“This pole just fell out of your ass. Don’t want you to forget it.”
I HATE him.
“Are you leaving because you really have work, or because you’re a little butt hurt?” Emory asks, walking me out to the elevator of her apartment.
Did she have to use the term butt hurt after the whole flagpole comment?
“I’m not butt hurt, so get that out of your head. I don’t get butt hurt. I’m leaving because I have work to do and to be honest, if I have to hear that man’s voice one more time, I might stab one of your cushions with a knife.”
“Well, we don’t want that,” Emory says with a resounding sigh. “This is about the witty wench thing, isn’t it?”
“Not at all. I love that nickname. I’m going to have it tattooed on my ass later this week.”
“Your sarcasm is ringing through.”
I let out a pent-up breath and give my pregnant friend a hug. “Listen, I love you dearly. I’m so happy for you, but I think I’ve had my fill of Jason Orson for the day.”
“Fair enough. He can be a bit much.”
“Just a little,” I say while lifting my fingers up and showing off a small space between my forefinger and thumb.
“Before you leave, can I ask you a favor?” She clutches my hand.
“If it’s go on a date with Jason, the answer is no.”
She chuckles and shakes her head. “No, I wouldn’t do that to you. But I was wondering if you could apartment sit for us. You know how I am about my plants, they need love every day and repositioning.”
“Are you serious? Where are you going?”
“We decided last night to surprise our parents and fly to them to tell them the good news. I would ask Lindsay, but she has to stick close to her son’s school and activities. Carson and Milly are headed to the Bahamas for a week—”
“And what about Jason? He lives across the hall. There’s no way I’m going to be here when he is.”
Emory shakes his head. “He’ll be out of town too. It’s after baseball season, so all the guys are going on vacation. I know it’s asking a lot but I would be super appreciative.”
“What about my plants?” I ask, folding my arms.
“You have a fake cactus.”
“It still needs friendship and company.”
Emory pulls me into a hug. “You can bring it with you. I’m sure your fake cactus would love a vacation to Auntie Emory’s. Please, I would love you forever.”
“You should already love me forever.”
We pull away, and she says, “Forever and ever.”
“Ugh, fine. But Jason won’t be here?”
She shakes her head. “Nope, he’ll be gone. It will be a nice, easy stay for you. And we’ll use the fancy sheets for your bed. And you know how Knox feels about having strangers in the house. He doesn’t want to ask the concierge to do it.”
“Yeah, I get that. It’s no biggie. My mom and dad are in town. I’ll convince them to stay longer and have them ditch the hotel and stay at my place. It will be nice to have them here but not on top of me.”
“Oh perfect. This means a lot to me. Thank you so much.”
“Of course.” With a resigned sigh, I pull my friend into another hug. “I really am happy for you.”
“I know. Thank you so much for coming today.”
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world.” But how I wish I’d found the ability to withdraw my claws and interacted with Jason with less . . . aggression. That’s just not me. Or rather, it didn’t used to be me . . .
Chapter Seventy-Three
JASON
“Natalie, don’t do this to me,” I beg.
Sitting across from me in our favorite booth at our favorite bar, Natalie smiles wickedly. “What’s done is done.”
“Why would you cancel my vacation? You know I don’t get to do nice things during the season. I want to feel the sand in my toes.” I’m bloody exhausted. Finishing out the season and then moving was way more tiring than I thought it would be. The whole Dottie debacle didn’t help either. But knowing I was getting away for a total break kept me going. And now this.
She rolls her eyes. “I didn’t cancel it, I just moved it. I didn’t have a choice. There are quite a few things we need to get done before the end of the year for The Lineup. You’ll still get your vacation, but for now, you’re stuck here.”
I slump over the table. “But I packed my Speedos. I was going to rock the shit out of them.”
“Speedos? With the size of your ass?” She shakes her head. “You would be showing crack the whole time.”
“I had them custom-made,” I say through clenched teeth.
“Well, the tailored Speedos can wait. Especially since I got the photographer you wanted. She can only shoot next week. I already set everything up with Joseph, so you’re the only one who needs to adjust his schedule.”
“She better be worth it,” I say, my voice full of sadness. Although playing baseball for a living is fun, it’s also a long-ass season during the summer, meaning we never really get to enjoy the summer. It’s very common for professional baseball players to vacation in the tropics after the season is finished, and I was going to the Bahamas with Carson and Milly, ready to proudly wear the third-wheel badge. But now I’ll have to go by myself. Not a bad thing, but company is always nice to have.
Personally, I was excited to clink cocktails decked in umbrellas and pineapple together. Think of all the possible Boomerangs we could have made.
Such a lost opportunity.
A thought comes to my head. “Are you pushing back my vacation so it works better with your schedule?”
She smiles. “It just so happens and Ansel and I can go with you now.”
I point my finger at her. “You’re an asshole.”
“I’m okay with that. Now, let’s get down to business. We have a lot to cover, and I want to know your ideas for the photoshoot. Joseph only had one requirement, that you don’t force him to match what you’re wearing.”
“What are you talking about? We look good matching.” Ever since I can remember, my mom dressed Joseph and me together, matching like two goddamn angels. When I was young, I remember being jealous of his walker, asking my mom if I could have one too. Joseph still makes fun of me for that.
“He made it known he doesn’t want to have to match with his little brother anymore. He’s a grown-ass man.”
“Little brother? He’s two minutes older than I am.”
“Are you really going to cry about matching with your brother?”
I fold my arms over my chest. “Maybe.”
“You’re impossible.”
So I’ve been told.
Carson: It’s beautiful here. All you can drink piña coladas.
Jason: I’m going to puke, I’m so upset.
Carson: Why do you always have to go to the extreme?
Jason: I have emotions, let me feel them.
Carson: You feel them too hard.