18. Brooke
18
brOOKE
G rowing up, our holidays were filled with social commitments and photo sessions and expectations.
This year’s was surprisingly fun by comparison.
The Kodiaks won their game to the deafening roar of a home crowd dressed in purple and gold with matching Santa hats.
My mom even asked if I would help her with messaging for her campaign in the new year, a task she usually leaves to her highly trained staff.
There’s a box of Vivaro product that’s still sitting unopened in my room because I’ve been busy monitoring Nova’s accounts and helping her progress conversations with a couple of galleries wanting to host shows.
My friend wants to give everyone a chance, but I’m ruthless with weeding out curators and owners with a less than stellar reputation, or ones who are interested in Nova’s connections rather than her art itself.
It’s addictive, and seeing the joy and delight on my friend’s face when I present them to her makes it even better.
The Kodiaks have a two-game road trip and will return on New Year’s Eve, but for today, they’re at home.
That means Miles is home and this tenuous more-than-roommates, less-than-dating thing we have is front and center in my mind.
“Where are we going?” I ask as I emerge from my bathroom.
“Surprise.” Miles looks me up and down, his eyes glinting.
He’s wearing jeans and a designer sweater the same color as his eyes. He fills the entire doorway of his room in a way that makes me think they should make bigger entrances for basketball players.
The way I’m sore from last night… they definitely should.
His fingers thread through mine as we take the elevator down to the parking garage.
Watching him burn up the court yesterday was the best foreplay. I was ready to climb him like a tree after the game, but we both had family stuff to do.
“I guess this is our first real date,” I say as I shift into the passenger side of the Range Rover, sliding on my Prada sunglasses.
Miles has the gall to look offended over the lapel of his wool coat. “I took you out for pancakes at Denny’s back in college.”
“That was different. You were watching out for me,” I say as he navigates toward the exit of the lot.
When he pauses for traffic before turning onto the road, he glances toward me. “I might have checked you out once or twice.”
“Stop it.” I pull my glasses down my nose and stare at him over them.
His grin, as blinding as the sun outside, makes my heart do a little flip.
As we drive to our mysterious location, I watch the buildings fly past.
If I want to leave by the start of January, which was the plan all along, I need to nail down a new apartment. I also haven’t mentioned it to my current roommate.
Miles’s phone rings, and he glances at the number. “My agent,” he says. “I can call him back.”
“No. It could be important.”
He hits accept. “What’s up.”
“Just heard something on the shoe deal. You’re not going to like it.”
Miles’s hand tightens on the steering wheel. “Tell me.”
“It shouldn’t come as a surprise, but they’re courting two other players. Guys that have exceeded expectations going into the break, apparently.”
“Anyone I know?”
“They wouldn’t confirm, but I got word that one is Hawkins, out of Boston.”
My nose wrinkles. Jay doesn’t make enemies easily, but the guy is one of my brother’s least favorite players.
“So the fact that we didn’t win the midseason tournament means my stock is falling,” Miles reads.
“That’s what I’m trying to find that out. Sit tight. Wouldn’t hurt you to keep putting up twenty-five a night with a wholesome smile.”
“That easy, huh?”
“That easy.”
His agent clicks off and Miles frowns as he navigates.
I reach over to lay a hand over his. “You’re not out yet. They’re probably just doing their homework.”
I vow to take his mind off it, even before he pulls up in front of a faded fa?ade.
I let out a laugh. “You know how to wow a girl.”
“For the woman who has everything. Eight ninety-nine all-day breakfast.”
We get out, and he holds the door for me to go inside the Denny’s. The hostess finds us a booth with a little privacy. There’s still a chance of us being seen, and he shifts in on the same side as me.
“Two coffees, please,” he orders.
The waiter’s expression lingers a little on Miles. Then he looks at me and mouths, “Lucky.”
I smile and wink.
“How’s the phone working?” he asks.
“I’m sticking with the bright blue one. If you tell me how to return the others, I’ll do it this week.”
Miles shakes his head. “No way.”
“What do you mean? You didn’t keep the receipts?”
He shrugs, sheepish. “You can’t take them back. The gold one reminds me of your eyes. And the red one goes with those sparkly shoes you wore to the Halloween party.”
My chest expands until it feels like I’ve swallowed a helium balloon. “Fine. Well, the blue one is lucky. Elise reached out to wish me happy holidays on my social story I put up from the box.”
“You think you’ve still got a shot?”
