Page 2 of The Rookie

She sighs dramatically. “Fine. But you’re missing out on a killer vacation. Asher’s bringing his new girl. Sloane’s her name.”

“Yeah—we met.” Asher is my little brother.

“Andbig bro extraordinareJackson will even be there. Why can’t you?”

I sigh. “Look, I’m just…trying to stay focused. So what else is up? You don’t call me randomly unless you want something. And I feel like Tahoe wasn’t it.”

Cassie is a year older than me, and, for better or worse, we have quite the sibling connection.

“Wow. Rude. But fine.” There’s a pause, and I can almost see her smirking. “Okay, so I saw your social media lead Kelly is leaving the team. You know who you should hire?”

I frown. “Wait, how do you know Kelly’s leaving?”

“She literally posted about it on your team’s social media. Do you…not follow your own team?”

“I stay far, far away from social media. Anyway, yeah, they’re looking for someone for social media and marketing. I did know that.”

“Yeah…that’s why I called.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I have a recommendation for who you should hire.”

“Oh? Who’s that?”

“You should hire Avery.”

I freeze, the words hitting me like a blindside tackle. My grip on the phone tightens, my heart doing something weird and offbeat in my chest. “What?”

“You know—Avery Sinclair. My best friend? The one you’ve known for years?”

I let out a dry laugh, running a hand through my hair as I pace to the edge of the balcony. “Yeah…that Avery. Right.”

Cassie snorts. “You seriously don’t remember Avery? Are you okay? You two roomed together in Mexico when you were a junior and Avery and I were seniors? Ring a bell?”

I clear my throat, scrambling for composure. “Of course I remember. How could I forget?”

“Good, because I was about to call Mom and tell her you’ve been hit too many times and need to retire. You don’t have early-onset Alzheimer's, do you?”

I roll my eyes. “Real funny, Cass. Why are you bringing her up for this job, though?”

“Because she’s back in the States, and she needs a good job. She’s been doing all that international stuff—you know, in Spain?—and now she’s broke and trying to find something here. I think she’s even been deferring her student loans. Doesn’t that job pay well?”

I lean against the railing, the lights of Uptown Dallas blinking in the distance. “Cass, that’s a terrible idea.”

“Why?”

“Because she…uh…” I clear my throat again. “doesn’t like me.”

“Youdon’t like her,” Cassie counters. “That’s different. Avery is neutral. We’re all like family. Come on. Remember when I got sick and she came to stay with us in high school? She literally waited on me for like month. She’s like, the best person in the world.”

No, I must have forgotten when Avery—the crush I’ve had for years—stayed with us. Slipped my mind.

Kidding. I remember every second of that fortunate visit.

I rub the back of my neck. “Cass, it’s mutual. She’s your best friend, and we…don’t get along. You know that. We’re like oil and water. Texas and Oklahoma. Dogs and cats.”

I bite my lip. I neglect to tell Cassie that our chemistry is also impossibly hot. Something that she should never have to find out, given that Avery and I buried our romantic axes long ago and swore never to dig them up.

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