Page 93 of Curveball

She eventually walks over to us and kisses Quincy on the cheek. “Congratulations. You threw a gem.”

He grins. “Thank you, June. It felt great.”

She looks at me with a big smile. “I met Dutton. What a doll. I told him about that place Screwballs you mentioned we’re going to. He’s planning to join us.”

I muster yet another fake smile knowing how my mother will shamelessly flirt all night. “Sounds good.”

We all walkinto Screwballs together to a loud sea of cheers. The guys are all on cloud nine.

Technically Cheetah was last to walk in and Layton immediately calls him out on it.

Mom leans over. “They still play that silly game?”

I nod. “Yep. All the time.”

Cheetah smiles. “I’ve been waiting to bust this one out. The names of the states utilize twenty-five of the twenty-six letters in the alphabet. Anyone care to guess which poor letter was left out?”

I can see everyone running the states through their minds. After a few silent moments, Cheetah happily says, “I’ll give you a hint. He threw the first no-hitter in Cougars playoff history tonight.”

We all smile and universally shout, “Q!”

Cheetah nods just as our pitchers of beer arrive. Once we all pour our beers, we hold them up. Cheetah toasts, “To Long Quail Quincy for making history.”

Quincy spits out his beer at that name.

Mom asks, “What’s with the nickname?”

Cheetah raises an eyebrow. “L.Q. squared? That fucker has the longest quail I’ve ever seen. I hope he finds a girl who likes it deep.”

It takes everything I have not to spit out my own beer. Mom notices and smirks.

Cheetah smiles. “Some women need it like a wide receiver.” He side-eyes me as he says it.

Kam narrows her eyes in contemplation. “How is that?”

“Long and deep.”

Mom bursts out laughing. “You’re funny, Cheetah. I like you.”

He winks at her. “And I like you, June.”

Dutton places his arm around Mom and looks at her with pure heat. “I like you too, June.”

She smiles at him. Arizona looks at me and silently shakesin laughter. She knows my mom is about to sleep with the famous Dutton Steel. She mouths, “Barney.”

I nod.

Everyone is chatting when Layton’s phone starts buzzing on the table. He glances down at it and then raises an eyebrow while looking at Cheetah. “Dude, you’re calling me right now.”

He pulls his phone out of his front pocket. “Ah, shit. Sorry. I keep doing that.”

Layton asks, “What? Butt dialing?”

Cheetah smiles. “No, dick dialing.”

Layton pinches his eyebrows together. “What’s that?”

“When your dick is so big that it dials people from your pocket.”

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