10. JOSH
JOSH
My concentration was shot. Kev’s words tumbled around in my head from our conversation on the plane. “Fake date her. Get Carlos off your back and no one will know. You have chemistry with her, whether you admit it or not.”
I couldn’t deny the chemistry, especially while I watched her tits bouncing around in the gym.
It took all of my energy to keep from dragging her off that damn machine and burying my cock inside her.
I know she caught a glimpse of the half chub she’d given me.
She smirked like she knew what she did to me and it was hot.
She was a flirt and it was all I could think about.
Especially since the calendar on the wall in front of me was like a countdown of doom.
I was running out of time, and options. Maybe there was something to what Kev suggested.
It would be fake. I could talk her into some sort of deal.
If we took sex off the table and just hung out a few times to appease everyone. Maybe it wasn’t far-fetched.
The city was electric. The lid on the stadium was open, the air was warm but breezy, and we were playing our rivals, Boston, on their home turf.
We were up 2-1. It was their turn at bat.
Just as the batter walked up to the plate, I shot Carlos a stare that read, you better have it locked down behind the batter.
Johnson had a habit of bunting. I checked over my shoulder to third base, where Castle was stretching just off the base.
Kev whipped the ball at Milos who caught it.
He swung at the leg of Castle who had just made it back to the base.
I groaned. It was a split second off having his ass walk back to the bench.
Hopefully, it served as a warning not to mess with us.
I doubted it, though; he liked to showboat and stealing home was a fucking enticing option.
The chants began. Urging the batter to knock one out of the park.
They needed one to tie the game. It was tight, as we were in the ninth.
Castle was on third and edging for a steal.
If Johnson hit it out of the park, it would be an easy win.
Johnson turned to see his coach. Something about the way he changed his stance had me feeling he was aiming to bunt.
It would be enough to get Castle over the line and tie the game. Fuck.
Without being obvious, I signaled the coach to close the gap. The outfielders edged closer and we were prepared for it. I bounced on my toes, waiting. Kev took a steadying breath just before he wound up his pitch. His hand released and the ball launched right into the strike zone. Nice!
Carlos narrowed his eyes, making sure no one attempted to steal a base, then lobbed the ball to Kev.
Johnson lined up the same way again. Kev tossed out a curve ball, but the prick was ready for it.
The clink of the ball connecting with the bat had Kev scrambling off the mound as fast as he could.
Carlos and Kev were racing to catch it when it dropped with a thud just out of reach of both of them.
For fuck’s sake. Carlos grabbed it and rushed back to home plate just as Castle slid across it.
A bead of sweat rolled down my forehead.
A hush fell over the crowd.
“OUT!” the umpire yelled, shaking his fist. The crowd thundered in disappointment, but we didn’t care. I ran and jumped on Kev. We won! It was our first win in the last four games. We finally broke our losing streak.
The locker room was in full swing. Snapping towels, laughter, it felt good.
“We’re celebrating tonight!” Kev yelled over all the hoots and hollering.
“Hell yeah!” I agreed.
We opted for wings and beer instead of the usual nightclub vibe. I wasn’t surprised since Jake was married, Kev was dating the brunette from the other week, and Carlos was Carlos, the dynamics had shifted in the usual celebratory nights out.
“Joshie,” Carlos crooned from across the table. I hated when he called me that. “It’s been a few days. How’s the search going?” Carlos asked after he ordered his wings.
Jake and Kev both leaned forward, as if there was some juicy gossip to hear.
I hesitated over saying anything. The truth was, I had struck out.
Found no one. I was probably further from winning than when we started.
Did I want to admit that to these guys? Fuck no.
The only person I’d even had in my bed was April. A light went off. April.
“There’s one chick I'm talking to.” A total lie.
He looked doubtful. “Like talking and not just arranging hookups?”
“Yes. We’ve talked, had dinner, and she stayed over recently.
” Everyone eyed me suspiciously. So, I was stretching things.
But technically, April and I had done all these things.
The pretenses were just semantics. But since they didn’t need exact details, it would buy me some time to figure out whether or not this was a road I could take.
“I can confirm there might be someone,” Jake added, surprising everyone, including me. Although I was sure I was the only one who caught the pointed stare he gave me on the word might.
Because Carlos was a suspicious bastard, he asked, “What’s her name?”
“Summer,” I replied without a hint of hesitation. Okay, I’m going down this road.
Carlos watched between us for a beat before saying, “Fine. I’ll give you credit for now. But the clock is ticking.”
Didn’t I freaking know it? I was still trying to think of a way to make this all come together.
My thoughts drifted back to April. How she was ideal.
Perfect even. The more I thought about what Kev suggested, the more I realized I maybe wanted that.
It was an easy out and if I did it right, no one would get hurt.
A new sensation of hope spread across me.
Before they could give me the fifth degree, I held up my hands. “Guys, ease up. Let me figure out if it’s something before you come at me.”
Jake grinned. “You must like her.”
“Why’s that?” I asked.
“’Cause any other time we ask you about a girl, you have no problem telling us about her.”
