Page 34 of The Chemistry Coach
She studied him, taking in the glassiness of his eyes.The flush on his cheeks.“Oh?Whatisyour scene?”
“Somewhere quieter.I’ve never been a party person.”
“I have a quieter evening planned for tomorrow, if that helps.Just the four of us at the cabin.”
His expression softened.“That does help.I liked the video game.”
“Your nephew told me.”
“Yeah?Why were you at practice the other day?”
If he had given her the opportunity to drink a little more before he asked, she might have answered him.The podcast was her baby.She trusted the Connors, especially Beanie.But if she said her dreams out loud to too many people, it would hurt worse if she failed.Plus, she’d said some mean things about the Connor line in the earliest episodes, and she didn’t want any of them to think she didn’t have their backs.
“Curiosity, I guess,” she answered him.It wasn’t a complete lie.“You guys looked better.You were working as a team.”
“We were.It hasn’t come through in a game yet, though.”
“It will.Give it time.I can see you bonding right before my eyes.”
“Ha.Bonding.Is that what it is when I’m tempted to strangle them for the shit that comes out of their mouths?”
“They are kind of idiots.They’re adults, but twenty-one and twenty-two is barely adulthood.”
They watched the rookies flit from table to table, both boys flirting with anyone who would give them the time of day.Most people did.Their charm was hard to ignore.
Valentine stuck close to Hazy’s side.When a girl would talk to him, he’d sidestep and introduce her to Hazy.When Hazy struck out, Valentine was right behind him with another person to introduce.It seemed weird.Valentine could be using this as an opportunity to flirt for himself.As far as Daisy knew, he didn’t have any romantic attachments.
The next time Hazy and Valentine moved on from a group of people, she grinned at Connor, downed a warm shot, leaned across the table, and shouted, “Do you wanna have some fun?”
“Depends,” he said.“Is the fun karaoke or dancing that could put us in the hospital?”
She shook her head and popped the p when she said, “Nope.Watch this.”
She sifted through her clutch, reapplied her lipstick, and fluffed her hair.Then she exited the booth and strutted her way over to where Hazy talked with a woman at the bar.
He stood close enough to kiss the woman.Daisy barged right in.She slid her hand around Hazy’s shoulder, forcing him to step back and acknowledge her.
“Hi, Honey,” she said.“Are you about done here?”
He glared at her.She looped her arm around his waist and pulled him into her, gazing at him with the most adoring smile she could muster.Then she stuck out her hand to the woman, who seemed beyond confused.
“I’m Daisy.”
The woman shook her hand and said, “I’m Amber.”It was more of a question than a statement.
Daisy squeezed between Hazy and Amber, forcing Hazy away from the woman.“Do you live around here?”
“Yeah,” Amber said.“I live in town.You don’t?”
Daisy shook her head.“We live in the city.I come for work sometimes, though.This bar reminds me of my hometown.”
The woman warmed to Daisy, and Hazy threw his arms in the air in frustration.He stalked back to the booth.When he was out of earshot, she told Amber, “Him and I aren’t together, but we have a bet going.Want to give them a show?”
Amber grinned.“I did kind of like him.He’s fucking hot.But messing with him is fun too.”
Amber reached out and stroked Daisy’s arm, and Daisy stepped closer.“It’s the standard phone number bet.If I win, he has to sing a karaoke song.I’m ninety percent sure I can get the three guys I came with to sing an NSYNC song by the end of the night.”
Amber threw her head back and laughed.“I can’t wait to see that.”She stepped closer to Daisy, their bodies almost flush together and, leaning forward, whispered in her ear, “Brush my hair out of my face.”
