Page 18 of Game Over

“You wanna get onto me for sleeping in late, but you’re still in those pajamas.” I teased her and laughed when she got this angry little bunch between her brows and scrunched her nose up. She looked like a mad little bunny.

“You leave me and my comfy pajamas alone. I didn’t feel like changing or doing anything, so I’ve been relaxing this morning with Dolly. Besides, Sunday is the day of rest or whatever they say.”

“Sure, sure, day of rest. Hey, speaking of, is she named after Dolly Parton?” I asked, curious to learn more about her.

“You mean the South's Queen? Yes. Yes, she is. Problem with that, buddy?” She had a fire in her, and I wanted to dig it out more. I liked that she didn’t back down from a challenge and wasn’t afraid to say what she meant.

“Oh no, no, no problem, I was just curious. Speaking of the little devil, where is she?” She flipped the camera around, and Dolly was sprawled all along the bed, taking up most of it like she owned the place. I could also see Allie’s thighs and part of her calves peeking out from the blanket too. Now I was thinking about those legs again and how I wanted them wrap⁠—

“Any plans for the day?” My train of thought was broken by Allie flipping the camera back around to finish talking to me. I shook my head because I didn’t want to go down that train of thought yet. I wanted to show her that I wanted to know who she was, not just her body.

“Nothing really, since it’s Sunday and I have work tomorrow. What about you?”

“Same. I was gonna rest and maybe catch up on reading and lie around. I have so much I have to do this week, I don’t know how much free time I’ll have.” She flopped back on the bed and held the phone close to her face, and I could see the little furrow of her brow that I wish could smooth out for her. “It’s been really stressful, and we’ve had to be on site more lately, which is frustrating because there are always so many people, and I hate it. I don’t do well with crowds usually. On top of that, my little sister has some school programs this week too that I have to fit in, and it’s very overwhelming.” She chuckled slightly to herself. “Sorry, that was probably a lot for a conversation when you first wake up.”

“There’s no need to apologize. It certainly sounds like a lot. Is there anything I could do for you?” I asked because I was hoping maybe I could come see her, but also because I wanted to help her any way I could too.

“Oh, no, that’s okay, but I’m gonna go ahead and apologize if you don’t hear from me much this week or see me. I know it’ll be crazy, and I know I’ll have to prioritize work.”

“I promise you don’t have to apologize for things you can’t control, pretty girl. Work is important to you, and I won’t be upset when you have to focus on that.”

“You’re sweet, thank you. If you don’t have any plans today, would you maybe want to come over and hang out? I was going to make some homemade lasagna for dinner. I know we work tomorrow, so you don’t have to, I promise.” Her eyes darted around the screen, and I could sense the anxiety in asking me to come over.

“I’d love to come over, sweetheart. I need to shower and eat a little something, but I can head over after that if you’d like?” I tried not to sound too excited, and hoped she’d say yes.

“Yeah, that sounds good! I probably need to get up and change too. Just shoot me a text when you’re on the way, okay?” She was already throwing the covers back and climbing out of bed.

“Will do beautiful, I’ll see you soon. Bye.”

“Bye!”

I practically jumped up out of bed and sprinted to the shower. I was so glad I did laundry on Friday, so I didn’t have to worry about it today in case I was over there late. After I got out, I went to the closet to get dressed, going with jeans and a T-shirt since we were going to be hanging out at her house.

I made a last-minute decision to stop at Brewed Stories to surprise her with an iced coffee since I had seen her share a picture of a favorite order on her socials and had screenshot it in case I ever needed it. After I got the two drinks, I texted her that I was on the way. I couldn’t wait to see her, and couldn’t believe I was actually feeling nervous like I was a teenager again. I didn’t know what we’d do, but it didn’t matter as long as I got time with her. Especially after that fucking request last night and a shitty night’s sleep. I needed something to brighten my day, and Allie was just the remedy I needed.

CHAPTER 10

Old School Country

Changing in record time, I threw on some comfy sweat shorts and my favorite oversized Fall Out Boy tee. It was from their From Under The Cork Tree era, and was well-loved and worn in. I brushed my teeth, ran a cotton round with some micellar water over my face, and quickly clipped my hair back.

I ran around the kitchen and living room like a madwoman, making sure it was as spotless as I could get it. My mind was running a million miles a minute, trying to make sure everything looked good. Do I leave the curtains open? What about candles? Will he care if I light them? What if he doesn’t like the smell? Why was I overthinking this?

“Fucking hell, Allie, get a grip bitch.” Stopping in the middle of the living room, I closed my eyes, counted back from ten, and took some deep breaths. Once I calmed my racing heart and mind, I lit some candles and fluffed the cushions on the couch. Again. Possibly a third time too, just for good measure. By the time I got done, Spencer had texted me that he was on the way. The room was bathed in buttery light as I spun and took one final glance to make sure everything looked good.

The walls of the living room were a vibrant green, and plants hung from the ceiling or were scattered around in pots. I had also accumulated some of my grandparents’ old decor—like some of my granny’s needlework projects or their paintings—once they passed, and it added an old-country charm to the space that made it feel cozy. It helped me always feel close to them too.

“Alright, Dolly, we need to have a serious conversation, okay?” I knelt down. “And I need you to be on your best behavior and maybe don’t act crazy. Can we do it? I’ll give you all the treats if you can do that for me.” She just stared at me like I was crazy—which, yes, I was sitting on the floor talking to my dog, so maybe I was. Fifteen minutes went by before I caught the glint of the sun hitting his car as he pulled into my driveway. A few moments later, I heard a knock at the front door, which of course made Dolly start barking.

“Please, girl, best behavior.” I pleaded with her as I opened the door and was greeted by two delicious sights. Spencer, in jeans, and an iced coffee in hand.

“Hey there, sweetheart. I stopped and got us a pick-me-up before coming over,” he said as he shook the cups, making the ice rattle and some droplets of condensation fall off the cup.

I usually wasn’t into the whole pet name thing, but I was very much here for him calling me sweetheart. No one had given me a nickname before either. The way he said it so endearingly set off butterflies in my stomach.

“Those look amazing, thank you. You didn’t have to do that, though. Here come on in.” He stepped in, and I shut the door behind him. Looking at the label, I saw it was an iced white chocolate mocha with caramel drizzle. “How did you know what my iced coffee order was?”

“Well, I may or may not have looked over some of your posts and saw you had shared it, so hopefully it’s still the same,” he answered quietly, and I could see a blush start to spread over his cheeks, which was the cutest thing. The butterflies really took flight, knowing he made sure to get something he knew I liked. I swallowed down the lump in my throat and tried to tame the emotions that wanted to bubble up at something so small.