thanks for checking in. I felt so bad for canceling, but the baby’s been sick the last two days. I said I might be able to come for the second day, but Caroline said it would mess up the numbers. Have the best time!
I tuck the phone back into my bag, staring at Caroline’s profile in the dark.
”Welcome to the Kappa reunion,” a voice booms through the speakers. ”Tonight, we celebrate sisterhood, friendship, and love. Now, I’d like to welcome our alumni chapter president to say a few words.”
Elise goes up to the microphone to warm applause.
“College is a time when we strike out on our own, leaving our parents and siblings behind as we forge new identities for ourselves. It’s when we form new connections. It’s when we choose our families.”
My chest tightens. I didn’t expect to get emotional over a single speech.
“Sisterhood is about having each other’s backs, living the ups and downs of life, accepting who we want to be but also who we are right now.”
She continues for another few minutes, ending to even more applause than when she started.
Dinner is served, and we make small talk between courses and speakers.
Shortly before dessert, I watch Caroline walk over to the head table where Elise is sitting with our other uber-successful alum—I considered seating her with us, but it felt like an overt abuse of power—and say something to her.
The woman looks surprised, but rises and follows Caroline out of the room.
“Where are they off to?” I whisper to Miles.
He shakes his head.
I stand, smoothing my dress. “Excuse me,” I say and slip out after the two women.
When I reach the hallway, there’s no sign of them.
Warning bells go off in my mind.
Caroline knows I’m pitching Elise. She’s trying to get in first.
Not happening.
I stalk down the hallways like a hunter in search of prey.
I’ve walked nearly an entire square of the facility and stuck my head outside without spotting them.
Finally, I spot a door labeled “PRIVATE” with a sign taped over it that reads “STAFF ONLY.”
I push inside.
The room is a large office with half a dozen empty desks in open-concept style. A pinboard on the wall has upcoming events being held at the venue. There’s another closed door near the entry.
I step toward it, turning the handle cautiously as I push it inward.
Darkness. Inside is some kind of closet. Coats, maybe, or supplies. I feel the inside for a lightswitch?—
“What are you doing?”
The male voice has me spinning.
It’s Miles, standing in the open doorway to the hall.
Relief has my shoulders sagging.
I tug him in and shut the door.
“I thought Caroline went in here,” I whisper loudly. “I need to find her and Elise.”
“And you figured they’d be updating spreadsheets in their cocktail dresses?” He glances around.
“This is Caroline we’re talking about. I’m not going to let her pull one over on me again.”
I shoot him a look, distracted again by how gorgeous he is in the clothes I picked out. “You clean up really well, you know that?”
His lips tip up. “Thought you weren’t indulging my ego.”
I try to resist smiling, but I can’t help it. “Just this once.”
Voices sound outside.
“Shit! We’re going to get caught,” I gasp.
Normally, I can think on my feet, but suddenly my heels are glued to the carpet, my body paralyzed.
The handle turns.
Miles steps close to me. The expression on his face has my nerves dancing as much as the prospect of getting caught.
“Play along, Princess.”
He grabs my hand.
The last thought I have is how delicious his skin feels on mine before he drags me into the closet.