Chapter 5
FIVE
A knock brings my attention to the door and Scott’s head peeks in. “Hey, I’m going to run to the store to get more alcohol. You need anything?”
“Are you sure I’m allowed out of my room?” I ask. I still haven’t bothered to get dressed. I sat down at my desk to check in with work and got distracted.
“Sorry, man, I’m a little protective of her. She’s been through a lot.”
I nod and open my top desk drawer and pull out the stack of gift cards. “Where are you going?”
“Dude, what all you got there?” He laughs and walks closer.
“Gift cards to pretty much every place you can think of.”
His eyes widen. “You’re coming with me. Bring your stash.”
I don’t know what his sister said to him, but in an hour’s time, our place has become packed with guys and girls. Good work, Ginny.
Adam and I head out and make several stops getting booze and food. When we’re on our way back, I finally decide to broach the subject on my mind.
“Soooo… your sister’s smoking hot.”
I’m messing with him, sort of. She is smoking hot, but I’m only sharing this information to get a rise out of him. As predicted, he pins me with a hard stare. I meet it and smile, letting him know I’m not intimidated.
“Off-limits, Payne.”
“Relax, I’m giving you shit. I don’t do the whole girlfriend thing like you. We’ve only talked a few times. She’s nice.”
“She is. I worry about her. She doesn’t know a lot of people at Valley yet and I want to introduce her to everyone, but she’s off-limits. Friend zone only, man. I know how you are.”
Ouch. I’m a perfect gentleman, thank you very much. Just because I don’t date the same girl for months at a time, doesn’t mean I treat them any worse.
“Is there some sort of big brother gene that makes you all giant overprotective assholes?”
“I’m serious. She just got out of a relationship and she doesn’t need another guy screwing her over.”
We pull up to the apartment and grab the bags to carry inside. Before we enter the apartment, Adam stops and regards me seriously. “You’ll help me keep an eye on her? Make sure the rest of the guys don’t mess with her?”
“She doesn’t need a babysitter, man, and I’m no nanny.”
His mouth pulls into a thin line and I cave, some part of me understanding his concern. I can’t imagine having a little sister around my teammates and friends.
“I will keep an eye out, but I’m not going to lord over her like some sort of protector. Normal, friendly, keep an eye out, not whatever you’ve got going on there.” I lift one of my arms bringing the grocery bags with it and motion to him and his moody intensity.
“Good enough, I guess.”
I barely get the beer to the fridge before people are grabbing for it. I take two and spot the object of my and Adam’s conversation sitting on the couch watching Maverick and Rauthruss play Halo.
“Hey,” I say as I take a seat next to her and hold out a beer. Her hair is in an elaborate looking braid, the end hanging over one shoulder.
She takes the can hesitantly. “Thanks.”
“Where’s mine?” Maverick teases.
“In the fridge.”
He holds a hand to his chest and pretends to be appalled.
“When you’re as hot as Ginny, I’ll start being your beer bitch, too.”
She rolls her eyes as she pops the tab on her beer, but there’s a faint blush to her cheeks.
“Genevieve,” Adam calls from the kitchen and lifts a beer in a silent offering. She holds up the one I gave her so he can see she’s already got one.
“Genevieve?” Mav asks. “I thought your name was Ginny.”
“Ginny is short for Genevieve.”
“That’s rad. Why would you ever go by anything else?” He says her name again slowly. “Genevieve.”
“Adam couldn’t pronounce it when I was born.”
Mav and Rauthruss bust up laughing.
“He was three,” she adds, sticking up for him.
Rauthruss wins, like he always does, and Mav looks to me. “I’m done getting my ass kicked. Do you want to play?”
Nodding, I hold a hand up and he tosses the controller to me. I nudge Ginny. “What do you say?”
Rauthruss holds his out to her and she takes it.
“Have you played before?”
“I grew up with Adam. What do you think?” She sits forward and places her beer on the coffee table and straightens her shoulders. She’s taking this seriously, looking determined and sexy as hell.
I set out with the goal of taking it easy on her, but Ginny doesn’t need it. A few of the guys on the team crowd around to cheer her on and voice their hope of me getting my ass kicked. I win, just barely, and everyone boos.
“Thanks a lot, guys. Real team spirit.”
“Do over,” she demands.
I’m not confident I can pull off a victory twice, so I hesitate. We lean forward and grab our beers at the same time. I take a long drink while she sips and then grimaces.
“What was that face?” I stare at her cute little mouth and pink lips wet from the beer.
“Do you actually like the taste of beer?” she asks.
“I wouldn’t drink it otherwise. Why didn’t you say something?”
“I’m trying to learn to like it. It seems to be what everyone drinks here.” She takes a longer drink as if to prove her point.
“Be right back.”
I find Jordan and trade a twenty-dollar gift card for a twelve-pack of his hard seltzers. Two more people have taken over the game, so I motion for Ginny to follow me and lead her out to the deck.
“Try this.”
“Thank you.” She takes it and I lean back against the railing. There are a lot of people out here, but no one is paying us any attention except her brother. Big brother radar, I guess. Dude needs to chill.
I turn so his big-headed scowl isn’t in my peripheral. There’s no pleasing the guy. He wanted me to look out for her. I am, yet he still seems displeased. “I don’t remember seeing you last year. You were really at our games?”
“A few of them.” This time when she takes a drink, she smiles. “Much better.” She plays with the end of her braid. “I was at the Colorado game and Arizona State and whoever you guys played for Parent’s Night.”
I think back to that game for a second. “Western Michigan.”
“Right.” Her smile lifts higher.
“I can’t believe I didn’t see you.” Her phone is stuck in the front pocket of her jeans and I nod toward it. “Let me see your phone.”
She hands it over without question and I program my number in it and send myself a text so I have hers.
“A lot of people come to the games. Plus, it wasn’t like I was sitting on the bench with the team. Do you guys notice anyone in the crowd?”
“We notice hot girls.” Maverick butts into the conversation and puts an arm around her shoulders. “You’re hot, Little Scott.”
She blushes and I hand her phone back.
Mav holds on to her and takes a step away from me. “I’m stealing her. Ginny here has a lot of people dying to meet her and you’re hogging her, Payne.”
“I do?” Ginny asks, sounding a little hopeful.
“Oh yeah.” Mav nods. “Come on. You need a tour guide.”
“Okay, yeah, that’d be great.” She glances at me. “You probably want to hang out with your friends anyway.” She lifts her seltzer. “Thanks for this.”
“Anytime, Genevieve.” I wink and tug the end of her braid.
She follows Mav, and I head inside, grab another beer, and take a seat back on the couch next to Rauthruss’s giant frame. “I’ve got winner.”