“Just please, go with it,” Karrie says and then we disconnect.
I turn on my stomach, looking at my phone to see if he texted me, but he didn’t. No surprise there. I close my eyes, but all I see is him, his chest—his wide chest. His ink down his arms, the skull at the end of his arm. His last name on the inside of his arm in big scripture. I finally doze off and wake the next day at noon. Holy shit, I get up and start getting ready for the day. It’s a skate day at the rink, so I don’t need to be there. I only need to be ready to go on the bus at four-thirty. I grab my shampoo and take a nice, long, hot shower, then try to make the hotel room coffee. It doesn’t taste half bad, I think while I curl my hair. I take out my navy blue slacks that fit me tight. I grab my baby blue linen button-down shirt, tucking just the front in, and grab my big knitted gray sweater. I roll the sleeves up a bit, grabbing my leopard ballerina flats to make the outfit look dressy. When my phone beeps telling me it’s time to head downstairs, I pack up all my stuff and make my way to the door, opening it, and seeing a coffee cup from Starbucks there in the middle. I don’t have time to do anything because Max comes out of his room.
“Hey,” he says, giving me a once-over and then bending to get the coffee and picking it up for me. “I dropped this off earlier, but you didn’t answer.”
“Max, listen.” I don’t get to say anything else because Matthew and Phil walk down the hall. “Hey.”
“You look nice,” Phil says. “I have a friend who just became single.” He doesn’t say anything else before Matthew pushes him.
“You don’t get to set my sister up. She’s a child.”
“She’s twenty-three,” Max says.
“No one asked you,” Matthew says between his teeth while Phil laughs and then Max laughs also. “You want me to set your sister up with his friend?” he asks Max.
“Yes, please do. At least she has a chance at being happy,” Max says, walking into the elevator first when it stops on our floor.
“Well, no one is dating my sister,” he shouts in the small space as Luka, Ryder, and Paul get into the elevator.
“I’d date her,” Paul says, winking at me, and all I do is roll my eyes.
“Thanks, Paul, but I’ll be happy to say I’m not dating anyone.”
Ryder is the one to talk. “You should go on Tinder.”
“Fuck,” Matthew says, throwing his head back, and growling out while the guys laugh at him.
I walk out of the elevator with Max at my back. His hand goes to the base of my back and ushers me out. The touch is almost electric, but by the time I turn my head to the side to see, he’s already in front of me.
I wait in line as the guys drop their bags under the bus. By the time I get on the bus, the two coaches are sitting in the front seat going over something on their iPads, and across from them is Max. The seat beside him is empty, so I sit down. He’s listening to something on his phone, so I peek over and shake my head, seeing he’s watching Game of Thrones. I don’t bother taking my stuff out since it’s a short ride to the arena. I’m the first one out of the bus and I grab my bag, waiting to see where to go.
Once inside I walk down the hall looking for a bathroom, when I see two guys I don’t know walking down the hall. They both smile at me. I’m about to walk away when I hear one of them.
“Now that’s a fine piece of ass.”
I roll my eyes and am continuing to walk away when I hear.
“I’ll break your fucking teeth.”
So I turn around to see it’s Max who is still dressed in his suit with his phone in his hand.
“What’s it to you, Horton?” the smaller of the two says.
“It’s nothing to me,” he says and then turns to yell. “Matthew, is it a problem that Duke and Harlot think your sister is a fine piece of ass?”
I turn around mortified as Matthew steps out of the room. “Like she would touch you guys, you fucking wish.”
One of them turns around and looks at me. “Oh, she would totally touch me, and I’d love every fucking second of it.”
Max starts to advance with Matthew and Phil jumps in front of them. “Okay, this has been fun, but move along.”
They both laugh and walk around Matthew and Max, who turn and watch them walk away.