Page 39 of The Perfect Spiral
“Is this your new girl, Knox?”
“Is she a girl from the game?”
“Isn’t she your best friend’s sister, Carter?”
“How much is she a night?” At that final question, Knox stopped in his tracks, spinning around to face the reporter who had dared to insinuate that I was a prostitute.
“Who the fuck asked that?!” His voice boomed, silencing the crowd. I was taken aback by the sudden fury that had ignited within him.
Frozen in place, I watched as he turned back to me, pulling me into his chest and wrapping his arm around my shoulder. He guided me through the crowd once more, leading us into the club.
Before we entered the bar, he pulled me aside to a quieter area.
“I’m sorry about that, Alex! I didn’t know they would say that. I’ll find out who said it and...”
I burst into laughter, my reaction causing him to stare at me as though I belonged in a mental asylum. He probably thought I’d lost my mind.
But I was still tipsy, not as bad as I was earlier. I grabbed his shoulders, trying to get him to relax after his sudden outburst of anger.
“Knox, it’s alright. How were you supposed to know he was going to ask that?” I laughed harder, throwing my head back.
“To be honest, I’m more shocked that you defended me than by the actual question. But thank you. It was very... sweet of you.” I never thought I’d hear myself say those words. Before I knew what I was doing, I reached up, cupping his face in my hands and pulling him towards me. I planted a kiss on his cheek as a thankyou. His arms slipped around my waist once more, pulling me closer to him.
I pulled back slightly, looking up into his shadowed eyes, hidden beneath the brim of his cap. “Really, thank you!” I said, smiling at him.
He returned my smile, causing my heart to race as though I were running a marathon.
A throat cleared beside us, causing us to turn and find Andy standing there, three drinks in her hands and a smug smile on her face. I rushed over to her, grabbing a drink and taking a gulp to soothe my dry throat.
The three of us made our way into the club, heading upstairs to the VIP section where all the players were lounging, dancing, and drinking with girls in the skimpiest dresses I’d ever seen.
Seeing them made me feel slightly better about my own outfit. Knox trailed behind us as we spotted Kyle chatting with a group of guys who I assumed were on one of the teams.
The VIP area was swanky, outfitted with white leather couches, knee-high glass tables, a balcony, and a personal bar. Blue lighting around the bar cast a relaxed vibe. Girls in short dresses walked around with trays of drinks, batting their eyelashes at the muscular players.
Don’t roll your eyes, Alex! I thought to myself.
Knox and Kyle were deep in conversation with three guys at the bar, while Andy and I chatted amongst ourselves, not wanting to interrupt.
Feeling a hand on the small of my back, I turned to see Knox introducing us to two incredibly good-looking guys.
“This is Alex and Andy,” he said, pointing at us. “And this isMarcus and Caleb.”
“It’s nice to meet you two beautiful ladies,” they both said, each planting a kiss on our cheeks. Typical footballers.
“It’s nice to meet you too, boys,” Andy replied, a flirtatious smirk on her face. She was a natural at playing the flirtatious girl in a club. Too good, in fact. I simply smiled at them.
“Alex, right?” Caleb asked. I nodded in response. “We’ve heard so much about you from this man here,” he said, patting Knox on the shoulder in a teasing manner. “You’re as beautiful as he described you. It’s nice to finally meet you in person.”
I choked on my drink, as did Knox. We both turned to look at him. What did he just say? Knox seemed to find something in the distance incredibly interesting, adjusting his cap as though he wanted to make a quick escape. I felt the same way.
“Um, I think you might be thinking of another Alex? I’m sure he’s been with a few Alex’s!” I laughed genuinely, certain they had me mixed up with someone else. I heard a grunt beside me.
“I don’t think so, you’re—”
“Why don’t we do some shots, guys?” Knox interrupted Marcus. Andy’s eyes lit up at the mention of shots, but I was curious about what he was going to say. I decided to ask him about it later.
Chapter 16