“Or she was just being polite and felt bad about how things ended.” I shrug.
“I can’t help feeling a little responsible. Me groping you in the hot tub lost you the gig.”
I slant him a look. “In a weird way, I’m glad it didn’t work out. Helping Nova with her business has been more fun than worrying about my own brand. It takes the pressure off her, and I get to put my skills to use and spend time with the people I care about.”
Our coffees arrive and we put in the rest of our order.
My hands wrap around the mug. I take a sip, aware of Miles watching.
“Does it beat mine?” he asks, lips curving.
I frown, pretending to debate. He nudges me under the table with his foot.
“Jury’s still out,” I decide.
He groans.
Except it doesn’t beat his. Not even close.
There are no layers to the flavor. There’s no heart drawn on it with steamed milk, like the most recent one he made me.
Which wouldn’t be disturbing except that I’m starting to wonder if it’s not only about the coffee.
What if Miles Garrett beats everyone else where I’m concerned?
At everything ?
I can’t resist asking, “So what is this? Some do-over of the last time you took me for breakfast?”
“I wanted to do it again, now that I get to look at you and touch you. Now that I get to give a shit.”
As much as his words make my heart skip, there’s a bigger question I’ve been debating asking. “Why did you give a shit?”
Miles turns it over. “You’ve always had this inner strength I admired. I wanted to protect you. When Jay said that he told you the truth about Kevin… he didn’t tell you all of it, because he didn’t know. The truth is I cared way too fucking much about you. I hated that he put you at risk and made you hurt. I wanted to hurt him twice as bad.”
“You knew Kevin was cheating on me,” I blurt.
Miles holds my gaze for a long time before he nods.
“The drug stuff on top of that, the fact that he used you, took things to another level.”
I shake my head. “I must have seemed so naive.”
“No. He was just unworthy.”
Miles says it as if it’s obvious, but my chest contracts.
No one’s ever spoken that way before, about Kevin or me.
But now that we’ve started, more questions tumble to the front of my mind.
One drowns out the others.
“You were on a rookie contract.” I lower my voice, aware of the patrons around us. “What you did to Kevin could’ve gotten you kicked out of the league and ended your career. I’m surprised he didn’t press charges.”
Miles shifts back in his seat. “Yeah, well. It sure wasn’t out of the goodness of his heart. I got pictures of him in some compromising situations.”
“What you’re saying is…”
Miles takes a long sip of coffee. “Mutually assured destruction.”
There’s nothing but conviction in his tone.
It’s a reminder that Miles Garrett, most popular guy in the league, seems to have an edge when it comes to me.
Maybe I should be concerned by it, but I’ve seen enough people dig in for their own interests over the years. Having someone go hard to defend mine makes me want to let him in.
But it’s one thing on let a person in, and another to lean on them.
“I appreciate how you’ve been there for me. Then, and now. And I promised both of us I’d only impose on you for a few weeks.”
His brows pull together. “Brooke?—”
“Let me finish. I said I’d be out by the New Year. And between my brand work and Nova, I actually have a positive bank account balance. It feels good. But.” I take a breath. “I don’t want to be reckless and wind up without savings in another month. So to be sensible, it might be best if I stayed another couple of weeks if you’re okay with that.”
“No.”
Dismay hits me. “No?”
“No, I don’t want you moving out in two weeks.”
His meaning sinks in.
“Miles. I’m not saying we have to end whatever this is. But you must miss having your own space.”
“I don’t. And if you try to say you don’t like me, or that I’m a bad roommate, there’s an empty jumbo box of condoms that prove otherwise.”
He threads his fingers through mine, tracing my palm with his thumb. “What do you say, Princess? Stick around a minute. Play this out with me. I don’t know where it’ll go, but I’m dying to find out.”
My throat is tight. I always have a response, whether it’s right or wrong, but now, I’m speechless.
“I guess I’m not in a hurry.” The words are casual but they feel anything but.
His handsome face splits into a grin. “There’s one more thing. As much as I love sneaking around with you, I don’t want to keep hiding this. Not from the team.”
“And by the team you mean my brother,” I finish.
Miles exhales hard. “Pretty much.”
“You think he’ll hate it?”
“I don’t know.”
I wrestle with the idea. The Kodiaks need this road trip.
Miles needs this road trip, to keep his chances of this deal alive.
“Let’s keep it under wraps until New Year’s,” I suggest. “We’ll tell him when you get back.”