Page 79 of Best Frenemies

“Cute plan, Mack, trying to trap me into something I didn’t agree to, but it’s not going to work.”

“It’s no big thing. You just come in and speak to the students about your career. They might ask some questions for a few minutes. I just thought you’d be a good addition to a crowd of people with regular jobs.” I shrug. “I mean, you’re a billionaire, you know?”

Thatch’s eyes narrow. “Are you buttering me up?”

“It’s ten minutes tops where you get to command a room, T. You won’t even have to prepare, you know? You’re such a natural leader.”

Kline snorts as Cap whispers, “Oh, he’s good.”

“I really did mean to ask you about it. I’ve just been so busy lately with work and the foundation and helping you and Cass out with Gunnar whenever you ask me…”

“You’re such an ass,” Thatch comments through a groan.

Both Cap and Wes start laughing.

Kline smiles like the Cheshire cat.

“Wow. That’s real good of you, Thatch,” Cap comments with a big-ass smile. “Speaking at your son’s school. What a great dad.”

“Yeah,” Thatch mutters. “Anything for the kids.”

I grin. “My thoughts exactly.”

“Speaking of your school, how’s the pretty little math teacher you shacked up with for the week?” the dick fires back shamelessly.

“What pretty teacher?” Cap asks, his eyes far too intrigued.

“My man Mack here spent the whole week in Destin with his coworker Ms. Katy Dayton. My son Gunnar loves her, by the way. Says she’s the prettiest teacher in the whole school.”

“You guys dating?” Kline asks.

You fucking wish you were dating.

“No.” I shake my head. “We ended up double-booking the same rental and had to stay there together for the week.”

“No shit?” Wes questions on a laugh. “Talk about a coincidence.”

“Right?” Thatch chimes in. “Some real forced-proximity kind of vibes, huh?”

“Man, I love a good forced-proximity romance,” Cap agrees, and Wes’s groan is loud enough to bounce off the walls of the office.

“Oh, here we go. Soon you dicks will be trying to start that fucking book club up again.”

“Book club?” I question, and Wes shakes his head as if to say,don’t ask.

“A while back, Cap made us start a romance book club to woo his now-wife,” Kline explains on a sigh.

“Worst few months of my life,” Wes adds.

“Tell me this, Mack…” Cap’s attention moves back to me. “Did all this forced proximity include one bed?”

When I don’t offer anything but a groan, it only urges them on further.

“Oh shit! I think there was one bed!” Thatch singsongs.

Cap nods excitedly. “Hell yeah, there was. Were you a naughty, naughty boy?”

“Just tell me one thing… Did you fall in love with her yet?” Thatch pries, and I roll my eyes. His light up with unbridled joy.

---