Page 56 of Hard Count
“Fuck. I’m supposed to be at practice,” Piper said, turning away from the window.
“Call in sick,” Noah said, leaning back against the counter.
Piper picked up his phone.
Messages flooded in. He didn’t open any of them. He opened a message to his coach, and typed.Not feeling well. Need the day.
He stared at the screen knowing full well he never missed practice, then he finally hit send.
The response came back quickly.
Rest. Be ready tomorrow.
Piper read it, then set the phone down.
Behind him, Noah picked up his own. “I’m out too.”
Piper turned. “You don’t have to.”
“I know.” Noah sent it without looking up.
The sky still blue, the sun burning through the floor to ceiling windows. The hard ending verse ofMiss Worldfilled the bedroom.
Piper’s phone buzzed. It was a message from Jayson.Why are you not at practice?
Piper kept staring at it knowing he was pouring salt over an open wound by being in Seattle.
Then a message from Vivienne. Remember we have a cocktail party tonight.
He locked the phone. Set it down. Then he turned to Noah. “I think I need to fly back to L.A.”
Chapter Twenty-One: Los Angeles
The cocktail event ran exactly as Vivienne described.
Lovergirlby Teena Marie filled the room.
Piper stood near the bar with a glass of champagne and waited to be released from yet another party he did not want to be at.
A league VP he recognized but couldn’t name stopped nearby.
“Great game Sunday.”
“Thank you.”
“You and Reyes are really something this year.”
“The level of play across the league has been exceptional.”
The man laughed as if Piper had said something charming. Piper held his expression steady. He knew the difference between saying something and giving someone something that they wanted to hear, and this guy wanted the details.
A woman joined them. Media pass, probably, mid-forties, tired looking.
“You and Noah Reyes. Is it as competitive off the field as it looks on television?”
“Competition lives at the game level, and we don’t have a personal relationship,” Piper said. “Off the field, we’re professionals.”
“But you respect each other.”
