Chapter 14
Aaron
Saturday night couldn't arrive fast enough.
To keep my mind off Pepper, I pushed myself through a brutal morning gym session, grabbed a solo lunch, and spent the majority of the day forcing myself to relax on the couch.
It was useless.
She consumed my thoughts; no matter what played on the TV, I couldn't get those big, brilliant hazel eyes out of my head.
The hours ticked by at a grueling pace, the anticipation of seeing her overriding my entire system.
When I finally pulled my truck into Jalen's driveway, the universe threw me a bone.
Just as I killed the ignition, a known car pulled up beside me.
The door swung open, and the second we made direct eye contact, Pepper beamed.
She had her professional camera swung over her shoulder out of habit.
As usual, she looked spectacular—rocking loose, baggy streetwear pants and a tiny knit crop top that showed off her sleek, toned belly and golden tan.
"Hi," I said, a genuine smile breaking across my face as I stepped out into the humid evening air.
The low hum of crickets and the crisp smell of the summer breeze stood between us.
"Hi," she said, her voice soft as she stepped into my space.
"How was dinner with your mom?" I asked, walking alongside her toward the front porch.
"It was great. I missed her so much," she said, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "I'm a copy-and-paste of her. You'd love her."
"Oh, yeah?"
"Yeah."
For some reason, we were almost shy with one another, but it wasn't awkward.
It was the electric, pulsing awareness of what had happened on my couch and in my bed just twenty-four hours ago, hanging heavily in the space between us.
"Did you happen to get that email from Elena about next Wednesday?" Pepper asked, her creative wheels turning as she tried to anchor us back to reality. "Since we got the natural scenery approved, I know they're fast-tracking the pipeline."
"I did," I admitted, popping a brief smile. "But you know, I didn't read it yet. I wanted to enjoy the weekend. I even went out to eat by myself last night. It was nice."
Pepper stopped dead in her tracks on the walkway, looking up at me with an impressed, shocked eyebrow raised.
"Really? Look at you," she said, reaching over to playfully dust imaginary lint off my shoulder.
She was stunned to see the king of rigid structure blowing off a corporate timeline just to vibe.
I chuckled, her eyes sparkling.
"I told you I was taking a page out of your book," I said confidently, holding her gaze.
"I bet it feels good to release the restraints a bit, huh?" she purred, stepping half an inch closer.
"It does," I murmured, my voice dropping an octave.
"Well... shall we go in? Sounds like they're already having a whole lot of fun," she said, gesturing toward the front doors.
The muffled sound of booming laughter and music echoed from inside the estate, the driveway lined with the luxury cars of our friends.
"After you," I said, motioning for her to walk ahead.
I stood back, taking a slow, deep breath as I watched her guide us up the steps.
I rang the bell, and Mars answered on the first ring.
The second she saw Pepper, she let out a squeal, throwing her arms tightly around her neck.
"Ugh, I could never get tired of seeing you!" Mars beamed, holding her tight, almost as if she was terrified Pepper was going to vanish back to Tokyo at any moment.
"I feel the exact same way, sista," Pepper laughed, swinging an arm effortlessly over Mars's shoulder as they stepped into the foyer.
"Hey, Aaron!" Mars shouted back over her shoulder, already abandoning me at the door as she led Pepper away into the living room.
As they walked down the hall, I saw Mars lean in and whisper something confidential straight into Pepper's ear.
Pepper let out a loud, beautiful giggle, turning her head back to shoot a brief, devious look right at me.
As we reached the main entertainment room, Pepper threw her hands up.
"The party can officially start now!"
I laughed, setting the heavy case of beer I'd brought down onto the marble bar.
I walked over to dap up Cal and Jalen.
"Aye, bro, what's up?" I said, looking around the room.
My eyes landed on a familiar face sitting on the leather sofa, and my smile widened.
It was Jonah—Mars and Cal's cousin.
"Hey, what's up, brother?!" Jonah yelled, jumping up from the couch and giving me that excited, loud slap-on-the-back hug we always did.
He gripped my shoulder, looking me up and down.
"Man, you have been tearing it up lately!"
I grinned, matching his energy.
Jonah was a powerhouse athlete who had just been traded mid-season from his old club to the Houston Apollos baseball franchise.
