Page 60 of Wildcat
We wander over to a group of his teammates standing in the side yard in front of a smaller guest house. French doors are open, and I can see inside, where another kitchen is filled with booze.
Leo introduces me to everyone, though most of them I’ve interacted with in some way over the past two weeks. Jack is the only Wildcat I knew by name and face before I started working with my dad. Dad mentioned him in passing and he’s in a few commercials and advertisements that make him sort of impossible not to know.
“Fuuuuck. For real?” The captain waves the beer in his hand, motioning between us. “This is really happening?”
Uhhh. I look to Leo. Neither of us finds our words before Jack does.
“Does Coach know?” His question is directed at Leo.
“That I’m at a party with his players?” I cross my arms and step forward. “Because anything else would be none of his or anyone else’s business.”
“Just trying to look out for the team.” Jack holds his hands up defensively. He takes one last look at Leo and then walks off.
The rest of the group falls silent.
Crap. I worried about what my dad would think of me seeing Leo, but not what might happen to Leo or how his teammates might feel about it.
“I should probably go,” I tell him.
“No, don’t. Jack is just being Jack. He never stops thinking about work.”
“Stay,” Johnny says.
“Yeah, stay.” Ash steps up beside Leo. “What’d I miss? Drama already?”
“Jack being an ass,” Leo bites out.
I glance around. I catch the eye of more than one player as I scan the yard.
“He has a point. Besides, even if my dad knew and was cool about it, I don’t want the guys to feel like I’m Coach’s eyes and ears.”
Ash nods. “Then what better way for everyone to see you’re cool than to hang out and be chill? You’ll blend in, in no time.”
Leo’s fingers take mine. “What do you say? We can go back to my place or somewhere else.”
“Yeah, I’d bet you’d like to take her back to your place again,” Ash says under his breath.
Leo keeps his gaze on me as he flings an arm out to smack his buddy on the chest.
“Again?” Johnny asks, then his eyes go wide. “Ooooh. This is dream girl?”
“That’s her,” Ash confirms.
Leo’s eyes scrunch up adorably. “I didn’t mean go back to my house to hook up. We can hang out, swim, talk.”
The group of guys gathered around all look to me for my answer.
“We can stay,” I say, and I swear they all grin.
“Yes!” Ash is the first to voice his enthusiasm. “Let’s play some pong.”
Leo and I team up against Ash and Tyler. Tyler isn’t as quiet as I first assumed, but he’s more reserved than the rest of the guys. Possibly because I’m here. He crushes us all at pong and then Ash spends a few minutes trying to convince more people to play Flip Cup Races, which I assume is just flip cup, but as it turns out, it is a variation of the game that involves racing silver and red remote controlled cars between flips.
I sit out the first game and am glad I do, because these guys aren’t messing around with these cars. Boys and their toys. Miniature cars—ones that look way fancier and go way faster than those I’ve seen little kids play with—speed down the road toward Leo and Ash’s houses, cutting each other off at the turnaround mark.
Ash’s shiny silver car makes it back first. He pumps a fist and calls to me, “Get your ass over here, Miller. You’re on my team. I need you to distract your boy.”
Leo and I line up in the last spot. There’s a playful glint in his eye.
