37. June
Melissa wants to meet at seven at a restaurant not too far from the apartment, which gives me plenty of time to take care of Mrs. Carpenter’s pets and get ready. Or so I thought. Nothing I own seems cute or fashion-forward enough. I don’t want to look frumpy next to Melissa. In the end, I give up on wearing a dress and go with skinny jeans, a cute, corseted top with a sweetheart neckline and cap sleeves, and chunky high-heel sandals.
I stare at my reflection in the full-length mirror and strike a pose. Eros and Apollo are lounging on the bed, surrounded by Mrs. Carpenter’s endless pillows, and staring at me. “What do you think, guys?”
If cats could roll their eyes, that’s what Apollo would have done. He exudes an air of indifference while he licks his paw. Eros yawns.
“You guys suck.” I glance at the mirror again. “Not bad, June. It almost looks like you know what you’re doing.”
A knock on the door sets the dog into a barking frenzy, and my heart skips a beat. Immediately, I assume one of the guys is outside. “One second.”
I look through the peephole just to be safe and see Lachy standing on the other side. The butterflies in my stomach awaken.
Smiling, I open the door. “Hi, Lachy.”
His eyes bug out as he looks at my ensemble. “Wow, lass. Where are you going looking like that?”
“Melissa invited me to dinner.”
Looking sheepish, he rubs the back of his neck. “Oh, I came to ask if you wanted to hang out.”
He could have texted me, but he chose to come down to ask. I don’t know how I’m supposed to resist this man. He’s too adorable and sexy for his own good.
“Rain check? How about tomorrow?”
He gives me a crooked smile. “Yeah, I can come over after the game. You’re coming again, right?”
I arch my brows. “I didn’t even know you were playing again. I really should look at your game schedule.”
“You should.” His gaze drops to my lips, but he doesn’t make the first move.
I want a kiss from him though, so it’s up to me. I step into his space, curling my fingers into the fabric of his shirt, and press my lips softly against his. He wraps his arms around my waist, pulling me flush against his body while he coaxes my lips open with his tongue. I didn’t realize how much I was craving his touch. My heart is thumping hard inside my chest, pumping euphoria throughout my body. I relax into his arms, loving the feel of his scruff against my skin. My temperature is rising, and yet, goose bumps spread everywhere, and chills of desire run down my back. It’s like I caught an ice-cold fever.
He leans back, biting my lower lip softly before releasing it. “If you don’t want to be late, you’d better go back inside, lass.”
“Right. Well, I’ll see you later.” I step back and close the door, still in a daze. Then I lean against the cold and hard surface and wait for my body to cool off.
Holy shit. Maybe I should avoid kissing Lachy when I don’t have time for more.
I’m five minutes late thanks to Lachy’s surprise visit, and Melissa is already waiting for me at the table. She waves at me from a distance, then stands to give me a hug. She looks like a rock star, as always. Tonight, she opted for jeans and a fancy top, paired with a cropped leather jacket. I’m glad I chose jeans too.
“Hi, June. You look so cute. I love your top.”
“Thanks. You look stunning.”
She flips her hair back and winks. “I try.”
“I’m sorry I’m late. I got sidetracked a bit.”
She smirks. “Sidetracked, huh? I wonder by who?”
I pick up the menu in front of me and lower my face to avoid her stare. “Lachy.”
She laughs. “That’s a nice distraction. I can’t fault you for it.”
The waitress walks over to take our drink orders. Melissa turns to her. “I’ll have a spicy margarita.”
“Oh, that sounds good. I’ll have one too.”
Melissa leans forward once we’re alone again. “You must be wondering why I invited you to dinner.”
“Yeah. A bit.”
“I just want to check on you. Your life has gone through major changes, and now you’re suddenly in the spotlight. I’m a little mad at Jake for bringing you as his date on Saturday night without thinking about the consequences to you.”
Apprehension pierces my chest. “Oh? Did something happen?”
“Nothing terrible. But you’re now linked to him. The press perceives you as his potential girlfriend. If you’re caught being chummy with Lachy, for instance, that won’t look good for you.”
I sag against my chair. “Yeah, that’s my biggest fear. But you can’t blame Jake for it. I could have said no, but...”
“You wanted to go. I get it. Any woman would have a hard time saying no to him. He’s a catch.”
“They all are,” I blurt out without thinking.
Melissa watches me closely. “June Summers, are you falling for all those boys?”
Cheeks. Flames. “What? No! That’d be crazy.”
The waitress returns with our drinks, and am I glad to see her. I don’t let her set the drink on the table. I take it from her hand and drink a couple of large sips, one right after another.
“I don’t think it’d be that crazy,” Melissa replies. “If it feels right, fuck what society says. Go for it.”
