Page 7 of Overtime
“If you say I told you so, I will murder you,” she says, a bitter tone in her voice tells me that however enthusiastically she greeted me in the house, she still remembers how we left things.
“I didn’t say a word.” I look back at her, but I can’t help the smug grin.
“What are you thinking then? Because your face certainly speaks volumes today.”
“Just amused you’re so terrified of a spider.”
“Of course you would be.” She glares at me, wiping some of the dirt off her legs.
“Are you all right? You didn’t break skin, did you?” I try to take a closer look, but she pulls back from me, and it cuts even though it shouldn’t.
“I’m fine,” she huffs defensively, starting to move to stand.
“Here, just wait before you hurt yourself worse. Let me get the kayak out of the way, and I’ll help you up.”
“Oh no. No way. Do not start with the Boy Scout routine,” she mutters. It’s another little dig. She used to call me Scout when she wanted to put me in my place. Farm Boy when she wanted to double down on it. Make sure I remembered she was older, wiser, and more experienced than me. “I can stand up just fine.”
Except then she tries and nearly falls again. A blush colors her cheeks, and I can see the frustration on her face. I do what I probably shouldn’t then, reaching down and grabbing her around the waist, hauling her up to her feet in one quick motion. She lets out an exasperated huff but no further complaint, and I’m going to count that as a win.
I bend down to right the kayak and then turn to look at her leg. She tries it and bears weight before she looks at me skeptically.
“It’s fine. Stupid spider.”
I try to stifle the laugh but a small one escapes anyway, and her eyes immediately meet mine.
“I’m sorry,” I say pressing my lips together. “I just didn’t take you for the type to be afraid of spiders.”
“I’m human. I have phobias, okay?” She frowns, a wounded look coming and going. I almost feel bad. She’s such an unstoppable force so much of the time it just hit me as strange to see a spider take her down—literally.
“And since things are already insanely awkward at this point.”
She stands a little taller, and I wonder if she’s about to point at the elephant in the room. The years that have passed. The way we left things. I’m not at all prepared for what she actually says.
“I need you to pose naked for some photos.”
“No.” I don’t even need to think about it. It’s no on so many levels. No, I’m not getting naked in front of a camera. Especially not for her camera. Naked alone with her would be begging for trouble I don’t need. Then there’s the fact my PR team would have a meltdown and my family? They would just plain fucking melt at the idea of me doing anything like that. We barely get along as it is these days, I don’t need more fuel on the fire.
“You didn’t even ask why.”
“I don’t need to. It doesn’t matter. The answer is no.”
“Because it’s me or in general? Because if it’s me we could get a different photographer. I know you might not be comfortable with me given our history and—”
I have no idea why, but the tone in which she says it. Like it’s a challenge, like I couldn’t handle being naked in front of her—never mind that I do actually have serious concerns about it—I hate it. It needles me.
“I’d be fine. But it’s still no,” I cut her off.
“It’s to save Harper and Alex. To help raise money for her museum. I mean, I haven’t talked to her about it yet, but it would be the best way to make money. Leverage the celebrity of the team and do it for a good cause. I know a lot of the other guys would do it.”
“You know? Because you know them?”
“I’m not saying there wouldn’t be holdouts but let’s be honest you all walk around half-naked in locker rooms and a million other public places. And since most of you can’t keep it in your pants, half the women in Seattle have probably seen a Phantom dick in their lives.”
“Yeah? Ask them then.”
“You know it’s you they’ll want. Your celebrity would sell more, faster. What’s the problem?”
“Getting naked in the locker room where there aren’t any cameras is different than making a permanent record. And I haven’t personally fucked half the city.”
