Page 123 of Off Season

“I thought we were something special, but she basically told me to fuck off the night before we left.”

He scrunches his face. “I’m sorry. That sucks. This isn’t really my area of expertise. Should we call Gemma?”

“My future wife? Sure. I’ll tell her all the things I plan to do to her one day.”

He gives me the finger as he pulls out his phone. Within seconds, his FaceTime is ringing, and Gemma quickly answers. “Hey, baby. I miss you so fucking much.”

Trey smiles in triumph as he gives me the finger again and answers, “I miss you too. How’s Fletch?”

“Sleeping. Finally. He still has a fever. The bedtime routine is rough when he’s cranky.”

Trey’s face falls. “I hate that I’m not there.”

She sighs. “Me too. Anyway, I just sat down to write. I want to get in at least a few thousand words before I masturbate and go to bed.”

I can’t help but let out a laugh.

She yells out, “Trey! I’ve told you a million times to tell me if there are other people around when you call me.”

He scrunches his face. “Sorry. I have Cheetah with me. He’s having girl issues and needs to ask your advice.”

I lean toward the phone to see her gorgeous face. Even tired and disheveled, she’s beautiful. “Hey, sexy. Do you need me to talk you through your masturbation? I can dirty talk like a boss.”

She rolls her eyes. “Trey’s dirty talk lives rent-free in my brain. Now tell me what Kamryn Hart advice you need today.”

“What I really need to know is what has one hundred and twenty-two teeth and holds back a monster?”

She asks, “Hmm. What?”

“My zipper. You should check him out one day.”

Her big green eyes light up as she giggles. “I like that joke. I’m writing it down for future use.”

I wiggle my eyebrows. “Excellent.”

Her face turns more serious. “Is something up with you and Kam?”

I shrug. “I thought we were doing great, but the night before I left, she wished me well and kicked me to the curb. She said she knows there are lots of girls on the road and encouraged me to imbibe. She was very casual about it like she wasn’t breaking my heart or hers. I told you it was probably coming. Maybe she truly doesn’t give a shit about me.”

Gemma shakes her head. “That’s very contradictory to the way she acts around you.”

“Contradiction? Do you want a contradiction? George Washington had wooden teeth. Wouldn’t that make it a contradiction when he ate beaver?”

She lets out a laugh. “That’s funny, but you’re deflecting. You do it all the time. Stop using humor to deflect having real conversations with people. Perhaps this is why you and Kam are having a communication issue.”

Trey bites back his smile. “Damn. She has your number. It’s so fucking hot when she calls people out on their shit.”

She’s right. I always do that. I nod. “Okay. I promise to be mature…ish.”

Gemma winks at me. “Maturing is realizing that disagreements are better solved with gagging not nagging.”

I chuckle. “I love you, Gemma. Marry me.”

She simply shakes her head, and Trey punches me in the arm. Hard.

Her eyes meet mine. “Back to the subject at hand. It’s difficult to watch the person you care about head out on theroad where you know there will be a bevy of willing pussy at every turn.”

Trey and I exchange glances. She’s not wrong.

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