When a high-profile player gets traded mid-season, it's a whirlwind—they fly you in overnight, clear physicals, hold a press conference, hand you your new jersey, and throw you straight into the active dugout.
I couldn't turn on a sports network without seeing the ticker announcing his blockbuster trade.
"Oh, thanks, man. Hey, I watched your J5 documentary on HBO, man. That's what's up," Jonah said, dapping me up one more time.
We all went way back to our early twenties.
"What are you even doing in town, man?" I asked, genuinely surprised.
"Aw, man, the Apollos have an off-day before the home series starts next week," Jonah said. "The second I heard Mars and Jalen were throwing a shindig, I had to pop up and surprise the family."
"Yeah, he surprised the hell out of us," Cal chimed in, walking into the room with a fresh drink.
"Well, it's damn good to have you back, man, even if it's just for a moment," I told Jonah.
"Sup, Pep," Jonah suddenly said, his voice dropping into a smooth register as Pepper appeared at the edge of the bar.
I turned my head, my brow furrowed.
"Oh... wow. Hey, Jonah. How's it been?"
Pepper's voice sounded hesitant, a bit shocked.
Up until this second, I had never noticed her caught off guard by a man. She stepped forward, giving him an awkward, tight side hug.
"You still out of the country doing your thing?" Jonah asked, his eyes lingering.
"I am. Hey... congrats on getting picked up by Houston," she said simply, keeping her posture guarded.
"Thanks," Jonah replied thoughtfully, his gaze tracking her face.
As far as I knew, Jonah was a genuinely good guy, but a sudden wave of dark confusion and hot jealousy ran straight through my chest.
Had they had a history?
Did something happen between them before she left for Japan?
The mere thought of it made my jaw clench.
I tried my best to ignore the knot tightening in my stomach.
But the envy vanished as quickly as it came.
The moment Pepper's hazel eyes snapped back over to me, her entire face lit up, the green specks in them turning soft and focused.
Mars must have suspected the tension brewing inside me because she immediately cut through it, slamming her hand down on the counter.
"Who’s ready to get whooped in Spades?!"
"You're definitely losing. You're the worst player here," Cal said, laughing as he grabbed a handful of ice.
"Hey, easy on my woman," Jalen said, playfully shoving Cal's shoulder.
The group headed out to the back patio, where a wooden card table was set up alongside a banquet spread of hot food and drinks.
I walked over to the built-in outdoor cooler to grab a cold beer, and Pepper appeared right by my side like a shadow.
"Taking it light tonight, huh?" she joked, her eyes dancing as she leaned against the stone.
"After Thursday night? Yeah," I said with a light chuckle, popping the cap off my bottle.
"Yeah... I think I'll have a beer too," she said, looking up at me through her curls.
I quickly grabbed another cold one and opened it, handing it over.
"Any good at Spades?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
Pepper took a sip, a dangerous, confident smile spreading across her lips.
"They're getting their asses handed to them tonight."
I shook my head, laughing softly as we walked toward the table.
"I should have known."
We sat down, and the second Cal slammed the deck onto the table, the energy shifted.
The friendly backyard vibe vanished.
It was time for war.
Cal did a fast ripple shuffle, the crisp thwack-thwack-thwack of the cards cutting through the humid night air.
"Alright, look," Cal said, throwing down the first card to cut for deal. "No talking across the board. No indicators. If you renege, it’s an automatic three-trick penalty, and you pay up. Don't be out here cheating."
"Man, deal the paper," Jalen muttered, sitting across from Mars. "You talking like you actually got game. We all know Nia carries you every time we sit down."
"Watch your mouth, Jalen," Nia fired back from the couch, though she was smiling. "I do carry him, but you don't gotta advertise it to the neighborhood."
Everyone laughed as Cal dealt the cards with practiced precision, the white rectangles sliding across the wood.
I picked up my hand and sorted the cards, running a quick tactical scan.
In Spades, the goal is for a partnership to accurately guess how many rounds, or "tricks," they can win, with Spades acting as the ultimate trump suit.
I had a strong hand: the Big Dick and Little Dick, along with four other solid trump cards, though my diamond suit was dangerously thin. Across from me, Pepper sorted her hand with a rhythmic snap, snap, snap. Without even looking up, she let out a low, mocking hum that made Cal pause.
