I’d hoped I would run into April on my way home, but her friend had shown up and I didn’t want to intrude. I stayed longer in the gym, gaining courage to just freaking talk to her. I couldn’t let it go, no matter how hard I tried. Fuck it. I needed to talk to her. The stadium had emptied, except for security and a few of the managers, when I’d left.
The streets were still busy; cars were gridlocked around the sky-high condo towers. The different sounds of music and loud conversations carried throughout the buildings like an echo off a cliff. I dug out my headphones to drown out the sounds and focus on my task at hand, making April my fake girl.
I waved to the concierge on my way to the elevator, but I didn’t press the button for my floor.I was doing this.When the doors opened on the sixth floor, I walked down the long corridor to April’s apartment, stopping briefly when I caught a glance at my hair sticking up from the breeze. Smoothing it down, I felt my nerves buzz.Why the hell was I so nervous?
I reached her door and gave it a soft knock, stepping back when it dawned on me that I hadn’t checked the time.Fuck. Worrying that I might have woken her or interruptedsomething else, I hoped she hadn’t heard the knock. The latch clicked and the chain slid from inside as I told myself I shouldn’t have come.
Her door opened a crack, but just enough for me to notice she wasn’t wearing a bra under her oversized Hello Kitty t-shirt. My gaze immediately slid from her thick thighs and luscious curves, to the thin fabric that did nothing to hide her hardened nipples. She coughed, snapping up my attentionfrom her chest to her piercing olive eyes. They were hooded with fatigue and didn’t hold the same glow as always. April chuffed when she realized it was me, rolling her eyes and leaning against the doorframe.
“I don’t have the energy for this tonight,” she uttered.
“I’m not here for drama,” I explained, spreading my hand on the door panel and inching closer. She narrowed her tired stare at me.Yikes!“What happened between work and now?”
She sighed heavily. “Nothing.” I could tell that wasn’t the whole truth. My eyes narrowed at her. “Fine. Family stuff.”
Perfect! Just theinI needed. She cleared her throat. “So, what made you stop by at ten thirty?”
“I was just thinking about you and me,” I blurted, my eyes lifting from her bare legs to her gaping mouth. The admission surprised me and I could tell from her widened eyes that she was caught off guard, too. “The, um… What we talked about at the coffee shop… I think…” I moved my gaze to her mouth.My voice died in my throat. Jesus, what was wrong with me?
Her brow rose as she watched me shifting side to side on my feet. “Finish what you were saying.”
That was hard to do the longer she stood there, a hundred dirty things raced through my mind.Not now. Professional. A deal.I repeated in my head. Refocusing my attention on my task.
“I can, maybe, do this for you. For us.”
April’s gaze lifted from the floor to my eyes, a glimmer of hope flashing with her quiet thoughts. She opened her apartment door, motioning for me to step inside. Following her into the small foyer and past two closed doors, I noted how empty her condo was when we reached the living room.
“Did you just move in?” I asked, stuffing my hands into the pockets of my sweatpants.
“No. When I signed on with the team,” she answered, glancing around the place.
That was over a year ago. She must not be one for sentimental stuff.“We make it work.” She shrugged. “This is what a two bedroom gets you.”
Two bedrooms?It was nothing like my corner suite. It was maybe a fourth of the size.
And I only had a one bedroom, plus a den that was a small office area I never used. April must have read my mind because she added, “I thought it was bigger when I bought it, but that’s my fault for rushing into it.”
“Rushing?”
“I was about to take an offer in Boston when this one came in. It was very last minute,” she explained. I don’t think I could have imagined our team without April as our physiotherapist. She was one of the best in the league. Her skills were phenomenal and her technique with her hands was like magic. It didn't surprise me that she would be wanted elsewhere.
“What made you choose us?”
“I wanted to stay close to home at the time.” She bit her bottom lip and, while it did things to me, I wondered what she was hiding. There must’ve been more to her story about wanting to stay close.
“Because of a guy?” I pressed.
“As always,” she muttered, motioning around the living room and kitchen combo. She pointed to a small island. “Couch or stool?”
“Stool is fine,” I replied, taking a seat.
I watched her round the other side of the counter and prop her hip against it. It was clear she was keeping her distance.
“You came all the way down here to convince me that you canmaybehelp me.”
She was going to be tough. I ran my fingers through my hair and sighed. “Iwillhelp you.” She looked skeptical. “We both need something. I need a girlfriend and you need a guy.And since our luck seems to be worse than Kev’s batting average…” She smirked.
I continued, “This arrangement would work. We lock into it. I show up for you and you for me.”
