Page 15 of The Strike Zone

A chuckle went through the auditorium.

For reasons I still hadn’t figured out, Ace had a habit of bringing in his laundry. I think it was because he used to have a crush on a girl who worked in the maintenance team, but he categorically denied it. Though seeing as it stopped once he got together with Payton, evidence pointed to the contrary.

“Last item on the agenda. For those of you who don’t read your emails, which I assume is most of you, you have all received a note from HR.” Immediately half of the guys pulled their phones from their pockets. “You will see that from today intercompany relationships need to be declared to human resources.”

I could see the back of Boomer Jones’s head.

He was a good guy, he was fun to have a drink or two with. He’d been over to our apartment for a few games on PlayStation. I normally liked him. Not today though. Nottoday. Whoever was sitting next to him shoved him playfully in the shoulder.

Yeah. This was because of him.

“Let me make one thing very clear,” Coach shouted over the volume of everyone snickering and jeering at Boomer. “I absolutely do not want to hear about this. I do not care who you date. Just keep it out of the locker room. King, that means you too.”

I groaned. I knew it was too much to hope I’d get away without being singled out in the meeting. “What does that mean?” I grumbled.

I thought it was under my breath, or maybe Coach was better at lip reading than Ace was, because he shouted, “You know exactly what it means. And I don’t want it in my locker room.” He stood there, his eyes locked on me, until everyone else got bored, and decided it was time the meeting finished.

A couple of the guys stood up, and the chatter immediately kicked in as everyone else took their lead.

I leaned over Ace’s shoulder so the three of them could hear me as we made our way out of the auditorium. “Was he talking about Scout?”

Tanner nodded. “I’d say so.”

“Seriously, how does everyone know about Scout?” I hadn’t made itthatobvious, surely.

“Dude, you cried in the locker room when you found out she had a boyfriend.”

“No, I did not.”

I didn’t. I absolutely didn’t. I’dalmostcried, because we’d lost by a run. And it had been so close. And I hadn’t cried. Just gotten a bit sniffly. But it was because of the run, nothing else.

So what if I’d seen Scout with that dickhead on the way back to the locker rooms.

Ace nudged me before I fell down my rabbit hole.

“So, you gonna sign this form thing?”

I shrugged. “I dunno, I just found out about it. Not exactly the best way to start dating. ‘Hey, babe, can I get your signature before I take you out.’ Maybe this whole thing is stupid.”

“You think?”

“Nah. Uh-uh. No. No way,” a deep voice growled from behind us. “Not happening.”

Tanner and I spun around.

“You okay there, Reeves?”

“I will be if you stop going on about Scout Davison,” he snapped. “But we all know that’s not going to happen, don’t we? I mean, I shouldn’t even know her fucking name. But I do. You know why?”

From the way he was glaring, it seemed like he wanted to answer his own question, so I stayed silent.

“Because you don’t stop going on about her. Therefore, you’re going to see this thing through. And ask her on a date. And sign that goddamn form. Understand.”

I waited to see if he was going to add any more, or if I was still expected to keep my mouth shut. Eventually, I moved his finger out of my face.

“Yeah, I don’t think you can dictate?—”

“I can if it means we all get to have a season without you sulking like a little girl.”

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