Page 24 of Clean Out of Luck

I’m in the best cardio shape of my life. If only that were enough to get Scarlett’s attention.

Tonight, I’m on Enrique’s team, and we’re playing against Jack and Linus.

We’re about three points away from winning, and the score is tied. All bets are off at this point. We play a rather brutal version of racquetball—nothing is off-limits. Lots of shoving, possible black eyes, no one goes home without a bruise—the way racquetball should be played.

We take a break after Enrique and I win the game and grab our water bottles. We’ll play another game for best two out of three.

“I think I might be getting too old for this,” Linus says.

Enrique nudges him with his elbow. “Yeah, you’ve already crossed forty.”

“No one’s too old for racquetball. Not even Slow Tim.”

We call him ‘Slow Tim’ because he is anything but. The guy is unbeatable. He’s agile, quick, mean, and strategic. He’s also eighty-four years old. He’s the one who made racquetball such a cutthroat game. He’s not afraid to smack an opponent in the back of the head with a racquetball. It’s always good when you get to be on his team because you know you’ll win. In fact, you could just stand there and watch him play and still take home the win.

Linus sighs. “I don’t know how that guy does it. My knees creak every time I stand up anymore.”

“That might’ve been from the years of para jumping,” Jack reminds him.

“Something like that shouldn’t matter.” Linus shakes his head. “My wife always tells me I should slow down and rest a little bit, but I’m scared that if I do, I won’t be able to stand up and move anymore.”

Enrique just chuckles. “You know she just wants you to take her on vacation, right? It’s not like she’s asking you to sitdown on the couch for the rest of your days. She’s just hoping you’ll take her somewhere.”

Linus looks at him like he never even thought of that. “Take my wife on vacation?”

“It’s what people do when they like each other. They go on trips together,” Enrique explains very slowly, as if Linus is going to have a hard time understanding. “Your wife probably just wants to relax on a beach somewhere and read a book without having to haul your kids back and forth like an Uber driver.”

I can’t help but laugh at Linus’s surprised face.

“Maybe I should give that some thought,” he says softly.

“You probably should,” Enrique tells him. “Your wife is a saint. I don’t know how you are still alive.”

“Seriously,” I agree. “How has she stayed with you for fifteen years?”

“Well, we all know there’s a reason you’re not married yet, Wade,” Linus shoots back.

“And why is that?” I ask him.

“No one would put up with you in the first place.”

“Speaking of putting up with people,” Jack butts in as he screws the lid back on his water bottle. “Do you suppose Scarlett would go out with me?”

I turn to look at him slowly as I wipe the sweat from my forehead.

Jack. My roommate. My coworker. Someone I thought was my friend. Wants to datemyScarlett.

A sharp pain hits my chest at the thought. She’s not my Scarlett. She wouldn’t even be remotely interested in being mine.

I’m just another nuisance in her life.

I take a slow breath as I remind myself that Jack doesn’t mean anything by this. I’d even thought the two of them would be a good idea the night we interrupted her date. Butthat thought left as quickly as it came. He doesn’t know the history I have with her. He doesn’t know I call her Scooter because it drives her crazy.

“So, what do you think? Would she go out with me?” Jack asks, eager. Way too eager.

“Well…” I drag out that word like it will explain everything for me.

I glance over at Jack. He’s looking at me expectantly. Even Linus and Enrique are invested in this question.

---