Page 167 of Plus Size Player

“I’m good, I’m good.”

“I bet.”

My brows furrowed. “What’s going on? You sure you’re good?”

“I’m just trying to respect the fact that you have a man. I don’t want to step on any toes.”

“You’re going to step on toes by saying hello to me? We’re friends!” I stepped in front of him, trying to read his expression. “What’s up with you today?”

“I’m just trying to keep my head down and get this money.”

I had no idea what he was talking about because my relationship status and lack of interest never stopped him from being friendly before. So, I lifted my shoulders in bewilderment. “Okay…”

We entered the elevator with six other people.

He looked at me out the corner of his eye. “I have a question for you,” he started. “You watch football?”

“Casually.” I shrugged. “I don’t really have a team, but I understand what’s happening on the field.”

My father was a football fan, so I learned the basics growing up. And there was always at least one man I was dating who was interested in football. I was always mildly entertained, but I was never a regular watcher. Which was why it was comical that my entire morning seemed to be centered around football.

He pulled his phone out of his pocket. “One of my favorite players got hurt last Sunday so they put in a backup. The backup got hurt and they pulled up someone from the practice squad for the Monday night game. That practice squad linebacker showed the fuck up.”

“That’s good…” My sentence trailed off and I gave him a confused look even though he was still fiddling with his phone.

“Since Monday, every media outlet that covers sports has beentrying to get more information about him,” he continued. “And I saw something… interesting.”

Four people got off on the following floor. We reconfigured in the small space, and I was slightly behind Jonah. He shifted his body so I could see his phone and I saw a familiar face on the screen. It was the man that came to the party with Jazz, but he looked different. It was an older picture, so he had a goatee instead of the beard he had currently. But it was definitely him.

My lips pulled upward even though I tried to fight the smile.

“Everyone is trying to find out anything they can about this man.” He paused. “And it turns out, I know someone who knows him.”

I opened my mouth to ask him how he knew I knew him but before the words could escape, he swiped to the next picture.

The elevator doors opened, and my legs wouldn’t move.

Looking from his phone to his face and then back to his phone, I tried to slow down my thoughts.

“After you,” Jonah said, gesturing for me to exit.

Taking his phone from his hand, I glanced at the two people still in the elevator. Forcing one foot in front of the other, I froze right in front of the elevator bank. No one was at the front desk, so it didn’t look like anyone else was around.

“Wh-where did you get that?” I choked out as I stared at the picture of me and my best friends with our dates at Aaliyah’s party.

“My boy is friends with someone who is dating someone named Mecca. She posted it on social media, and after his game on Monday, it’s been shared everywhere.”

Fucking Mecca!

“Most of the reshares cropped the photo so it’s just him and his girl.” He took his phone from me and zoomed in on the picture, so it was just Jazz and her date. “But because my boy shared the photo directly from Mecca’s page, I saw the whole group.” He narrowed his eyes at me. “And that’s how I found out your boyfriend is Boss Man Russell Long.”

I looked around quickly. “Jonah, it’s—”

“I didn’t understand why he spent every photoshoot giving me the death glare and then it all made sense when I saw this shit.”He shook his head. “If we’re friends, why wouldn’t you give me a heads-up?”

“It’s not what it looks like.”

“Are you saying you twoaren’ttogether?”

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