Page 12 of Shut Up and Jingle Me
I shake my head. “I don’t need backup.”
“Sure you do,” Luke says, way too confident for someone who just crashed lunch. “You’ve got the charm locked in, but sometimes you need a wingman to cause a little jealousy. Keeps him off-balance.”
Daniel points his straw at me. “He’s not wrong. Calder’s too controlled. You’re gonna need to mix it up.”
I narrow my eyes. “You’re acting like this is a team sport.”
Luke grins. “It is now. So…where’d he go after the shoot?”
Daniel shrugs. “Probably back to his dorm.”
“Then let’s find out,” Luke says, as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world. He’s already sliding out of the booth. “C’mon—can’t crack the Grinch if you’re not in his vicinity.”
I glance at Daniel, who’s already tucking a few bills under his empty glass, eyes glinting, already in on the game. “Let’s see where this goes.”
We spill out of the diner into the crisp midday air, the rink just a parking lot away. Luke falls into step beside me, pretending he’s been part of the plan since the beginning.
“You realize stalking is illegal,” I say, shoving my hands into my jacket pockets.
“Relax,” Luke replies. “We’re not stalking. We’re… strategically appearing where he happens to be.”
Daniel smirks. “That’s literally stalking.”
Luke ignores him. “So, Calder’s dorm should be the same building as the team’s? Easy in, easy out.”
“Unless he’s holed up somewhere else,” Daniel says. “But my money’s on him hitting the rink gym first. He’s the type to work out stress.”
I glance between them. “You two have way too much insight into my target.”
“It’s called doing the homework,” Daniel says, tone smug.
We cut across the parking lot, boots crunching over dried and dead leaves on the ground. The glass front of the rink glints in the sun, and through it, I can already see a few players lingering in the lobby. No sign of Calder.
Luke tips his chin toward the hall that leads to the gym. “Bet you he’s in there.”
Daniel’s grin widens. “If he is, you’re up, Eli.”
I swallow back a flicker of nerves, straighten my jacket, and head for the door.
The gym’s not even half full, which makes it impossible to miss Max. He’s at the free weights, black T-shirt stretched over his shoulders, hair damp with sweat, the steady rhythm of his reps making him look annoyingly unbothered.
Daniel leans back on his heels, smirking as though he knows exactly what Luke’s up to. “Alright, lovebirds, I’ll leave you to…whatever this is.”
Luke doesn’t even look at him. “It’s called strategy.”
“Uh-huh,” Daniel says, already pulling out his phone. “I’m gonna hit the cardio machines while we’re here. Text me if you need a getaway car.”
And just like that, he disappears into the maze of treadmills and ellipticals, leaving me alone with Luke’s scheming.
Luke’s grin turns downright wicked. “Perfect. Let’s get his attention.”
Before I can stop him, he’s dragging me toward the benches. I’m still in the ridiculous Christmas outfit from the shoot—suspenders, bow tie, glitter, the whole humiliating package. Luke doesn’t care. He practically shoves me down onto the bench, barely giving me time to shrug out of my jacket, and grabs the bar.
“Spot you?” he says, already stepping over me, his legs wide over the bench, straddling me, in a completely unnecessary way.
I give him a flat look, but he leans in closer than needed, his chest brushing mine as he positions my hands. “Play along,” he murmurs. “He’s watching.”
I flick my gaze toward Max. Sure enough, he’s looking over, expression unreadable but focus sharp enough to pin me in place and steal my breath.
