Page 45 of Totally Played
“Did he really?” I ask, a smile immediately spreading across my face.
Tony laughs. “Yeah, it was super annoying, almost as annoying as the noises he makes when he eats.”
I chuckle. “I thought that might be an issue.”
“And you didn’t warn me? I feel betrayed.”
“You don’t, though, right? Not really?” I ask, and he shakes his head.
“Never. You’re my ride or die, remember.”
“Ride or die, always.”
“Now let’s get dinner over with so we can take you two dancing.”
Chapter fourteen
Ashley
IknowIwasthere to cheer for both of them, but I would be lying if I didn’t admit it made me so happy to see Calvin take out the win against his brother. Watching him jump and cheer with his friends was almost as fun as watching him play.
“Great game, honey,” his mom says, hugging him tight when he steps out of the player entrance. He’s wearing dark blue jeans and a green long-sleeve Henley, his hair is wet still from the showers and swept back, looking really fucking good. Tony follows close behind, wearing almost the exact same thing, only his jeans are a few shades lighter and a tighter fit. My body doesn’t have quite the same reaction to seeing him, and I try to shove the lustful thoughts of Calvin aside and focus on the brother who might actually be into me. “You too, Tony dear,” his mother says, hugging Tony for a few seconds longer than his brother.
“I’ll get him next time,” Tony replies, and we make a start along the lit sidewalk toward Riverside Barbeque. I somehowended up between Calvin and Tony, and I don’t quite know where to look, so I keep staring straight ahead.
“Did you have fun?” Tony asks me, and I nod.
“It was great. You had some great runs out there.”
“Calvin’s team was better tonight. You played great, Calvin. That catch on Stevie with that trick catch, who knew you were so flexible?”
My cheeks burn.
“Yeah, umm, I’ve been… stretching and doing umm, yoga,” he replies, and fuck, I’d love to see how bendy he really is. No. Stop. Focus on Tony. Tony is your date. Calvin is just his twin brother. His adorable, sweet, sexy-as-fuck twin brother that makes your heart beat a million times faster and your dick pricks up at the sound of his name in your thoughts.
“You’re coming to the club with us tonight, aren’t you?” Tony asks, and Calvin nods.
“Great. Calvin is a way better dancer than I am. You might not know it because of that opening number, but I swear it’s true,” he says, and if I didn’t know better, I’d think he was trying to get me interested in Calvin.
We get to the restaurant and take our seats, and sure enough, Tony insists I sit between him and Calvin. Maybe it’s a twin thing, like he wants his brother not to feel left out or something. It’s that way all through dinner, every time anyone says or asks a question, he finds a way to work in some fun fact about Calvin, all the while Calvin is blushing beside me, shaking his head just trying to eat his dinner. I’m trying to give Tony my full attention, but it means turning my back on Calvin and I hate it. It’s not fair to Tony that I’m sitting here the whole time thinking about how close Calvin’s leg is to mine. Wondering if I could accidentally on purpose rest my thigh against his. Would he move away? Fuck. I don’t think I can do this, whatever this is with Tony. I’ll end it tonight. We weren’t exclusive or anything, but it’s pretty clear Ican’t be all in with him. Now I just have to get through dinner without making it weird.
“You just got back from a trip, didn’t you, Ashley?” their mom asks me as we’re served dessert. I decided it was a safe bet to go for the ice cream.
“Yeah, I was in Belgium for a while for work,” I reply, spooning a small portion into my mouth. The cold, creamy sweetness coats my tongue, and I feel my body cool as it makes its way down my throat.
“That’s nice. We went to Belgium before the boys were born, didn’t we, Jo? It was a lovely country. I expect it’s changed a bit since then, though.” Jo hums in agreement as he eats.
“It’s still lovely. I got to see more of the countryside this time, which was nice.”
“Are you planning another trip overseas soon?” Calvin asks. It’s probably the first time he’s said anything through dinner, but with how much his brother has been talking about him, I can’t really blame him for staying quiet.
“That depends on my boss, Redmond,” I say, avoiding eye contact, except my gaze locks on the adorable tiny heart-shaped freckle, and I smile. “Umm… He’s got his younger sister he can send now, so I’ll be traveling less. She’s still in Japan at the moment, so I might have to meet her, but we’ll see.”
“Well, we’re off to New York in a few days, then Buffalo and Ohio,” Tony says, and I return my attention to him. I sort of feel like one of those ball on a string things you played as a kid, bouncing back and forth between the conversations, but it’s better than fawning all over a guy I can’t have.
“Travelling so much for games must be fun,” I say, and Tony nods.
“Calvin doesn’t like it much, but I think it’s great. I love playing in the different stadiums and staying at the hotels.”
