Second String (In Too Deep #3)

by McMillin, Casey

  Josh laughed. "I should've known he'd make you make it up," he said. "So, are you spending the night up there?"

  "Hopefully," I said. "The other times I've gone up there to see her, I didn't have the option of spending the night since I had to work the next day."

  "But, tomorrow…" Josh said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

  "Tomorrow I do not have to work," I said.

  "Did you already ask her if you could stay at her place? Because if not, Collin won't care if you stay with him and Rachel."

  "I didn't ask her yet, but I'm not staying with Collin. She'll invite me to stay at her place."

  "What if she doesn't? Do you have a back up plan?"

  "I won't need a backup plan," I said. "I've got a new tux and the element of surprise."

  "What do you mean by surprise? Doesn't she know you're in town?"

  "No. I just asked her what she was doing on Valentine's Day and she said she was working. I didn't even tell her why I was asking."

  "And she wasn't the least bit curious?" Josh asked. "She must know about the banquet. She lives with Gretchen and Joel. You know they're going."

  I shrugged. "She didn't ask, and I didn't offer any details. Whatever. She'll still be surprised when I show up at the game."

  ****

  I was glad Coach made me go to the charity thing. The place was filled with people worth knowing—important people with money and connections and connections to money. I made more than a few acquaintances during the course of the night that could be beneficial in the future. It was only the slightest bit awkward that I'd shown up at a Valentine's Day shindig without a date. Only a few people asked me why I didn't bring a friend or something.

  At one point in the conversation, Gretchen mentioned Emily and the fact that she had to work that night, and everyone looked at me, assuming the sheer mention of her name would draw some sort of reaction. I didn't give them the satisfaction. I did, however, leave the function long before it was over. I wanted to make sure I had time to make it to the Lakers game before it ended.

  By the time I got to the Staples Center and found a parking place it was just after ten o'clock. I rushed inside, loosening my tie so I wouldn't feel so out of place in the clothes I'd worn to the charity event. It was a casual tux (if there is such a thing) and it had been tailored to fit. I felt good in it, and that was a good thing because I knew wearing a tux to a basketball game was bound to attract some attention. In spite of leaving the banquet early, I knew I'd be cutting it close to make it there before the game was over.

  I didn't have a ticket, so I decided to walk right past the ushers as if I owned the place. It worked. No one asked me a thing. I caught sight of the giant jumbotron, and was relieved to see that there were a few minutes left on the clock. I considered standing in the isle until the game was over, but figured I'd be better off finding a place to sit. The Lakers were losing, and the crowd, for the most part, seemed to have lost hope for a comeback. I had no problem finding an empty seat.

  Just seconds after I sat down, one of the teams called a time out. Music came out of the speakers, and Laker Girls began dancing on the court. They had on shiny, purple uniforms that revealed more than they covered. It took me a few seconds to find Emily since she was near the back. Given the fact that it was just a time out, the routine was extremely brief, but my eyes were locked on her. Her smile was contagious. I couldn't help but return it, even though I knew she hadn't seen me.

  She looked so beautiful and confident out there, and she never missed a step. Her legs were muscular, her abs were tight, and her hair was hanging over her shoulders in loose waves that swayed as she danced. I found myself fantasizing about her and the private dance she'd be giving me. I primarily watched her, but I couldn't help but take in all the sights as the ladies left the court. All of the Laker Girls were really hot. Whoever was in charge obviously knew what they were doing… but none of the others even compared to Emily. There was just something about her that drew me. I drank in the sight of her as they walked off the court, loving the fact that she had no idea I was there.

  I started walking toward courtside when there were only seconds left in the game. The final buzzer sounded, and the deflated Laker fans began to stand from their seats to leave the arena. I knew I'd have to get her attention somehow, but hesitated to rush onto the court.

