Page 155 of Studs Up
“If you think I’m going to step on a pitch without you, you’re fucking crazy.”
Before I could argue, Sebastian cut in.
“Okay,” he held his hands out to calm an already mostly calm situation. “Let’s not make any rash decisions right now. But we are going to have to discuss this further.”
“What the fuck is there to discuss?” Nolan grunted. “We’re together, and that’s the end of the discussion.” Nolan took my hand as though to punctuate his statement. He didn’t squeeze as hard this time.
Sebastian closed his eyes to find some control.
“Okay, fine. I’m going to go talk some sense into Goldstone before he does something stupid like call the lawyers.”
He left, shaking his head and mumbling to himself.
It wasn’t over. No sooner than Sebastian left, someone else stormed into the locker room. It was a never ending supply of shit.
This time, it was a man in a homemade crocheted blue and green Kraken hat with tendrils hanging around his head and green and blue face paint covering his features. He wore a Guardian jersey with several scarves draped around his neck—the definition of a hard core Guardian fan.
He went right for Nolan.
“Do you want to tell me why I got my wife out of her wine pj’s to get on the fucking lite rail to pick up my boys so I could answer the summons of the great and godly Nolan Reed?” He demanded. I snorted, as did many others. It was probably the most accurate description of Nolan I’d ever heard. “In the fucking Rover locker room, no less.” Then his eyes dropped to our hands and up to me, then to Nolan and back down to our hands.
He pointed at us with both index fingers.
“That’s your friend!” He cried. Who the fuck was this guy?
“Yes,” Nolan said with a confident nod. Lots of confusion and lots of questions rolled through my brain.
“Dinner invite rescinded,” the man declared, slicing the air with his hand.
“Oh no,” Nolan said flatly. “I’m devastated.”
“Um,” I opened my mouth.
“I’m his wife’s hall pass,” Nolan said loud enough for everyone to hear. “Imagine how thrilled he was to find out I’m fucking a man.”
“You told him?” I was so confused, and Nolan finally made an introduction.
“Not quite. I just wanted to ask some questions. Do you remember Ethan Spencer?”
The name rang a bell, and I had to switch gears in my head to recall.
“Yeah,” I said. “Right back. From the Guardian academy.” I had no idea what this had to do with anything.
“He’s a cop,” Nolan said. And the whole room went ‘ah’ and nodded their collective heads.
“Detective,” Ethan clarified.
“Falls under the umbrella of cop, doesn’t it?”
Ethan rolled his eyes.
“You want to tell me why I’m here,” he asked with a sigh and planted his hands on his hips.
“I know who it is,” Nolan said.
“The blackmailer?”
Nolan nodded.
