Page 49 of Play the Last Track
Right?
I groan again, but this time the noise echoes down the staircase. I hear a deep chuckle carry back up to me before Flynn appears.
I have to grab a hold of the railing because, goddamn.
He wears a black tuxedo with a crisp white button-down and a black bow tie. His hair, which is getting longer now, is styled to perfection. It looks as if it’s had just the right amount of fingers run through, and there is one curl that falls over his forehead.
I take the stairs one step at a time, careful to hold on to the railing because the last thing I need is to fall down, embarrass myself in front of this man, and ruin the very expensive gown I purchased with his money. When I get to the last few steps, Flynn holds out his hand, and I let go of the railing, taking it instead.
His hands are rough from playing football, calloused and uneven. But, they’re also warm. So warm, I get the urge to have him run them all over my body just to warm me up.
No.
No, Katie.I cannot think like this. I need to be strong.
Friends. We’re friends.
“Thanks,” I say, allowing him to guide me down the last steps. In heels, my five-foot-seven is more of a six-foot-something, making me closer to him. He normally towers over me, but now I could just lift up on my toes and press a kiss to his lips.
I won’t.
But I could.
“You look …” He trails off. “Gorgeous. You look really, really gorgeous.”
I watch as his eyes roam over my body, and I heat under his gaze. I flex my fingers over my phone and mentally shake myself out of it. I cannot let myself get distracted by the way this man looks at me.
“Thank you.” I do a small courtesy on a whim, and I feel my face go bright red. “You don’t scrub up half bad yourself.”
Flynn grins at me, taking my cue and bowing a little. Instantly, his actions put me at ease, and I relax. I even feel a smile tugging at my lips. “I knew I’d have the prettiest girl on my arm tonight, so I needed to make an effort.”
“You’re flattering me.” I roll my eyes. “You’re trying to get me to forgive you for inviting me to this charade.”
“Is it working?”
“A little,” I admit.
Flynn laughs and holds out his arm. “Shall we?”
I take his arm. There is a town car waiting outside. Hollie must have organized it for us because inside, there is a bottle of champagne and a note that says not to forget to smile and look like we’re having a good time.
Flynn just shakes his head and pops the cork on the champagne, pouring it into two glasses. No Uber I’ve ever ordered had this kind of service.
“A girl could get used to this,” I say as I raise the glass to my lips. Flynn just smiles and sips at his champagne. “So, have you been to this before?”
He nods. “A few years back, the team bought a table, but many of the boys couldn’t show during the holiday. They all spend it with their families if we aren’t playing a game on the day, and if we are, then they definitely don’t want to spend the rest of the weekend at a ball in the city. So, I volunteer. My parents barely ever make it out this way.”
I ignore the comment about his parents. I don’t want to bring his mood down, and after what he shared, I feel like talking about his mom is a sore spot for him. “What’s it like?”
“Boring. So, so boring.” He takes a sip of his champagne. “A lot of small talk and then they dance for a while before some socialite eventually gets too drunk, makes a scene with whatever boy she managed to come with, and then everyone starts to leave. There is never really an end time; you just know when it’s time to go.”
“How strange.” I pause, holding the burning question on my tongue before I can’t any longer. “Were you the one who took the drunk socialite a few years ago?”
Flynn winks at me and grins. “Yes, but I only took her because I knew she would cause some sort of scene, and Hollie would be furious, then she would never make me go again. I’ve had three years off because of Heather Myer. Bless her.”
“Heather Myer? As in the influencer who went onLove Island?”
“The very same.”
