Hired Hottie - Kelsie Rae Page 0,31
the surgery yet?”
She shakes her head. “Not yet. I’m still trying to figure out the logistics of everything. But when I do, I’ll let you know.”
“The logistics of what, Mom?”
“Payment plans. I’m getting everything taken care of, though, I promise,” she tries to reassure me.
Not in the mood to fight, I say, “Just…keep me updated.”
“I will.” She pushes herself up from her recliner then picks up Charlie’s plate. “Levi, will you help me with the dishes?”
“Sure.”
“I can help,” Charlie volunteers.
“No, no. You already dished me up,” my mom orders. “I insist.”
Sensing my mom’s need to talk privately with me, Charlie relaxes back into the cushion. “Okay. But if you change your mind, just holler.”
“I will, Charlie. We both know I don’t mind putting you to work if I need to.”
They both laugh as I follow my mom into the kitchen. Setting the dishes in the sink, I squirt a few drops of dish soap on top of them then turn on the water and grab a fresh sponge from under the cabinet.
“So,” my mom starts, placing her hands on her hips.
“So,” I mimic with a teasing grin.
“Charlie told me you bailed on her this morning.”
Quirking my brow, I reply, “I had a meeting that I’d forgotten about.”
“She told me about the meeting. What I want to know is why she also happened to run into Conner.”
“Mom—”
“I like Conner. Don’t get me wrong. But I also know Conner. And I know that he wouldn’t be at that dog place unless he had a reason to be.”
“Mom—”
“Nope. You listen to me, mister. Charlie said he asked for her number.”
“Mom—”
“Shh. I’m serious.” She purses her lips, and I can tell she’s serious right now. “This is the first time Charlie has ever brought up a boy to me that wasn’t you.”
Not me.
Her words hit their target, doing weird things to my chest. Jaw tight, I turn to the dishes and scrub the sponge against the porcelain surface with more force than necessary.
“Levi?”
“Yeah?” I grit out.
“I love Charlie.”
Tension melting, I chuckle softly. “I love Charlie, too, Mom.”
“Then why haven’t you ever asked her out?”
“Seriously?” My hands hover over the suds, the dishes completely forgotten as I turn back to my mom.
“Yes. Seriously,” she mimics. “I want to know why.”
Groaning, I say, “Mom. We’re just friends. We’ve always been just friends.”
“And when you were kids, that was acceptable. And even the past few years, I was patient enough to let you figure out how much you were missing out by not pursuing her. But now? Now you have competition, young man.” She emphasizes her point by stabbing her index finger in the flesh beneath my collarbone.
Competition?
A spark of jealousy threatens to turn into a blaze, but I shove it aside. Again.
“It’s not a competition if I’m not wanting to compete in the first place,” I mutter, the lie leaving a bitter taste in my mouth.
“And why the hell would you not want to compete? I could see it in her eyes, Levi. She was thinking about it. She was considering giving him her number. She was weighing her options. And do you want to know why?”
My shoulders hunch. “Why?”
“Because I think she’s sick of waiting for you to get your head out of your rear and see her as more than a sideline girl.”
“Sideline girl?”
She waves her hand. “You know what I mean. Someone you always run back to when you’re needing a break from the field, knowing they’ll always be there. Until one day…they’re not. And you realize how much you’ve been missing out. You sidelined Charlie before she even had a chance to play, and she’s been waiting around ever since. I gotta give her credit, though. I’d assumed she would’ve gotten tired of your crap way before now—”
“This has nothing to do with me. It’s between her and Conner.”
“Bull crap. It has everything to do with you.”
Anxious, I scrub the leftover sauce from a plate before rinsing it and setting it on the drying rack.
Does my mom know that I agreed to this insane plan? That I’m practically pimping out my best friend for my career? My stomach churns, the pasta from earlier threatening to make a second appearance.
“Levi,” she continues. Her voice is softer now. “I love you. And I’m pretty sure that girl in there loves you. But if you can’t see it, then one day you’ll wake up, and it’ll be too late.”
Exasperated, I try to explain. “We’re just—”
“Friends. I know,” she cuts me off. “But if you were