Page 11 of Game Changer
Mark places a palm over his heart as if he’s flattered. “That’s a little conceited of you, Tabi. I can’t help it if your shifts are on the days I don’t have practice. I get hungry.”
“And you’re justdesperatefor frozen fries and day-old burger patties?” she asks.
“What can I say? I’m a sucker for freezer-burnt takeout.”
Tabihuffs in defeat and stalks off to the other side of the restaurant, and while Mark’s gaze lingers on her retreating back, I respectfully look the other way. The waitresses at Happy Endings might have the skimpiest uniforms known to mankind. A pair of black booty shorts and a neon-pink crop top with a palm tree logo make no sense when their only location is in Arizona, but who am I to judge? They’re the most popular bar on campus for a reason.
“You never ordered your drink,” I say.
“Don’t need to. Tabi already knows my order.”
“And are you and Tabi . . . ?”
He snorts. “Fuck, no. She’d gut me before I could make a move. So would her father.” When he realizes I’m still confused, he adds, “She’s the coach’s daughter. Aside from that, she’s my least favorite fan.”
“Why?” Mark is a lot of things. Funny, easygoing, smart. But he isn’t mean, and he isn’t a fan of fucking around with women to make them respond like Tabi just was.
“It’s complicated between us. You know Ronnie took me in when I was in high school, so he’s the only reason I’m playing for State now. If he wasn’t the coach, I’m not even sure I’d have gotten a full ride.” He shakes his head as if attempting to get back on track. “Anyway, Tabi’s his only daughter, and he didn’t exactly ask her permission for me to move in with them. She’s got a lot of resentment toward me. I get it. However, I’ve always loved getting beneath her skin.”
“Hate to break it to you, but it doesn’t seem like the feeling’s mutual.”
His eyes glisten with mischief. “That’s what’s so fun about it, but anyway, enough about me. I’m surprised you came today. You aren’t the type of guy who drinks beers on a Monday afternoon.”
I’m not, but today is an exception when I’m dying for something to make me forget Maya and that neon-pink thong. The image has been burned into my memory for two days now, and it took all my willpower not to give in to the temptation of another memorable night with her. I’m not that kind of guy, though, and I couldn’t even pleasuremyselfwhen it felt wrong. She was drunk and flirty like she always gets when she’s under the influence, and my only job was to ensure she made it home safely. Maya isn’t mine—she made that clear five months ago—so even thinking about her ass is off-limits.
“Drinking isn’t my thing anymore,” I admit. “But certain circumstances call for—”
“Hey! Who ordered the—oh! Oh my god. What are you guys doing here?” Maya fucking Garcia is holding a tray with a beer and a bottle of water on it, looking godsent in her skimpy uniform. Her long black hair is in two French braids that cascade down her back, and her face is glowing and perfect when her brown eyes latch onto Mark. She’s purposely avoiding eye contact with me, but I can’t say I blame her. Especially if she remembers our last interaction.
“Damn, when did you start working here?” Mark asks. “I didn’t even know you’d transferred to State.”
She grins proudly. “It’s my first semester. I did the community college thing for two years, graduated from the cosmetology program, and now I’m pursuing a bachelor’s in business. How about you? From what I hear, the team has a good shot at the championship this year.”
“Possibly. You know I never like to get my hopes up. Being too conceited is a recipe for failure.”
Finally, her eyes slide to mine before she averts them to the tray. “Who, uh, ordered the Michelob?”
“Me.” I clear my throat when she sets it down in front of me, and I swear I drink half the damn bottle before she places the water in Mark’s hand. I hate how awkward things are between us when it never used to be this way. We had good banter and even better chemistry, but it seemed like when we finally gave in, it only made things worse. For whatever reason, having sex complicated things, and although I don’t regret that night, a part of me wonders if we’d still be close if we’d never slept together.
“Do you guys want anything to eat?” she asks.
“No, I’m all right. Thanks.” I’ll pass on freezer-burnt food.
Mark grins before he says, “You can ask Tabi for my order, and you can also tell her putting another waitress at our table isn’t slick. She’s not getting away that easily.”
Maya arches a brow. “Well, you’ll be pleased to know I’ll be working night shifts on the weekends, so she’ll be all yours again next week. She’s training me before classes start.”
Don’t get me wrong, I’m an advocate for women wearing whatever the fuck they please, but it doesn’t sit right with me that she’s going to be wearing that Happy Endings uniform at night. Will she bring a change of clothes? I know she doesn’t have a car, so how the hell does she plan on getting home? She’s not going towalk, right?
God, I have no reason to be protective. She isn’t mine to worry about, but I can’t help it. A piece of my heart will always belong to her, and there’s nothing I can do about it. Believe me, I’ve tried.
Mark stutters. “I don’t want her to be allmine, I just meant—”
In typical Maya fashion, she rolls her eyes and gives him a little wave. “Save the lies for someone naive. See you guys around. Oh, and Ethan?” My eyes snap to hers, noting the way her cheeks are redder than they were a few seconds ago. “This shade of pink is a close second to my thong, don’t you think?”
Fucking hell.
Her flirtatious remark is my own fault. I don’t know what I was thinking when I held her back from putting her dress on. I just, god, I missed her. I love staring at her. And it’d been months since I’d seen her.
