Page 82 of Vegas Heat

“Oh shit,” she says. “He said that?”

I nod. “He said that.”

She shakes her head. “Do youwantto stay away?”

“Fuck no,” I say. “But what choice do I have? He’s paying me ninety million over three years to build a legacy, Kay. I can’t just fuck that over because I think his daughter’s hot.”

She tilts her head and shoots me a look of disappointment. “We both know it’s more than thinking she’s hot.”

“Yeah, yeah. But it doesn’t change anything, so it doesn’t matter.”

The server drops off her drink plus mine, and she holds her glass up to mine. “To figuring this out,” she says.

I huff out a chuckle as I tap my glass to hers. I can’t figure out the un-figure-able, but I can drink beer and eat nachos with a good friend.

“So how’s mom life?” I ask as a way to get the heat off my problems.

And it works. Italwaysworks with new moms. Any mom, really. Ask about her kids, and she’ll launch into enough stories to fill the rest of the evening.

“Oh my gosh,” she starts, and she launches into some story about the twins. I’m only half-listening as I glance around the bar. Some loud assholes across the way are laughing noisily, and the merriment is over the top for me considering where my head’s at. I squint a little as I think how one of the loud drunk kids looks a lot like that douche intern I met earlier today, but I’m looking across a rather large, crowded bar, so it’s hard to tell if it’s him—not that it would really matter if it was.

I force my gaze to Kaylee to make it look like I’m listening, but the laughter across the way gets loud again.

And that’s when I see her.

Gabby walks to the table, a little unsteady on her feet, and she slides in beside the douchey kid.

Itishim, and he tosses his arm around her shoulders as she picks up a drink.

Even from this distance, I can tell she’s a little drunk. I can also tell by the way she moves that she’s not interested in him as more than a friend. She’s not leaning into him the way she’d do with me. She’s not resting her head on his shoulder, and it almost seems like she’s more interested in her drink and conversation with the girl across from her than she is in the Spongebob douche.

I could fuck that kid up with a fist, that’s for damn sure.

“Cooper? Cooper!”

Kaylee snaps her fingers in front of my face.

“Huh? What?”

“Are you even listening to a word I’m saying?” she demands.

“I’m sorry. It’s just…” I trail off and incline my head toward the other side of the bar.

She follows my gaze. “Oh,” she says knowingly with a nod as she draws out the word. “Go get her, Coopsey.”

“Coopsey is far worse than Coopster.”

She shrugs. “It was worth a shot.”

“And I’m notgettingher. She’s sitting with an intern from the Heat. She’s laughing and having a good time. I can’t just walk over and claim her,” I say.

“But she’s laughing and having a good timewithout you,” she points out.

It’s a clear shot to my heart, and I can’t help when my hand moves up to cover it in defense. “Ouch.”

“Truth hurts, right? Fuckingdo somethingabout it, then.”

“You’re meaner than I remember,” I say, my hand not moving from my heart.

---