  One of the other Laker Girls actually spotted me first. It wasn't surprising that I'd caught someone's attention. Not only did I have on a tux, but I was also headed toward the court when the vast majority of the crowd around me was headed in the opposite direction. The girl smiled broadly at me. I recognized a beautiful girl when I saw one, but my attentions were focused on the blonde standing behind her who was preoccupied with talking to someone else. The girl who'd been smiling at me noticed my attention was focused on Emily, so she stepped back and gave Emily a nudge, telling her to look in my direction.

  The shocked expression that came over Emily's face when she saw me was absolutely priceless. She began walking toward me with wide eyes and a huge smile on her face.

  "What are you doing here?" she asked. She was grinning from ear to ear, and it made me feel good that she was so happy to see me.

  "I had a thing… some Valentine's Day thing that my coach wanted me to make an appearance at." I gestured at my outfit as if that should have all been obvious by the way I was dressed.

  Her smile stayed in place, but I could tell it had gone from genuine to slightly forced.

  "You went to a Valentine's thing, and now you're here?" she asked. I cocked my head at her, confused. I wasn't sure why she felt the need to go over either of those things, until I figured out that she thought I'd been at the banquet with another girl.

  "Yeah, and the girl I wanted to take to the party had to work, so I ended up going stag."

  Her smile returned. (Well, I shouldn’t say it returned since it had never left, but the genuineness of it returned.)

  "I like the outfit," I said, pointing at her little purple boy shorts.

  "I like yours," she said.

  Three or four other Laker Girls crowded around, waiting to be introduced.

  "I'm Hannah," one girl said, sticking her hand out for me to shake.

  "Ethan," I said, smiling as I took her hand.

  "Oh, Ethan! I've heard about you. You're a swimmer, right?"

  I smiled. "I am," I said.

  "I heard about you coming in first place at some swim meet you had in Austin the weekend we helped Emily move." She looked at Emily. "Isn't that the same one?"

  Emily nodded, and I had to school my expression. I certainly hadn't expected her to bring up the meet in Austin. I hoped no one could sense the guilt I was suddenly feeling about the events that transpired with Sabrina after the meet.

  "You don’t live in L.A., do you?" Hannah asked. I was relieved for the change of topic.

  "San Diego," I said, smiling at her.

  "Oh really? I have an aunt who lives there. I love it. I go every chance I get."

  "I love it too," I said. "I was born there, and have never lived any place else. I travel when I can, but I've always liked it there."

  "I like traveling too," Hannah said.

  Emily, who had been watching the exchange with great interest, felt the need, at that point to reach out and grab my hand. She dropped it almost as soon as she picked it up, but the statement had been made. "I'm just going to grab my things," she said. "You can come wait outside the locker room if you want."

  I met the other girls who'd gathered around to see who Emily was talking to before we all started off for the locker room so Emily could change and grab her things. She most likely expected that I'd be going back to San Diego that night since I never, ever had a Saturday off. I wondered how she'd react to the news that I was planning on spending the night.

  Chapter 13

  Emily

  Hannah literally punched me on the shoulder for having such a gorgeous guy here to pick me up. "What is he,
a freaking model? Are you dating? How come you never talk about him? I thought you were with some football guy. How can anyone possibly be better than that?" She pointed at the door that led to the court—the one Ethan was standing behind.

  "I never said anything about a football guy," I said defensively. "Where'd you get that? And no. I'm not dating Ethan… at least not officially." I added that last part so she wouldn't get any big ideas about trying to go after him.

  "I helped you move, remember? I saw the box with all your scrapbook crap. I figured that football guy was your boyfriend. Why else would you have all that?"

  I felt my face flush at the thought of Jeremy and all scrapbook "crap" I'd saved about him over the years. Was it really a whole box full? Probably so. "That's a guy I grew up with. A good friend of mine who ended up having an amazing college football career," I said, feeling like I had to explain myself. "Ethan's a good athlete too. He's probably going to swim in the Olympics this year."

  "Dang, girl!" she said, pushing at me playfully. "What are you doing in here when you have a smoking hot Olympic athlete out there waiting for you?"

