Page 75 of Play the Last Track
“We aren’t nearly as gross as the two of you.” Katie scoffs. I tug on the piece of hair that’s tangled around my finger, warning her not to go too hard on my friend. The man is under the most intense amount of pressure with leading the team right now, and while I think the banter between them is hilarious, Scott’s fuse is shorter than normal.
“My wedding dress is ready, but they’re only open during the week. Who only opens a bridal boutique during the week? Do they think people don’t—”
“I’ll pick it up, Ives. Send me the address and just let them know. I’ll collect it.”
“Oh.” Ivy slumps in her seat. “Are you sure?”
“Of course. Anything you need.” Katie reaches across the table and pats her friend’s hand.
“Thanks. You’re the best.”
“Are you getting excited? Or just too stressed to think at the moment?” Katie smiles knowingly. I tangle my fingers further into her hair, finding the back of her neck and massaging lightly. I love touching her. The moment I feel her skin, her hair, the moment I kiss her lips, a calm settles over me. I smirk when she shivers under my touch.
“Too stressed.” Ivy rolls her head against Scott’s shoulder, closing her eyes. “I can’t wait, but also, I kind of just want it to be over.”
“Just what I want to hear from the woman I’m marrying. She can’t wait for it to be over,” Scott murmurs, a smile playing on his lips as he looks down at Ivy.
She slaps his chest. “Oh, hush. You know what I mean.”
His reply is cut off as Justin appears and drops a few plates of food onto the table. Ivy leans forward. “Oooh. New menu?”
“Uh-huh. I sat down with Roscoe the other day, and he’s already started ordering ingredients for it. Try the blue cheese sauce with the wings. It’s probably the best thing I’ve ever put in my mouth.”
I raise an eyebrow at her, turning in my seat. When she looks at me, her eyes shine with mischief, and I squeeze the back of her neck where I still hold her.
“I said what I said,” she says, winking at me. I pull my hand away from her neck and dig my fingers into her waist. Katie squeals and laughs. The sound sends a jolt straight to my heart. She swats my hands away and faces Ivy again. “What will you wear to the game on the weekend?”
“Uh—” Ivy shrugs. “What I normally wear. Jeans and a jersey. Why, what were you thinking?”
I rub my palm over Katie’s thigh as she shrugs. “I thought we could dress up. I know heaps of other girls make a big deal out of it.”
“Youwant to dress up?”
“Why not?”
“You haven’t wanted to dress up in, well, forever,” Ivy says carefully.
Katie only smiles, dipping one of the wings into the blue cheese sauce. “If you’re up for it, it could be fun?”
“Whatever gets you out of your black hoodie, I’m in.” Ivy laughs.
Justin brings over a few burgers, and we dig into the new menu items that Katie designed with Roscoe. Everything is classic bar food, but, unsurprisingly, it’s fucking delicious. Even Scott moans when he takes a bite of the burger. We’re laughing, going over details for the wedding, and completely distracted from the game coming this weekend, when I look up at the entrance and my blood starts boiling.
I’m out of my seat in a flash, my hand slipping off its permanent position on Katie’s thigh as I head for the man who just walked in.
“Leave,” I snarl.
Grant puts his hands up. “Whoa. I promise I’m not here to make trouble. I just—” His gaze drags behind my shoulder to where Katie is sitting.
“No way.”
“Come on, man. I just want to apologize,” he pleads. I widen my stance, my arms crossing over my chest as I place myself firmly between Katie and this piece of filth. I feel a small, warm hand press gently between my shoulder blades and, when I look down, I see Katie coming to stand at my side.
“I really don’t want to have to order anymore glassware, so if you could leave without smashing up half the bar, I’d appreciate it,” she tells him, her words dripping in venom.
“I’m sorry—”
“It’s a bit late to apologize.”
