Page 29 of Bad Call

Not because I was so eager to see him that I got ready too early.

Not because I had been looking forward to this night since our last non-date.

And certainly not because I had no life!

Total bullshit.I got ready too early because I had no life, and I was eager to see him.

Trying to slow my roll, I parked my ass on the couch and opened my new favorite social media account, the one for the University of Oregon, Mapleview. It was the same reporter, the journalism student, Sean, and he had a microphone shoved in a player’s face.

“Peanuts or popcorn?” he asked.

“Peanuts,” the second baseman answered.

He asked again, and the shortstop replied, “Peanuts.”

Austin answered, “I like both peanuts and popcorn.If you mix them together, you get that perfect blend of buttery saltiness.”

And then he asked Casey. I turned up the volume, so I didn’t miss a thing.

“Coach, peanuts or popcorn?”

He smirked. I’d seen that smirk before. It was usually directed at me. “Neither. I preferTums.”

Smartass. But good to know. There was one other video I’d missed. This time, it wasn’t right before a game. It seemed the reporter had caught the team after practice as they filed into the locker room, in various stages of removing their equipment and even their T-shirts. They were sweaty and tired, skin flushed and damp. Just as I was about to turn it off—because twenty-something-year-olds weren’t really my thing—Casey popped out of his office in the process of pulling what I guessed was a clean and dry shirt over his head. He seemed surprised to see the camera there. I was able to catch a glimpse of his delicious abs and thick arms before he pulled the shirt down.

God, I missed those muscles. He had a gorgeous body, from what I could remember. This video just proved it wasn’t my imagination. I wished we’d had more than just that one night together before he realized he couldn’t stand me. I would lick his?—

The alarm on my phone interrupted my thoughts, alerting me that it was time to leave.

Even having left on time, I still arrived before he did. I got us a table and ordered a drink to try to appear casual when he showed up, but it was ruined when I saw him walk in. Our eyes locked as he approached our table, andI probably wasn’t doing a good job of hiding my reaction to how fucking hot he looked, wearing fitted dark jeans and a black polo shirt that hinted at every muscle hidden beneath. His biceps were giving those sleeves a workout. The dark clothes were a stark contrast to his blond hair and light eyes, and I thought he looked incredible.

“Just remember, this isn’t a date,” he clarified before taking his seat.

He just had to start out by being an ass, didn’t he? To remind me, in case I forgot for even a minute, that he couldn’t stand me.

“Of course not, because if it were, this would be our third, and I don’t do third dates with anyone.” Fucker. Two could play this game.

Casey stared at me blankly before laughing. “You’re really something, Blue.”

Something?That left a lot to the imagination. Was I something good? Something bad?

“You know what you’re gonna order?” he asked, picking up his menu.

“That depends. Who’s paying tonight?” I had already offered to treat, but I couldn’t help but fuck with him.

Casey didn’t disappoint. He snorted, amused. “I’m only treating if I’m topping.”

I wasn’t expecting that, and apparently, neither was he. His eyes got big and round. “I didn’t mean that we were…that I was?—”

It was my turn to laugh. “Then I guess you owe me.”

“Hell, you got me to pay last time. Seems likeyouoweme.”

Was that an offer? Sounded a lot like an offer.

He must’ve realized how it sounded because he stammered, “Baylor, that wasn’t a proposition.”

My lips curled. “Sounded just like one.” He narrowed his eyes, silently insisting it wasn’t before hiding behind his menu. Could he see my shoulders shaking with laughter? “The seafood pasta sounds good.”

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