Chapter 11
Tab
Levi jumps back from me like we’re on a Kindergarten playground, and some other kid just told him I have cooties.
The door opens up into my back, and I slyly take a giant step forward and turn while Levi is already walking down an aisle filled with our pup jackets since the weather is getting crisp outside.
Raeann walks in, and I peek my head around the door as she opens it. “I wondered what I hit.”
“Just me. Levi is off inspecting our shelves.”
The crinkles around Raeann’s eyes deepen when she peers at me, and for a hot second I wonder if she’s on to Levi and me.
If there is a Levi and me. I meant it about him staying away, but for some inexplicable reason, we keep getting drawn back to each other.
Well, it’s not inexplicable, actually. It’s Levi.
He keeps invading my space, whether physically or mentally.
Behind me, footsteps sound, and I turn to find Levi walking out of the mouth of the shelf-lined aisles. I may be a terrible actor, but Levi should be on Broadway. He looks genuinely surprised to see Raeann before walking toward us. “Rae-bae…”
I glare at him. Rae-bae? No one calls Raeann that but me. Raeann slides me a look, and I shrug.
“…Tab and I were talking, and she mentioned how she’d love to come to the game this weekend.”
My mouth falls open on its own accord. I certainly never mentioned anything like that. However, when Raeann looks over at me suspiciously, I smile back. The curve of my lips feels too tight on my face.
It’s not the game itself. I’ve been before, and I really enjoyed it.
Especially in the suite Micah puts us in.
But going there like this…now…is a completely different story.
I feel safe at work around my people, but there’s no getting away from the public at large when you’re going to a stadium that can seat tens of thousands of people, even if you do get the VIP treatment.
“Are you sure you’d be up for it?” Raeann asks, peering at me cautiously.
“You were going to go, right?” I ask.
“I always go to Micah’s home games.”
“And there’s free food.”
Raeann smirks. “Well, it’s not technically free. Micah pays for it.”
“Wait, wait, wait.” I put my hand up. “Are you telling me the Wildcats don’t let the players’ friends and families be in a suite for free? Like as a perk of being an amazing player?”
Levi chuckles. “Yeah, no. If that were the case, I’d have my very own suite for myself.”
His super sweet voice just coated in cocky lingers there as well as his shit-eating grin. “Aww, but you don’t have any friends,” I retort.
Levi’s laugh catches Raeann off guard. She nearly jumps out of her shoes. He winks at me on the sly. “It’s settled then. Y’all will be my guests at the game. You can pretend to be my friends for the night.”
“Oh, Levi. We are your friends.”
“Speak for yourself,” I say, hiding a smile.
Levi is getting a kick out of this, and ever-the-peacekeeper, Raeann is standing there like she has to somehow mend fences that she didn’t even know were broken.
“So, we’re in agreement then. I’ll text Micah and tell him all of our peeps are on me this weekend.”
“That’s so nice,” Raeann says.
I press my lips together because I don’t want to stress Raeann out anymore than she already is, but I have a few things I would like to say to Levi Soucy.
Me: You are sneaky.
Levi: I’ve been waiting for this text.
Levi: Pretty sure I’m actually a genius. Not only did I get to see you, but we were in a situation where you couldn’t yell at me AND now you’re coming to my game tomorrow.
Me: You seem pretty sure of yourself about that.
Levi: I know what I look like in my tight pants and jersey. You won’t be able to help yourself.
Me: The EGO. MY GOODNESS.
Levi: I just have a healthy love for myself. Do you know what else I have a healthy love of?
My heart flips in my chest. I lie back on my bed, staring at the ceiling like it could give me some answers.
I can’t deny that there’s an attraction with Levi.
There always was on my part, but he also doesn’t seem to be going away like I thought he would.
With the number of times he texts me, I’d be surprised if he has time to text anyone else.
I pull up my phone and read through his text again. “Do you know what else I have a healthy love of?” I repeat, smiling to myself.
Me: Graham crackers?
Levi: *laugh emoji* Where do you come up with this stuff?
Me: My brain.
Levi: I have a healthy love of your brain.
I sigh. If I’m honest with myself, this banter with Levi is far better than I could’ve imagined.
When I was crushing on him before the fire, I only ever thought I’d be a one night stand.
Two nights if I was lucky and could use the fact that we have mutual friends as bait, but this is completely different.
Levi is pursuing me, and I don’t know… Maybe I am starting to see that he’s sincere.
