Lag (The Boys of RDA Book 2) (29 page)

We reach the employee entrance. He shakes his head at my lack of acceptable attire but doesn’t make me go upstairs to grab it. I laugh at his reaction and we push through the back door together to be blinded by the flashing of lights.

At least five people stand out on the back stoop with large cameras in front of their faces, the flashbulbs flickering. We both freeze and it opens the opportunity for the reporters to yell questions across the space.

“Trey, is this the secretary?”

Trey pulls me back into the building and waits until the door clicks in place. His tight closed fierce expression has me worried he’ll go back out and say something he’ll regret later. My hand raises to his jaw, and I place a soft kiss on his cheek. His extra-long stubble tickles my lips. His missed morning trim is probably a sign he read paper first thing. I’m starting to repeat the kiss when Trey lets out a large breath and opens his eyes.

“What about we spend the day at your place?”

**

“Do you think it’s too early for wine?” I call out from my small rectangular kitchen as Trey hooks the game system from the main office to my smaller flat screen TV.

“Not today.” His words startle me by how close they are and I turn to find him standing next to me.

I turn back to the fridge. “When did you become a ninja?”

“One is born with the skill. One must only seek to use the skill.”

“Dork.” I smile at his small show of nerdiness even if he can’t see it with my head in the refrigerator. “So you want a pop then?”

“It’s so cute how you call it pop.”

“Whatever.” I pass him the cold can of pop I’ll never be able to call soda and reach toward the cupboard to get two glasses.

Trey beats me there but stops. He turns and in his hand holds the neon green cat cup from the little bar where we were met.

“You kept yours?”

I turn a little red for some reason. “Yeah.”

He sets the cup in question on the counter and opens his pop pouring some in. “I still have mine too.”

I laugh, but it sounds nervous for some unexplained reason. “Yeah, I know.”

He looks up from his pouring business and cocks his head at me.

“I saw it during sweatergeddon. It wasn’t a good night to bring it up.”

He laughs for a moment but doesn’t turn back to his glass. A heavy sigh leaves his body making his shoulders slump more. I hate seeing him so defeated and I frown at whatever thoughts are passing through this mind.

Trey takes two steps to my side of the kitchen and his arms wrap around me until he has a tight hold on me. Instinctively I wrap my own arms around him and return his squeeze.

He pulls back and lays his forehead on mine so we’re eye to eye. “Promise me you won’t leave over this.”

A hand reaches up to rub the spot on his jaw he normally loves so much, and I scrape my finger across the prickly stubble. “Trey, we’ve made it this far. We have to stick it out to see how it ends.”

His head falls to my neck and he buries his nose there. “Who knew I’d fall in love with the girl who elbowed my junk one fateful day.”

I go stock still at his full declaration. This is beyond calling me his girlfriend. I think Trey may have used the L word, but I don’t want to call attention to it in case he isn’t sure. “Yeah, she sounds like a real ball buster.”

“Well as long as it’s only my balls she’s busting for the rest of our lives, I’ll be okay.”

EPILOGUE

** Trey **

My girlfriend is hot.

Grant follows my eyes as they track Simone across the room. Her bright pink skirt’s short enough to give me a view of the long legs I hope to have wrapped around me later tonight. Of course the shoes with straps wrapping around her ankles will need to stay on.

“Those legs go on forever. You better not mess it up with her.”

I turn and slug Grant in the shoulder for his comment, and he sways with the force. A hand comes up to rub the spot and he shoots me a dirty look.

“What the fuck was that for?”

Like he has to ask. “Don’t look at Simone.”

He raises both hands in a surrender gesture. “Okay, okay. Point taken.” Grant rubs the spot on his shoulder one last time and then turns and walks to where Simone’s set up food on a table.

Simone comes to stand beside me and I snake a hand out to catch her around the middle and pull her closer. She looks up and smiles at me. Her lips stretch across her face and cause her bright blue eyes to squint like there’s sun in them. It makes her whole face scrunch up, and it’s my favorite look on her.

“You look wonderful. How long do we have to stay?” I ask. I’ve never wanted to leave a business event so badly before.

“Trey.” She slaps me on the arm, but the rest of her sentence is interrupted by Aspen as she stops in front of us.

“The place looks marvelous, Simone. You did a great job,” Aspen comments on the room and I move my eyes off Simone to look at it for the first time.

“Thanks.” She tries to step away from me, but I tighten my grip. “The boys all helped. Even Melvin.” She comments on the decorations she bossed us into putting up today for the holiday party. I’m not sure where the sweet and shy girl I met on vacation went. I blame it on Marissa. Of course I also might owe Marissa a thank you. I’m learning to like this feisty side of Simone.

The room looks mostly the same to me except each desk hosts a small poinsettia on the edge and the tables are covered in holiday cloths. For a holiday party to a bunch of gamers, it’s top of the line. Much better than we’ve ever done for these small events in the past.

The girls talk back and forth about the decorations as I slowly move my hand up Simone’s side until it rests right under her bra. She squirms and I stop but run my finger on the space right below in a rhythmic motion. I need her to hurry the fuck up and get out of here.

Two weeks have passed since Mari’s scandalous exposé was released and as much as I hate to admit it, Finn was right. It’s calmed down here. There are no longer reporters parked outside the building or my house night and day. The smell of gossip and scandal faded and they lost interest, off to chase the city’s actual rich and famous.

Like a coward I hid out at Simone’s place for a week but reluctantly went home a few days ago. Much to my surprise sharing a space with Simone was pleasant. Of course, it helped that I was able to fuck her hard before bed every night and then softly in the morning before work. I still have some clothes stashed in her closet for those emergencies when I don't have it in me to leave the warmth of her bed.

