Page 184 of Well Played

“You sound like Matt,” Callie muttered. “He said the same thing last night.”

“Then you should be selfish. You’re the most selfless person I know, and I think you should change that, just for this weekend.” Daisy was beginning to look like the Cheshire cat with her smile. “I think you’ll enjoy it. Those two will help out with whatever fantasies you want.”

“Daisy…”

“Anyway, I’d better go,” Daisy now sounded rushed, and the camera was moving everywhere, blurring her face. “I need to get to the bathroom. Talk to you later!”

“Daisy!”

But Daisy had hung up, leaving Callie just staring at her phone. Groaning, she put her phone away. Why did this have to happen now? Why couldn’t Daisy be here instead of back home?

Now her friend had mentioned the threesome, Callie was sure she wouldn’t be able to stop thinking about it for the rest of the weekend. So much for this being more relaxing than stressful.

The day had gotten betterthan Callie had anticipated. Given she had needed to cut down on training and working out because she needed to look after her kids alone, taking four seconds off her two-hundred backstroke time was a surprise. She waspumped when she got out, her legs shaking from the effort. It wasn’t a race she normally did so she was pleased with that.

The only problem was it had completely sapped the energy out of her, and Callie felt floppy after that. She almost fell up the steps going to collect her things to get changed.

“Maybe we should have driven instead of walked,” Matt laughed as Callie lagged behind them along the street. “Callie’s going to be crawling in a minute.”

“It’s fine,” Callie answered before Ben could respond. “I need the exercise.”

Ben fell back and gestured at Callie’s gym bag, which she had put on her bag like a backpack.

“Give me your bag.”

“What?”

“I’ll carry you. You’re buckling.”

“But…”

“Don’t argue. I can manage another bag.”

Confused, Callie managed to get her bag off her shoulders. Ben had never done this before. He was courteous, but he had never offered to carry her bags. Callie would have been too embarrassed to ask, anyway; she was not entitled.

Still, who was she to argue? A handsome guy offering to carry her bags was not something Callie came across often, if at all.

“Come here.” Matt was suddenly on her other side, smiling as he slipped an arm around her waist. “Lean on me.”

“What is going on here?”

“Why do you say that?”

Callie looked from Matt to Ben and back again. They were both watching her, and while their expressions were innocent Callie felt like they were both stripping her with their eyes. Her skin felt hot, and she wondered if it was from the thirty-minute walk or from them looking at her.

“You two are being far too nice to me. I feel like I’m about to be ambushed.”

Ben laughed. That sound was enough to make Callie fight back a groan. God, she enjoyed hearing that.

“You think we’re being suspicious because we’re being nice?”

“Yes.”

“Fair point. Anyway, you’re clearly dropping, so we thought we’d help.” Ben adjusted his hold on Callie’s gym bag and nodded at her. “Let’s get you back. I’m sure you could do with a bath to relax.”

Callie wasn’t so sure about that. She had tried to have a bath in the square tub already, and the bath filled up incredibly slowly. Plus there was a frosted glass window next to the bathroom. Despite not having windows in the next house at that level, it still felt exposed. Also, who put a frosted window in the bathroom door opposite the toilet? Right next to the boy’s bedroom?

But a bath sounded better than a shower. Callie just wanted to sit down.

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