Page 61 of Neighbors With Benefits

“You told me no pressure, but this is starting to feel likeyespressure,” I observed. “Especially considering I just learned how to play.”

“After the way you looked on Thursday? I would have guessed you’ve been playing for a year.” He lightly put a hand on my lower back and nudged me forward. “They just posted the bracket. Let’s go see which court we’re on.”

There were sixteen teams playing, with the winners advancing to the next round. Each match was best of three games, which meant each round would only last about an hour. We could be going home by one o’clock, or staying until the evening.

Hopefully the latter.

Our first match was against a middle-aged mother and her teenage son. We warmed up together for a few minutes, and I decided that they weren’t bad. The son was the weak link though; he didn’t seem as focused as the mom.

I played horribly the first game; half my shots were unforced errors that sailed out of bounds. I started to get down on myself, until Bash took me aside when we switched sides.

“Relax,” he said soothingly. “You’ve got beginner jitters. We’rewaybetter than these two. Just focus on hitting good shots—they don’t have to be great.”

His calm presence helped just as much as his advice, and I settled down and we barely won the first game. After that I was in a groove, and we easily won the second game, ending the match. We shook hands with our opponents and went inside to report our score to the administrator.

“What’d I tell you?” he said with a warm smile. “You’re doing great!”

“Ifeelgreat!” I replied. “That was fun. I know it’s just an amateur tournament, but it was so thrilling!”

“You’ll be a Pickleball addict in no time,” Bash said. “Time for a celebratory beer.”

I blinked in surprise. “You want to drink? We play the next round in twenty minutes.”

“This is the secret to our success,” Bash said, leaning close to whisper. His spicy deodorant filled my nose, along with a hint of his personal scent underneath. That thrilled me as much as the victory. “A beer between matches loosens us up.”

We split a beer between us, the taste rich and refreshing. Our second match was against a pair of women wearing matching Drexel University jerseys.

They were better than the first pair we played against, but we still had an edge. We won the first game, celebrating with a high-five and a quick hug. I grinned as we switched sides for the second game, my eyes scanning the crowd watching along the sidelines…

…and I saw Cat smiling back at me.

I hurried over to her and asked, “What are you doing here!”

“When you canceled our brunch, I snooped on Find My Friends to see what you were up to. I didn’t realize you were with the blond milkshake!”

I winced. “I’m sorry. I should have told you where I was going to be. I hate bailing on plans…”

“Stop it,” Cat interrupted. “This is the most valid reason I can think of to cancel on me. You two are socutetogether! Lots of chemistry. I would swear you’re sleeping together already, but I know you would have told me first.” She raised a questioning eyebrow.

“Keep your voice down,” I whispered. “Andof courseI would have told you if something has happened.”

“So that’s a no?”

“Yes! I mean, yes nothing has happened,” I said. “We’re about to start the next game, so you can go now.”

“No way! I’m here to watch you two kick butt.” She sipped on a cocktail, challenging me to argue. “I’m loving the neon outfits, by the way. You’re like an eighties-themed porno.”

“Or an eighties workout video,” I said.

“I guess. I’ve never seen an eighties workout video, but I’ve watched alotof porn.”

“Fine, you can stay,” I said. “Just don’t distract me.”

“I’m not the distraction,” she replied. “That extremely fuckable golden boy toy is.”

“Please call him Bash in public,” I said before hurrying back to my spot.

Bash had a curious smile when I joined him. “That’s the friend you mentioned, right? I think I remember her from your place that one night? And the housewarming party?”

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