Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 101505 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 508(@200wpm)___ 406(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101505 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 508(@200wpm)___ 406(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
Jesse and Carter lock eyes for a few seconds. Carter finally laughs, breaking the tension. “I’m kidding.” Carter says. “No need to get your golden thong in a twist.”
Caroline bursts out laughing. “I still can’t believe you guys wear that for luck.”
“It works,” Maddox says. “I charted our win percentage with and without the golden thongs. Ever since Andi got each of us one for Christmas, we’re clearly up.”
“Yeah,” Caroline snorts. “I bet you’re all ‘up’ when you slip those things on in the locker room together.”
“I just like to get Jesse riled up from time to time. I know your wifey likes seeing you get all hot and bothered on her behalf. You can thank me later for the opportunity, Jesse.”
Andi pretends to swoon, fanning herself to cool off as she smiles up at Jesse. He grins.
Caroline notices me leaving and hops off her chair, jogging to catch up with me. “Hey, Nolan, wait up.”
I pause outside the front door, hands in my pockets. She comes out and looks up at me. “I wanted to ask you about Mia’s interview. She was heading to Taste when I saw her last. I figured it is probably over by now. Do you know how it went?”
“No idea,” I say.
She eyes me, and I realize she’s pissed. “You’re screwing everything up. You do realize that, right?”
Another lecture? I honestly don’t have the patience for this. “Alright. Noted,” I say as I start toward my car. I should’ve just gone to the cabin and risked running into Mia at this rate.
I hear Caroline following after me. “Mia is such a good person. I don’t get why you’re like this toward her.”
I finally stop with my hand on the door handle. I stare at my reflection in the frosty window of the car. There’s plenty I want to say to her. Instead, I just shake my head. “I don’t owe anything to anyone.”
“Spoken like a real great guy and amazing teammate,” Caroline bites back.
I yank the door open, sit down, and back out without looking at her again.
Has everybody in my life lost their damn minds? Or am I the crazy one?
I wish I knew I had a peaceful bed to go back to and lay down in. Instead, I know I’m walking into another battle, because Mia is probably going to be at the cabin by now. She’s going to be there, and I’m still going to be fucking stewing from seeing the way she was looking at Zander and the way he was looking at her.
This should be fun.
7
MIA
I’m humming as I cook. I decided to make something simple but delicious tonight. Ever since I became more confident in the kitchen, I’ve found the recipes I choose are heavily influenced by my mood. When I want to challenge myself or I feel low, I tend to seek out complex, technical recipes. When I’m happy and at my best, I just want something I can cook with my hair back, a smile on my face, and no fuss.
Tonight, it’s my greek inspired chicken with homemade flatbread and tzatziki sauce. It has been marinating for about an hour and I’m heating the cast-iron when I text Andi and Caroline to go ahead and come over. I planned to cook for them yesterday, but the night got away from me so I promised I’d do it today.
I told them they had forty minutes in the text, which should give them plenty of time to make it from Jesse’s cabin outside town.
I called Andi after landing the job at Taste this morning and learned a few interesting bits of information. One was that Nolan apparently showed up shortly after my interview, clearly fuming and mad. It sounded like he rushed off from the cabin just a few minutes after arriving.
I also learned that all the starters aside from Nolan are actually staying with Jesse at his cabin. So Nolan was clearly full of shit when he told me I couldn’t leave last night to go stay with Andi because Jesse would want privacy with his wife. I should’ve guessed it.
Any other day, I would probably be pissed right now. I can’t seem to stay mad, though. I got the job. I got the freaking job. I can be mad later.
I’m chopping vegetables and humming along with a little sway in my hips to the music playing from my phone when the door opens.
Nolan steps inside, pauses at the sight of me, then kicks the door shut behind him. “What are you doing?” he asks.
“Making dinner,” I said. “Are you going to eat with us?”
“Us?” he asks. A flash of rage touches his expression as he approaches me, eyes flicking between mine like he’s searching for something. “Do not tell me Zander fucking Russo is coming over for dinner.”