“Oh, shit.”
“And some … heavy looks. I said I’d do anything she told me to, in reference to keep Lunez from replacing me. And then all of sudden she was throwing me out like she couldn’t get rid of me fast enough. So … I don’t get the sudden attitude change.”
“Uh-huh,” Taylor murmured, nodding his head. “It sounds like she panicked.”
“Panicked? Did I make her uncomfortable somehow?” My hands suddenly felt clammy. “I didn’t do anything she didn’t initiate. At least, I thought I didn’t.”
“Are you sure, man? Like you didn’t look at her tits or anything, right?”
“No,” I grumbled, not sure if it’d be pathetic to say my yearning for Kodi was so strong, I didn’t let myself look farther down her body than her lips. At least physically.
There’d certainly been … thoughts about the rest of her.
“Nah, I trust Kean not to be the kind of dickhead who’d freak her out like that. And I don’t know Kodi crazy well, but she gives off … confidence, like she wouldn’t let a prick’s comments get under her skin.”
“So why’d she kick me out, then?”
“Oh,” Brooker said, eyes widening.
“Yeah. That’s gotta be it, right?”
“Yeah, I guess congratulations are in order, Kean. You’re closer than I thought.”
“I mean, it’s not that surprising. She was a little tipsy last night, but she did say he was hot.”
“Will you two explain what you’re talking about?” I asked with a huff.
“She kicked you out because if you stayed any longer, she was gonna fuck you.”
“I would’ve put it … not so crudely.”
“That can’t be it.” I shook my head, not able to fathom the idea that Kodi could want me to that extent. I knew she found mephysicallyattractive, I wasn’tthatdense. But there was no way it was as intense as these guys thought.
“Dude!” Brooker whined, throwing up his hands and collapsing back into the armchair. “She’s totally got the hots for you. Now it’s just getting her the other job so y’all can hook up.”
“Normally I’d say you’re right to doubt Brooker, but you heard her last night, right? That she’d consider dating you? She’s definitely interested. Now you just need to change the circumstances.”
“Right. What’s her plan to get on the owners' good side? We’ll help out, right?” Brooker said, looking at Taylor, who nodded.
“Oh, um, she wants me to do that charity auction thing.”
Both their jaws dropped.
“You’re seriously doing that?”
“I … did not think that’d be your thing.”
“Why? It’s just wearing a nice suit and bidding on art or something, right?”
“Nah, man. They auction off dates with the players.”
“I’ve done several of them, so I can give you some tips. You’re not gonna have fun, but she’s right, it’ll gain you the owners’ favor.”
“No, no, no. You’re thinking about this all wrong,” Taylor interrupted, putting a hand out so Brooker would stop talking. “We do the full rom-com shit.”
“Rom-com shit?” I repeated, no clue where he was going with this.
“We give her the money to bid on your date.”
