Hard Pass (St. Louis Mavericks 3)

“I’m happy to contribute to your addiction. Moving is a drag. I don’t know your timetable, but if you need any help, I could probably round up a few of the guys.”

“Thank you,” I said, surprised at the offer. “But I’ve already hired movers. I don’t have a whole lot so it shouldn’t be too bad and I’m planning to move personal items and clothes over myself as soon as I get the keys.”

“Where are you moving?”

I told him about the small apartment complex about twenty minutes from the arena where I’d found the place I liked.

“The only thing I’m going to miss about my apartment now is the soaker tub and humongous master bathroom. I’m not home enough to care about the other stuff.”

“Assuming we’re not playing or traveling, let me know the date just in case.”

“The fourth.”

His lips turned down. “We don’t know our schedule that far out. I can’t commit to anything.”

“It’s fine,” I said lightly. “You have enough to think about with the playoffs. You don’t need to worry about me. Like I said, I hired movers. Anyway, I need to go find Mo.”

“Okay.” He paused, watching me for a moment, as if there was something on his mind.

“I’ll see you later,” I said, giving him a little wave.

“Hey, a bunch of us are going to dinner tonight. Why don’t you and Mo meet us there?”

I shook my head. “I have to pack. Maybe next time. See you later.”

Then I hurried down the hall to Mo’s office, as if I needed to get away from the charge of electricity in the air whenever he stood too close to me. I didn’t understand it because I didn’t even like him. Well, not like that. He was a nice enough guy. Just not the guy for me.

He was hot, though. I couldn’t deny that.

I shut the door behind me and sank into a chair across from Mo.

“Why do you look flushed?” she asked, frowning at me.

“Huh?” I frowned back, feigning innocence.

“Your cheeks are a little red. You been drooling over Nash again?”

“I don’t drool over Nash. He’s not even a little bit my type.”

“You keep tellin’ yourself that.”

“He’s not! I told you, guys that good-looking come with the type of baggage I don’t need in my life.”

“You realize that might be the dumbest thing any woman has ever said?”

We glared at each other.

“You’re a pain in my ass. You know that?”

“I do. And that’s why you love me.”

“Tell me about Tony already.”

She made a face. “He says he might be willing to go to therapy and maybe we could start working out together. And oh, by the way, he met that hussy he’s been seein’ on the side at the same gym where he wants us to start working out.”

“I hope you told him to go kick rocks.”

“I used much stronger language than that.”

I laughed. “Good for you.”

“I told him we were done. That I was filing for divorce.” She hesitated. “Am I making a mistake?”

“He cheated and told you he thinks you’re fat,” I said quietly. “I don’t know how you would ever trust him again. On either count.”

“That’s what I’m thinking.” She pulled out a stack of envelopes and dropped them on the table. “So here we are, reading Nash’s fan mail while I contemplate divorce and you crush on some dude popping gummies in his mom’s basement.”

I rolled my eyes.

I was home by six that night. The phones had been quiet, there was no game tonight, and it was nice to relax in the tub with a glass of wine after packing a few more boxes. My new place had a decent-sized walk-in shower, but no bathtub, so my days of this kind of relaxation were coming to an end.

I closed my eyes and leaned back, hoping the next few weeks would pass quickly. I was moving in three weeks, which was the middle of the playoffs, and I was stressing. A lot. Luckily, a friend of Sebastian’s ran a small moving company, and they were giving me a good deal on moving. I planned to fill my car with clothes and personal items after work every night after I got the keys, so I could make a dent in what had to be brought on moving day. That would save time and money, something I’d been thinking about a lot more lately.

I’d also been thinking about Rob more and more. I was nervous about biting the bullet and meeting him in person, but I liked him. While I was afraid of who he might be in real life, I was also beginning to realize that I was falling for a guy who, in my reality, didn’t exist. Wouldn’t it be better to meet him and get it over with instead of drawing this out indefinitely?