"What you hummin' for, Pep?" Cal asked, narrowing his eyes at his own cards. "What you got over there?"
"I got a scoreboard execution," Pepper stated, slamming her cards facedown with a heavy thud. She leaned forward, locking eyes with him. "What’s the bid, boys? Speak your weakness so Aaron and I can map out exactly how we're gonna break you."
"Oh, it's like that?" Jalen laughed. "Mars, what are we looking at? I'm seeing at least four wins on my side."
"I got three easy," Mars said, adjusting her seat. "Bid seven, J. Let’s make 'em sweat."
Jalen marked the paper. Next, Cal looked at his cards, then at Nia. "We gonna talk to 'em or let 'em live, baby?"
"Bid a safe four, Cal. Don't get greedy and put us in the hole early," Nia warned.
Then it came down to us. I looked across at Pepper, giving her a questioning tilt of my head.
"Aaron," Pepper said, her voice dropping into a smooth, untroubled register. "How many you got?"
"I can guarantee four," I said honestly.
"Perfect. Pull the rest of your wins, big dawg, because I'm holding a clinic over here," Pepper boasted. She looked straight at Cal. "Board, we're taking six. Write it down."
"Six?!" Cal hollered. "Y'all are out your minds! You overbidding, Pep!"
"Play your card, Caleb," Pepper countered, leaning back with a slow sip of her beer. "Stop crying and throw the paper."
Jalen led the first round with a King of Clubs.
Cal followed with a low club, and I tossed my Ace, taking the first trick cleanly.
I slid the captured cards toward my side, keeping my face blank.
Testing the waters, I led the next round with a low diamond.
Mars threw a Queen, and Pepper didn't hesitate—she slammed down a low spade.
Since she was out of diamonds, using a spade meant she automatically trumped Mars's higher card, cutting her throat instantly.
"Ooh!" Nia yelled from the background. "She cut you, Mars! On the second book!"
"Man, what the hell?!" Jalen muttered, staring at the spade. "Pep, you ain't got no diamonds?!"
"I told y'all, it’s a clinic," Pepper laughed, a triumphant sound as she swept the cards up. "Y'all playing checkbook Spades, we playing chess. Keep up."
The game grew intensely competitive as the rounds flew by.
Cal yelled every time he lost a trick, Jalen aggressively slammed his cards down, and Nia just shook her head at the noise.
Nearby, Stormy rested her head against her lounge cushion while Jonah sat on the edge of it.
He held a plate of lamb chops between them, his eyes fixed on Stormy's face rather than the food.
Jonah smiled, completely uninterested in our game. He leaned closer to Stormy, his voice dropping to a low murmur. "You want a bite of this lamb chop?"
Stormy let out a genuine laugh, her fingers brushing his hand as she took a piece.
Watching the effortless flirting between them settled the last lingering pit of jealousy in my stomach. There was nothing between him and Pepper. Jonah was just a natural charmer, and his target was firmly locked onto Stormy tonight.
"Aaron! Focus!" Pepper’s sharp voice snapped my attention back to the felt.
Jalen had just led a heavy heart, and Cal had thrown his last trump to take it. The table was down to the wire, and our partnership needed exactly one more trick to hit our high bid of six.
"I'm locked in, Red," I said, a rush of adrenaline hitting me.
Cal threw down a high diamond, looking smug. "Take that, big shot. What you got?"
I looked at my last card: the Big Dick, the Ace of Spades—the highest unplayed card left in the game. I stood up halfway from my chair, brought my arm up, and slammed it onto the table with a resounding CRACK that made the beer bottles rattle.
"Bunker down!" I shouted, the competitive fire taking over my usually reserved demeanor. "That’s game! Pay up, Cal!"
"Let’s go!" Pepper screamed, jumping up and throwing her hands in the air with a radiant laugh. "I told y'all! Do not play with us!"
Cal stared down at the Ace, deflated, while Jalen threw his hands up in defeat. "Man, Cal, I told you he was counting the trumps! You played right into his hands!"
"Man, shut up, Jalen," Cal muttered, groaning as he stood up.
As the group continued to argue over the score, Pepper turned her face up toward mine, her hazel eyes glittering under the patio lights, leaving me entirely wrapped up in her energy all over again.