Page 45 of Cloudless
UNDERWEAR MODEL
KAM
The email stares back at me from my screen like a snake ready to strike.
Mace wrinkles his nose as he reads over my shoulder. “Are you sure this is English?”
I close my eyes and massage my temples to block out the string of emails with potential contracts I received from my dad’s former agent this morning. “I really don’t know, man. I was hoping taking negotiation strategies this year would really help when it came time for Richard to send me this shit.”
Potential contracts and offers have been coming in like college brochures I received relentlessly my senior year of high school. I recline back in my chair at the dining room table to gain some distance from the mounting responsibilities that will inevitably come with signing with the NHL.
I groan as Dax’s nosey ass appears over my shoulder. He gulps down his post-workout electrolyte drink as he scans my screen. “Underwear model? You’ve got to take that one, man. It comes with a lifetime supply of your choice of underwear.”
His arm brushes the tips of my hair on top of my head as he leans closer to the screen with squinted eyes. “Oh, never mind.You have to sign an exclusivity contract with them to get the lifetime supply. Totally not worth it.”
He saunters off toward the stairs, whistling the tune to the newest Taylor Swift song. I run my fingers through my hair and pause when they come away damp. I groan as I realize exactly what’s coating my fingers. “You sweated on me, you fucker!”
Dax’s laugh booms down the stairs as Mace snickers. “He totally did that on purpose.”
I wipe my damp fingers on the neighboring seat cushion. That decision has nothing to do with it being Dax’s usual seat. Nope. Nothing at all.
The soft thunk of my laptop lid closing feels like I’m closing the door to my casket as I choose once again to ignore the problem in hopes it will disappear. It hasn’t worked out yet. I’m not sure why I think this time will be any different.
Isn’t that the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results definitely fits the bill.
A soft knock on the front door sends my heartbeat into overdrive. The legs of my chair squeak against the hardwood floors as I stand.
The scene that greets me on the other side of the door has a laugh threatening to break free. Posey’s face is twisted in disgust as she holds a lock of hair covered in pink gum in between pinched fingers.
Jasper’s voice turns watery when he sees my face. “You gotta help, Kam. I swear, I didn’t mean to. It just fell out.”
Lila’s flushed face is dripping with desperation as she blows a lock of hair out of her tired eyes. “Know any tricks for how to get gum out of someone's hair?”
My eyes swivel between the group as Mace appears over my shoulder. I scratch the back of my neck as Posey makes a gagging sound. “Get this out of my hair before I throw up.”
The remorse in Jasper’s eyes morphs into anger. “It’s not gross!” He throws his arms up in the air in exasperation. “We shared a womb, for Pete’s sake!”
Lila’s eyes crinkle in the corners as she tries desperately to hold in her laugh.
I wave them into the house as I take a backpack from Lila’s arms that’s covered in glitter and has a cartoon character on it with eyes far too large for its body. Her own backpack falls from her shoulder and onto the floor by the entryway table as she grabs Posey’s hands. “No! Don’t pick at it. You’ll only make it worse.”
Posey rolls her eyes so violently, I’m shocked it doesn’t hurt. “How else am I supposed to get it out?”
Mace’s laugh bursts free as he turns toward the kitchen. “I’ll get the peanut butter.”
Lila’s eyebrows rise as she places her body between the twins, who are currently glaring at each other. “Peanut butter?”
Mace’s voice grows closer as he emerges from the kitchen with a half-empty jar of peanut butter. “Yep! We’ll just slather some of this on there and it’ll pull right off.” He pulls a dining room chair out and motions for Posey to come over. She sticks her tongue out at Jasper as she heads in Mace’s direction.
He reaches a finger into the jar to gather a solid helping of peanut butter. “My sisters were constantly getting gum in each other's hair.” He massages it into the strands of Posey’s hair as he talks. “My mama got tired of taking them to the hair salon every time it would happen, so she started trying her own at home remedies.” He laughs as he dips back into the jar for another helping. “This was before Google, ya know?”
The scoffs that come from Posey and Jasper has Lila and I both laughing. The twins share a look of bewilderment as Jasper says, “You were born before Google was invented?” He tilts his head to the side as he looks at Mace like you would expecta farmer to look at cattle at an auction. “How old are you, anyway?”
Mace tilts his head back and laughs. “I’m only twenty-one, buddy! Don’t look at me like I lived in the Stone Age!”
Posey whispers under her breath, “You practically did if you didn’t even have Google when you were born.”
Mace nudges her with his shoulder as he continues to turn her light blonde hair brown with the peanut butter. “Hey! I heard that!”
