Page 71 of The Strike Zone

“We can’t have panties on the Lions channel.”

Joey thought for a second, and spun around to face me. “What if I block them out with an emoji, or something. Everyone sees his reaction and how embarrassed he is, plus the guys laughing. It’ll make for good comments.”

“Sure, okay. But can you cut Parker King out and just leave Ace Watson?”

“You wanna cut Parker King?”

“Yes. We feature him too much, we don’t need that bit about his giveaway. What?” I asked as Joey continued staring at me.

“Nothing.” He shrugged, his eyes snapping back to the screen. “They’re funny together, people like it.”

Annoyance bubbled under my skin. It didn’t help that Joey was right, people did like Parker and Ace, they always had ever since they started playing together. The two of them were a double act that had captured the hearts of all Lions fans.

“Okay, but lose the bit about the giveaway. We don’t need it.”

“Don’t need what?” asked Alice, who’d clearly grown impatient with staring out the window.

“Parker King and his coffee cup.”

I almost knew it was going to happen before it did, all in slow motion as Alice lifted the cup from my desk.

“Like this one, you mean.”

“Hey, yeah! That’s so cool. I want one.” Joey grinned as I snarled at Alice as best I could without making it too obvious she’d earned herself a space at the top of my shit list.

But she had, though given the smirk she was now sporting, I’d say she didn’t care.

“Okay, you’re good with the edits?” I asked Joey, who nodded. “Great, it can be scheduled once you’re done. Thanks.”

Heading back to my chair, I stepped over my travel bag and sat down.

“Where did this come from again?” Alice asked, pointing to the cup.

“I told you.”

“You didn’t actually.” She leaned back in the chair next to mine, propping her feet on the desk as she always did.

And just like I always did, I knocked them off.

I pinned her with my sternest glare, though it was just as ineffective as my snarl. “You know where it came from.”

“I want to hear you say it.”

“Say what?”

She leaned in, her voice dropping to a whisper. “That you’ve got a crush.”

I rolled my eyes again.

“Say it.”

I tried to buy some time before I responded, giving her a shrug instead. But she sat there and stared until I swore if I glanced down there’d be a giant hole in my chest where her eyes had bored through me.

It was pointless denying it. I couldn’t any longer. Not after two weeks of messaging or the morning coffees, or the cup Alice was turning around in her hands, or the Twizzlers, or the rescuing me from Mark, or his all-around sweetness.

It was all pointless.

“Fine,” I whispered back, so quietly I was almost mouthing the words. “I have a crush on Parker King.”

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