Total pages in book: 143
Estimated words: 138881 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 694(@200wpm)___ 556(@250wpm)___ 463(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 138881 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 694(@200wpm)___ 556(@250wpm)___ 463(@300wpm)
“How utterly adorable,” Trevyn says, sitting next to me and patting my shoulder.
“Hey! It just makes sense.”
“It’s totally a thing,” Remy confirms, straight-faced. “I’ve had a lot of couples submit their how-we-met stories for my show, and many started as business partners with benefits.”
But I shouldn’t even entertain the thought that we might become more. It’s too risky for the bakery. “This is truly all it is. Just an arrangement. I honestly don’t have time for romance,” I say, and that’s the full truth. Even if I wonder every now and then what it’d be like to date him, I know it’d be a bad idea for business. “I’m really trying to focus on work. It’s important.”
“So are daily Os from your hockey playing business partner who’s crazy for you,” Skylar says.
A zing rushes through me from her words, but it’s best I deny it. “He’s not crazy for me.”
Remy scoff-laughs. Does she know something more?
“What’s that for?” I ask.
“I’ve seen the way he looks at you.”
“When?” I wish I didn’t sound so excited.
“At games when you’re there,” she says matter-of-factly.
“Here at the bakery whenever I come in,” Clementine adds.
“Even at your brother’s surprise birthday party,” Skylar puts in.
I whip my gaze to her. “Then?”
“I noticed it. But now it makes more sense.”
My chest warms. Corbin did say he’d wanted to ask me out when he first met me.
Since I met you. When I didn’t see you all the time, I just lived with it. It was there in the background. Now I see you, and it’s like a life force.
“Maybe,” I say, waving a hand in front of my face, trying to erase all these wild thoughts, but also the effect this conversation is having on me. I’m getting all…fluttery when I need to put my hot-girl game face on.
“Not maybe. Definitely,” Skylar says.
“The man has always given off into you vibes,” Trevyn confirms.
I set a hand on my cheek. It’s so warm. I shouldn’t like this so much. “Nothing is going to come of it,” I say, breezily, like this intel just doesn’t matter. Because it can’t matter. “We’re running a business together. One that’s barely been open two weeks. I’m not going to get romantically involved with my business partner for real.”
“Just for pretend,” Trevyn says.
“And in bed,” Skylar adds.
“Bet that’s not fake,” Remy puts in with a saucy smile.
I give her one right back. “Oh, there’s nothing fake about that.”
“I don’t fake it with my toys either,” Clementine says with a too innocent grin.
“Get it,” Trevyn says, then high-fives Clementine, before he gives me a kiss on the cheek and shoos me off. “Go! You have to pretend you’re not madly in love with the man you’re secretly banging, but pretending you’re not banging, in front of your brother.” He furrows his brow. “Now I’m confused.”
I think we all are.
I blow them a kiss, including Simon. Clementine has to take off soon, but since Aisha can’t start till noon today, Remy, Trevyn and Skylar are going to run the bakery while I play ball. “Love you. You guys are the best for running the store this morning.”
“We know,” they echo back.
Corbin lunges for a ball, but it’s supercharged, flying past him.
Tiffany and Brittany slap palms, then get back in position, game faces on, bouncing on their toes. With nothing but focus, Tiffany serves and the ball heads my way.
After it bounces once, I return the serve with a grunt. We volley for a heart-pumping minute till Tiffany smashes the ball hard. I stick out my racket in desperation, but the ball has some serious topspin on it, and it whizzes past me in a blur.
They high-five again. The match goes on like this, and they’ve already won two games.
I’d like to win, but I also would like someone to put me out of my misery. This game is brutal, and my body is crying.
They play fast, sharp, and clean, and they take no prisoners. I thought I could hold my own thanks to the lesson from Corbin. But I also thought he’d be a secret weapon, being a pro athlete and all.
But nope. They’re massacring us as Ronnie watches courtside, sipping a matcha and snapping photos.
“How are we doing, Ronnie?” Tiffany calls out after Corbin misses their next missile.
“Brilliant,” he replies, then snaps another shot of the action.
If my silver eyeshadow is smeared I’m going to kill Trevyn.
But at the end of the match, I’m dead.
Just dead.
I’m breathing hard, my thighs are screaming, and my ego is bruised. But it has nothing on Corbin’s ego. He seems dazed, like he can’t believe the carnage on the court.
“Yay! We won,” Brittany shouts, and she and her pickleball friend hug fiercely. But they don’t gloat. They bounce over to the net and we join them.
“You two did so great,” Tiffany says with a bright smile.