Page 10 of Diverge

I smile at her, and she smiles back. She’s so attractive, and for the first time in a long time, I feel excited.

“How’s Noah, by the way?” she asks.

“The kid has amazing talent. He’s not the smartest in his school, but his ball skills are unreal.” Whenever I talk about Noah, I’m torn. On the one hand, I want him to succeed in his goal of becoming a professional basketball player, but on the other hand, I want him to stay here where I can protect him. To me, he’s still a little kid, my little brother.

“Wow, so does he want to pursue a career in basketball?” he says, taking a sip of her drink. “If he does, I think a colleague at work is currently working on a project for the Boomers.” She’s talking about the Australian men’s basketball team. “I can ask him if he knows any scouts from the US.”

“Noah would be thrilled, little B.” She smiles at her nickname and nods. She’s always wanting to help others but never looking out for herself. “Any plans tomorrow?” I ask.

She shakes her head. “Not really, it’s Saturday. Does anyone really want to do anything on a Saturday after a working week anymore?”

She chuckles and tries to stand. Wobbling on one foot, she grabs a hold of me to steady herself.

I stand and slide my arm around her tiny waist to support her. “I think that last drink may have tipped me over.” If her death grip on my arm is anything to go by, she’s right. Pulling her close to steady her, I breathe in her perfume, feeling her body pressed into mine, the hairs on my neck stand up, sending a shiver down my spine as she stares up at me.

Fuck,she smells remarkable. I reach over to grab her bag and hand it to her. Waving the bartender over, I sign for our bill and take my card.

“I’ll call an Uber,” I say as I begin to guide her out the door.

“But what about my car?” She almost trips over her own feet in her heels. She’s positively over the limit.

Once outside, I bend down and begin to remove her shoes.

“Don’t worry about your car. It’ll be parked outside your apartment before you even wake up tomorrow.” I look up to her from where I am kneeling, her hand placed on my shoulder to stabilise herself. How does she look magnificent from every angle?

As if hearing my thoughts, she stares at me and her cheeks flush.

Fuck, I love making her blush.

Holding her heels in one hand, I offer her the other, and she takes it as we wait for the Uber.

“Just Pretend” by Bad Omens filters through the stereo of the Uber as we make the drive to her apartment.

“Thanks for tonight.” She looks over to me and smiles, her dimple appearing.

“My pleasure.” I slide my hand on her thigh, and she places her hand on mine, instantly sending a jolt through my body.

“No, really. I was having a shitty day, and I had fun tonight. Thanks for meeting me.” There’s genuine gratitude in her voice.

I watch as she licks her lips, her hooded eyes on mine. In this moment, all I want to do is lean over and take her seductive lips with mine, but I refrain. I know she’s drunk, and I don’t want her to regret kissing me in the morning. I want her to remember it when I kiss her, and I want her to feel it in between her thighs when she thinks about it after.

“Do you think you can be ready by eight tomorrow morning?” I ask, hopeful she’ll say yes.

She sighs. “But it’s Saturday...” She tries to protest, but I’m all over it.

I give her a sly smile.

“I promise you won’t be disappointed.”

She narrows her eyes. “Fine... but only because you asked nicely.” Smirking, she removes her hand from mine as that beautiful rosy colour returns to her cheeks.

Fuck. I’m in trouble.

BILLIE

Taking a deep breath in, I get ready as I wait for Nate to pick me up. He specifically told me to wear comfortable clothing, so I throw on a pair of black leggings and a jumper.

Tying the laces on my sneakers, I head over to my balcony and look outside. As he promised, my car is parked on the side of the road outside my apartment. I walk over to my small coffee machine and begin preparing myself a cup when I hear my phone buzz.

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