Page 65 of The Girlfriend Game
Thirty-One
Zeke
“I can’t thank you enough for your help today, Kendall. I’d love to get together sometime soon for a girls’ day if you have time,” Logan suggests as she leans in to offer a friendly hug to Kendall outside the front entrance of the house. The party is still raging with the rookies and younger guys, but we’ve decided to call it a night.
Kendall smiles at Logan’s friendly outreach. “Of course. I’d enjoy that. Maybe you can provide me tips on how you manage to have some semblance of a normal life with their crazy schedules. But more importantly, how you handle their oversized egos.”
“Hey, now!” I scoff at her teasing insult. “My feelings are hurt.”
Laughter rings out around us. It feels good, like I’m right where I’m supposed to be. In the past, I’d have either gone home early by myself to sulk alone in my condo or gotten drunk with the guys to hide my loneliness. I wrap an arm around Kendall’s shoulders, enjoying the comfort of togetherness with her.
“It can definitely be difficult at times, especially the ego.” She rolls her eyes and playfully swats her husband in the belly. Carver bows forward and makes a loud grunt as if it hurt.
“But my best advice is to find a fun hobby, eat your weight in ice cream, or hang out with a good friend,” Logan recommends, but stares sweetly up at Carver, who throws a protective arm around his pregnant wife’s shoulders before kissing the top of her head.
Their relationship has overcome some insurmountable odds and to see them now, like this, is truly inspiring. I’ll admit, after finding the three of them coming out of the bathroom together, laughing and smiling, I was more than a little jealous. My dirty mind took a wrong turn down the wrong road with thoughts that Kendall participated in some kind of kinky threesome.
My worries were squelched, though, and the four of us enjoyed a lazy summer afternoon out in Marek’s back yard. Logan and Kendall hit it off immediately, both sharing similar medical field connections, as they talked non-stop through the evening, while Carver and I competed against each other in every lawn game known to man.
I just can’t imagine how hard it’s going to be this season while we’re out on the road and Logan is left at home. Our schedules are not only demanding, but the work grueling, leaving little time during the long season for moments at home. In fact, just the idea of being back out on the road now that I have Kendall has my stomach tied up in knots of anxiety.
An unwelcome fear settles over me as I think about Kendall alone at home while I’m gone. Her career, and family, and her entire life is here in Seattle. Which means, she won’t be able to meet up with me while I’m away during particularly long road trips. Kendall’s devoted to her practice and to her family here. She won’t have room for me in her life.
Hoping no one is paying attention to me as I silently freak out, I breathe through the panic, counting to ten like I’ve been taught to do when I feel the stress collapsing in on me.
After saying our goodbyes, Kendall and I walk hand-in-hand down the quiet, tree-lined road to locate the car parked down the street. Before I open her door, I take the opportunity to kiss her, bending down to seal my mouth with hers, the kiss slow and intentional, offering a reminder of how much she means to me.
“Mmm, what was that for?” she asks as I extract my lips from hers, tasting the strawberry and chocolate dessert she had earlier on my tongue. I tuck a loose strand of her hair behind her ear and kiss the tip of her nose.
“It was nice having you by my side today and seeing you get along so well with my friends,” I admit, feathering my fingers down her arms. “As long as it’s not a threesome with Carver, I’m glad you all got along.”
Kendall giggles, apparently still tickled by the way I overreacted when I located them in the bathroom together. She wraps her arms around my waist and tugs me into her warm body, my cock nestled firmly against her heat. I give a naughty thrust of my hips so she knows what I’m thinking about the minute we get home.
“I really enjoyed talking to them. Logan is fascinating and so brilliant. She’s working with a non-profit to provide dental services for the homeless. We’re going to have lunch and talk through the details. We might be able to blend our expertise to create one shared pool of support.”
This woman. She has a heart of gold. A wondrous mind. And a body so luscious I can’t keep my hands off her not even for a minute.
I interlock our fingers together at her side. My gaze falls to her face and I sigh with reverence. “You’re truly amazing, you know that?”
Kendall crinkles her nose and waves me off. “Hardly. I’m just doing my part. We all have a role to play in this world while we’re here. We just have to find out where we fit in. Like you have with your charity. Which, by the way, I see the team has endorsed. I’m so proud of you, Zeke.”
I feel myself blushing. “Marek and our PR guy just want something positive to share with the media instead of always spin-doctoring my fuck-ups.”
Kendall slides into the seat and buckles in as I head to my side of the car. Once I start the engine, Kendall’s palm lands on top of my hand on the gear shift.
“Do you mind me asking what you decided about Marek’s request?”
It takes me a second to realize what she’s asking, but then remember the conversation I had with Marek about the rookies.
I maneuver out of the parking spot and we head down the winding roads of Mercer Island toward the freeway home.
I lift a shoulder. “He thinks I can offer some guidance to the new kids coming up through the league. I’m not so convinced about that, but told him I’d give it a go.”
“I think it’s wonderful. Will one of them be that kid, Jaeger, that was there today? I think he has an awful lot of growing up to do. He seems a bit wild.”
I chuckle at her reference because she’s not wrong. Jaeger Matlin is one of our rookies on the team this year. He got a little out of hand at the party today. He knocked over one of the food tables out on the lawn while he played Frisbee with Trenton, making quite a spectacle of himself.
“He’s twenty-one, fresh out of college. He’ll grow up once he’s knocked down a few pegs by some of the veterans this year. Just look at me.” I take my hand off the wheel and point to my chest. “It took over ten years for me to become this amazing man you now call your boyfriend.”
