Page 47 of Lucky Baller
“A cheeseburger deluxe and fries, and the same for me. Add an extra burger,” I tell him. He nods as he scratches down our order. “Oh, and add two waters to that.” I look over at Tessa. “I know you like water with your meals.” It’s something that I’ve picked up on. No matter where we are, she always has to have water when she’s eating.
“You caught that, did you?” she asks. The playfulness is back in her voice, but the look in her eyes tells me that she’s still reeling from my speech just a few moments ago.
I wink at her, and her cheeks turn just the slightest shade of pink. I’m bringing my A game, Tessa Deaton. I hope you’re ready.
Chapter Thirteen
Tessa
I don’t know what’s happening. I have what feels like a thousand butterflies fluttering around in my stomach, and then there’s the ache between my thighs. Both feelings caused by one Landon Barker. He’s sitting in his chair, sipping his beer, as if he didn’t just tilt my world on its axis. He’s not the least bit affected by his confession.
He doesn’t have to sit here with our combined friends and pretend he’s not swooning over a speech I just made, or that he wants to tear my clothes from my body. He’s lucky all right, because I want to do just that. It’s wrong. We’re friends. But the way he looks at me… I can’t seem to be able to control it.
“Excuse me,” I say, standing. Our food should arrive soon, and I need a minute. Just a few hundred seconds of time to get myself in check. I need to regroup.
“You okay?” he asks, reaching out for me. His hand lands on my arm, and I have to shift my stance and rub my legs together to dull the ache he’s causing inside me.
“Yeah, just need to run to the restroom.”
“The hallway by the bar. It’s private, just for this section of the bar, so no worries about lines or fans.”
“Like fans are going to worry about little ole me,” I say teasingly, trying to get us back to the fun, flirty banter that I’ve learned to handle and is what I expect between us. Something passes in his eyes, but he doesn’t comment.
“I’ll come with.” Autumn stands, and even though I needed some time to myself, I’m grateful. Maybe she can shed some light on what this is? Maybe I’m just reading too much into all of this.
I don’t wait for her as I make my way down the hall. Pushing open the women’s bathroom door, I’m surprised to find it sparkling clean and sigh in relief as I slump against the sink, trying to catch my breath.
Why am I breathless?
“Whoa,” Autumn says, coming into the bathroom. “What was that?” She fans herself with her hands as if she’s burning up.
“What?” I play dumb, but even I can hear it in my voice that I know exactly what she’s talking about.
“Did you hear him? He called you his Tessa!”
I nod. “Caught that, did you?”
“Mm-hmm.” She grins. “You two looked awfully cozy with whispers over there. What was that about?”
“Autumn, I— I don’t know,” I tell her honestly. Then I recap as much as my jumbled mind can remember of what he told me.
“He’s in love with you.”
“What? That’s absurd. We’ve known each other for a month. He’s not in love with me.”
“He’s falling, then. Hard. I can see it in the way he looks at you. For the record, it’s the same way he’s always looked at you, just more… intense if I had to put a name to it.”
“What am I going to do?”
“I’m not sure what the issue is here, Tessa.”
“He’s this famous athlete, and I’m me. Tessa, who helps run an animal shelter. He can have any woman that he wants, and he has had plenty.”
“Maybe so, but how many has he been reported to have been with since you?”
“None.”
“One,” she says at the same time.
