“Who are you talking to?” I hear a man’s voice in the background, my ears pricking up.
”Is that him? Put me on speakerphone!”
“Keeks.”
“Just do it!”
I hear her push out a breath before the sound on the line changes.
“Okay, you’re on,” she says, her voice now a little less clear.
“Hey, Jensen,” I sing-song sweetly.
“What do you want, Kayla?” He sounds like the broody hockey player that he is, and many people would take it as a sign to back the fuck up and continue on with their day. But I’ve seen the fucker with my cousin. Deep down, he’s a big ass softy and I’m pretty sure he can’t resist my charm. Besides, I’m the one who helped him get her back when he royally screwed everything up. The motherfucker owes me.
I smile. “I’m kicked out of Stanford. On my way to the airport and bound to move back in with my parents. You and I both know that will not end well. I’ll either walk away from home because they’ll drive me nuts, or I’ll drive them nuts and they’ll kick me out. Getting kicked out of college is traumatic enough, so surely you don’t want to give me another trauma on top of that by forcing me to go back to my kin. Besides, what am I going to do? I have no job, no degree, no fucking life.” I huff dramatically. “If I go back to my parents’, I’ll have to take a job at Walmart and eat dinner with those boring old people every single day, giving me no stimulation whatsoever. I’ll be dead of boredom within a year. But you wouldn’t let that happen, right? It’s way better if I’m surrounded by successful people like you and Rae. I mean, you’re an NHL player. Fuck, you’re the best defender in the league. You won the Holy Grail! It took hard work to get there. Living with you would be the best inspiration I could get. Not to mention the fact that I can cook for you guys. Doesn’t it sound nice to have dinner waiting for you after an intense day of practice? So, what do you say? Can I please, please, please, come crash with you guys?” The silence that follows after my word vomit is deafening, and I cross my fingers for my good luck while I squeeze my eyes shut in anticipation.
“You can cook?” He sounds surprised.
I scoff. “Of course, I can!”
“You’re full of shit, aren’t you?”
“Yeah, totally. But please take me anyway,” I whine, running a hand through my wavy brown hair.
“Are you sure she’s related to you?” I hear him ask Rae, making me roll my eyes as she lets out a chuckle.
“Yo, hockey boy! You know I’m the funny one, right?”
“Watch it, Lockheart,” he growls.
“I’ll wash your dirty hockey gear!” I blurt in a shit effort to persuade him. The thought alone makes me gag, but I can’t waste this opportunity.
“Deal,” he booms.
“YES!” I shout, making the taxi driver startle behind the wheel.
“Are you sure?” Rae replies cautiously.
The driver parks the cab in front of the airport, and I jump out. “Yes, yes, he’s sure! Thank you so, so much! You won’t regret it!” I squeal way too loud for five-thirty in the morning.
“I doubt that,” Jensen mumbles. “We’ll see you when you get here.
“Yeah, about that,” I drawl, carefully. “Can one of you pick me up from the airport?”
A groan rumbles through the line, and I move it a bit from my ear.
“When?” Jensen growls.
“In five hours,” I respond innocently.
“For fuck’s sake, Kayla.”