Page 83 of Off Camera
I think of her on the couch in my apartment. Her skirt hiked up around her waist and her nipples hard against her shirt. The way she fucked herself with her own fingers and let me watch until I was begging to have a taste.
Fucking hell.
“What did you have in mind?” she asks, and I shake my head to clear my thoughts.
“Work still comes first. My job is important to me. There can’t be any hard feelings if one of us says no because we’re busy. And this can’t be because one of us wants to win the bet. It’s not allowed to be sabotage or meddling. We’re fucking because we want to fuck, not because we want the other to miss a deadline. We leave our jobs out of it.”
She nods. “What else?”
“We only sleep with each other. Adding other people to the mix is a headache I don’t want to deal with. Also, our dislike for each other stops when we get in bed.”
“Or on a couch. Or in a hallway,” Avery adds, and I have to take a deep breath.
“Right. Any of those places. No insults. No mean shit. It’s not some revenge game we’re playing.”
“Okay.” She smiles. “I like all of those stipulations.”
“We leave emotions out of it too. If we’re going to do this, we recognize what it is: two adults who want to get off. That’s it.”
“I know you’re a relationship guy. Are you going to be able to do this without falling for me?” Avery asks.
I snort. “I haven’t fallen in love with you in the three years I’ve known you. It’s not going to happen now.”
“Good.” She beams and takes a long sip of her coffee. “Are we in agreement?”
“We’re in agreement,” I say. “What’s your schedule this week?”
“That desperate for me already?”
“You’re the one who propositioned me.”
“I have a season ticket holder event tomorrow night at the stadium, then a fanfest party on Saturday afternoon. Sunday is a three p.m. kickoff, and next Monday, I was asked to speak at Georgetown to a group of communications majors.”
“Is that what you got your degree in?” I ask. Just because we’re fuck buddies doesn’t meant I can’t learn more about her.
She nods. “And sports journalism. I’ve always wanted to work in the industry, and I knew that was a way to get my foot in the door. What did you get your degree in?”
“Computer programming and software technology. Trust me when I say working for a football team was not on my radar.”
“Any regrets?” she asks.
“No. Life has a weird way of figuring itself out.”
“I like this. Five minutes ago, we were talking about our rules for being fuck buddies. Now we’re getting personal.” Avery traces the letters on her cup and smiles. “We’re talented, aren’t we?”
“I guess we are.”
“What’s on your schedule coming up?”
“We also kickoff on Sunday, but in the primetime television slot that night. Other than that, it’s the usual workload. I do have a charity softball game coming up soon. It’s one of the Titans’ fundraisers, and I’m going to embarrass myself in front of everyone.”
“What charity does it benefit?”
“Give Kids the World. Maverick is a big donor, and he got the Titans to partner with him for an event. Some of the hockey guys will be there, and a couple guys from the DC Dolphins baseball team too.”
“How are your ticket sales numbers looking?” Avery asks.
“Good,” I say honestly. “Snagging Griffin Harrison was a big pickup for us. After the Super Bowl drought, people think this might be the year we get another ring. It entices them to make a deposit, and it’s going to help me win our bet.”
