He takes a step toward me, turning his arm so I can get a better look. When I look at him, he’s smirking back at me.
“Oh my, I’m so sorry,” I stammer. “I’ve never seen someone like you… I mean, I’ve seen someone like you, but… Oh, just forget it. Thank you.”
I can’t believe I’m acting this way. I turn to walk away, but he stops me, laughing. “It’s okay”—he looks at my name tag—“Serenity.” His smile is something else, but I feel by looking at him that he’s not really used to smiling. “I get it. I know I’m big, tattooed, probably everything your mother warned you about.”
I put my hand to my head and shake it. How embarrassing can I get? When I finally get the nerve to look him in the eye, I shrug. “Actually, my mom always said there’s helpers in every crowd. Those are the good ones.”
He shakes off my compliment, and his forehead creases as if I’ve just reminded him about what just happened. “Really, you don’t have to thank me. Are you okay?”
This guy is sexy and so nice!
“I’m fine. Really. Uh, I’m sorry, what’s your name?”
“Dusty Burgess,” he tells me in his deep voice that sends chills down my back.
“Well, Dusty…”
Someone clears their throat behind me and I see my boss watching me, shaking his head. Even though I can’t hear it, I can just imagine the tsking noise that he always makes. I’m breaking cardinal rule number one: don’t socialize with the guests.
I pick up my tray and turn back to Dusty. “I’m sorry. I have to get back to work. It was nice to meet you… and thanks again.”
I walk away. It’s hard not to want to stay close to this knight in shining armor, but I’ve got to keep working if I want to keep my job.
2
Dusty
I almost skipped out on tonight. It’s a Fourth of July party and fundraiser to raise money for food banks. I could have just sent a check in, but my agent thought since I just got traded to the Mavericks a few months ago it’s important for me to show up. There’s a lot of players here, I know, but there’s a lot of players from other teams too. I’ve only been here an hour and already I’m sick of the uptight, pretentious show. Even though it’s outdoors, next to a pool, the atmosphere is pretty intense. This really isn’t my thing. I’d much rather spend an evening at home than do this.
Of course, then I’d have missed meeting Serenity. Just remembering the way the man positioned himself against her makes me want to punch something. I’m sick of the men that treat women like objects. I have three younger sisters and just the thought of them getting treated like the way Serenity was has me seeing red. I hope I never forget who I am and start acting like some of the assholes I’m surrounded by at this party.
The waitress that was fending off three different guys earlier had been calm, but when the douchebag by the pool went after her, I had enough of standing by. I just couldn’t stomach watching and doing nothing. Now I can’t seem to take my eyes off her. She’s working the crowd, smiling at everyone, but I can see the guarded way she carries herself. I hate that she feels like she has to. How many other men here feel they have the right to touch her? She has on black pants and a white button-up shirt. Her blond hair is in a long ponytail that swings back and forth as she walks. All in all, she looks conservative, but her curves are what’s causing the men’s tongues to wag. Just watching their reaction to her as she walks by is telling. And she doesn’t seem to have a clue how she affects people. It’s almost like she doesn’t know how beautiful she is.
I take a drink of water as someone slaps me on the back. I start to cough and turn to greet Henry, one of the pitchers for the Mavericks.
“I’m outta here, man,” he says.
I point my water bottle at the crowd. “Is it always like this?”
Just as I say it, there’s a squeal. A man has a woman in his arms, and he pulls her with him as he jumps into the pool. The woman punches him in the face before dragging herself to the edge.
Henry shakes his head, and we watch as Jasper Reilly, another pitcher for the Mavericks, and his wife help the woman out of the pool. “Most of the Mavericks have calmed down. I think with this being a league party, it’s getting the competitive juices going. They’re going to act out, ya know, see whose dick is bigger.”