Page 234 of The Locker Room

---

“You"ve got a game in two days,” she said adamantly, and Xander

frowned at her.

“How did you know that?”

“Because I heard Leo talking to Chris, and I think it"s the best idea

I"ve heard in a long time!”

Xander frowned. “Leo shouldn"t be talking to Chris about it. It"s

my job.”

Penny turned to him, her movements sharp, and Xander glared at

her and swallowed. For a moment, she was so completely her mother"s

child that he felt fourteen again, and he"d been asked nicely to take his

elbows off the table.

But he didn"t back down.

“You"ve done a real good job of being grown up,” Penny said

softly, although her lips were tilted up in a sardonic smile. “I think Leo

just wanted to make sure you followed through. He knew Chris would

get you down the court, even if you didn"t think you could make it.”

Aw… basketball analogies? Who"d told her they were his secret

weakness.

“I would have made it,” Xander said, slightly mollified. “I just

wanted to talk to Chris myself. Now comeon,I"ve been ready for

forever!”

Penny looked him up and down and said, “Yeah, that"s only

because you don"t care that you look like shit. My brother looks forward

to seeing you, even if you look like the walking dead crapped you out

and put you on a reality show. C"mon, Xander,” she added sweetly,

when she saw his eyes widen and he automatically started checking his

hair, “you"re the one who said we were running late!”

“I hate you,” he muttered, as he sat in the rented Acura, his knees

up to his chin. He was trying to check his hair and his face in the mirror,

and he realized that he probably could have shaved closer, his hair had

---