Page 25 of Still Bruised
Foster frowned. Cary’s smile grew.
He crossed his arms over his chest as he searched Cary’s face. Foster hadn’t been able to get much out of Cary about his line of work and wondered if he was lying about what he did. “Are you some kind of gangster or something?”
Cary burst out laughing. “A gangster?No.”
Foster narrowed his eyes.
“Maybe I’ll tell you about it one day,” Cary said, his voice hushed.
Foster frowned and smiled all at the same time. The curiosity was killing him, even more so now. “I look forward to it.”
“Cary!” a voice roared through the crowd.
Foster’s gaze swept toward the voice behind them and found the very people he’d hoped to avoid.
“You dating Fozzie now?” Rick asked Cary, eyes never leaving Foster. While therehadbeen humor in his tone, it wasn’t gleaming in those dark eyes. “He’s not your usual fruity flavor, but then—what do I know? Maybe you like the jocks, too.”
“You seem to know an awful lot a lot about my preferences,” Cary said, grinning at Rick. Without moving his gaze, he added the next bit for Rick’s wife. “Better be careful, Imogene. I think your husband might be flirting with me.”
Rick chuckled, a smile playing at his lips, all while his meaty fists tightened on either side. “Not your type. Never will be.”
“Exactly right,” Cary said, his lids narrowing. “Never gonna happen, Rick. No matter how much you flutter your lashes over those cold, dead eyes of yours.”
Rick took a menacing step forward. Cary didn’t flinch.
Foster shoved himself between the two men before it escalated.
Rick snarled, jumping back as if touching Foster might infect him with something. “I’m not interested in you sucking my dick.”
“Didn’t offer,” Foster said, lifting a brow.
“I always knew what you were, Golden Boy,” Rick said, his voice low. “I’m just glad everyone knows the truth now, so I don’t have to hide it anymore.”
Foster had always wondered why Rick had never told anyone back in high school. It hadn’t made sense then and made less sense now.
“WhatIcan’t believe is we’re still talking about high school like it matters anymore.” Foster shrugged. “But then, those wereyourglory days, weren’t they, Rick? Everything went downhill from there, I’m sure.”
Rick took another aggressive step forward, filled with caveman swagger. “You’re one to talk, Fozzie. You’re the one whose wifejust kicked him out after finding him sucking another man’s cock in her bed.”
“Oh, I didn’t suck his. He sucked mine… after she begged me to bring him home with us. She keeps leaving that part out of her stories for some reason. I wonder why?”
Rick’s eyes widened, steam almost visible coming from his ears.“You’re sick.”
Their other teammate, Aaron, had the good sense to pull Rick back. Apparently Aaron hadn’t gotten tired of Rick’s bullshit in all the years that had passed. A shame. “It’s not worth it, man. You can’t catch another charge right now.”
Another charge?Foster saw nothing had changed at all.
“Leave the fruity boys alone, Rick,” Imogene said, glaring at Foster. “Let’s go.”
Erica, Aaron’s wife and once Ashley’s bestie, leaned toward Foster as the others walked out. “What you did disgusts me.”
“Oh, and what’s that?” Foster asked, feigning obliviousness.
“You broke up a happy marriage with your cheating,” Erica said. “You broke her heart.”
“She’s not innocent in what happened between us,” Foster replied, leveling a glare Erica’s way. “You’re smarter than that.” Foster’s name was called at the nearby counter, so he spun to grab his bag. As he turned back around, he eyed Erica. “But then, I’m sureyourmarriages are perfect. Aren’t they?”
He knew, for a fact, they were not. Ashley loved to gossip and had regaled him with stories over the years he likely shouldn’t have known. He had a couple of small skeletons packed away,just in case, and it didn’t hurt to let her know that. Erica’s eyes widened, her lips going to a firm line.
