Page 24 of For the Boys
“Obsessed is a strong word,” Berkley said with a shrug, ignoring the comment about hot hockey players. “I just really like watching it.”
Mitch laughed. “Are Amelia and Kimber your roommates?”
“They were mine,” Berkley said. “But I recently moved out. We both live alone.”
Berkley and Lexie made eye contact behind Mitch’s back, and Lexie mouthed, “Thank you.”
Hands landed on Berkley’s shoulders, and she turned around to find Parker. He pulled out the barstool next to her and sat down, draping his arm across her shoulders.
“How are you doing?” he asked. “Having fun?”
Berkley gave him a close-lipped smile. “I am.”
Parker signaled Rick for a drink and turned his attention back to Berkley. “It’s nice to hang out with chicks who aren’t falling all over us.”
“I bet.”
“Yeah,” Parker said, reaching across the bar to grab his beer from Rick. “It’s nice to just sit back and enjoy the scenery.”
“Right,” Berkley said, getting up and walking over to Lexie, then watched Parker slide into her vacated chair next to Mitch.
Since Berkley was standing only a few feet away, she couldn’t help but overhear their conversation.
“It’s nice that Jean isn’t here,” Parker said. “Because I’m taking that little blonde one home.”
“No, you’re not,” Mitch said. “She’s off-limits.”
“And why is that? He had his fun with that waitress in Nashville. Why can’t I have mine here in the city?”
“Because you know she’s spoken for, Park,” Mitch said in a low voice.
“What Jean doesn’t know won’t hurt him.”
Mitch shook his head. “Stay away from her. I mean it.”
Berkley’s blood ran cold. Nashville? The Warriors had played there after Brent had messaged Berkley, telling her he wanted to get to know her.
So he’d turned around and, only a few days later, hooked up with a girl when they were on the road? And who the fuck did Parker think he was, thinking she wanted anything to do with him?
Berkley turned to Lexie. “Lex, want to play pool?”
Even before overhearing the guys’ conversation, Berkley hadn’t felt entirely comfortable around Parker. It was true that he was more than a little drunk, but she didn’t want to put herself in any compromising position.
Despite what she’d heard about him and his exploits in Nashville, Berkley didn’t want to give Brent the wrong idea about her.
Even ifhedidn’t seem to care whatshethought about him.
She and Lexie played two games of pool, hustling the four guys they played against out of $100 each. Parker kept his distance, and Berkley relaxed.
After the sports bar, Jay caught a cab home, but Mitch and Parker took her and Lexie to a hole-in-the-wall diner. Berkley was going to regret the late night in the morning when it came time for her exam, but she was starving, and she wasn’t leaving until Lexie did.
Parker slid into the booth next to Berkley at the diner and slung his arm across the back behind her, casually playing with the ends of her hair. He had been doing that all evening, finding some excuse to touch her. It made her extremely uncomfortable, but opening her mouth and asking him to back off wasn’t something she could make herself do. So she scooped her hair up into a messy bun, effectively taking care of that little problem.
After they had stuffed their faces with pizza, Parker offered to call an Uber for he and Berkley to share, while Lexie and Mitch shared one going in the opposite direction. Berkley had a feeling that wasn’t the only thing those two would be sharing tonight. She wasn’t exactly keen on spending any alone time with Parker, but what could possibly happen in the five-minute drive to her apartment?
Berkley didn’t have a coat, and she shivered in the crisp October air. Parker put his arm around her, running his hand up and down the length of her arm. She shrugged her shoulders up by her ears in a poor attempt to shrug him off, but he held firm, tucking her into his side. Uncomfortable but not wanting to be rude, she smiled awkwardly. He had spent all night buying drinks, not to mention paying for the cab ride. She didn’t want to be ungrateful. A few more minutes with him, and she would be home free.
Sliding into the cab was a relief, if only to put some distance between them.
