Page 30 of Playing Dirty
He doesn’t look drunk, though his external appearance can hardly be used as an indicator for that kinda thing. He’s also glowering at me like my presence is personally offending him, though that’s hardly a new occurrence. I’ve been feeling his glare on me all night, but especially after the second time he stormed over since I arrived at the bar.
My attention moves back to the blond before asking, “How many has he had?”
“I wasn’t exactly keeping track,” the guy mutters, and at least he has the sensibility to look sheepish about it. “It can’t have been more than a few, but I’m getting sick of watching him glaring at you all night.”
Join the Carnival cruise, ’cause I’m in the same fucking boat.
As if on cue, there’s a tingling on the back of my neck that has me turning my head, only to immediately find Theo’s eyes on me from across the room. Unsurprisingly, he’s still shooting daggers my way, as always. But while I’ve always thought it was out of contempt or resentment, part of me now feels like there’s something else going on too.
The reaction he had to me simply having a conversation with my cousin earlier tonight, the insinuation of me bringing him back to our hotel, none of it makes sense unless…
Is he jealous?
I shove it away, though, realizing his friend is still waiting for me to say something. The smart thing would be to just have him deal with Theo, but unfortunately, my mild savior complex takes the bait.
“Uh, yeah. I’ll take it from here. Just give me a few to close out,” I tell the guy before shifting my gaze back to him. “Thanks…”
“Cam,” he supplies, filling in the blanks.
“Madden.”
“Oh, I know. The infamous stepbrother in the flesh,” he muses before his gaze quickly flicks up and down my body. “Don’t give him too much shit, all right? You’ve already got him wound tighter than a banjo string.”
I don’t know what that means, only that it’s pushing me more toward the hypothesis of jealousy. Which feels like too absurd an idea to even entertain, yet here my brain is, fixating on the possibility that I’ve been reading this tension all wrong from the beginning.
Cam turns to leave, then pauses and glances back over his shoulder. “You don’t happen to have AirTags, do you?”
I know my face has to be showing every bit of confusion currently running through my head when I slowly reply, “Um. No, I don’t.”
All Cam does is nod before returning to Theo, whose penetrating glare hasn’t left me the entire time his friend was over here. I quickly look away, my stomach roiling as my thoughts spiral back down the path I really don’t need to be entertaining.
I just wish the guy wasn’t so goddamn confusing.
“Looks like you’re on babysitting duty for the rest of the night,” Archer observes.
I roll my eyes and drop a few twenties on the counter—more than enough to cover his drinks and the sodas I’ve been nursing all night.
“Apparently.”
He chuckles. “Don’t sound so enthused.”
“Trust me. I’d rather take on your residency at Mass Gen.”
A sharp burst of laughter leaves him as he shakes his head. “I’d rather you take over proposing for me. That shit’s got me so fucking nervous, man.”
He’d mentioned thinking about popping the question to his girlfriend earlier this evening. But I’ve only met Hailey once, and while she’s pretty cool, I hardly think I’m qualified to fill in for something so important when I’ve never even been in love.
“As if I’d do any better job than you?” I ask slowly.
My lips pull into a grin as I slide off my stool, and he’s quick to do the same, but not without releasing a low groan when he realizes I’m right.
We say a quick goodbye; one with him insisting he’ll update me on the inevitable proposal, and I promise to try making it up for a Red Sox game this summer. And then he’s heading out, leaving me to deal with Theo.
Taking a deep breath, I remind myself I can handle whatever Theodecides to throw at me for the rest of the evening, and head in his direction.
His gaze is already fixed on me—likely having never left—and I stop when I get within a few feet of him.
“You cashed out?” I ask.
