I head into the change hut and find Rhino going through his pre-jump routine. It's a method he developed for himself with some Olympic athlete guru, pumping himself up for the win and calming himself for focus.
He glances up when he sees me come in with a pair of mad she-cats, one under each arm.
“Whatup?” he says, with an amused glance.
I set the two women down and put myself in front of Kendall to shield her from another attack.
“Aah, sweet,” Justine snarls. “He's protecting the baby. Are you gonna allow that, Rhino?”
“Yeah. Are you gonna allow that Rhino?” Kendall demands. “Shouldn't you be protecting your girlfriend as well?”
“I'm trying to prepare but if you really need me,” he says all zen master.
He gets up and walks over to us. Justine tosses Kendall a triumphant smile. But that falls away when Rhino stands on Kendall's other side, so the three of us are facing her down.
“Sweet,” she sneers and turns to stalk out of the hut.
“Someone gonna explain?” Rhino asks. “No don't bother, I can imagine. I wouldn't have thought you were a brawling type, my little wild cat.”
“I don't know what's wrong with me,” Kendall shakes her head like she's emerging from amnesia.
“No sleep, no food,” I tell her as I go over to my locker.
“And you were icing me out this morning,” she says to Rhino. “When you were talking to her I just figured – you know.”
“I was repeating what I told her last night,” Rhino explains. “We were a one night thing a couple of weeks back. She wanted to know if it was because of you.”
“She was throwing me shade all day yesterday. For no reason.”
“In her mind there was reason. She could tell I was really into you. Last night she tried to entice me to stay with her. That's why I was late to the party, but I wouldn't have missed it for anything. You're the fucking best Kendall.”
“Too right,” I echo.
I return with the prize I grabbed from my locker and pull Kendall under my wing where she belongs. Then I extend the donut she wanted so bad at breakfast, impaled on my finger.
“I can only love a man that saves me that last Krispy Kreme,” she says and attacks it ravenously.
And I can only hope she goes for my cock with that much delight when I get her home later.
21
Kendall
Did I say love a while back? Well, it's because I think there's the possibility of that in my future. Don't ask me how I know. It's probably a chemical thing. You know when it doesn't work right? Without being able to say exactly what it is. With Hunter, it's the other way. I just know it could be great between us.
Rhino I can't be so sure of. He's a wild spirit. It would be like trying to tame a pair of cats when one of them is a lion from the wild. Hunter though, he's right there by my side when I need him.
When I've done my jump without a hitch, I come back to find Monica all over Derek, who arrived while we were taking off in the plane in his helicopter. I find my boss apologizing with the fake humility she rocks. For me. Saying she's never had an employee get into a public fight, sorry it was all caught on camera, blah blah blarg.
“That was my fault,” Hunter tells him.
“And mine,” Rhino adds, sparking a little bit of competition between them, that I might have to pay for later.
Then Monica looks shocked to see me greet Alicia with a hug.
“You rocked that girlfriend,” she says.
“Wasn't she great.” Hunter says. “I think she deserves a promotion.”