Maybe the alcohol is already working because my tongue is loose. “I don’t know what I feel. There’s attraction, but also more. I enjoy spending time with them individually and as a group. It’s doing my head in, to be honest. They’re all cool with sharing, and I have a feeling that they’re still happy when I spend time alone with one of them. I’ve never met any guys who behave like they do.”
“There’s a word for it. Compersion. They get a kick out of knowing you’re having a good time with someone else.”
I frown. “I’d get crazy jealous. I don’t want to picture them with another woman. Does that make me selfish?”
Melissa’s eyes harden. “No. I wouldn’t be happy if Elijah was screwing someone else on the side. I’m not cut out to be in a non-monogamous relationship.”
“Me neither.” I drink some more, trying to drown the new anxiety swirling in my chest.
“You need to be honest with them.”
“I know. God, maybe I should stop before it’s too late.”
She tilts her head. “I think it’s already too late. Your eyes sparkle when you talk about them.”
“Great,” I mumble.
Our waitress returns. “Are you ready to order?”
“Shit. I didn’t even look at the menu,” I say in a panic as I scan the options quickly.
“I’ll give you a couple more minutes,” the waitress replies, and walks away again.
“The burgers here are really good,” Melissa tells me.
I check the prices and almost gag. Twenty dollars for a burger?
“Get whatever you want. It’s my treat,” Melissa continues as if reading my mind.
“Okay, thank you.”
“About the game tomorrow. Are you planning to come?”
I bite my lower lip. “Should I?”
Melissa shrugs. “I don’t see why not? But I have to warn you, Wendy Wagner has been asking about you.”
“Who is she?”
“Oh, that’s right. You left the party on Saturday early and didn’t meet her. She’s Malcolm Wagner’s wife. Malcolm is one of our D-men. Wendy is the main WAG. She takes the lead on everything.”
“WAG?”
“Short for wives and girlfriends. They have a group chat where they coordinate all kinds of social events, pick custom outfits for the playoffs, that kind of thing. Whenever a player gets an official girlfriend, they’ll usually ask the WAG leader to add their girl to the group.”
My pulse accelerates. That sounds like the moms on the PTA, but the rich and fabulous version. I’ve seen enough pictures of wives and girlfriends of pro athletes to know they’re all gorgeous.
“But I’m not anyone’s girlfriend.”
“They don’t know that. And after Jake brought you to the party on Saturday, they’re all buzzing with curiosity. If you come tomorrow, Wendy will make sure to grill you with all the questions.”
My stomach coils tightly. “Oh God. This is getting complicated.”
“It doesn’t need to be. Talk with the boys and figure out where you stand. Then make a decision. And if you do decide to stick around, I’ll get you properly trained to deal with the media. Unlike Jake, I won’t throw you to the wolves unprepared.”
“Thanks.”
“You said you wanted to talk to me about something. What is it?”
Crap. I already forgot about Principal Prescott’s request.
“My boss asked if the guys could visit the school and speak to our students. I didn’t make any promises. It’s okay if you say no.”
She frowns. “Why would I say no? I think it’s an excellent idea. We’re always looking for opportunities to connect with the community. I’ll ask the PR manager to reach out to your principal. Just shoot me her details.”
Relief and anxiety hit me at once. I’m relieved that I don’t have to disappoint Principal Prescott, and anxious about spending time with the guys at my workplace. Sometimes, it’s exhausting to be me.
When I get home from dinner with Melissa, I’m determined to skip tomorrow’s game. I’m not ready to face the inquisition of a bunch of strangers when I don’t know where I stand in my relationship with the boys. I could put my big girl pants on and ask them, but hell, what if I come across as needy?
I take my phone out to charge and notice a few messages from them. They added me to a group chat. My heart skips a beat, and I’m giddy like a schoolgirl.
JAKE: I already took Winston out for his evening walk.
LACHY: We’re up if you want to come by.
Oh, the temptation. If I go up to their apartment, I doubt I’ll get much sleep.
I just got home, but it’s late. I should probably go to bed.
JAKE: Smart. I don’t think you’d get much sleep if you came over. ??
It’s ridiculous how hard I’m blushing right now.
Oh God. ??
RYAN: Exactly what you’d be saying on repeat.
??
LACHY: Ryan made tres leches cake but don’t wanna share.
RYAN: I’ll share with June, not you.
I love tres leches cake. Maybe I could stop by for a quick visit. It doesn’t need to turn into anything. I’m grinning like a fool and read their messages a few times before I reply.
Okay. I guess I can make an appearance for cake. ??
JAKE: I retract my previous message. Coming over IS the smartest choice.
RYAN: ??
LACHY: See you soon, lass.
I don’t agree with Jake. Going to see them isn’t the smartest choice, but it’s the best choice.