Page 49 of Britta & the Beach Boy
“The match doesn’t start for hours. We’ve got time to grab dinner. After that, why don’t you stay and watch with us? Stella, too.”
She’s about to say no, I can see it in her eyes, so I lay down my ace. “Rhys will be here… Rhys James.”
I’m such a dipstick. I never name drop like that.
But it works. The no in her eyes is gone. “Stella will kill me if I don’t say yes and she finds out.”
“Go tell her. I’ll take a quick shower, then pop over.”
With the smallest hint of a smile, Britta nods. Crisis averted.
After I close the door behind her, I face Archie, sure he’s upset with me.
Instead, he surprises me with a goofy smile. Before he can say anything stupid about Britta being an American and tonightwould be the perfect opportunity to propose, I run to the bathroom.
In record time, I’m dressed in trousers and my nicest button up. As I’m about to leave, there’s another knock at the door. This time when I open it, Rhys is there in a jumper with the hood pulled up over his baseball cap. Dark sunglasses cover his eyes, and he’s holding a six-pack of Balter. I barely have the door open before he rushes in.
“Shut the door,” he orders, handing me the Balter, which he’s gone to a lot of trouble to get, being an Australian beer, and my favorite. I’ll allow myself one today.
I glimpse Stella in the hallway, staring with her mouth open, and wave as I close my door.
“Hello to you, too, mate,” I say. “Bit warm for a jumper, isn’t it?”
Rhys pulls down the hood and takes off his hat, but keeps the glasses on. “I’m sweating my bum off, and that girl still recognized me. She couldn’t stop saying my name and kept getting louder. Paps will be here before the end of the night.” He shakes his head with frustration before putting on a smile and swinging his arms around me for a quick hug. “What a ripper, Mr. World Champion! Good on ya!”
“Thanks. Couldn’t have done it without Archie.” I wag my head toward Archie, who’s come in for his own hug.
“I watched it all. Cheering for you the whole time,” Rhys goes on while hugging Archie. “We’re celebrating tonight. I brought beer.” He nods to the Balter I’m holding like we could have missed it.
“We’ll have to wait for this one to get back from his date.” Archie tips his chin in my direction. “And he invited her and her friend over.”
Rhys’s whole body sags when he looks at me. “Do they know I’m here? It won’t be just the two of them if they do.”
I shake my head. “They don’t know anyone in LA.”
“It’ll be all over social media.” Rhys looks ready to bolt until Archie claps him on the shoulder.
“No worries. They’re cool.” Archie gives me a steely look that immediately triggers a warning. “Plus, he’s planning to propose to one of them.”
Rhys’s eyebrows shoot up.
I give Archie the finger, then shake my head. “None of that nonsense in front of the girls.” I’ll let him explain his bananas plan to Rhys.
I’ve got a date with a girl—awoman—in a green dress and for the next two hours, that’s all that matters.
Chapter nineteen
Britta
By the time Dex knocks on the door, Stella hasalmostrecovered from the shock of first, seeing Rhys James in the hallway, and second, being invited to a party where he’ll be.
“I’m not going over there without you, Britt. So eat fast.” She fans her hands up and down by her face.
“I make no promises, but Liam will probably want to be back by the time the game starts.” I open the door to his smiling face.
He’s wearing a white, short-sleeve button-up, light jeans, and flip-flops, and I think this is the most dressed up I’ve ever seen him. And while I think his best look is shirtless, this one totally works for him, too.
Before I can get more than ahi againout, Stella is by my side, clinging to my arm.
