Page 54 of Hitting the Gap

“She got dizzy.”

Gonzo pushed up from his seat. “What do you mean, she got dizzy?”

“Relax, man, she’s fine. I got her a smoothie and some fresh air before her appointment with Rayne. I’m sure she would have said something if she wasn’t feeling well when she got home.”

Why hadn’t Bailey mentioned it to him? “Yeah probably.”

“Rayne would have called you if there was a problem.” Brandon clapped his hand on Gonzo’s shoulder. “Bailey seems really cool.”

“She is.”

“So you and her?” Brandon raised his eyebrow in question.

“Nah.”

“Interesting. So she’s single?”

“No.”

“No? Huh could have sworn she was.”

“Yes, she’s single. No, you can’t ask her out.”

Brandon’s head cocked to the side. “Why not exactly?”

“Because I don’t want you hitting on my best friend.”

If at all possible, Brandon seemed to get even bigger. “Why’s that?”

“Bailey is…” How did he describe her? Naïve wasn’t the right word. But she lived in a different world than they did. Academia and baseball were light years apart.

“Too good for me?”

“Yeah.” Bailey was too good for everyone. He couldn’t think of a single person who deserved her.

“Right. Nice to know how you see me.” Brandon turned away and then spun back. “For the record, I’m not interested in dating Bailey. She’s not my type.”

Offended on her behalf, Gonzo squared off with his teammate. “Why the hell not?”

“Are you fucking kidding me? First, I’m not good enough for her and now you’re annoyed I agree.”

“What do you mean, you agree? You said she wasn’t your type.”

“Exactly.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

“It means I don’t chase after women who are in love with someone else.”

Gonzo’s chest tightened. Who the hell was Bailey in love with?

“My god, you are as fucking stupid as your friend.” Brandon pinched the bridge of his nose. “The line between friend and lover isn’t that wide, dude. Figure it out.” Brandon turned and walked several chairs over and dropped into one, away from the rest of the team. The big man pulled the headphones from his neck up and over his ears.

What was Brandon talking about? Bailey wasn’t in love with him. What the hell had they talked about that would give him that impression?

His phone buzzed and Bailey’s name flashed across the screen. And a little zip went through his stomach. Fucking Brandon and his bullshit theories.

Gonzo unlocked his phone and clicked on the text. A picture with bottles of bubble bath covered most of his bathroom floor. With the caption.

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