gave her his annoyingly charming grin.
To her surprise, it didn’t bother her so much anymore.
CASH
It had taken three attempts before Kenadi actually picked up his Facetime call. Seeing her in a gray t-shirt, baggy cardigan, and glasses with her braids tied back in a colorful scarf was not the image he had anticipated.
“Why aren’t you dressed?”
“I’m dressed! I worked from home today.” She gestured to her unicorn print pajama pants.
“You have a date tonight, remember? You’re meeting him in an hour for drinks.”
She rolled her eyes before scrunching up her nose in displeasure. “Do I have to?”
“Guppies before sharks.” He dangled the reminder like a proverbial carrot. “Unless you changed your mind about C.K.”
“Fine. I’ll throw on some jeans and a clean t-shirt.”
Cash ran a hand over his face. “Can you at least pretend to try, Kenadi?”
She pulled the glasses from her face reluctantly. “You’ll get what you get. Text me the address.”
He could have sworn he heard her mutter something about a dating dictator just before the screen went black.
Cash slid his valet ticket into his pocket, eager to get inside and set up date surveillance. He walked in and stopped short, immediately spotting her at the bar laughing and having what appeared to be an in-depth conversation. Seeing as how he’d had to remind of her date, he hadn’t expected her to be on time.
He also hadn’t expected her to look the way she did.
The girl who was just wearing pajama pants and a coffee-stained t-shirt was now perched on the barstool in tight jeans, heels revealing a perfect pedicure, and a knotted crop top that hugged her full chest.
The hidden memory of her changing out of her wet dress instantly shot to the forefront of his mind. He quickly banished the thought in an attempt to focus on the present.
The self-proclaimed bad dater looked like she was having the time of her life. She didn’t even move away when dating-app-Danny touched her elbow as he leaned in to speak.
It was the oldest trick in the book. Cash used it regularly.
Cash: Meet me by the bathrooms.
He spied her surreptitious glance at her phone.
Kenadi: Why?
Cash: Just hurry.
He watched as she tucked her bag under her arm and excused herself. Her scowl grew with every step she took toward him. She was coming in hot. He quickly found himself doing something he didn’t often do on the field: fumbling. A good reason or explanation would be needed to extinguish her fiery glare—and he had neither.
“What is so important, huh? Things were going good…I think.”
“It went fine. Now, it’s over. Come on, let’s get out of here.”
Cash smiled softly as he took her by the elbow, stopping short only when he realized she wasn’t moving.
“You’re the one who made me get all dressed up and now you’re telling me to run out on him?”
“Trust me. I’m doing you a favor. You’re doing just fine, but the guy is a dud. He just keeps looking at you.”
She blinked in confusion.
“Look! It’s not what he did, it’s how he was doing it.”
Kenadi huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. Cash did his best to ignore the way it pushed up her breasts and bared a bit more of her flat midriff. He refocused his eyes on her face where her full lips twisted to the side in frustration.
“Do you know how much I had to pay for valet? And I didn’t even get to finish my drink.”
“I’ll make it up to you. Hey, we can go bowling!”
“Bowling?”
“I know a really nice alley not too far from here. We can hang out and re-strategize for date number two. What do you say?”
• • •
“Another strike for me!”
Kenadi punched the air in victory as she did a little dance around him. He didn’t know why she’d agreed to date-ditch poor old Danny, but he was grateful. It was a relief not to go back to his big empty house.
“You don’t have to announce it every time, you know.”
She pouted in derision. “Oh, is someone a poor sport? You don’t like getting spanked by a girl?”
“Don’t tempt me, girl. Sit down and stop distracting me.”
Kenadi’s laughter was full, rich, and came in contagious waves. He couldn’t stop smiling even as the bowling ball left his hand and immediately veered left into the gutter.
She laughed even harder, causing him to join her.
It felt like an eternity before they were able to look at one another again without dissolving into another fit.
“Is Caleb this bad at bowling too?”
Cash