Page 30 of The Interception
“Oh yeah? Telling him about the pebble in your shoe?” A smirk pulls at my lips and Layne smiles.
“No, but the good news is that I’m used to the pebble now.” Layne shrugs as if I’m growing on her, at least tolerated, so I figure now is as good a time as any to invite them to eat out with us.
“Good to know. Leo and I thought maybe you two would like to go get dinner with us at that new sports bar downtown?”
Sarah Beth winces. “Ah, sorry, but I have to get back to relieve the sitter. She can only stay until eleven, and your game ran late. You should go out though.”
I know my sister, and I know when she is stretching the truth. She’s stretching it so far right now, it’s going to tear like a piece of cheap bubble gum. Disappointment shadows Leo’s face. He’s been such a good friend to both of us, but I know he understands. She’s not ready to hang out with friends again just yet.
“No worries,” I say and adjust the strap on my heavy bag. “Layne, would you like to go out?”
She shrugs again. “Sure, why not?”
Sure…why not? She’s probably right. There’s not much that can go wrong. We’ll go meet some of my teammates and friends, have something to eat, then I’ll take her back to the house or to her truck, whichever. Not a big deal.
If only my teammate, Lucas Garrison, hadn’t decided to accompany us, that is. Lucas, also known as a bit of a womanizer, isn’t my cup of tea. He’s more like a cup of battery acid we all have to swallow, because he’s our quarterbackandthe couch’s cousin’s son. Surely, there was no nepotism when he was recruited…surely.
The moment we walk into Scrappy’s, the new sports bar, my eyes land on him. I couldn’t help it if I wanted to. His voice carries, and since he’s always talking about himself, it’s hard to miss the narcissistic tone. I stiffen, but Layne doesn’t seem to notice my annoyance.
“There you are. I was beginning to think you’d changed your mind,” Leo says, waving us over. I’m not sure how he beat us here, but he’s already ordered.
I let Layne go ahead of me so she can choose where she’s comfortable sitting. Unfortunately, it’s in a chair Lucas pulls up for herrightbeside him as if I didn’t just walk through the door with her.
“Here you go.” Lucas pats the seat and grins.
“Thank you.” Layne knows nothing about the guys at this table. Leo, he’s great, and there isn’t a chance he’s going to do or say anything inappropriate in front of Layne. He never does anyway, so I’m not concerned. Scott Evans sits beside Lucas, tapping his fingers on the table. He’s not so bad. In fact, I might actually like him if I ever spent time with the guys outside of practice and games, but I don’t have time. Haven’t for a while.
Then there’s Curt Williams, Jennings Foyer, and Matt Hannah…also known as Lucas’s closest friends and unofficial pack members, as I like to call them. The four of them are on the hunt for starstruck, vulnerable women almost nightly. It makes me nauseous to see how they drool over Layne, but I swallow down my annoyance so I don’t make a scene. Layne is a big girl, and if things get uncomfortable, I’ll get her out of here.
“Where have you been hiding her, Langley?” Lucas teases. I’m glad Sarah Beth didn’t come along, or this jerk would be all over her. It wouldn’t matter that her husband died only a few months ago. He’d flirt mercilessly with her anyway. My gut twists. I’m not sure if I can sit through this or subject Layne to their behavior.
“I’m his partner for the cook-off.” Layne adjusts herself so she’s facing me more and him less. The way she crosses her legs puts more space between them, because she has to adjust the chair’s position. She’s already uncomfortable. I’m planning my exit when Leo speaks.
“I think they’re going to bring home another win this year for sure. I’ve had some of the leftovers, and they are fantastic. They tied for second in the last round.”
“Yeah, cool. So, tell me a little more about you, Layne.” Lucas blocks everyone else out and gives my date—I mean Layne…definitely not my date—his full, unwavering attention. He’s trying to find her weakness, whatever it is that gives him an easy in to lure her into his web.
Not on my watch, buddy.
“Well, I’m a trained chef, and my sister-in-law decided to enter me in the cook-off, so that’s why—”
“Oh, no,” Lucas interrupts. “I meant tell me about you personally, not the competition. In fact, would you want to go somewhere quiet and talk?”
At this, Layne blinks a couple of times and stares at Lucas. I love that the look on her face is something between horrified and disgusted, but I’m not going to let this go any farther than it already has.
“Oh, uh…I think that would be a little rude since I came with Ender, but thanks for asking.”
Lucas waves her statement off as if it’s merely a stumbling block to climb over with or without an invitation. He makes a joke or two that his goon friends laugh at, but my skin itches to assert some sort of dominance or protectiveness or…who knows. I just don’t like how he looks at her, and it makes me want to rip his face off.
He says something else that brings another round of laughter, but I’m laser-focused on Layne’s eyes. Her stare is cautious, alert, stressed.
I can’t take it anymore, especially when I know this guy’s track record with women. Layne smiles and laughs when appropriate, but uncomfortably so. She avoids his hand when he reaches to touch her and leans toward me even as he leans closer to her. I’m about to say something when Evans chimes in. He’s good at easing tension, so I wait to see what happens. Layne hasn’t exactly given me thesave melook like she did before at the bonfire, so I don’t want to assume sheneedssaving.
“So, your last name’s Rossi? Any relation to the Sharks pitcher?”
“Yeah, he’s my older brother.” Layne nods, and I want to smack myself.
“Wait,” I say, “Andrew Rossi is your brother? The Sharks pitcher?” She nods again and smiles at me. “I can’t believe I didn’t put that together faster by your last name.”
