Page 28 of Tight Spot

True. “That’s because you were acting like a fool.”

He choked on a laugh. “Still helped though.”

I grabbed his arm and yanked him toward the wall where we’d have more space. Not like I expected guys to sit around, waiting to gossip or anything, but surprisingly, some of the guys on my team liked to talk about their shit a lot more than any male I’d ever met.

“I met her,” I said, keeping my voice low. “We had dinner last weekend. I’m calling her again soon. She knows the score, and I know what she wants from me, so it’s fine. That enough for you?”

“What does she want from you? The money?” He said money like she wanted me to rip my soul straight from my body and sell it for the highest bidder.

Joke was on him.

I wasn’t sure I had one anymore.

“None of your business.”

“Maybe not now, but if this woman wants you to do something you’re not comfortable with and that starts affecting your training, or our season once it starts…”

“It’s fine.”

Hell no it wasn’t. I equally loved and hated the idea of taking her virginity. She’d saved it all this time for someone she thought she was going to marry, shouldn’t she want to at least have it go to someone she was in a relationship with? Or hell, whatever. Her body, her choice. She wanted to give it to me, whatever. Her call. I wasn’t uncomfortable with the idea. It was that I’d spent far too much time thinking about the moment I slid inside of her. The first time I went down on her and the first time I had her screaming my name. Her short, unpainted nails grabbing on to my hair while I slammed deep inside of her.

That was starting to make me uncomfortable, even in front of Cole. Not a good look in a locker room full of men.

I swiped my towel over my face and spied an open treadmill. A nice punishing run would help get my head on straight. “Talk later, Cole. If I need help, I’ll ask.”

“Liar.”

I shrugged and slapped his shoulder, shoving him back.

So I wouldn’t ask for help.

Everything would be fine once I finally called her and set something up. We’d talked at dinner about what she did, so she told me about her shop and how she rented out the apartment above it.

She worked late, usually until eight at night. The store closed at seven, but she said she usually spent at least an hour working on pieces, especially if her tenant in the apartment was traveling. I’d be out of here by four.

What better way to start seeing her than by bringing her some food or something, showing up, and getting a good look at how she lived her life.

Girls liked surprises, right?

CHAPTER8

HAILEY

“Thank you, make sure you come back some time and visit again.”

I smiled at the customer and handed over her purchase. She’d not only bought a set of nightstands painted in a warm, soothing green color she swore would look incredible in her guest room, but she’d then bought a silver platter I’d refinished a couple weeks ago.

Both were beautiful pieces. Both were also pieces I scored for almost pennies at an estate sale, so the sale alone was enough to pay my electricity for the week. Definitely worth the hours I’d put into them.

Not bad. Not bad at all.

As soon as the customer was gone, I turned to Misty, who’d decided to stop by after she went to the gym. She was still drenched in Lululemon gear, and her hair was plaited into two braids. She’d helped herself to my checkout counter, plopping her ass onto it and was swinging her feet back and forth like a child on a swing.

“Don’t you have somewhere to be?”

“Nope.” She grinned. “I want to hear more about the guy.”

I rolled my eyes and grabbed a stack of tea towels I sold third-party for a local mom who entered frequent craft fairs. I took fifteen percent of her sales, and she marked them up so her percentage stayed the same. No one seemed to mind.

---