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Sunnie had managed to come up with six uniforms and Aunt Lane had helped her emblazon three of them with the Baltimore police emblem, the other three with the firefighters’. They shook their pom-poms, lining up on the end of the court where Landon and his cop buddies were taking turns shooting layups.
Landon froze mid-shot, nearly falling down when Miguel, who hadn’t seen them yet, ran into him, expecting him to shoot and move.
“What the hell, man?” Miguel said before spotting them. “Sweet Jesus. My high school wet dreams just came to life.”
Landon dropped the ball, walking toward her. Sunnie gave him a pretty decent herkie, shaking her pom-poms as she did so.
“We thought the game could use a cheer squad,” she said as he got closer.
He didn’t acknowledge her comment with words or a wave. Instead, he just kept coming.
Gripping her by the waist, he pulled her to him and gave her a kiss that definitely would have gotten both of them sent to the principal’s office if they were really in high school.
It took a second before either of them heard the whistle that continued to grow louder. Landon released her two seconds before her dad—the coach—gave him a slap to the back of the head.
“What the hell are you doing, boy? We got our asses handed to us last year by the firefighters. I don’t intend to lose again. Get out there, warmup, and pay attention to the ball!”
Landon returned to the court, but from the constant glances he kept shooting over his shoulder, she wouldn’t say his head was in the game.
“Sunnie, Yvonne,” Dad said. “You look great, but I’m telling you right now, if you distract my team, I’m sending you out of here.”
“Dad—” Sunnie started.
Her father grinned as he leaned closer. “Have mercy on poor Landon.”
He walked away as Yvonne stepped next to her. “That guy has got it bad for you.”
Sunnie shook her head, trying to disregard her family’s nonchalant attitude to her and Landon and all these pretend—why didn’t they feel like pretend?—kisses. She didn’t want to think about what any of that might mean.
Especially considering Landon had actually pulled back since that interview, kissing her only in public and not initiating any more of his killer orgasms.
Not that she’d asked for them.
She’d barely held it together at the end of that damn TV interview, not sure how to respond to Beverly’s comment about the way Landon had looked at her in the video. It was the same thing Pop Pop had said, and it had freaked her out.
Sometime during the ride home from the television station, it felt as if they’d both sort of realized they shouldn’t cross the line anymore. So…it had been nine days of nothing but fake dates, hand-holding and tame good-night kisses.
Sunnie had hated every minute of the…platonicness—she didn’t care if that wasn’t a word. So she’d come up with the cheerleader idea. Smart or not, Sunnie was going back in for another orgasm. Her brain had been overruled by her vagina, and the diet ended today. With any luck, it would be a spectacular cheat.
The game started, so Sunnie and the police half of her squad claimed the first row of the bleachers, standing up whenever the score got tight to lead the police department fans in a cheer. The other half went to cheer for the firefighters. Twice they’d started a wave that made it all the way around the gymnasium.
At halftime, the firefighters were up by two. Typically, halftime was a ten-minute break where the coaches for each team gave their players a pep talk from the sidelines, and the fans just socialized or purchased baked goods donated to add more money to the charitable contribution. This year, Sunnie had something special planned. She glanced over her shoulder and spotted Finn in the press box. The announcer for the game handed him the microphone.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Finn said, pausing as everyone got quiet. “As you know, we’re here today for a very good cause. All the money raised will be contributed directly to the Children’s Cancer Foundation. Today, we have a special treat for all you fans. Our nursing cheer squad has prepared a special halftime show. Put your hands to together for the nurses…and Yvonne,” he added, as everyone laughed.
Unbeknownst to Landon, she and the nurses had spent the better part of four days getting ready for this, practicing on every break they had at work. Last night, they’d done a dress rehearsal for the kids in the pediatric oncology ward and, despite a few missteps, they’d been a hit, the kids laughing, singing, and dancing as much as they were able. Her nursing supervisor warned her they’d want an encore every week. Sunnie assured her that wouldn’t be a hardship at all.
Sunnie ran toward the middle of the floor, nailing her roundoff. Jessica managed a pretty decent cartwheel, and damned if Yvonne didn’t sink down into a legit split. Once they’d all made it to their places, she looked at Finn, who gave her a thumbs-up. Then the music started.
Sunnie made sure she was watching Landon when the first few notes of the song came on, and she laughed the second he recognized it and rolled his eyes.
High School Musical had been Sunnie’s jam for the better part of middle school. She’d seen the movie—and sequels—no less than a thousand times, and she knew the original movie’s show-ending dance number by heart.
She had roped Finn and Landon into learning it with her one summer when they were all bored, and while both boys grumbled, they’d given her the better part of an afternoon, and then agreed to perform a “show” for their parents, Pop Pop and Bubbles after dinner that night.
When the chorus to “We’re All in This Together” came on, Sunnie, Yvonne and the nurses started the routine, all of them laughing when Miguel ran from the sidelines to join them. Miguel had gone out with them maybe a dozen times over the course of the last year, ever since he’d moved to Baltimore and joined the force. He was great fun and easy to be around, but when he started dancing and proved he knew every single step, Sunnie decided right then and there, he was going to be her best friend forever.
Glancing up, she saw Finn doing a few of the moves in the press box, feeling secure that no one was looking at him. During the turn, she realized Finn wasn’t completely unnoticed.
