Page 54 of Houston, We Have a Problem
“For everyone else, yes. My only consolation is that Brook and Jordan have to wear the same thing because it was the four of us who lost, not just me.”
I am a glutton for punishment at this point, but I have to ask. “Who was the fourth person and why don’t they have to wear this horrific costume?”
Crimson floods his face, and he takes a step back as if the distance might help him keep his cool. “Uh, Tamlin, actually.”
“Wait, do you know her?”
“Yeah.” That’s all he says.Yeah. I don’t know what I expected, but I would have liked for him to have some kind of explanation, even if it’s the truth.She’s a sports journalist and did an interview with me a couple of weeks ago. We needed another team member and Tamlin was at the bar. I might have kissed her tonight because she was giving off some serious vibes after I saved her from the creep of creeps, but I’m too good of a guy to take advantage of her.
I shiver, thinking of the way he was so ready to protect me. And the way he looked at me right before we left the gala. A girl could get used to a look like that.
“You should get some rest,” Houston says, misinterpreting my shiver.
I nod. “Are you waiting for Tamlin?”
Another glance upstairs. “I just want to make sure she gets home okay. Or at least on her way. She had a rough night.” He probably doesn’t realize that I would be inferring all sorts of things from that comment if I didn’t know all about what Tamlin went through. WhatIwent through.
“I’ll go talk to her.” I sigh, angry with myself for being annoyed at him when I’m the one causing all of his confusion in the first place. “She’s really nice.”
“Darcy?” He takes one more step, close enough now that we could reach our hands out through the banister rails and almost touch.
The only thing keeping me from slipping down the stairs and into his arms is the fact that my eyes are not my own. “Yeah?”
“Sleep well.”
I nearly scurry up the stairs, though I still have the strength of mind to keep my steps slow and labored. As soon asI’m out of sight, I book it back to my room and fall against the closed door when I get inside.
Jesse raises an eyebrow, ready with the face cream. It’s probably my only shot, and his face mask is kind of the best, but this is going to require a lot of lies that are only going to add to my guilt.
“You could tell him the truth,” Jesse says when he’s almost done lathering my face.
“You know I can’t. It would ruin everything, and Connor will never trust me with another big story. Not to mention that whole contract thing you and I both signed.”
“But maybe you could be happy here.”
“My job makes me happy.”
He doesn’t argue after that, for which I’m glad. I’m torn enough as it is, and I need to stay focused to make this next part believable. I don’t want to think he might be right about what I might find here in Sun City if I stayed. It’s only been a week and a half, and already I feel rooted.
Once Jesse is satisfied that I look enough like Tamlin, which takes longer than I’d like because I know Houston is struggling down there, I head for the stairs and pray I can pull this off.
Houston is back on the couch, elbows on his knees and hands in his thick blond hair.
I wait until I’ve hit the living room before I speak. “Hey, I’m going to stay.”
His head snaps up, and he spends several seconds taking me in. Obviously the face mask is throwing him off, but I think the fact that I’ve put on a pair of pajamas is messing with his head as well, leaving him completely baffled.
I tug at my wig to pull his attention to the dark color. “Darcy seems like she could use some girl time—she practically begged me to change out of my dress and have a spa night. Shesaid I should tell you that I’m fine and I’ll spend the night here so I don’t have to get a car this late. We’ll take care of each other.”
“She should be sleeping.”
This beautiful man… “She is. She passed out a couple of minutes ago, but not before telling me how sweet it was that you were worried about her. You’re a good man, Briggs.”
“Will you go to lunch with me tomorrow? After practice.”
Did he really just…? I swallow my frustration and hurt when I realize what he might be doing. This man is torn, for good reason, and he hasn’t taken either of us on an actual date. It probably says something that he wants Darcy at his family event while Tamlin only gets lunch, so I’m going to have to plan accordingly.
This isn’t how it’s supposed to go. I’m not supposed toplanwhen I fall in love with someone. I’m not supposed to keep half of me hidden and expect him to be whole and real with me.