  "You're right," I said smiling. I was mostly just relieved she'd been content not to pursue the subject of Jeremy and all the things I'd saved about him.

  It took me less than two minutes to clip my hair back and change into my street clothes. I checked myself in the mirror before I grabbed my bag and told the girls I'd be seeing them soon. Several of them peered out of the door behind me, trying to catch a glimpse of the gorgeous, sharp dressed guy who'd come to pick me up.

  He smiled at me when we caught sight of each other. "How much time do you have?" I asked, knowing he'd need to get back to San Diego to get a decent night's sleep. I was thinking we could go to this little diner I really liked for a slice of pie. A good slice of pie was one of my weaknesses, and this place had the best I'd ever tasted.

  "All night," he said.

  I was confused. Was he telling me he wasn't worried about what time he got on the road? "I don't want you to be exhausted when you drive. You'll get in an accident. I was thinking we could grab a slice of pie at this place I really like. It's a—"

  "I don't have to leave," he cut in. "I can stay the night in L.A." He paused, taking in my reaction. I must have still looked confused because he continued, "I'm not swimming tomorrow."

  I got suddenly nervous and excited at the prospect of having Ethan at my apartment all night. Holy cow. I did a quick mental evaluation of the state of affairs at my place. My worst nightmare would be that there was something about Jeremy lying around. Not that I had a shrine to him or anything, but Hannah's earlier interest in my Jeremy collection had me anxious that I had more of it than I realized.

  He obviously picked up on the worry that crossed my face. "I don't have to stay the night at your place if it makes you uncomfortable," he said. "Collin and Rachel said I could crash in their extra bedroom."

  "No. God no. Of-of course not," I stuttered. Making other arrangements was the last thing I wanted him to do. I was almost certain there was nothing to do with Jeremy in plain sight, and if I was wrong, I was reasonably sure Ethan wouldn't even notice. In that moment, I was pretty pissed at myself that Jeremy memorabilia was even an issue. Looking at the huge, beautiful boy in front of me, I couldn't even imagine why I was holding on to any of that stuff anyway. "Do you want to follow me to my place?" I asked.

  I hoped he didn't sense any hesitation on my end, but in addition to the worries I was already having, it crossed my mind that I'd have to strategically choose roads that made my car trouble as unassuming as possible. This would mean going out of my way to avoid the freeway. Normally I didn't mind driving on the freeway, as long as it was a really short distance. I just went slow, and let other people pass me.

  "Why don’t we leave your car here so you can ride with me?" he asked. "We can come back and get it in the morning, and maybe hit that pie joint while we're at it."

  "Yes!" I said, probably a little too quickly. I was so relieved to have the car issue off the table.

  ****

  There was absolutely nothing Jeremy related in plain sight, thank God. I should have known that, but Hannah had made me nervous. Ethan had been to my place before, but never with plans to spend the night. I couldn't help the surge of excitement that ran through me when he dropped his keys and overnight bag on the kitchen counter and bent to greet Sal. "Hey boy. I've been missing you," he said. "You been taking care of Em for me?" He looked up at me. "I brought him one of those bones that clean their teeth. Can I give it to him?"

  I couldn't believe he'd done something so considerate. "Are you kidding?" I asked. "You're gonna have a friend for life."

  He opened the front zipper of his duffel and pulled out a big, green bone shaped like a toothbrush. Sal, who could now smell what was going on, started to wag his tail with such enthusiasm that his whole back end wiggled back and fourth.

  "Should I make him sit or anything?" Ethan asked, looking at me.

  Sal sat down so quickly it was almost as if he'd understood Ethan's question. Truth was, Sal automatically sits any time there's a treat in his vicinity. Ethan looked impressed regardless. I smiled and Ethan handed Sal the treat. My now drooling dog gingerly took it from Ethan's hand and disappeared into the living room to eat in peace.

