Page 87 of Playbook
“No,” I say, unmoving. A quick scan of the table and they aren’t even playing pairs. “Fuck off. You can’t steal my date just because you can’t find one.”
He flips me off. “I can find plenty, but don’t want one. Remember what that was like?” He smirks at me.
Of course I remember, it was only a few weeks ago. Now though… I’m having fun with London.
“I’m colorblind. I need her eyes.”
I glance at the table where the multi-colored cards are laid out. Fuck. I know he is. The guy showed up to practice one day talking about his new blue shirt. It was purple. Likesuperpurple.
“Fine,” I relent and put a table’s worth of distance between us. At least now I can look at her.
Except watching Tripp whisper into her ear isn’t exactly doing it for me. I glare hard at him. He looks over and smiles all smug-like. What the hell are they whispering about? And why is she smiling and nodding along?
Cody keeps his voice low as he speaks next to me. “Seems like yourarrangementis working out well.”
“Yeah.” I pull my stare away from Tripp and London.
Cody looks at me like he’s waiting for me to deny my very real interest in London.
“Going to give me another lecture?” I ask.
“Not at all. I like London for you. You’ve been more focused than ever, playing well, and she doesn’t seem too caught up in the lifestyle.”
“She’s not.” Although I don’t think she’d turn down another swim in the rooftop pool at Slade’s. I smile at her across the table. Tripp is saying something, and she laughs easily at him.
“Keep doing what you’re doing, Six, and you’ll be breaking my records.”
I’m glad that our arrangement has helped everyone else’s focus return to my performance on the field, but right now it’s the least of my concerns. I want her. All my focus is on that.
Tripp and London wipe the table with the rest of us for the first two games.
“My good luck charm.” He wraps an arm around her and squeezes.
London beams at his words, but then her gaze flits to me. I wonder if she remembers that’s what I called her.
For the next half hour, I spend as much time watching Tripp cuddle up to London as I do paying attention to the cards. London is as charmed by him as Tripp is with her. They high-five and talk smack to everyone else every time they win. I concentrate on not tossing the table at him.
“It’ll be hard to run when I take out your kneecaps,” I mumble as he wraps an arm around London’s shoulders. I swear he lets it linger there a little longer than necessary.
Merrick chuckles next to me. “You all right, rookie?”
“Peachy.”
We finish another game and I stand up quickly from the table, sending my chair flying backward. “Okay. Time to switch it up. Give me back my girl.”
“One more round,” Tripp says.
“Fine, but she’s with me.”
“No way. London and I are a team.” He scoots closer to her. “A fucking great team. We are smoking you guys.”
“Aww, rookie, calm down.” Cody tips his head toward London and Tripp.“I think they’re kinda cute together.”
“What? I— They’re not fucking cute together. Take it back.They’renot even together. She’smygirlfriend.” Wasn’t he just saying she was good for me? What the fuck? My chest is tight, and frantic energy courses through me. Somewhere deep down I know this is an overreaction to my fake girlfriend, but all I can think ismine.
London’s mouth falls open and then she smiles at me. Fuck, she’s so beautiful.
Tripp’s face goes from surprise to blank to laughing so fast I don’t know what’s happening. But then the rest of the guys around us join in.
