“Not a chance.” My head shook as I started to remove my gear. “I’m not letting any of you shits set me up.”
Kev’s eyebrows shot up. “As if I would let you near anyone I know.”
“Come on. We know you and your taste in women. We will find the challenge,” Jake added with renewed energy.
I needed to sit down. “Why would I agree to this?”
“You’re sick of all the games and shit. But you don’t want to lose.” Kev clapped me on the back.
“But…if you want to change the rules, he should be compensated,” Jake added.
Carlos rubbed his fingers across his jaw, like he was trying to figure out why I’d agree with it. “Come on. Don't they say your friends pick the best person for you?”
“Friends maybe, but not you assholes.” I pointed specifically to Jake and Carlos.
Jake raised his hands. “What the hell did I do?”
I reminded him of a clinger at the club, getting his snicker in response. Rolling my eyes, I glanced away and caught a glimpse of April walking by the locker room with her earbuds in, a duffel bag strapped across her chest. She was pretty today, the way she had her long red locks loose around her. She seemed better than the last time I saw her. Jake nodded toward her and grinned like a cat who caught the canary.
“No.” I shook my head, instantly seeing what he was thinking. April and I had history. Not that these jerks knew about it, but there was no way I could bring her into this. She was already going through enough.
Carlos clapped me on the back. “Okay, Romeo, this is the last chance. You find someone to start dating by next week, or you forfeit. Playtime is over.”
Groaning, I scrubbed my hands down my face. “Not fair. You can’t believe I’d fall in love with someone in only a month.”
“Dude, do you listen to anything? You had a month to find someone with thepotentialto fall in love,” Carlossnapped. “It’s been what, two weeks? And despite all your dates, you’re nowhere ahead.”
“Yeah, man,” Kev agreed, turning his head from where he checked out April to wink at me. “She had a hard time fitting in, but you guys seem to be chummy.”
I threw my hands up. “Fuck it. I’m out.”
Carlos cheered. Kev’s jaw dropped in disbelief. I felt the same way.
Jake held his hand up as if he were to stop me. “Hold on, let’s not be hasty.”
“It’s a workplace thing, man.” I shook my head. “No go.”
Out of the side of his mouth, Kev muttered, “Double or nothing?”
Both me and Jake let out a low whistle. Not going to lie, that was a tempting offer. Carlos’s pride and joy was that vintage car he had restored.
Carlos’s eyes twitched. “Fine. But you have two weeks left. No extensions!”
“Oh, no. If we’re changing the rules, I get more time.” Carlos scoffed, but I cut him off. “If I am going to make a go with someone not online, I need time. If you bother to check our schedule, you’ll see that’s not easy. I need until the end of regular season.”
“I’ll give you until the end of August. Can’t make it too easy and you, Prince Charming, could probably win this bet if you took your head out of your ass.”
“Done.” I smirked.Nice, Josh. Dig in a little deeper, why don’cha? At least the new plan bought me a few more weeks to figure something out.
“You'd better find someone quick,” Jake added. I noticed his eyes drifting towards the gym. “April and you get along? Kinda friends?” he asked, as if leading me to redemption.
“Not happening,” I scoffed. “HR rules, remember.”
He nodded. “Okay, fair. Does she have a friend? MaybeCarlos had a point. Being introduced to someone usually works better. I can ask Millie if she knows anyone.”
Right as he finished talking, his phone began vibrating on the bench. He paused, glancing over his shoulder before lowering his voice. “Sometimes things come from the unexpected and friends to lovers has an easy enough in.” He winked and swiped across his phone, smiling to whom I assumed was his wife, and walking away. “Hey hun.”
Friends to lovers? What? My brain was jogging along the lines of what Jake was suggesting. Did he just give me a way around things? Immediately my brain raced back to that night with April. The fair, day drinking, the rides. Turned out, aside from being our hot new physiotherapist on the team, we had a bunch of stuff in common. We liked similar music, we’d been to similar places on vacation. She loved sports. And despite her curves pulling all of my attention all night, she was off limits thanks to our co-worker status.
