Page 42 of Endgame

The guys started grumbling, and Lila elaborated. “Seriously guys, I have actual plans. I’m going out with Eli again.”

That’s right, she was dating again.

Sort of.

She’d met Eli a few weeks before when she waited on him and his friends. He’d been charming and kind and had asked for her number at the end of the night. Eli’s trim build, side-parted dark-brown hair, and clear-framed glasses were attractive in a sort of tweed jacket with elbow patches kind of way, and he didn’t cringe when Lila used multisyllabic words. So that definitely worked in his favor.

Eli was a few years older than Lila and was attending Bradley for graduate school. Pursuing a master’s in public administration, she was pretty sure. Perhaps it was because he was older, or because he hadn’t attended Bradley for his undergrad, but Eli allegedly had no interest in any of the sports teams, which suited Lila just fine. They’d gone out on a few dates, kind of fooled around a little bit, and it was…fine. His kisses felt nice-ish, albeit a little slobbery, but they definitely didn’t make her burn like she did when she kissed certain other people who she refused to name. But maybe that was okay. Maybe that’s what she needed at the moment.

“Invite him to join,” Knight said.

“I don’t know about that… You guys are awesome, but you’re kind of extra sometimes. Like, I don’t know if Eli can handle all of this energy.” Lila waved her hand around in a circle and laughed.

Bear held up a finger. “Hold on a minute. How about a compromise? Why don’t you go out to dinner or whatever you were going to do and then come back and join us for a bit?”

Lila didn’t hate that idea. She mulled it over. “Yeah, I think that actually sounds fun. Besides, it’s probably time he met you guys anyway.” If they even made it past their next date. She got out her phone and started texting.

LILA: The boys want us to join them for part of a Die Hard movie marathon after we go out to dinner tomorrow. You amenable to that idea?

ELI: I don’t think I’ve ever seen an entire Die Hard movie, but I suppose there’s a first time for everything. Plus, it would be nice to get to know your roommates. I’m in. Pick you up at 7?

LILA: *thumbs up*

She looked up from her phone. “All right, we’re in. We’re going to go to dinner and then will head back here.”

The guys did sort of an awkward three-way high-five and then shared some sort of a look when they thought her head was turned. Too bad her peripheral vision was second-to-none.

“Seriously though guys, go easy on him, okay?”

“Easy as Sunday morning, Li,” Knight said with a smirk. “Besides, if he can’t handle us, he’s not the guy for you anyway. You’re like a 20 out of 10, so the bar is pretty damn high.”

“And now I have a battalion of older brother types ready and willing to defend my honor like it’s the 1950s,” Lila teased.

“Naw, we just care about you.” Knight slung an arm around her shoulders.

“Your care is noted and appreciated.” She stifled a yawn. “K, I’m beat, all. My bed is calling me. Try to keep the gaming to a decent decibel level,” she said sarcastically, because there’s no way that was happening. Normally she’d be up watching them play.

“Night Li,” they all yelled as she laughed all the way up the stairs. She hoped tomorrow worked out okay, that they’d go easy on Eli. That it wouldn’t be a complete disaster.

* * *

Well, this was a huge mistake.

Lila and Eli hadn’t even crossed the threshold of the doorway before she sensed a difference in the energy of the room and those stupid stomach gymnastics she was trying to get rid of decided to make themselves known.

King.

A lone wolf standing in the kitchen, under the dimmed pendant lighting over the island (yeah, this house was fancy like that), eating a folded slice of pizza. Lila reckoned that it was probably his signature thin crust Italian sausage and jalapeño combination that he’d previously introduced her to and that she now craved all the damn time. Especially after mediocre meals like the one she’d just eaten. Distracted, Lila stopped short, so Eli ran into her.

“Oops, sorry, babe,” Eli said, apparently thinking that calling her “babe” was an appropriate identifier in this scenario. She’d let him know later that it definitely was not. And when he slid an arm around her shoulders? Lila didn’t love that either. Was there just some sort of weird vibe that was floating around in the air tonight? Or had it been way too long since she’d hung out with her ladies? Probably a bit of both. Thankfully, she didn’t think that anybody had heard them because the volume of the TV was so loud.

She flipped the overhead light on to get everybody’s attention. Someone paused the movie, and suddenly the full force of their scrutiny was solely aimed at the two of them. And Eli’s arm was still around her shoulders.

“Lila!” they all declared, and she couldn’t help but smile. Damn, if she didn’t love this big pack of guys.

She subtly stepped out from under Eli’s arm, and he mercifully didn’t try to touch her again. “Hey there boys.” She pointed to her date. “Everybody, this is Eli. Eli, meet the boys.” She pointed at everybody and named them. “That’s Knight, Bear, Demarcus, Will, Benny, and over in the kitchen is King.”

“Nice to meet everybody,” Eli said.

---