  I moved a little closer to Ethan, who pulled me into a gentle hug. I still had a layer of glitter that was begging for some hot water and shower gel. I glanced at the clock on the microwave. It was almost eleven, and we had a whole night ahead of us. I was nervous. I'd spent a night with Ethan before, but that was way back in Vegas. I'd developed something akin to feelings for him now, and that changed everything. I wasn't quite sure what would happen between us, but I was almost sure it'd be a little more than a kiss. A shower would help me right now. Not just for the glitter, but also for the nervous energy I was feeling.

  "There are a few bottles of wine in the cabinet that Bruce Willis left here when he sold the place to Joel," I said. "Make yourself at home. I'm going to jump in a quick shower."

  "Bruce Willis wine, huh? I might have to try some just to say I did."

  "You should. Do you want me to pour you a glass?"

  "I got it. Go take your shower."

  By the time I was done showering, Ethan had finished his first glass of wine and had poured a second. We sat on the sofa, close enough for me to feel a little body heat, but not close enough to touch. He'd taken off his tux jacket and tie. The first few buttons of his shirt and his cuffs were unbuttoned. He had on a simple white vest that I hadn't even noticed when he had his jacket on. He had impeccable taste in clothing, and I wondered what it was like to have enough money to always buy the finer things. That reminded me…

  "Hey," I said. "I heard a rumor that you have a boatload of money. Is there any truth to that?"

  He shot me the playful overconfident grin that I was growing so fond of. "I thought you knew," he said. "I got more than I know what to do with."

  I could tell he was being silly, so I pressed a little. "Seriously. I heard you had the kind of money that could buy you a house like this." I gestured toward the main house letting him know I wasn't just talking about the guesthouse. "Why are you still living with Josh in that apartment?" Collin had asked me not to mention it, but I thought Ethan and I had gotten close enough for me to ask. I worried for a second that maybe I had overstepped my bounds, and he really didn't want me to know about his money. He hadn't, after all, mentioned it to me himself. All of a sudden I regretted how forward I was being with my questions. He smiled, letting me know he was okay with answering.

  "I didn't start out living with Josh. I was living with Collin until he moved to L.A. to be with Rachel. To answer your question, yes, I did get a monetary gift when I turned twenty-one, and yes it is enough to buy a nice house. Maybe not like this one, but nice. I was living with Collin in the apartment before I got the gift. I chose to continue living with him afterward because he's the best there is
at a sport that I'm trying to compete in. It was doing me good to have someone who could constantly push me to get better. I loved living with Collin because his skills forced me to be a better swimmer, but there was also an element of just liking him as a roommate." Ethan paused and smiled. I could tell he was thinking back. "Josh, on the other hand, happened by accident. Don't get me wrong, I like having Josh as a roommate, but it's not about swimming with him. He was going through a nasty divorce at the exact same time Collin was moving out. It made sense for Josh to take over Collin's room and part of the lease, and I couldn't bear to leave him alone when he was hurting like that."

  I took a minute to think about everything he'd just said before I responded. I was tempted to thank him for being so open and honest with me, but instead opted for silliness to give him a way out of the heart to heart. "So you're basically saying I can pick out anything I want for my birthday?"

  He put a fist to his chin and looked at me like he was really evaluating something. It was a stare that spoke of really having his thinking cap on. I had absolutely no idea what he was going to say. He stood up and grabbed his phone from the ottoman, plugging it in to the amazing sound system that came with the place. Bruce Willis must have liked his guests to have a good listening experience, because the speakers and subwoofer that were built into the wall were absolutely top of the line.

  Ethan pushed a few buttons on his phone, and flipped a light switch that turned off the main lights in the room. Suddenly there was mood lighting and the low-rumbling sound of a song with a good beat. I recognized the song as soon as it started to play. It was a song by T.I. called Whatever You Like. I covered my mouth with my hands and started to giggle as he started to perfectly mouth the lyrics and move to the beat. He danced to the song as if he'd written it himself. Dressed in the remnants of the tux, he looked like he should be getting paid for the performance. His body moved and rolled in seductive gestures that had me alternating between giggles and breathlessness. He was officially giving me the private dance I should be giving him.