Page 12 of The Hooker

I scowl at him. “You’re deliberately nicer to them because you want sex?”

“No.” He rolls his eyes. “I go above and beyond for them because I want them to know I care for them. That they’re on my mind. The same thing you both do. Even if it’s just a friend thing, you clearly care about each other. Just think about telling him. Maybe after the season when you both have more free time?”

“I’ll think about it,” I promise. And I will. This is all new, and it seems like a jump to talk to him when I’ve just started realising my feelings might not be as platonic as I’d thought. “How’d the meeting go?”

“Great. They’re really happy with the pitch, and my agent’s organising everything.”

Liam’s in Auckland to meet with his publisher to discuss his new book. He doesn’t need to come up to meet them, but whenever they call a meeting, he flies up from Wanaka to see me and his family.

“That’s so exciting. Congratulations.” I squeeze his hand. “How many do they want?”

“A trilogy,” he says with a grin.

“Liam, that’s amazing! Another fantasy series to take the world by storm,” I say in a dramatic voice. “Robots and magical planets.”

“I write fantasy, not sci-fi, but thank you. I’m flying back tonight and will hole up with my laptop and probably won’t see you for five months.”

He’s a pasty-white colour only reclusive redheads can achieve. He doesn’t even have freckles anymore from his lack of sun. And he’s not entirely wrong about not seeing him for months when he’s in draft mode. He usually responds to his messages on Fridays, and then I don’t hear from him for another week. If not longer. I know when he’s hit a block by the amount of memes he sends me during the week.

“Want some company for the week to make sure you leave the house?” I ask coyly.

His eyes narrow. “Who? Why? It’s not you. You’re flying out in a few days.”

“Match day squad dropped today.”

“Ah. Who was left out?”

“Hemi. He’s been given the week off. He’s having some issues with his shoulder, but he’s not injured. He’s overthinking it all.” It was announced on the radio on the way to work so it’s public knowledge.

We knew Jamie was on the squad because he didn’t receive a call from Alex. Alex always calls the boys who don’t make the squad before the announcement. If you’re on the match day squad, no phone calls are good. Being given the week off though, from the matchandtraining? That means you need a break and everyone’s noticed. It also means the coaches are trying out fresh blood, and you better come back better than before.

“What do you want me to do about it?”

“Let him stay with you, away from everyone, and he can get out of his head to relax.”

Liam shakes his head. “You think staying with someone he’s never met before will help him get out of his head? That wouldn’t work for either of us.”

“No, but it means he’s away from Auckland and his teammates and will be surrounded by nature to relax. The air’s fresher down there.” Crisper than the pollution in Auckland.

“I don’t think he’ll want that.”

“He already said yes because he’s desperate to sort his head out.” I smile widely at Liam. “Please? He needs some space. He probably won’t even talk to you. And if he does, it’s because I told him to take you out so you don’t die from a Vitamin D deficiency.”

Liam scrubs a hand over his face, and I know what his answer will be, which is the only reason I mentioned it to Hemi. “Fine. Give me his number and I’ll set it up, but I’m only doing this because I love you.”

I laugh. “You’re doing it because you have a crush on him.”

“Who wouldn’t,” he mutters.

I give him Hemi’s details and hug him goodbye, very aware of the fact I don’t have the inclination to kiss his cheek.

“Good luck in South Africa. And think about what I said.” Liam waves goodbye and heads towards his hotel.

As if I’ll be able to think about anything except Jamie, and the fact my brain has apparently decided to acknowledge I’m interested in more than being platonic.

Much more.

CHAPTERFIVE

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