Page 13 of The Curve
“My brother told me you’re his seamstress too. That must be something. Bet he’s a pain in the ass.”
“What? He’s awesome. Knows what he wants and now that he’s been my customer for a few years we don’t need to spell everything out.”
“He loves clothes. He’s so particular, it’s a family joke. No one can buy clothes for him for his birthday or Christmas. He gets a lot of gift cards and cologne.”
As we chuckle about Brick’s habits I’m aware of the tall blonde woman coming up behind Atticus. What a beautiful girl. And sexy. Tight shorts and a cropped top highlight her spectacular figure. She puts a finger to her lips including me in whatever she has planned. Then she reaches around and covers Atticus’s eyes with her hands.
“Guess who?” she purrs.
I’m surprised by his expression. It isn’t a pleasant reaction. He removes her hands and turns a bit to face her.
“Hi, Tanya.”
“Hi, baby,” she says in a familiar greeting.
The hair on the back of my neck rises.
Instead of returning her come on with one of his own, he takes my arm and introduces me.
“This is Charlotte. Charlotte, Tanya.”
She looks at me with her big baby blues, taking me in from head to toe. I can tell she’s not impressed.
“Hello.”
“Hi. Nice to meet you,” I say, exaggerating how I feel. It’s not nice at all.
I get a nod for my effort to be friendly, then she turns her attention back to Atticus.
“Better watch out. I’m gonna get you.” She says it as if he’s standing here alone and is about to jump him. What the hell? He looks as surprised as I feel.
“Pardon?” he says.
“The bumper cars, silly!” She laughs and pokes a finger in his chest, as if she had no idea she said a double entendre, and Atticus has a dirty mind for thinking otherwise.
Asshole. Now it’s pissing me off. It’s just rude. He takes my hand, sending a message directly to her. She doesn’t miss the intention. I let it happen because who’s she to rain on our parade? Come on, I only have one day to be this carefree. But she doesn’t know that.
His hand feels so big in mine. It dwarfs my small palm. But we fit together beautifully.
She looks behind her. “Oh, there he is!”
A man’s walking toward us, and she waves him over. Atticus looks at me and rolls his eyes.Is that about the woman or man?
“Hi, y’all. Let’s get our bumper on! I’m coming for ya, Swift!” The man obviously knows Atticus, but I don’t sense they’re good friends.
“Charlotte, this is Bob Canner, our third baseman.”
“Hello, doll. And Atticus, I’m sure she knows who I am. I don’t think introductions are really necessary.”
Oh geez, vain enough, you boob?
“Actually, they are. I don’t follow baseball. Hello.” I extend my hand.
Bobby and Tanya find my declaration shocking. They both look like I just said I was an alien. But Atticus thinks it’s funny. He’s laughing at them both.
“Well, darlin’, what do you follow? This player?” He pitches a thumb toward Atticus who loses the laughter and replaces it with a disgusted look.
I think quick and try to diffuse the situation. “I’m not a follower at all. But if I was I think this guy,” I imitate his pitched thumb, “…wouldn’t be a bad choice. Not at all.”
