Wild Tendy (IceCats 2)

“I don’t want it. I can pay her bills.”

“Aviva, I know. But this is wonderful for Callie. No stress on you, and she can train. There will still be a balance toward the end of her career with us, but right now, you guys are solid.”

Oh, my blood is boiling. “Male or female?”

“Huh?”

“On the phone. Was it a male or a female?”

She doesn’t want to answer me. She hesitates but says, “A female.”

I bite my lip, confused. I don’t know any other females who would do this except Jaylin. “Okay, thank you.”

I turn on my heel and head out.

Callie is waiting by the beam. “Did she send it back?”

“She wouldn’t.”

“Good. Bye.”

“Bye,” I throw back at her as I head out of the gym.

I slam the door for good measure as I pull my phone out of my back pocket. I dial Jaylin’s office number, and she answers right away. “Hey you.”

“Hey. Did you pay Callie’s gym bill?”

“No way. Do I look dumb?”

I groan loudly. “Someone paid her tuition for the next two years, and I want to know who.”

“Was it Nico?”

“He said no.”

“Could he be lying?”

“I don’t think he is capable of lying, for one. And for two, Dominica said it was a woman who called in.”

“Huh,” she says. “I mean, who cares? This is a blessing.”

“That I’m sure will come at a cost.”

She makes a sound of frustration. “Why do you do that? Just be happy.”

“I can’t. I know how this will go. Everything is going so well. I’m happy, I’m having orgasms, and I’m getting somewhat ahead. Which means, bam! Something will go wrong.”

Jaylin sighs, annoyed. “Okay, whatever. I wish you wouldn’t do that to yourself. Just be happy.”

“I don’t want anyone paying my bills.”

“I get that. But sometimes it’s nice to know someone cared enough to do it and move on.”

I pause mid-step. “Who the hell cares about me? There is you, Callie, and Nico. That’s it.”

“Aw, Nico made the list.”

I roll my eyes. “You annoy me.”

She snickers. “Kirby told me last night that Nico is always talking about you. I thought it was cute.”

“Man, you’re still talking to him? It’s been over a week. I’d thought you’d move on by now.”

She sighs. “Well, we aren’t talking, talking.”

I pause. “Huh?”

“Well, funny story that I guess I’ve forgotten to tell you,” she says, but by the tone of her voice, I don’t think it’s going to be very funny. “I was wondering why we hadn’t hooked up yet. Like, that night, we made out, but then I was trying to play hard to get, so I didn’t go home with him—”

“You? Hard to get?”

“Hey, he’s super sexy with the mouth of a god. I wanted the first time to be savage, so I only gave him my number. He said he’d call me and he did, but we just talked, no plans for a date. He’s been doing this dance with me for about two weeks now. So last night, I told him I wanted to get together when he got back in town. I mean, I’ve been getting off to pictures of this guy. He’s gorgeous. But he then informed me that he’s in an on-again, off-again relationship, and they just got back on, which was why he was calling. To tell me he can no longer see me because things just got complicated.”

I blink. “Complicated?”

“He wouldn’t go into detail, but she’s back in his life.”

“What a douche.”

“Eh, in his defense, they were off when we made out. And then they started talking again, and he wasn’t sure what was going to happen. He says he does like me, a lot, but things are a bit messy with the other girl, so he needs to see what happens.”

“Did you tell him thanks but no thanks? Fuck off?”

“No, I politely said, ‘Have a nice life,’ and hung up.”

“Oh, you took the high road.”

“I did,” she says softly. “It was so hard.”

“I bet,” I say, a grin pulling at my lips. I’m almost to the shop when the brown delivery truck pulls up.

“But before all that, he went on and on about how Nico is all caught up on my best friend, who is gorgeous and smart.”

I giggle. “He said that?”

“Yes, and I thought it was sweet. Meanwhile, the guy I thought could have been the one…well…isn’t. So, there is that.”

That makes me gloomy. “Oh, you liked him, liked him?”

“Yup, and he was a sexy white man who would off piss my mom. It was going to be glorious.”

I chuckle at her as the deliveryman walks up to me. “Ms. Pearce, here you go.”

He hands me a signing thingy, and I sign it as I say, “Hey, my box of stuff Nico ordered me just came in. Can I call you later?”

“Oh! The Lacey’s Lace stuff? If you don’t like something, can I have it?”