Page 66 of Hot Streak

“Would you expect anything less from a diva starting pitcher?”

“Hell no,” Jackson said. “But, he’s a real special case, anyway.”

“Yeah he is.”

For a few minutes, they sat there in companionable silence, drinking their beers.

Then, like clockwork, just when Jackson had finally begun to relax, the tension in his neck and shoulders that had been a constant companion, ever since Connor had admitted in that brash but vulnerable tone, I’m attracted to you, finally beginning to unwind, he heard a raucous cheer coming from inside the bar.

“Oh, looks like the rest of the team made it,” Deke said, chuckling. “Two guesses who that is, and the first one doesn’t count.”

“Ugh,” Jackson said. He finished his beer and cracked another bottle open. “I didn’t realize they’d be here too.”

“Yeah, Ro and TJ and Kevin and I came here the other night.”

“Ah,” Jackson said.

Another cheer went up, even louder than the first.

“You gonna go check on that?” Deke asked.

“Hell no,” Jackson said. “He’s a grown person. He wants to party hard, that’s on him. He knows he’s got a full simulated game he’s throwing tomorrow. His choice if he wants to do that hungover.”

“True,” Deke said, chuckling.

“Hey, I got a question for you. You ever hook up with a teammate?” Jackson asked, sort of changing the subject. Well, as far as Deke knew he was changing the subject. Just not as much as Deke might think.

Deke looked surprised. “I’m assuming you’re not suggesting me. And anyway, I’d think you’d have gotten your fill of that.”

Jackson tried not to visibly wince. He’d assumed that most players knew what had gone down between him and Davy. After all, there was a reason his sexuality was an open secret.

“No, no, not you,” he joked weakly. “It’s nothing. No one. I was just wondering.”

“You know, better than anyone else, it’s a bad idea. So no, I never did.” Deke flashed him a smile. “Can’t say I wasn’t tempted a time or two, when Rob and I were on a break, and the road trip was long. But I just never wanted to complicate things that much more.”

“Exactly,” Jackson said. See, he was being reasonable here. He was being smart and logical. Connor was the one out of his fucking mind.

“You’re not—”

“No, no, no,” Jackson said. “No way.”

“I didn’t even know anyone else on the team even swung that way,” Deke said thoughtfully. “Who is it?”

Jackson shot him a look.

“Okay, I know. You can’t say. But I’m surprised.”

“Makes two of us,” Jackson admitted.

“I’m assuming you told him no way,” Deke said.

“Of course I fucking did,” Jackson retorted.

“It’s Connor, isn’t it?”

Jackson’s jaw dropped open. Probably the shock on his face was answer enough, even though he’d never intended to out the guy to Deke.

Deke waved his hand. “I know, I know. You don’t need to say. You shouldn’t say. But there’s something about the way he looks at you. Like he wants to get under your skin. And he might be a dick, but he’s not that much of a dick.”

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