I wrinkled my nose. “Tamara.”
Alejandra laughed. “Is she coming on to you again?”
“When is she not?” I asked with a shudder. “She’s the same age as my baby sister. I wish she would keep her hands to herself.”
“You know that’s sexual harassment. We could fire her.”
“She’s my sister’s best friend. I’m not firing her.”
“Plus, everyone loves her on the tours.”
“She is our best guide.”
“I’ll talk to her,” Ale said. “Again.”
“Thanks.” I headed into the bathroom to change into my soccer uniform. I threw my shirt, Wranglers, and boots into my bag and left.
And there was Tamara.
“Hey, big boy,” she said with a wide grin.
She was a natural redhead with pouty lips and tons of makeup. She made it somehow look effortless. I couldn’t deny that she was attractive, but again…same age as my sister. Not to mention, I had another woman constantly on my mind right now. Not that I’d heard a word from Piper.
“Tamara, you going to the game?”
“Yep. How could I miss you in shorts?”
I laughed with a head shake. “I’m your boss, Tamara.”
“Oh, I know. All in good fun.” Then, she winked at me to say that she’d bang me if I let her.
“Well, I’ll see you at the game.”
“Can’t wait!” she chirped.
I hopped quickly into my truck. She always exaggerated her hips. It was like she knew I was an ass man. I didn’t need any of that in my life right now. It was complicated enough as I tried to figure out what to do about Piper.
I parked my truck at the back of the lot and immediately looked around the field for Piper. I hadn’t seen her very recognizable Jeep in the parking lot, but sometimes, Blaire drove. It didn’t look like she was here yet.
“You’re on time,” Julian said with a grin.
“I’m always on time,” I quipped.
“Not lately.”
I found Annie sitting in the bleachers in her red uniform, next to Chase Sinclair. Jordan was on the other side, staring pointedly down at his phone.
“What’s he doing here?”
Julian shrugged. “He and Annie are friends.”
“And Jordan is chill with that?”
“Does he look happy about it?”
He did not. But he was trying at least. That was more than I would want to do. Chase and Annie had known each other since they were kids. It made sense that they’d stayed friends. It still would have been hard, knowing that he’d confessed his love for her.
“He’s a better man than I am.”
Julian arched an eyebrow. “Well, duh.”
I punched him in the arm. “Shithead.”
We warmed up for the game, but my eyes were still on the stands. I kept waiting for her to walk in and wondered what I’d do. It wasn’t like I could go up to her and shake sense into her. I didn’t even know what sense I would be shaking into her. But I wanted another taste. After Saturday, how could she pretend that she didn’t?
She and Blaire strode out of the parking lot and toward our field. Blaire was a blur of red as I found Piper. My feet stilled, and I just stared. She was wearing tight jeans that fit her curvy figure and a skintight black tank top. A jean jacket was tucked under her arm. She hadn’t seen me yet, or she was purposely avoiding my gaze.
Julian ran into me on the field. “Dude.”
“What the fuck?”
Julian’s gaze shifted to where I’d been looking. He found Piper and arched an eyebrow. “So, you and Piper?”
I ground my teeth together. I hadn’t told him about what happened at the show. It had seemed like Piper didn’t want me to. But I usually told him all about the girls I was into. Why was this any different?
“We might have hooked up at the concert.”
“Might have?”
“On the tour bus.”
Julian laughed. “Well, I didn’t see that one coming.”
“Thanks, dick.”
“So, care to explain what’s going on now?”
I gritted my teeth. I hated admitting the truth. “Nothing to explain.”
“She’s not looking at you. How did you already fuck this up?”
“I didn’t fuck anything up.”
Julian snorted. “I’m your best friend for a reason. I’ve seen you three-date-rule a lot of girls.”
“I’m not three-date-ruling anyone.”
“Yeah and you better not fucking do it to Piper.”
I had no intention of doing anything to Piper that she didn’t want me to do to her. But I didn’t know how to explain what I was feeling. That I actually…wanted to date her. Or at least, I wanted more.
“Forget about it,” I said. Julian dropped it and we went back to our warm-up.
Isaac called us in for a pregame pep talk. The ref blew his whistle for us to get on the pitch, and my blood started pumping. The Tacos was the best team I’d been on since college rec. Blaire and August played offense. Though August was mostly there to assist Blaire since girl goals counted for two. Isaac, Julian, and Nora played midfield. It was one of the few times my sister was out of her high heels. I sometimes forgot that she was so freaking tiny, but she was fast. I played defense with Annie and her doctor friend, Cézanne. And our goalie, Gerome, was Cézanne’s boyfriend.
The rest of our friends watched from the stands as we all set up to play. When I looked up at the audience, Tamara waved and called my name. I cringed and let my gaze shift to Piper. She’d settled onto the bleachers next to Jennifer and their other close friend, Sutton Wright. Her husband, David, was on the sidelines with his adopted son, Jason, while Sutton sat with their daughter, Madison. Jennifer was cooing at her while Piper looked on uncertainly. She was here. She was sitting with her friends. She was acting like nothing had happened. What the fuck?
Then, the whistle blew, and I had no more time to think about it. I dove into the game headfirst. Taking out the days of pent-up frustration on the opposing team. It was a little too much energy, considering the other team was terrible. By the end of the first half, we were up thirteen to one. Blaire pulled back to let August shoot since the score was so embarrassing.
I took a water break and glanced back at Piper. But she was no longer sitting next to Jennifer. She’d slid across her seat and was next to Chase. Jordan had moved away from him, so the two of them were alone. All alone and looking awfully chummy.
What the fuck were they talking about? Chase said something with this big smile on his face. Piper was laughing. She was laughing at whatever he’d said. They weren’t even touching, but already, I could see that she had none of the anger that I brought out in her. This was just Piper.
Piper flirting with Chase Sinclair.
My blood boiled.
“Hollin?” Julian called.
“I don’t like that guy,” I growled.
Julian looked up into the stands and grimaced. “Well, join the club. Us Wrights aren’t too fond of the Sinclairs either.”
Julian would know. He’d dated Ashleigh Sinclair before Jennifer. Before she’d gone off the deep end.
And even though I only needed a quarter of my brain to win this match, I played like we were in the finals. At one point, Isaac even came back to try to bench me if I didn’t calm the fuck down. He rarely got mad, but apparently, humiliating our opponents was his line.