3. Webber
Fox
You staying at a hotel or with family?
Webber
Hotel
My parents downsizedwhen I went to college, and it surprised the shit out of me that my father wanted to go smaller. But he loves my mother. And even though he’s a conceited son of a bitch when it comes to his son, he treats my mother like royalty. So, I keep my distance – and my mouth shut.
Fox
Which one?
Webber
The Liberty, downtown
Three dots jump on the screen, then stop. Jump. Stop.
I roll my eyes and sigh, pressing the button to call him.
“Hey,” he says in answer.
“Why all the back and forth?”
“I don’t know,” he says, a frustrated tone coming across the line. “I… you make me a little nervous, I think.”
“Me?” No way. “You’re the big-time superstar. I’m?—”
“I swear, if you say you’re ‘just’ anything again…” He trails off, and there’s a bit of a growl in his voice now.
It’s sexy.
“Okay, okay, but the big-time superstar part is right. Why do I make you nervous?”
“Because you are a gorgeous man, Greyson Webber.”
My jaw drops. I know it does because I feel it happen, but he doesn’t know that. So how…
“Close your mouth, Webber.”
His chuckle pulls me out of my stupor, and I join his laughter before I quietly say, “I figured you’d tell me to do the opposite, Fox.”
“Fuck,” he mutters. “Does your hotel have a bar? Or do we need to go somewhere else?”
“There’s a bar here. Pretty decent, actually.”
He clears his throat. “I’ll be there in ten.”
Before I can even respond, I hear the tell-tale double beep in my ear that he’s hung up the phone. I smile at the screen as I pull it away.
Jonathan Foxworth, “The Fox”, the five-time All-Star, is coming to my hotel to have a drink. With me.
Holy shit.
I shuck my jeans and shirt and jump in the shower to wash off the effects of the Texas heat and humidity, making sure I pay closer attention to the pertinent places.
I walk out of the bathroom with a towel knotted around my waist and reach for my phone.
Fox
In the bar. Saving you a stool.
What’s your poison?
Webber
Bourbon neat
Fox
How many fingers?
Webber
However many you want to give me
Fox
Tease
Webber
It’s not teasing if I follow through right?
Fox
Get your sexy ass down here already
I pull on a pair of shorts and dig my favorite grey tee from my bag. It’s been lucky for me in other scenarios. Can’t hurt tonight.
I rub the towel over my hair once more and spear my fingers through it to give it some semblance of styled.
“Fuck it,” I say with a shrug.
He already said I’m gorgeous, so it is what it is.
I step off the elevator and walk towards the bar, searching him out, but it doesn’t take long.
Two women stand to his left, trying desperately to get his attention. It’s like he has some sort of spidey-sense when it comes to me, though, because the second I walk through the door, his eyes find me.
“Webb!” he yells, raising his hand to wave like I don’t see him.
“Oh my god, it’s Greyson Webber,” one of the women whispers.
I nod at them, sliding onto the stool beside Fox and nodding at the bartender who’s served me a couple other times since I’ve been here.
“Are y’all busy tonight?” one woman asks.
Fox nods and turns so that his back rests against the bar. “Yeah. Baseball stuff.”
“But you’re not on the same team,” the other woman says.
I chuckle, and Fox smiles at the women. “We are absolutely on the same team.”
Both their eyes widen as they realize what he means. It’s not a secret for either of us; we were both out before we got drafted, so while it’s known, it’s old news; some people tend to forget.
“Got it,” one says. “Y’all have fun.” She winks and they walk away to find a willing man or two.
“Same team. Good one,” I say, tipping my glass back and taking a sip of my bourbon.
“Well, it’s true, right?”
I nod. “That it is.”
He swivels on the stool again, this time until his knees press into the outside of my thigh.
“What?” I finally ask after he stares at me for a solid minute without saying a word.
“Just looking at you. That’s all.”
“Hmm,” I murmur, sipping again. “So, your sister lives here?”
He grins at me, showing me those dimples that make my belly flip upside down. “Small talk, huh? Okay, I’ll bite. Yeah. They moved here about five years ago to follow my nephew’s sperm donor. Calling him a father would be a disservice to all good dads out there. He turned out to be as shitty as I thought he’d be. But she’d found a really great job and school for Jack, so she stayed. She’s made some great friends here and really formed a village.”
“It’s a really cool little town. I loved growing up here, so I get why she stayed. I’m happy they’re happy here.”
He nods, tipping back his glass and draining the last dregs of his cocktail. An old fashioned maybe? Something with whiskey.
I take the last sip of my bourbon and nod towards the glass. “Thanks for the drink.”
“Anytime.”
“You hungry?” I ask.
“Hmm. Yeah…” He draws out the last word like he wants to say something else.
I cock a brow at him and ask silently.
He leans in and trails a finger up the inside of my arm from wrist to elbow. “I want to fuck you, Greyson.”
I nod again, wordlessly. “Okay,” I finally say.
“Do you want me to fuck you?”
I sit, motionless for a beat, and another, and one more, before I turn my head and find him staring at my mouth.
“Mm-hmm,” I answer.
Fox drops a fifty on the bar top, waves to the bartender, and reaches down and laces his fingers through mine.
“Oh, you meant right now?” I ask, jokingly.
“Don’t fuck with me, Webber.”
“But you just?—”
He growls and squeezes my hand. “Let’s go.”
“Yes, sir,” I say, laughing at him.
“Shit, say that again. Later.”
“So, I guess we know who’s topping tonight, huh?” I ask just before the elevator door dings open.