Page 73 of Dice & Dekes

Our next road trip is only three days long, but I’m desperate to get home. Things are finally going well with Knova, and I’m not about to screw it up by staying out late with the boys and missing a text that might start with “hey” and end in sex.

About an hour before we touch down, I get a message over the plane’s onboard Wi-Fi.

SuperKnova:ETA?

No1Viktor:An hour to the airport, and then I have to get home…

SuperKnova:Perfect. Don’t go out with the guys after, okay? I have plans for you

My heart does a triple axel. There’s no period at the end of her message, but I’m 99 percent sure it ends with an implied wink emoji and nudity.

SuperKnova:And text after you’re parked but BEFORE you come inside. Got it?

No1Viktor:Yes, ma’am.

“Hey.” Lenyx jabs his elbow into my ribs. “What’s with the goofy grin?”

I put my phone away before he can see who I’m talking to. “Cat videos,” I tell him. “I fucking love cats.”

It’s a throwaway excuse. One that immediately explodes in my face.

These guys don’t just like cats. They’re deep in the trenches of animal TikTok. Suddenly, I’m in a round table of grown men passionately debating the aesthetic merits of furry influencers, and I’m too far in to admit I was lying.

Walter. Milo the Chonk. Waffles. Nimbus. Veronica and the Baby Boo.

Lenyx’s eyes widen. “Me, too. What’s your favorite account? Do you follow Chubby Newton?”

“Chubby… Newton?” I repeat.

Camden’s head pops up over the seat behind me. “I love Chubby Newton. Did you see that his humans finally got him a cat tree? Watching that little chunker trying to climb it was hilarious.”

Ahead of us, Tristan pops his head over the back of the seat. “Chubby Newton’s fine, but have you seen the account with that hairless chihuahua?”

Lenyx rolls his eyes. “Narrow it down, man. There are a million of those.”

Camden, however, is already nodding. “You mean Buggy’s Outfit of the Week, right?”

Lenyx sucks in a breath. “I love Buggy. Best ‘fit?”

“Shark Week,” Camden and Tristan say in unison.

“I loved his little shark hat,” Tristan explains.

“It was the tiny shark booties for me,” Camden coos. “There’s just something about those widdle feet…”

I blink at them like I’ve accidentally wandered into an alternate universe where professional athletes worship frog fashion and dog booties. “What the actual hell are any of you talking about?”

“The best pet accounts on the ‘Gram,” Tristan says. “Duh.” He pivots in his chair. “Hey, Coach Grady! What’s your favorite animal account on socials?”

Across the aisle, Coach Grady rises to his feet. He purses his lips and rests his elbows on the back of the chair. “Let me get this straight. Are you asking me who my favorite animal celebrity is?”

“You have one, right?” Lenyx prompts.

Coach stares at us for a long moment. “Kermit,” he says at last.

“Like the Muppet?” Lenyx face-palms. “You’re so old, Coach. I meant—”

“Not the Muppet.”

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