Page 22 of The Linebacker

But they were plenty alone enough to be able to converse without anyone overhearing.

It was worth a shot.

“Hey, man, listen. I just?—”

“We are not friends,” Jalen said coolly. “And do not give me any bullshit about how you had no idea, blah, blah, blah, blah.”

“That was a lot of blahs.”

“Fuck off.”

“Right. Anyway, no bullshit here.”

“I see how you look at her. My advice? Stay the fuck away from her.” Jalen stared straight ahead. Tense as fuck. The tick in his cheek was a dead giveaway, if his stance hadn’t been already.

Diana called Jalen’s name. He plastered a smile on his face and jogged over to her side.

Well. That didn’t go well.

Also, seriously, what the fuck was the guy’s problem? According to Diana, they weren’t a thing, had never been a thing. If they hooked up, it had only been once—if Diana was telling the truth about her family curse.

Amil was confident she was. She wouldn’t lie about that sort of insecurity.

And while, sure, he was a little bit starry-eyed himself, he understood the lines that should not be crossed. If a row of her former lovers lined up across from him, he may give them all a once-over and probably try to work out exactly what her type was, but that would be the end of it.

She didn’t want anyone for more than a one-night thing, so why bother getting upset about it?

“All right, ladies and gentlemen, I see our new guy over there, waiting patiently for his chance to hang out with the animals,” Diana shouted at the crowd. She worked right into his stats with the 49ers, even threw in a few of his more impressive wins from his college days. She’d done her research. Would have been nice if she’d asked him personally, but whatever. She still made him sound good.

“Amil is going to join me in the cat area,” Diana continued. “If anyone wants to get to know the newest Mountain Lion—or better yet, wants to adopt a cat today, come with us!”

He should not. He absolutely should not. He was supposed to be trying to make friends, not antagonize anyone. He should be the bigger person.

He really should be.

Diana motioned at him, a cheery smile on her lips.

He glanced over at Jalen.

And grinned.

Chapter

Eight

“The only reason you are in here with me is because you were the last one added to the list for this event,” Diana hissed at Amil once they were inside the cat room.

Yes, she actually hissed. Jesus, was she turning into a cat?

Or, more accurately, a feral woman. A feral, horny woman.

Ugh.

The cat room was a glassed in area about the size of a mudroom, with half a dozen cat trees, a bunch of hammocks hanging between them, just as many litter boxes, and tiny stuffed mice everywhere.

The humane society staff was going to let in two fans at a time, and they were currently giving the first pair a detailed explanation of what to expect, which allowed Diana a moment to talk to Amil without anyone overhearing.

“You’re the one who added me at the last minute,” he pointed out in that annoyingly logical way of his.