Page 39 of Playbook
“My company had some free tickets,” Chris says quickly. He looks to London. “This is the guy you’re dating? Brogan Six?”
“Umm...” She trails off, then smashes her lips together like she doesn’t trust her voice.
Chris looks to me like he wants my verification.
I can feel her body stiffen against me. It’s all coming together now. Or at least enough to know whatever lie she’s wrapped up in hangs on my response.
“Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friends, sweetheart?” I ask her.
She looks up at me with a flare of shock that slowly dissipates into a calm resolve. Her lips curve into a smile and she turns her head to stare at the guy standing in front of us.
“This is Chris. We went to high school together,” she says.
“Wedated,” Chris says, like I didn’t already have that figured out by the possessive way he’s eyeing my hand draped over her hip.
“I’m Gretchen,” the girl pipes up. She looks to London. “You’re Sierra’s sister, right?”
“That’s right,” London says. “Have you and Sierra met?”
“No, not yet, but Ben talks about her nonstop.”
I feel Chris’s stare still hard on me.
“Can I get you guys something to drink?” I ask.
“No. Thanks. We’re gonna head out.”
“We are?” Gretchen asks.
I can practically feel London’s relief.
“Yeah. I think we should try that new bar down the street.”
“Well, hey, it was good to meet you. Any friend of my London is a friend of mine.” I extend my hand a second time, forcing him to shake it again. I might squeeze a little extra hard too, just to fuckwith him. I don’t know what’s gone down between these two but it’s easy to be team London when the other side is this prick.
“I’ll see you next weekend,” Chris says to her, then, as if it just occurred to him, he asks me, “Are you coming to the engagement party?”
“Wouldn’t miss it,” I say without missing a beat and then I wink at him just for kicks. I don’t usually try to piss people off, but this guy is making it too easy and too much fucking fun.
He tugs his girlfriend away and they head straight for the door to leave. London slumps beside me and lets out a breath.
“Thank you,” she says.
“No problem, sweetheart,” I say, using the endearment that had rolled off my tongue so easily in front of her ex. I’m not mad, in fact I rather enjoyed it, but I am curious. “What the hell was that about?”
“Nothing. Absolutely nothing.” She smiles. Sort of. It’s kind of a grimace. “Well, this was fun, but I’m going to go home and smother myself with a pillow now.” She starts to walk off, but I grab her hand and she slingshots back to me. A tingle spreads up my arm.
“You’re not getting off that easily.”
“Can’t we just call us even? You can go back to doing body shots and I can go home and forget this all happened.”
“It’s been a strange night for sure.” I try a smile on her. She doesn’t seem pissed anymore, more like shell-shocked. “Stay. Just for a little while. It’ll give your douche ex enough time to get to his next stop and you won’t risk running into him on your escape route.”
She finally nods. “One drink and then I need this day to end.”
After getting our drinks, I lead her to a table in the bar away from my teammates. I get the sense that whatever she has to say, she doesn’t want an audience.
She takes a long pull from the beer bottle before setting it down. I’m across from her, watching her and waiting for her to speak. She fiddles with the label on the beer, pulling at a corner.
