Page 48 of Playing the Field
Kyler laughs, looking from one of us to the other. “Which is it?”
“Both,” I say, pulling my box of pancakes and my shopping bag from the car. “I asked Hunter for some shopping information, and he was hungry, so he offered to show me in person if I bought him breakfast.”
“What a sport,” Kyler says, eyeing his friend. “You managed to point her toward a mall in exchange for a free breakfast?”
I realize I’m making things worse. “That’s not?—”
Hunter interrupts. “She tried to pay, but that’s not how I roll. Don’t worry, man.”
Kyler looks me up and down, and I wonder if he can sense anything different about me. I wonder if having a night of the best sex of my life shows on my face. Or my just-fucked hair. Putting a hand to my head, I try to smooth my hair and gather it into a ponytail. I pull the band from my wrist and secure it.
“Okay, good. So what’s on the agenda today?” Kyler is already walking back into the house, moving on.
“Tatum is flying down from San Francisco. I’m spending the afternoon with her.”
“Nice. Say hi for me.”
I look at Hunter and mouth, “Sorry.”
His answer is a hand on the small of my back as we walk into the house. It’s reassuring, but I want more. Thanks to my big mouth and my brother’s timing, it’s the only thing I’ll get for now.
CHAPTER 25
Hunter
It’sall I can do to suffer through an hour in the kitchen listening to Kyler recount the highlights of his business trip and all the “epic surf” destinations he managed to fit in. Usually, I’d love to hear him describe the big waves and look at the photos he downloaded from an on-site photographer’s website. Usually, I’d be here for all the details about the new contracts he scored with major surf retailers and celebrity skateboarders.
But today is not normal. Today, my body hums with one thought—how to get Gracie into my bed for more than just one night.
At the same time, I’m dejected by how dismissive she was of last night. Like she didn’t see any potential for more than a hookup. Granted, I know my reputation, so maybe she’s not wrong to jump to that conclusion. And she made it clear that romance and work do not mix, and if she has to choose, work is the clear winner.
Yet…a part of me knows she was protecting herself from my reputation, guarding her heart a little bit. That’s what gives me hope. All I want to do now is hear what Gracie was about to tell me in the car.
“So we spent a week together after the trade show just kind of bumming around on the beach, trying different surf spots and eating seafood every chance we got. It was the most fun I’ve had in ages.” Kyler’s thumb glides across his phone screen until he finds the picture he wants.
He slides it across the counter for me to see. It’s a selfie of him with a blond guy who looks like a teenager. The two of them are grinning at the camera in front of a pristine beach with surfers in the background. I’m confused because I’ve only been half-listening to his story.
“You and he…” I scroll through the next few photos. They’re pictures of surfers mostly, and I think I can identify Kyler and this dude in a few of them, but it’s hard to be sure.
“Are partners.”
The last I heard, Kyler was still dating women, so this is new. “And how did you two meet?”
“I told you. At the trade show.”
I want to be supportive of his new relationship, but I’m also aware I missed about half of the conversation over the past half hour. I don’t want him to know my mind was elsewhere, so I need to cover.
“Cool,” I say. I catch Gracie trying to hide a smile. She looks down at the counter, where she has her pancake box open. She’s managed to get through about half the stack. Kyler picks up a pancake, rolls it up, and takes a bite from the end.
“Yeah? Cool?” Kyler asks, tilting his head like he knows I’m not all here, and he’s about to bust me.
“You two make a nice couple,” I say, hoping it’s the affirmation he wants. I’m ready to move on from this conversation and find a way to be alone with Gracie before she leaves to pick upher friend. She’s definitely laughing quietly now, still looking down.
Kyler takes the phone back and looks at the pictures. “I’m not sure that was exactly the goal, but thanks?” He takes another bite of the rolled pancake and tilts his head again. He’s starting to look like Bogie, and I wonder if I should pet him on the head so maybe he’ll go off somewhere and take a nap.
“Well, I don’t know what you wanna hear. He’s hot? He makes you look young and hot just being with him?”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
