Page 64 of Punked By the Playmaker
Under the white foam, his cheeks pinkened. “Oh, we don’t have to,” he began to protest.
“Of course we don’thave to, but this is a memory I don’t want to forget. Especially since it’s not something I’ll get to do with Maisie.”
His chest puffed out a little when he realized that this was a special moment and I was treating it as such. “Yeah, okay.”
Whipping my phone out of my pocket, I pointed the camera at the mirror, then tossed an arm over Austin’s shoulder. “Okay, smiling or not smiling?”
With a dip of his chin, the teen declared. “Not smiling.”
“Good call. Shaving is very serious business for manly men.” The last few words were uttered in an overly exaggerated gruff voice that had Austin biting back a grin.
Snapping the pic, I checked the image to make sure neither of us had blinked, then set my cell down on the counter.
“Time for the razor.” I made a show of holding the piece of molded plastic up like a magic wand before bringing it beside myear. “With your free hand, you want to pull the skin taut, then glide downward in short, even strokes.”
There was a scraping sound as the blades sheared off the quarter-inch of stubble I usually sported, leaving behind a strip of smooth skin.
“Go ahead and give it a try,” I prompted as I continued working to shave the rest of my face.
After a beat of hesitation, Austin brought the razor to his cheek and mimicked my motions. He didn’t have much hair there, but this would be good practice for when he did.
“Make sure to rinse out the blade to keep it clean,” I cautioned, running mine beneath the flowing water every couple of strokes.
When his jaw was free of shaving cream, I said, “I like to save my upper lip for last. Stretch it out over your top row of teeth, then go from one side to the other.”
Soon, we both had completely hairless faces, and I admired our handiwork in the mirror.
“Damn, we are a couple of good-looking guys, aren’t we?”
Austin offered me a half shrug. “Maybe.”
“Nah, come on, man.” I gave his shoulder a playful shove. “You gotta have confidence. Girls dig a guy who walks with some swagger because he knows he’s got it going on.”
He fixed me with a side-eye. “How’s that working out for you with my sister?”
“Oof, shots fired.” I clutched at my chest like I’d been wounded.
Humming, Austin remarked, “That’s what I thought.”
“She’s a tough nut to crack, your sister, but I’m making progress.” He arched a doubtful eyebrow, so I amended, “Slowly.” At a snail’s pace, really.
“Good luck with that,” he tossed over his shoulder on his way out of the bathroom. Pausing on the threshold, he turned. “Thanks for this, Levi.”
“Anytime, bud.”
By the time I cleaned up the bathroom, it was almost dinner time, and I was surprised to find the whole crew hanging out in the kitchen. Arizona must’ve made it home while I was still upstairs.
“Hey, how was your day?” I asked in greeting.
She spun around, opened her mouth to respond, but her lips quickly slammed shut again. Head cocking to the side, she surveyed me with a stare so intense that I began to squirm.
“What’s wrong?”
Her forehead creased. “Your face.”
“Oh.” My hand flew to my cheek, checking for blood. “Did I nick myself?”
“No.” She shook her head. “You shaved.”
