Page 42 of Playbook
“I’m sorry,” she says through more laughter. “It’s just…this is crazy.”
“Maybe, but it’s a quick, easy fix.”
“One social media post isn’t going to convince anyone.”
“When is the engagement party?”
She shakes her head. “Oh no. You can’t show up to my sister’s engagement party.”
“Why not?”
“Because…” She trails off. “So many reasons.”
“I like parties and weddings, and Chris already thinks I’m the guy you’re dating.”
“But my entire family will be there.”
“Do they think you’re dating someone too?”
She doesn’t need to answer for me to read it on her face. She went to a lot of trouble to avoid telling Chris she’s single.
“Would any of your teammates truly believe you’re suddenly dating someone?” she asks.
“Sure.” I think they would anyway. Archer is the only one that would question it, but I’d have to tell him the truth anyway. “I’m gonna grab another drink. You want anything?”
She shakes her head, and I leave her at the table to go to the bar.
Cody steps up beside me as I order another beer. “Who’s that?”
“That is the girl that handed him his ass at the club.” Archer smirks.
Cody’s eyes widen. “I thought she looked familiar. The one with your old mailbox?”
“Yep.” I accept the beer with a thanks to the bartender. “We’ve been talking since then. She came to the game tonight.”
“That’s…” As he trails off as if he’s unsure what to think about the situation, I wait in suspense. Maybe she was right. They won’t buy it.
“Surprising. You need someone like that who can keep you in line,” Cody finally finishes, wearing an amused smile. The worry I had at selling the idea that I had a girlfriend is quickly forgotten. Sure, they’d be suspicious if I continued hooking up with other girls at the bar or parties, but if I don’t and instead she were there…
“I gotta go,” I say to him quickly. “Don’t want to keep her waiting.”
I’m mentally preparing how I’m going to convince her to do this, but when I slide into the chair across from her, she looks up at me with a steely resolve.
“How do we do this?”
“Really? You’re in?” My relief is so swift and immediate that it takes me by surprise.
“On several conditions.”
“What conditions?” I sit taller, leg bouncing with excitement.
“Number one: no hooking up. Not with other people and not with each other.” She gives me a pointed stare like she’s sure I’m going to cave on that point.
“Fine. Me and my hand for the foreseeable future.”
“Not an image I needed.” She winces. What the hell? Mydick is a sight to behold. Or at least I like to behold it quite often. “But along those lines, the foreseeable future is how long? I think through the wedding should be fine. After that, I can tell them we broke up or whatever.”
“When is the wedding?”