All the memories spur more thoughts of what I have planned for tonight and I lean over and whisper in Simone’s ear. “Tonight we’re going to my place."

She stops her conversation with Aspen and her cheeks turn a slight shade of red. “Okay.”

I lean in again and run my tongue quickly over the edge of her ear. “I still didn’t ask.”

Simone pushes against my chest with one of her small hands, and I lean back but don’t release my grip on her side.

Finn joins our group, and the way he looks at Aspen could provide enough electricity to light the room on its own. He went all out for tonight with his own green button down shirt. It’s good to see him in something other than flannel for a change.

“Did you tell them the good news?” Finn almost bounces with excitement over whatever this news is.

Aspen only laughs back at him, but her eyes light up when they meet his. It’s good to see my best friend with a woman who loves him. They had an interesting start, but I think she plans to stick around for a while.

“No, I haven’t yet. I waited for you.”

“Well you have to tell us now.” Simone leans toward the pair waiting for the news.

Finn grabs Aspen’s hand and pulls her in front of him so he’s standing behind her. “Aspen agreed to move in with me.” His hands wrap around her from behind and rest on her sides, and I’m a little envious the bastard thought of the move. It’s one I’m going to steal very soon.

“I did.” She looks to Simone quickly. “But don’t say anything yet. I’m going to surprise Marissa at brunch and give her my apartment.”

She leans away from Finn and Simone tugs on me enough I finally let her go while the two girls giggle and talk off to the side about how excited Marissa will be.

“I think she’s more excited about Marissa getting her old apartment than she is about moving in with me.” Finn watches them as well.

“She’s been living with you for months. You just got her to admit it, and frankly it took you two long enough,” I joke about how he's been slowly moving more and more of her clothes into his apartment. None of us are sure if Aspen’s clueless to it all or just hasn’t commented on it yet.

“Yes, but now it’s permanent. We were beta testing before, and this is the official launch.”

I laugh at his horrible use of gaming technology. “Don’t let Aspen hear you describe it that way or you won’t be getting laid tonight." I slap him on the arm. “I’m happy for you, Finn. It’s good to see you with Aspen."

His head turns to her as she and Simone are still talking like two best friends. Another thing I owe Aspen my respect for. She brought Simone into this group and accepted her as one of their own. Without that, Simone would probably be back home with her dad right now rather than with me, even if she is too far from me at the moment. I never would’ve gotten my shit together in time if it wasn't for Aspen’s intervention.

“When do you and Simone leave?” Finn’s question pulls me back from my thoughts.

“Monday. Simone wanted to get to Buffalo a few days before the holiday.” As much as I’m not excited to visit frozen upstate New York, this is Simone's first Christmas without her mother and she wants to be close to family. The thick winter coat and gloves I bought so I don’t lose fingers to hypothermia was a small price to pay to help her get home. I’d never turn her down, snow or not.

Of course since she mentioned wanting to stay almost two full weeks, I’ve been preoccupied. I offered to put us in a hotel, but she worried her dad wouldn’t agree. I’ve spent most of my free time devising ways to help her stay quiet. It’s one thing if he suspects I’m nailing his daughter in his house — quite another if he has proof. And Simone isn't a quiet woman when she gets going. It does my ego good, but not enough I want to risk being shot.

My eyes drift to Simone and I bristle a little at her and Aspen moving farther away from us. She reminds me of my mother when she sees an old friend at the grocery store. They see each other all the time. What do they still need to be talking about? And why hasn’t Simone carried her little round ass back to my side by now? Is it possible she doesn't feel the need to be next to me all the time like I want her to be? With a snort I forget that unbelievable thought. I’ve seen the way those deep blue eyes look at me when she thinks I won’t notice. She's in love. I just have to get her to admit it.

I rip my eyes from Simone’s ass as she leans forward and exposes more of her milky white thighs. I have to clear my throat to cover up the moan. “When are you taking Aspen up north?”

“Christmas eve. Aspen wanted to spend the day with her brother and the baby, but let them celebrate Christmas as a family.”

Finn’s rented a cabin in some northern resort town for a long weekend getaway. He talked some shit about a white Christmas and playing in the snow as if he’s missed the fact his girlfriend wears a winter coat everywhere when the temperature drops below fifty. I think it's an excuse to get her alone for a few days.

“When are you moving her in then?”

He laughs at my question. “Well, most of her stuff is already at my place, but we’ll bring over the rest of it when we get back. She wants Marissa to move in right after the new year.”

Grant walks up behind Finn and slaps him on the back. He walks to his side and creates our own little circle. “Did you hear the news?”

He’s a little late to the show, but I’m also irritated Finn apparently told Grant about him and Aspen before me. “Yes, Finn's moved Aspen out of Beta testing and they’ve admitted they’re living together. We’re all thrilled." My words lack enthusiasm, but really the two haven’t spent a night apart since the day we moved Simone into her place upstairs. The only people who didn’t realize they were living together were Finn and Aspen.

“No,” he leans in farther and his voice turns to a whisper, “today ESPN reported Ryland’s coach kicked him off his team.”

“What?” Finn asks for clarification and I do no more than let my mouth go slack.

Grant stands upright again, the good part of the gossip done. “Yup, I guess the last bar fight was the final straw. The league is deciding whether or not he’ll end up with a full suspension.”

“Fuck,” I finally chime in. “Do you think he’ll come back to San Francisco?”

“No idea. I haven’t heard from him, but it’s not going to be good. That’s for sure.”

We all go silent as we digest Grant’s news. I have a moment of compassion for Aspen’s snarky friend if she’ll be sharing a space with the sure-to-be surly Ryland Bates.

I catch Simone’s movement out of the corner of my eye and can’t stand it any longer. She takes two steps toward the table where various food is displayed before I catch up with her and wrap my fingers through hers.