Page 37 of Game Misconduct

Parker insisted on picking me up, and I realized why the second we walked out of the doors of my apartment building.

“Oh wow.” I couldn’t help but admire the beautiful car in front of me. I didn’t know much about sports cars but this one looked fancy with electric blue paint and big gill-looking cutouts in front of the rear tires. “Is it fast?”

He grinned—a rare thing, I’d come to find out—and nodded. “Zero to sixty in three-point-two seconds.”

I attempted an impressed whistle. “Very useful.”

He chuckled and opened the door for me. It was like sitting on the ground, and I almost wished we could call a normal, human car so I didn’t have to risk splitting my skirt open to climb in. The scent of new car was strong, and I ran my fingers over the buttery leather. This was nicer than any car I’d been in before. Including Jonathan and Simon’s fancy high tech cars.

On the short drive to the restaurant, he showed me a few of the different features of the car. The screen greeted him by name, and he could change the colors of all the lights. Things I never thought were necessary. “What do you drive?” he asked.

“I don’t have a car,” I replied.

You would have thought I told him I didn’t believe in their existence by his shocked expression.

“Why?”

“I live two blocks from my office and within walking distance of everything else I need. If I do need to drive anywhere, Jess usually comes with me, or I use an app for a rideshare.”

He stared forward at the street, waiting for the light to turn green. “Huh.”

I laughed. “It’s been about eight months, and I haven’t minded. I actually like walking, as long as the weather isn’t too bad.”

“I admire you even trying.” He glanced over at me for a split second. “I barely use mine, but I can’t imagine not having the option.”

“It was weird for the first few months, but I got used to it faster than I expected. I’m saving quite a bit from not having a payment, insurance, or paying for gas. Plus, parking can be a nightmare around here, so I don’t have to worry about getting a ticket or not finding a spot.”

Normally, when I got into a discussion about my radical decision with people, they understood the financial reasons more than just the health benefits. I wasn’t sure that applied to professional athletes. The guys told me they generally didn’t make as much as football, basketball, or baseball players, but they still made much more than the average person. I doubted saving a few hundred dollars a month was a big deal to any of them.

“Those are solid points. It’s nice that you can do that here. Back in Anaheim, everything was too spread out.”

“Oh, turn here.” I pointed to the right, and he turned onto the restaurant’s street. He found a spot and told me to wait so he could open my door.

It was nice to have a hand help me out from so low. He effortlessly lifted me up, but maintaining my modesty was difficult. I’d have to remember to only wear pants when riding with him from now on.

“Thanks.” I looked up at him to find him watching me with a smile.

“Of course.”

We walked in side by side, almost touching but not quite. Kerry and AJ were waiting in the lobby, holding hands and looking even more in love than at the game.

“Hi, guys.” I waved as we approached. “Nice to see you again,” I said to AJ before twisting slightly to look up at Parker. “This is Parker.”

Kerry must have prepared him since he just grinned and offered his hand. “Nice to meet you. I’m AJ.”

“And this is Kerry,” I told Parker while she stared at him with stars in her eyes. Evidently, it was her I needed to worry about, not her boyfriend.

“Ah, the other best friend,” Parker said with a hint of teasing.

Kerry’s eyes darted to mine. “Excuse me? When did he earn the title of best?”

I chuckled, and Parker put his arm over my shoulder. “When I gave her my jersey and let her watch one of the cheesiest rom-coms I’ve ever had the misfortune of seeing.”

“It wasn’t that bad,” I protested, but he was right. It had been truly awful. I’d been willing to turn it off, but he said he was proving his dedication, so we both suffered through until the end.

“AJ, party of four?” The host called from the nearby stand.

“Here.” AJ lifted a finger and we fell into line behind him. The host eyed Parker for a second too long before turning and leading us to a booth toward the back of the restaurant. AJ went to the far side, so Parker and I would be facing away from the rest of the crowd. Did he do that on purpose? To give us more privacy? I appreciated the thought.