Page 29 of Crossed Sticks

Fuck yes!

LUCA: You’re home now?

HARPER: Unfortunately, not. Since I changed my reservation at the last minute, they had to route me through Charlotte. There’s an issue with the plane they had scheduled, and we’re stuck at the gate waiting for a replacement. Not sure when I’ll get back, but definitely before tomorrow.

LUCA: Damn. You’ve had my hopes up and down so many times in the last few minutes, I’m dizzy.

HARPER: LOL. Sorry. Are you free tomorrow night? What if we have our date then?

I cheered before typing a reply.

LUCA: Why don’t you just ask if I’d like a check for ten million dollars?

HARPER: That’s a yes, then?

LUCA: The biggest yes you ever had.

HARPER: Hooray! Since I’ll be home tonight, we could do something tomorrow during the day if you’re up for it. Maybe grab lunch or take a stroll by the lake? I don’t mean instead of the date, but as a bonus.

I’d want more than a walk by the water for a bonus, and I suspected he was thinking about the same thing. Sadly, I couldn’t do it because I had a damn photo shoot.

LUCA: I’d love to, but I can’t. There’s a work thing tomorrow, but I’ll be finished in time for our date.

HARPER: That sucks, but maybe it’s for the best. I should rest up because I’m hoping for a big night. :)

LUCA: I can promise you that. 6? I’ll drive.

HARPER: Sure, unless you’d rather I drove.

LUCA: Next time. What’s your apartment number?

Crossing my fingers that tomorrow would go well enough for there to be a next time, I picked up my beer and took a swig.

HARPER: Nice try. ;) You’ll find out tomorrow.

LUCA: Come on. Tell me and I’ll be waiting for you when you get home tonight.

HARPER: And how would you do that since you don’t have a key?

LUCA: Jimmy the lock. I’m good with my hands.

HARPER: That silence you just heard was to give me time to roll my eyes ten times. But I guess I’ll find out about your hands soon. ;)

LUCA: They can work magic. You could text me when you get home. I’m a night owl.

HARPER: You’re persistent, I’ll give you that. LOL. Let’s let tomorrow be special. If we end up together tonight, there won’t be as much to anticipate.

My grip tightened on the beer bottle as my stomach fluttered. Harper was already helping me get out of my messed-up head.

LUCA: Deal, because I’m already anticipating it big-time.

HARPER: Me too. Meet you in the garage at 6. Goodnight, Luca.

Monday

Finley Sports Gear insisted on completing the photography for each year’s ads during the summer. That meant I didn’t have to juggle them during lacrosse season, which was great, but it resulted in an endless stream of photo shoots from June through August. Although the photographers typically traveledto Buffalo, Finley sometimes flew me to special locations. In early June, I’d done shoots in Hawaii and California.

Although today’s session had been long, it wasn’t as tedious as other recent ones because my favorite photographer, Elin Souza, was taking the pictures. She specialized in photos showing a lot of skin, so I spent most of the day posing in colorful jockstraps or wearing only a pad or two. In some, I held a lacrosse stick strategically to cover my dick, and in others, I posed behind a goal to keep things out of sight.

---