Total pages in book: 190
Estimated words: 181992 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 910(@200wpm)___ 728(@250wpm)___ 607(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 181992 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 910(@200wpm)___ 728(@250wpm)___ 607(@300wpm)
Alicia chuckled, adjusting the position of the jacket she’d slung over the seat back. “Definitely. He’ll become pals with Dax just so he has access to it in the future.”
“It would come as no shock.” I dipped a finger beneath my sunglasses to ease the slight itch on the side of my nose. We were in the shade here on the balcony area but still hotter than the devil. The humid air carried the scents of popcorn, beer, onions, hot dogs, warm metal, cinnamon, and nachos.
Like many of the fans who sat shoulder-to-shoulder in the tiered seating, we were also wearing Drey’s team jersey. I hadn’t planned to paint my face, but Alicia had talked both Harri and me into it.
Many of the excited fans sported ballcaps and foam fingers. Some held up signs and flags or were recording the goings-on with their cell phones.
I glanced down at the hectic field below. TV crews and cameras could be seen. Mascots waltzed up and down, and cheerleaders were performing clever routines while a marching band went to town.
“Damn, he’s pretty,” Alicia said with a dreamy sigh.
Tracking her gaze, I saw that she was watching the game highlights. “Who?” I asked before tossing popcorn into my mouth.
She shrugged. “All of them, really. I mean, look at them. So many, many muscles.”
As Drey popped on the screen, I gently elbowed Harri. “How’re things coming along with Drey’s dog?”
“Good, I’d say.” Harri sucked a little mustard from her thumb. “Sabre is very smart. Like super smart. But he wants to be top-dog. Leader of the pack. So he sort of fights Drey for the alpha position.”
“He has a lot of energy, too,” I remembered.
“That’s one of the problems. Drey is very stern with him. But when you’re dealing with an animal who has that much energy, it’s hard to be consistent with them at all times because by the end of the day you’re damn tired.”
“I noticed you get along well with Drey.”
“We have a lot in common,” she said. Not with the excitement of a woman who’d clicked with a guy, but with the casual contentment of someone who’d found a new buddy.
I felt my lips part. “Oh my God, you friend-zoned him.” I had not seen that coming. “You did, didn’t you?”
Harri raised her shoulders. “Um …”
Alicia gaped at her. “How could anyone possibly friend-zone someone who looks like him? Not that I’m complaining. He’s—”
“Too old for me,” Harri finished with an eye roll. “Right.”
“Alicia’s question is a good one.” I set my popcorn on the floor and then lifted my soda from the cupholder. “How did you actually manage to stick him into a friend box?”
“I guess he’s just not my type.”
“Fuck that, he’s everyone’s type.”
“What I mean is he reminds me of some of my exes. His career comes first—anything else is a distraction to him. Being with a guy who’s so singularly focused on his job isn’t an issue for a girl if, like Drey, she doesn’t do more than ‘casual.’ But I’m the opposite.” Harri’s tongue flicked out to collect the crumb sticking to the corner of her mouth. “Not that I don’t still think he’s sex on a stick, I just don’t feel at all inclined to act on it.”
“It’s for the best,” Alicia told her sagely, clearly pleased that our sister would remain single.
Harri narrowed her eyes at her. “Jag looks hot today, don’t you think?”
Alicia’s lips pressed together. She flipped Harri the finger and then switched her attention to me. “How are things going with you, Addie? I haven’t seen you in, like, a week. You seem … I don’t know … more positive.”
I slurped some of my soda through the straw. “Things are just better all-round. I’ve got potential clients coming out of my ears. Plus, Felicity and her crew have stayed out of my way.”
There had also been no further contact or trouble from Mimi either. Knowing Dax wouldn’t want his situation with her to be shared with others, I hadn’t told anyone about it—not even my sisters, though I knew they’d keep it to themselves.
I returned my soda to the cupholder. My fingers a little slippery from the condensation on my cup, I wiped them on my jeans. “Also, me and Dax are more settled now.” Aspects of our budding friendship still felt forced at times—as he’d pointed out, it wasn’t instinctive for him to befriend people—but we were sticking with it.
“You do seem to have more of an ease with each other than you did before,” mused Alicia.
“We kind of …” I trailed off as a tickle built in my nose. I slapped a hand over my face right before the sneeze burst out of me. “Damn.”
Harri eyed me as she held out a napkin. “That’s, like, the third time you’ve sneezed in the past two hours. I think you might be coming down with something.”