Hudson
“Come on, Dax, sink the damn ball this time,” I grumbled, taking a drink of my beer.
Joe and Liam chuckled as we all watched Dax do his best to miss the damn shot again, causing us to once again lose the game against Liam and Joe.
“Sweet bloody victory, again!” Joe sang, giving Liam a high five.
I shook my head as I racked the balls again for the next game.
“Sorry, , thought I had it this time,” Dax groveled.
“Of course you did. Next time, I want a new partner.” I chuckled.
Pool with the boys. It was a typical Sunday. I took comfort in doing the things that were routine. Spending Sundays with the boys was routine, and I’d already decided I’d never trade it for the world. It was just the location that had changed. Instead of Joe’s parents’ place, we stood inside Joe and Everly’s new place. It had been a challenge to get the pool table in, but with a lot of persistence, a lot of muscle, and Bexley’s brains, we’d made me.
“I’m gonna grab some beer. Anyone want?” Dax asked, heading to the kitchen.
“Anyone want…what do you think?” I said, smacking him across the head as he walked by.
“Do you believe that guy?” I grumbled. “Makes me lose money and then actually has to ask if I want another beer.” I chuckled.
“You’d think he’d have gotten the hang of the game by now. It’s only been what, eight years?” Joe said, causing us all to laugh.
“What you guys laughing at?” Dax asked, coming into the room with four beers.
“Nothing,” Liam answered, passing him his cue. “Get ready.”
I was just about to break the balls when the door to the condo slammed shut and I heard a familiar voice call out to Liam. I stood up and turned to see Maya come into the room. Saying nothing to anyone, she made her way across the room and into Liam’s arms. Once their lips attached, I figured it was game over, but the next thing I knew, she was staring at me with a shit-eating grin.
“What?” I questioned, worried about what she was going to ask. “Go back to making out with Liam and leave me be.” I chuckled, as did Dax and Joe.
“No, I need to talk to you.”
“To me?” I questioned. “Why me?”
“Thank god, finally someone other than me is in trouble,” Joe muttered, sitting down on the couch and putting his feet up on the coffee table.
“And me,” Liam added.
Maya turned and looked at him, smiled, then placed a kiss on his lips. “You are never in trouble, baby.”
Joe stuck his finger into his mouth and faked a gag.
“Shut up, Joseph,” Maya said, glaring in his direction. “Now, , tell me, what is your schedule like this week?”
“I work day shift Monday and Tuesday. I took my night shifts off, then I’d be on my days off.”
When I looked over at Maya, she had a huge grin on her face.
“Oh man, you walked right into that one,” Joe said, leaning forward, getting ready to watch what was coming next. “She only gets that grin when she has an idea.”
I looked over to see her still standing there with that Cheshire cat grin on her face. “Why do you look like that? You’re freaking me out.”
“Gah, this couldn’t be more perfect!” she said, coming up and tapping me on the cheeks before delivering what I called her death pinch. “I love how my brain works.”
“How so?” I asked, picking up my beer.
“Because I have a date for you on Thursday night.”
As the words left her lips, the beer I’d drank hit the back of my throat and I coughed.
Liam, Joe, and Dax turned their undivided attention between me and Maya.
“I don’t think so,” I gritted, trying to gasp for air.
“Come on. It’s one night!” Maya cried.
“Yeah, , come on, it’s one night,” Joe mocked.
I shook my head.
“Come on, please!” Maya cried.
I shook my head again.
“Give me one good reason why,” she said, crossing her arms and tapping her foot. I’d seen her pull this with Liam and Joe before and somehow she always ended up getting her way.
“Well, for one, I don’t date,” I said, tapping her nose with my finger.
“What is the matter with you?”
“Not a thing.” I shrugged.
“I thought your job is to serve and protect.”
I nodded. “Correct. When I’m on duty, that is my job. So, who am I protecting and serving? Is it both? Is this a job you are offering? If so, tell me how much you are paying.”
She brought her finger to her lips and stood there, staring off for a moment. “No, it’s a date. You’re paying.” She crossed her arms over her chest.
“So, let me get this straight. My job is to serve and protect, however, this isn’t a job. I’m being told to go on a date and that I’m paying. No thanks.”
Maya stood there, scowling at me as Liam chuckled. She whipped around and looked at Liam, who automatically quieted down.
“Look, , Maya has a way of getting what she wants. So, you may as well cave now, otherwise I’m going to have to start on you. I don’t want that.”
I ran my hand through my hair. This Sunday had been going so well until she’d walked in. Who the hell gave her a key to this apartment? I didn’t date, hadn’t in a long time, and I liked it that way.
“Please,” she said.
I let out a huff. “Who is it?”
“I’ll tell you if you agree to go.”
I gave her my highly disappointed look and then let out the breath I was holding. I’d been defeated. “Fine.”
Maya looked around the room at all of us. “All of you heard that, correct?” she questioned, looking at all the guys.
Each one of them nodded, then gave me an apologetic look.
“Listen, no one breathes a word of this. It’s supposed to be a blind date. Well, the other half thinks it’s a blind date with someone she doesn’t know. I need sworn promises from all of you.”
“Fine,” Joe answered.
“Yep,” Liam said. “I don’t need to be cut off.”
“I’ll do my best,” Dax replied.
“No, Dax, you will shut it. Lock it up and throw it away,” Maya said.
“Yep,” he agreed.
“It’s Bexley.”
I frowned. What the hell would she need to be sent on a blind date for? She was smart, funny, attractive as hell, although in recent months she hadn’t been around too much. The last few times I’d seen her, she’d been sad, almost as if she’d changed overnight.
“Isn’t she…” It was then I remembered that she’d made me promise not to say anything, and although a lot of time had passed since that night, I still couldn’t out her.
Maya just looked at me and shook her head.
I frowned. Had Maya known she was seeing someone? Probably it was the way girls were.
Well, we’d be the perfect match—both sad, because deep down inside I was like that too, only I never showed it. Two broken people spending time together.
“Fine, send me the details.”
“Yep, no worries. I’ll text them over as soon as I figure them out.”