“Chick?” I echoed.
“Yeah. You know, the one who’s got you not hunting with me tonight.”
I spun on my chair. “Dude, what are you talking about?”
He shook his head. “Have you been paying attention to anything tonight? I suggested earlier we buy the eager beavers over there a round, you agreed, then haven’t even glanced their direction. It’s like you’re lost in your own thoughts.”
Shit. Was I? I opened my mouth to deny it, but nothing came out. Kev grinned at me with a look of, I told you so. Instead, he asked, “Did April get home okay last night?”
The way he lingered on the wordsget home, implied he was hoping something happened between us. It did not.
“She made it home just fine,” I replied, grabbing one of the beer bottles sticking out of the silver ice bucket and snapping the lid off. I ensured my word choice was clear, not letting on that she had stayed at my place. Even though it was completely innocent. She’d been locked out and nothing more. The last thing I needed, even though he suggested it, was Kev making a big deal out of something that wasn’t.
“Good. Poor girl. I mean seriously, what kind of douche bag stands a woman up?” Kev asked, shaking his head, seeming to forget his previous implications. Which was fine with me.
“An asshole,” I agreed.
“I don’t get it man. April’s a decent chick.”
My brows rose. “Decent?”
“Yeah, you know. She’s pretty in her own way. Got a nice rack.”
I gripped the bottle tighter in my hand. I gritted. “Don’t mention her rack.”
Kev held his hands up, as if to saywoah, then quickly added, “She’s not my type.” He paused. “She’s more like a sister.”
I nodded, taking another drink. “She’s a good woman.”
Kev smirked and watched me for a beat. “Maybe she needs a good man for once.” He clapped me on the back and gazed back out at the crowd. “Where is she tonight?”
“I dunno. I’m not her keeper.” I shrugged.
It was a question I’d asked myself already several times. Was she stuck in her room? Did she go out with some of the medical team? To be honest, once I'd left the stadium, I never thought about what some of the team did if it wasn’t the players. Just seemed like we had our own cliques. But now, I wondered about April and who she was with.
“Haven’t seen her since the game. She was on the phone in her office. She seemed tense,” Kev said, swigging down more of his beer.
Tense? Why? What was going on? Who was she on the phone with? Was it her roomie? Her ex? Was he trying to get back with her? Questions fired in my mind, all of them leaving an unsettled feeling in my gut. There was a new need to see her and make sure she was okay.
“I hope she’s okay,” Kev sing-songed as if he was trying to get into my head. I was probably being ridiculous. I was sure she was okay.
“Why man? What are you trying to do?” I snapped at Kev.
He stared at me for a moment longer than necessary before he laughed.
“Nothing. Maybe I was wrong.” He shook his head and got up from his chair, heading over to a tall, leggy blonde.
I sat there thinking and talking myself out of calling April. I was sure she was fine. Kev was just getting under my skin.
CHAPTER 11
APRIL
Nervously, I crept around the locker room. It had thinned out postgame. Night three and the last in Boston, before we headed home. We lost tonight and it was never good after. My sister had called on top of it and all it did was fill me with dread and desperation. I had been dumpedandstood up in the past few weeks. It wasn’t looking well, and the more I thought about it, I had to concede that Nora might have been onto something.
A fake boyfriend might have to be the answer. There were no expectations and no let down. We would both know what we needed and they would be the only person that would be reliable, because that was the beauty of an arrangement. The question I had was, who could I potentially ask to be my stand-in boyfriend? Nate was married. Johnny had a scary baby mama, so there was no way I was asking him. Zeke barely ever spoke to me. Jake was also married. Kev was a maybe. Carlos was a hell no. Mikey was newly engaged to a beautiful influencer. Then there was Josh, the ultimate playboy. Sure, he was fun for a night, speaking from personal experience. Most definitely not crossing that line ever again, it would be messy.This was hopeless.
I was not meant to have to do this. I cursed Wes and his untimely breakup. Although if I was honest, the problem was me and my inability to let May win. Her mocking voice floated through my thoughts, that once again she was right about my love life being in the dumps. For once, I wanted her to be wrong so I could stick it to her!
