19. Avery
NINETEEN
AVERY
I slide into the booth across from Maven and bat away the leaves of a plant sitting on the windowsill.
Plant .
Reid .
Motherfucker .
Do I need to be reminded of him everywhere I go?
I glare at her and fold my arms across my chest. “You have some explaining to do.”
She hides behind a menu. “Hi, Ave. Good to see you too. How was your trip? And the keynote speech? I bet you smashed it like the boss bitch you are.”
I pluck the list of specials from her hand and drop it on the seat next to me, glaring at her some more. “When were you going to mention Reid, your husband’s best friend and the guy I’ve hung out with three times now, is also the man who works for the DC Titans?”
“Did that not come up?” Maven twists a lock of blonde hair around her finger. “To be fair, I didn’t know you two were seeing each other until the morning after the wedding. He mentioned your name, and I didn’t tell him who you were.”
“Why not?” I press. “You know our history. I’ve sat in this exact booth and bitched about him being a giant pain in my ass. You’re telling me you went home, sat in your living room, and listened to him do the same about me ?”
“The only reason I kept my mouth shut is because up until two weeks ago, I never thought you two would see each other again, let alone hook up. You and I are both so busy during the NFL and NHL seasons, we hardly see each other. There didn’t feel like a need to bother you with this trivial knowledge about who Dallas’s friends might be. I didn’t imagine this ever happening.” There’s sincerity there, in the quiver of her tone and the regret in her eyes. “How did it happen?”
I tell her about the date at the bar and sit back in the booth, letting out a sigh. “Throw in the wedding and the flowers he bought me, and I was so caught off guard when he tracked me down in Vegas.”
“Reid is an all-in guy,” Maven says. “When he likes something, when he truly cares about someone, he’d move mountains to make them happy. He never went through a phase where he slept with dozens of women. He doesn’t do one-night stands, and I don’t think he’s ever asked for a woman’s number. When he’s committed, he’s committed , and I promise what he did leading up to this big reveal was genuine. The guy you met is the real Reid Duncan. I’m convinced the him on the internet is an act.”
“That one-night stand fact got mentioned when he pinned me against a wall.” I blush at the phantom touch of his hand under my dress. His mouth on my skin and the look in his eyes when he dropped to his knees. I blow out a breath and fumble with the pitcher of water the server brings over, pouring myself a full glass. “I was impressed.”
“You don’t have to give me details, but I need to know. How is he in bed?” she asks.
I gnaw on my bottom lip. Heat inundates my body, and I’m thrown back to that night.
To both nights.
When Reid got in his groove, he really got in his groove. Tender and sweet with surprising forwardness. Hot and heavy with a side of funny and laid-back. Small puffs of laughter as we tried to find a comfortable position, followed by the soft brush of his thumb over the curve of my ass.
“Fantastic,” I blurt out, half expecting him to pop out from behind a corner and hear me flattering him again. “He was—” I fiddle with my necklace and ignore the aching sensation in my chest. “The best I’ve ever had.”
It wasn’t just the physical act of fucking; it was everything that came with it.
After, when he grabbed a damp rag and cleaned me up.
During, when he asked for permission before trying anything new.
Before, when he took his time, using his hands, his mouth, his fingers to carefully explore parts of my body that haven’t been touched in years.
I like that we made mistakes.
I like that it wasn’t perfect.
I like that we laughed.
I like that he wanted me so badly, he almost got off from getting me off.
“ Really ?” Maven asks.
“Really,” I say.
“I knew it. Emmy, Maverick’s fiancée, and I always say we think Reid could be the best of the three boys in bed. He’s very thorough, and he gives his full attention to things. I figured that applied to taking care of women too.” Her grin is sly and catlike. “I bet he has notes on what you like.”
“Oh, he does not. I believe he has notes on how to annoy the shit out of me, though, because he does that way too easily.”
“They might not be written down, but he definitely does. If you two hooked up again, he’d do everything you’d want without having to ask. When are you hanging out with him next?”
“Never. The only communication we’re going to have is through our official accounts,” I say. “And the occasional text to irritate each other.”
Maven snorts. “Okay. We’ll see how long that lasts.”
“It’s going to last. Before I found out who he was, we agreed on a friends with benefits arrangement. A mutually beneficial physical and casual relationship where we could put our emotions aside and indulge in each other. We can’t do that now. It would be too messy. Too complicated, and I don’t want complicated. Work is my number one priority. It’s going to stay that way, no matter how good his dick is.”
“Interesting how you can’t stop talking about his dick,” she teases.
“Hush,” I say.
My phone vibrates on the table.
Reid’s name pops up on the screen, and I’m convinced the bastard attached a recording device to me so he knows when I’m talking about him.
Reid
*Attachment: 1 link*
Spoiler alert: this Buzzfeed article said the Titans have the best social media accounts in any major sport.
Me
I’m not clicking that. It’s probably a virus to hack into my phone.
Reid
You’re starting to catch on, princess. Nice job.
Me
I hate that nickname.
Reid
Do you really?
Me
Yes.
Reid
Noted. Won’t use it again.
*Attachment: 1 image*
There. A non-virus photo, just so I can say I told you so.
The picture downloads, and there’s a bright laptop screen. Four sticky notes attached to the corners of the computer with numbers on them and a stack of pens to the left of the keyboard. Reid’s hand is in the center of the frame, the sleeve of his sweatshirt covering his arm almost all the way to his palm, save for the middle finger he’s holding up.
Me
Appreciate the photo evidence.
I’m having lunch with Maven. Please stop bothering me.
Reid
Tell her I’m mad at her.
Me
Tell her yourself.
“Reid is mad at you.” I ignore the next two messages that come through and tuck my phone away in my purse. Out of sight, out of mind.
“He’ll get over it.” She tosses the menu to the side and reaches across the table. She takes my hand in hers and squeezes. “I’m sorry for not telling you who he was, Ave. It was a shitty thing to keep from both of you. I’ve always said you deserve to be happy, and I guess I got all caught up in the post-wedding love, you know? Like, now that I have it, I want you to have it too.”
“I know, Mae, and I love you for that. But I’m happy. I have the best job in the world. I have good friends. I get to live this life I’ve dreamed about for years. Every night I go to sleep grateful, and I’m not sure how it’s supposed to get much better,” I say. “If Reid worked in finance or real estate, or, hell, even marketing like he claimed to, I’d consider giving it a shot. I’ve been down this road before, and it never ends well. The sports world is small, and I can’t put myself in that position again.”
“It makes me happy that you’re happy.” Maven smiles and lets go of my hand. “Am I allowed to say the thing I’ve been thinking since you all figured out who you were talking to online?”
“You know I’ll tell you anything,” I say. “What do you want to know?”
“I can’t help but wonder how much better the sex with Reid would be now. You all have tension and history. Emmy told me hate sex is the best, and I’m kind of jealous I’m never going to get to experience it.”
“Don’t be jealous. You have a man who worships you, Mae. You don’t want to know the kinds of things that are out there. The alternative is scary,” I say. “Besides, I wouldn’t know. I’m never going to have sex with that man again.”
A string in me pulls taut at the thought of Reid on his knees again.
Being pushed against the shower wall as he looked up at me with a shy smile on his mouth.
Another bouquet and my hands on the headboard as he whispered my name.
I don’t like him, but fuck if I don’t like the thought of that .