Page 98 of Wild Pitch
“Go girl.” Audrey snaps her fingers. “He did not deserve you.”
“I know.” Rose tosses a glorious curl behind her shoulder. “He’s a cheating asshole and I feel like I can breathe again after he got traded. Good riddance.”
My face morphs into a mask of disgust. “I always thought he was a self entitled prick, but cheating? On you? Girl, I’m glad I didn’t know because I’d have maimed him.”
“That’s why I didn’t say anything. Didn’t want you to wind up in jail.” She pats my knee.
“So let me guess”—I interrupt myself to sigh—“this is an intervention so I don’t fool around with Cade.”
“Yes and no,” Rose says.
I turn to Audrey for answers. She drinks more wine.
“The cowboy is different from The Unmentionable,” Rose starts, twisting slightly to prop her arm on the back of the couch. “For example, I doubt he’d keep you a secret just so that his other side pieces don’t find out you’re one of many.”
My jaw drops.
“I will murder him.”
“That’s not the point. The point is that dating within the team… well, if it doesn’t work out, it can be pretty bad for you. The irony is that what saved my behind is that no one knows we dated.”
“I know,” I mumble, closing my lips around the rim of the glass.
“But on the other hand, you’ve been searching and searching,” Audrey says from her armchair. “And if the one you found is Cade then you shouldn’t let life pass you by.”
“Didn’t know you were such a romantic,” Rose jokes.
But our roomie shrugs. “I personally am not, but I call it like I see it.”
“That’s all well and good but this is me we’re talking about.” I place all five digits of one hand on my chest. “Super awkward, can’t flirt for shit tomboy with no sex appeal.”
“Pfff.”
“Who the hell said that?”
“Every guy I’ve attempted to date ever?”
“Screw them.” Rose sticks her tongue out in a universal expression of yuck. “That’s all bullshit they said to compensate for falling extremely short in front of you.”
“Let’s say that’s the case, but Cade’s just my coach. In fact, we basically just became friends. It’d be weird if I suddenly go like, hey?—”
“Let me stop you right there.” Audrey cuts in, raising her hand. “You should’ve seen that man pale when he thought you went to urgent care. His lips straight up turned blue, that’s how worried he was.”
“Yeah, I’ve seen him staring at you too.” Rose casually drinks from her wine like she also didn’t just drop a bomb on me.
“What?”
“Uh huh, dude’s as whipped as you.”
In turn, I whip my head side to side, waiting for the moment they drop the punchline and say this was all a joke.
But Audrey leans forward, forearms on her knees like this is serious company PR business. “Ultimately the decision’s up to you, but Rose and I got tired of watching you two do the bird dance with blindfolds on your eyes. Dating a coworker can be very tricky but what does that matter if this is the real thing?”
My mouth opens and closes. Tingles run all over my body, leaving flashes of heat and cold in their wake. I snuggle deeper into the blanket but the issue isn’t the air conditioner. It’s that I’m freaking the frack out. Straight up doing everything I can to not self combust right now.
With a thread of voice, I say, “But I don’t know how to do this—get a guy.”
“We can help you if you really want.” Rose winks. “Need to turn your dating coach into your date? Easy.”