I straight up yelled at him last night. Most guys would dip just because of that. I’d be “too much work” or some shit. Not Levi. His immediate reaction was to want to prove to me that he’s real. That has to account for something.
Me: So, say I do go to your game tomorrow…
Levi: I think it’s cute you’re still pretending that you’re not going to go.
Me: Levi…
Levi: Okay, so you do…even though we both absolutely know you are. You won’t be able to resist this:
Levi: Image.
I dissolve into giggles. This man. He always gets me laughing. I peer at the pic again. It’s him, standing in front of a full-length mirror. He’s twisted to the side but pushing his butt out and holding his sweats tight to show the curve of his ass.
Levi: Just picture this in my game pants.
Well, that’s about to send me into a search spiral. I pull up the browser on my phone and type in Levi Soucy butt.
Good. Heavens.
The number of images that come up is crazy. I have to say, he’s damn right about his ass. I already knew this about him from going to a game when Micah was wooing Raeann, but literally someone has a blog about Levi’s tush. How is this possible?
Me: Did you know you literally have someone on the internet who’s talking about your badonkadonk?
Levi: Has she added any new pics?
I burst out laughing. Of course he would know this. He’s so the type to search himself on the internet.
Me: Maybe I should send her the one you just sent me.
Levi: It would be amazing for her collection, but this is for Tab’s eyes only.
Levi: So is this one:
Another image pops up, and it’s of Levi standing in front of the mirror, his thumb casually hooked over the band of his sweats, and he’s shirtless. I zoom in. I mean, when someone the caliber of Levi sends you another thirst trap, that’s the appropriate response.
Me: You are trying to seduce me, Mr. Soucy.
Levi: Is it working?
Me: I’ll see you at your game tomorrow.
Levi: I know.
Another text pops up a few moments later.
Levi: I’ll be the one staring up at the suite and looking lovestruck.
Me: I’ll be the one motioning for you to turn around so I can take a peek of dat ass.
Levi: LOL
Me: Night, Levi.
Levi: Night, Rapunzel.
A low hum of butterflies in my stomach means my nerves are on the fritz.
Levi messaged me first thing this morning to remind me that he’ll be at the game wearing the number nineteen across his jersey.
Like I didn’t know. I gaze into the mirror and smooth my shirt down.
It just so happens that one of the outfits Levi bought me from the store matches the Wildcats teal color.
I’m beginning to wonder if he is a genius.
It’s possible he’s had everything planned all along. Diabolical.
Smiling to myself, I turn to check out my backside at the same time Raeann knocks on my door. She opens it. “You ready? The car is almost here.”
“Ready,” I tell her. She hikes up an enormous bag on her shoulder, and I eye it. “What’s that?”
Her cheeks flush. “Nothing.”
“Rae-bae…”
“I just thought I should make sure we have everything for contingency plans.”
“Everything like what?”
She opens her bag and starts to rifle through it. “Well, I’ve got your pills, some bandages, some topical cream, a mask in case the air is too much for you, some hand sanitizer, chapstick.” She peers up, looking sheepish and shrugs.
I walk over to her and throw my arms around her. “You’re a good friend,” I say into her coconut-scented hair. “A little crazy, maybe, but a good friend.”
“I have tissues too.”
I pull away, holding her arms. “See, the bestest friend. You never know when you’re going to need a tissue.”
“Exactly what I believe,” she says animatedly.
Athena noses us, and then dips into a stretch. She and Raeann match, wearing Micah’s number in a mock jersey that’s beautifully feminine yet sporty at the same time. My stomach squeezes a bit, wondering if Levi would want me to wear his number. Not now, obviously. But in the future, maybe.
Wait a second. Raeann ushers me forward and to the elevator, telling me that the car is here, but my mind is stuck on the fact that I just thought about the future with Levi.
That’s new. Before, there were hard barriers up to the notion that he and I could be together, but it seems as if those are crumbling in my mind.
Could it be possible that I believe he’s sincere? “That’s absolutely nuts.”
“What is?” Raeann asks as we walk into the elevator. She pushes the L button, and we stand there. She’s sifting through her purse again, most likely checking to see if she remembered to bring everything in the medicine cabinet as a backup.
“What?”
“You said something was nuts.”
“Oh. It’s um… It’s just nuts that Levi was thoughtful enough to invite me to the game.”
She leans against the elevator, pulling her bag up on her shoulder, and gently caressing Athena. “Well, I hesitate to tell you this because I know how much you were lusting after him before but apparently he’s been asking about you throughout your recovery.”
“My what?”