Page 55 of Unleashed

I scoff. “It’s a manifesto.”

Sighing, Hadley defends the twat. “We’re supposed to work together for the team’s greater good.”

“Just so he can lie on a beach and watch you as he jerks off beneath a beach towel.”

She smacks my arm and shrieks, “Rod!”

Amos sighs as he adjusts his stupid hat. “Greg, please.”

Wilder walks over to us while Simone gripes to Sylvie. Feeling shitty again, it only gets worse when Wilder says, “Amos, good to see you.”

As expected, Amos responds like a dime-store Shakespeare. While they lick each other’s nipples, I watch Simone fidgeting. When she swipes stray hair behind her ear and bends to dust off her clean sweats, I forget I’m surrounded by people watching me watching her. But her ass is a work of art. I’ll never tire of admiring it.

“Rod?” I yank back from my gawking to see Hadley looking up at me. “You good?”

I inhale, trying to cleanse my brain of dirty thoughts of Hadley’s sister-in-law. “Yep. Peachy.”

Wilder says, “Well, stay that way. You and Simone need to practice.”

“Ever the bearer of spectacular news. You know that?” I complain with a frown.

Wilder turns and, with a backward nod, yells, “Simone! Get over here!”

Simone stops ranting to Sylvie but then resumes. Betsy squeals, “Uh, oh! Someone’s in trouble!”

While Betsy giggles, I flip her off, but Hadley grabs my hand and pulls it down. Wilder raises an eyebrow at me like a professor grading my test based on my attitude. He can suck one.

Hadley lets go of my hand and warns, “Play nice.”

Since I don’t want to practice with Hadley this time, I look at my options. Betsy or Sylvie? Never in a million years. Audrey? Nah. She’s too busy making eyes at her boyfriend on the bleachers. Seems he’s not as big of a distraction for Wilder to ban, though. Patrice? I don’t have the patience to explain who I am to her for the twentieth time. Amos can fly a kite. I see Ferrera talking to his mother and Brandon, and Crick isn’t here yet, so I grab the closest person I don’t want to hang from a rafter. “Since mine is AWOL, Ronnie’s my new partner now.”

“I am?”

I pick up a softball and toss it in the air several times. “Unless you don’t want to play with me?” I smirk but hear Val grumble somewhere behind me. It’s good to keep Val on her toes. When I’m not all kinds of inappropriate, she thinks I’m ill or losing my edge. There’s no need for her to lose even more faith in me.

“It’s fine,” Rhonda answers, way more eager than anyone else would be.

“Well, let’s get it on, then.” When Rhonda’s eyes almost bug out of her head, I laugh. “You’re so sweet, Ronnie.”

She swallows and averts her eyes from me. There’s something about Rhonda that is innocent and just...good. It doesn’t hurt that her ass jiggles when she walks. Not that I noticed.

I go to the mound, and Rhonda stops near home plate. I toss the ball in the air, staring at her until she laughs. She pushes stray honey-blonde hair from her face. The Legal Eagles hat is still too big on her, so she constantly adjusts it.

When she looks at me, I say, “Alright, Ronnie. Assume the position.”

She blurts out a laugh. “Stop! Let’s be serious before we get into trouble!” That’s the most I’ve heard her say in a long time.

“Trouble is your middle name, Ronnie.”

“It’s Marilyn!” That’s so not what I expected.

I resume tossing the ball into the air as I contemplate that. “Rhonda Marilyn Bernard.”

“Rhonda Marilyn Grace Bernard.”

“Damn.” I catch the ball with a laugh. “You’re full of surprises.”

“No, you never asked, Greg.” She’s got me there.

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