Hm. I sat back in my chair, letting Jake’s comment sink in. It was true. I wasn’t the kiss and not tell kind of guy. I was the one who told everyone. Bragged even. I thought back to a few of my dates and how much detail I let them in on. The good or the bad.
Even the thought of April sleeping beside me last night needed to be a secret.
It was something I would usually be flaunting and yet, I didn’t.
Couldn’t. For one, she wasn’t mine. She didn’t even know about the bet, and most of all, I wanted to protect her.
These ass wipes didn’t need to know anything about her personal life.
Heck, I preferred them not to. I’d seen the way a few of them checked her out.
Until they caught my warning glare. Off limits.
She was a professional colleague, not a stripper.
Was it fair to her? Probably not. Was I protecting her from them? Yes. Or so I told myself.
They finally laid off me and turned the conversation back to sports.
I was half listening as they boasted about the game, their stats, and whatever else the conversation drifted to.
My mind wandered back to April. The last few days.
Her breakup. My dilemma. How she was last night, how easy it was to be with her.
How great she felt next to me. All of the little moments of coulda, shoulda, and woulda joined the party.
Part of me was proud I had kept it together and not taken advantage of the situation, the other part of me thought I was an absolute moron.
“’Sup, peaches,” Kev’s voice came from around the side of the table as he pulled up the chair next to me.
I groaned. He had texted me earlier this morning asking what happened last night with April.
Despite me replying nothing, he’d been angling all day for a different answer and now that he was next to me, I’d have nowhere to go to escape him.
He was one of the only people who knew there was a spark between April and I, and I was doing my best not to let it turn into a flame.
“Shouldn’t you be somewhere?” I asked pointedly, nodding toward the women he just bought a round for. He tilted his head back and laughed, gripping the top of my shoulder and squeezing it tight. As much as it hurt, I took it without flinching and swatted him away.
“Saw you all over the sports re-runs.” I pointed to the large screen behind the bar that had the highlight reels from the games tonight. I was trying to keep the focus off me and last night as long as I could.
He threw his hand in the air. “The ump was choosing favorites.”
“Sure, he was.” I shook my head and drained the last of the beer in my glass. “I saw you. You totally edged over the line.”
Kev grinned as if he knew nothing of what I was talking about. The cocky shit. Always pulling little stunts. Probably the reason Johnson was ready for the bunt tonight, but since we won the game, I’d let it slide.
“So, who’s the chick?” He smirked at me.
“Chick?” I echoed.
“Yeah. You know, the one who’s got you not hunting with me tonight.”
I spun on my chair. “Dude, what are you talking about?”
He shook his head. “Have you been paying attention to anything tonight? I suggested earlier we buy the eager beavers over there a round, you agreed, then haven’t even glanced their direction. It’s like you’re lost in your own thoughts.”
Shit. Was I? I opened my mouth to deny it, but nothing came out. Kev grinned at me with a look of, I told you so. Instead, he asked, “Did April get home okay last night?”
The way he lingered on the words get home, implied he was hoping something happened between us. It did not.
“She made it home just fine,” I replied, grabbing one of the beer bottles sticking out of the silver ice bucket and snapping the lid off.
I ensured my word choice was clear, not letting on that she had stayed at my place.
Even though it was completely innocent. She’d been locked out and nothing more.
The last thing I needed, even though he suggested it, was Kev making a big deal out of something that wasn’t.
“Good. Poor girl. I mean seriously, what kind of douche bag stands a woman up?” Kev asked, shaking his head, seeming to forget his previous implications. Which was fine with me.
“An asshole,” I agreed.
“I don’t get it man. April’s a decent chick.”
My brows rose. “Decent?”
“Yeah, you know. She’s pretty in her own way. Got a nice rack.”
I gripped the bottle tighter in my hand. I gritted. “Don’t mention her rack.”
Kev held his hands up, as if to say woah, then quickly added, “She’s not my type.” He paused. “She’s more like a sister.”
I nodded, taking another drink. “She’s a good woman.”
Kev smirked and watched me for a beat. “Maybe she needs a good man for once.” He clapped me on the back and gazed back out at the crowd. “Where is she tonight?”
“I dunno. I’m not her keeper.” I shrugged.
It was a question I’d asked myself already several times.
Was she stuck in her room? Did she go out with some of the medical team?
To be honest, once I'd left the stadium, I never thought about what some of the team did if it wasn’t the players.
Just seemed like we had our own cliques.
But now, I wondered about April and who she was with.
“Haven’t seen her since the game. She was on the phone in her office. She seemed tense,” Kev said, swigging down more of his beer.
Tense? Why? What was going on? Who was she on the phone with? Was it her roomie? Her ex? Was he trying to get back with her? Questions fired in my mind, all of them leaving an unsettled feeling in my gut. There was a new need to see her and make sure she was okay.
“I hope she’s okay,” Kev sing-songed as if he was trying to get into my head. I was probably being ridiculous. I was sure she was okay.
“Why man? What are you trying to do?” I snapped at Kev.
He stared at me for a moment longer than necessary before he laughed.
“Nothing. Maybe I was wrong.” He shook his head and got up from his chair, heading over to a tall, leggy blonde.
I sat there thinking and talking myself out of calling April. I was sure she was fine. Kev was just getting under my skin.