Page 44 of Losing Sleep
The teasing and laughter continued as we finished the meal and Tory, Brad, and Alex regaled us with cabin stories from their childhoods. Trent’s stony silence was a clear sign that not everyone enjoyed the jaunt down memory lane.
Following the meal, the guys ushered Tory, Kylie, and me out of the kitchen, promising to clean up from dinner. I settled on the couch, book in hand, only processing half of what I read as I tried to ignore Grey and Brad splashing each other while they did the dishes.
“What are you reading? Anything good?” Kylie settled on the couch next to me, phone in hand.
“Oh…uh…” I glanced at the cover. I’d grabbed the book from the bookcase in the hallway, not paying attention to what I’d picked. A vector cover with two characters locked in an embrace greeted me. “I’m not actually sure.”
I held the book up for Kylie’s inspection.
“I’ve heard good things about that one. I don’t really have much time for reading, though. TV either. Or most hobbies.” Kylie turned back to her phone, waving her hand towards me and my book. “You know how it is, being a career woman. Free time kind of evaporates. Got to keep climbing that corporate ladder.”
I tried to push down the immediate feelings of inadequacy triggered by her words. I could only imagine Kylie’s reaction ifshe learned how many hours I spent a week unplugged from work, doing yoga. Maybe that’s why I wasn’t a manager yet. I hadn’t traded my hours of mindful movement and meditation for high-powered spin classes filled with multitasking and networking.
“Who’s ready for an epic racing showdown?” Brad called, launching himself over the back of the couch and settling next to Tory. “We just need a couple of minutes to write up the bracket, and then we can head downstairs to the TV and gaming console.”
Trent walked into the room and scowled at the pair. Tory scooted to the side of the couch, creating room for him, but Trent ignored the gesture, settling in the armchair across the room instead.
“You seem awfully eager to lose.” Grey joined us in the living room, sitting next to me on the loveseat. Instead of waiting for me to move my feet, he picked them up and settled them in his lap, his hand resting on my ankle. Heat suffused my cheeks as I flashed back to our movie night.
“Not me.” I waved my book as if it excused me from the video game shenanigans. “I’m no good at video games.”
“Come on, Audrey! A tournament’s only fun if everyone plays,” Tory begged, her eyes wide and pleading.
“She’s just afraid of losing,” Grey commented.
“I’m no good, but I’m game,” Kylie chimed in, her gaze lingering a beat too long on Grey’s hand on my leg, my bare feet in his lap.
“I already know I’m going to lose, so how can I be afraid of it?” I shot back at Grey, moving my legs from his lap and placing my book on the floor.
He quirked a brow and shrugged, leaning back on the couch. “Why else would you back down from a video game tournament? Either you’re a party pooper, or you’re afraid.”
I bit my lip, considering my options. Either I backed out and proved him right, or I took the bait and joined in the games. Giving into Grey’s gentle teasing and nudging was becoming a habit I wasn’t sure I wanted to break, even if it meant losing more sleep.
“Fine, but don’t say I didn’t warn you about my lacking skills.” I pushed up from the couch and sauntered downstairs, faking all the confidence I didn’t feel, hoping Grey would follow.
Chapter Twenty-Two
The second my toeshit the cold floor, I knew I’d made a mistake. My pride was not worth the hypothermia I’d suffer if I stayed down here and played without additional clothing. I turned to head back upstairs for my socks, but Grey stood in the doorway, blocking my exit.
“Where do you think you’re going?” He crossed his arms over his chest, drawing attention to his muscles. I’d had no idea arm muscles could be so sexy, but Grey’s physique regularly reminded me they were. Cover those arms in flannel, and I was a goner every time he flexed in my vicinity.
“I need socks.” I gestured to my toes, bright pink toenails contrasting with the concrete floor. And if I got socks, maybe I’d conveniently forget to come back downstairs.
“How do I know this isn’t an elaborate ploy to get out of the tournament?” he asked, eyebrows raised and a smirk teasing his lips.
“Why would I commit to play and immediately back out?” I reasoned, grateful Grey couldn’t read my mind. Staying up late and waking up early the last several days was catching up to me, and I would not mind an early bedtime.
“You could just use a blanket.” He motioned to the stack of blankets piled on the couch from movie night a few days before.
“That only works if I’m not moving. If I have to get up at all, my toes will freeze again.” I tried my best to look pathetic and in desperate need of socks. I wasn’t quite sure what the expression was, but surely I could pull it off. If I didn’t end up coming back downstairs, it would only be because the siren call of my bed had become too loud. Everyone would understand.
Grey shook his head, seeming to read the intent on my face. “If you go upstairs now, how can I guarantee you’ll come back for the tournament?”
“You’re going to hold me hostage down here to play video games? What if my toes freeze off?” I crossed my arms over my chest, mimicking Grey’s stance.
“That’s a risk I’m willing to take.” Grey shrugged, as if losing one’s toes was a regular occurrence. “You’ll still be beautiful, even without toes.”
“Thank you? I think that’s genuinely the weirdest compliment I’ve ever received,” I said, not really sure how to react to someone talking about the loss of body parts I was very much attached to.
