Playing for Kicks (Play Makers Book 5) (28 page)

“Spare me. I know you love this idea, Tess.
So
please
think about it?”

Tess reached across the table and took
Erica’s hand. “You’re an amazing friend. And this is an amazing
opportunity. So yes, I’ll think about it. And whatever happens, I
appreciate it. I hope you know that.”

“I do. But it would be so much better if you
actually
take
it. So don’t just shine me on.”

Tess sighed, knowing if she really wanted to
get out of bartending and into journalism, this could be the
perfect segue. Or at least, it was something to think about.

• • •

The last time Tess entertained Sean as a
guest, she made him use a chair while she sat on the couch alone.
Now she sat next to him, close but not too close, having drinks and
guacamole as they watched the Giants game and chatted about
nothing—their specialty—until she finally got up the nerve to
mention the job offer from Erica.

To her relief, he seemed confused, not
elated. “You’ve already got two jobs.”

“This would take the place of bartending.
Just until the articles start selling. Fingers crossed.”

“Wouldn’t you miss it? Your friends are at
Zone D. Your bouncer, your regulars. And it’s a great source of
info for sports articles.”

“Wow,” she murmured, honestly surprised. “I
thought you’d love the idea.”

“I see pros and cons. Because you obviously
love tending bar. It’s an art, and you’re good at it. I’m not sure
being Erica’s go-fer would give you the same rush.”

“Okay, you’re officially perfect,” she
murmured, cuddling against him. “And you’re right, it
is
an
art. But I don’t want to be doing it in my old age. Or even five
years from now, to be honest. I want to be a full-time journalist.
So I’m probably sabotaging myself by working long days
and
long nights.”

“Maybe so. Sounds like you’ve got some
thinking to do.”

“You’re right. Thanks for listening.”

“Hey,” he murmured, pressing his mouth to her
ear. “Wasn’t the score tied? How come the Giants are ahead?”

She started to explain, then recognized the
routine from the movie theater and laughed lightly. “Just watch the
game, Romeo.
Sheesh.”

• • •

Her trip to Chicago was a success, but all
she could think about was her next buffer date. And so the moment
she arrived back at the Ashton late Thursday afternoon, she jumped
in the shower to re-energize for the new Star Trek movie she and
Sean had agreed to see. She wanted to wear something sexier, maybe
a tube top and shorts. He’d get the message, wouldn’t he? That a
little groping wouldn’t just be okay, it would be wildly
appreciated.

As she toweled off she noticed a new text
from Sean asking her to call, so she did so right away. “Hey, Sean.
Ready to boldly go to the theater?”

“Definitely. But we’ve got a situation.”

“What does that mean? Oh,
no
, did you
get injured?”

“I’m fine,” he assured her quickly. “But John
and Bam want to see you. To make sure you’re not mad about that
overnight trip. I told them to wait till next week, but they claim
they’ll stay at the restaurant—
with
Erica—until we show. Bam
said to tell you he’s on a hunger strike.”

“What do you want to do?” she murmured. “I’m
fine either way.”

“Remember that barbecue sauce you liked last
week? Bam ordered that stuff from this place. Just FYI.”

“Oh, God, I
loved
that sauce.”

His laugh rumbled over the phone. “Yeah, it
sure seemed that way. I haven’t been there yet, but it’s owned by
Gusty Gusterson. Do you know who he is?”

“Just vaguely. Some tough guy from the
Raiders, right?”

“Yeah, he retired a few years back. And he’s
originally from this area, so he opened a place called Gusty’s.
He’s been asking us to eat there—at a discount—to help establish
some credibility.”

“Let’s do it then,” she said briskly. “What
should I wear?”

“You always look great. And it sounds like a
family place more than anything. Not fancy.”

“Perfect. What time should I expect you?”

“To pick you up? In my car?”

She laughed. “Don’t make me call you a loser
again.” When he laughed too, she sighed. “I’ll be in the lobby in
twenty minutes. And, Romeo?”

“Yeah?”

“I can’t wait to see you.”

• • •

In case Sean was wrong about the dress code,
she wore a knee-length white cotton skirt, a bubble-gum pink tube
top with matching lip gloss, and modest white sandals. At the last
minute she added a sheer white blouse, tied at the waist, since she
wasn’t really sure what a “family place” was.

When he pulled up in front of the hotel, he
stopped a good distance from valet parking, then got out and gave
the guys a warning look that apparently said: Do
not
touch
that door handle. They complied, and he came around to open the
door for her.

“Man, you look good. Let’s go to the show
after all. Bam could stand to lose a few pounds.”

“You look good, too,” she admitted, loving
the freshly washed hair and sexy green polo shirt. Not to mention
the broad shoulders underneath it.

“Tomorrow night, then. And you’ll wear that
again. Deal?”

“Deal.” She ducked when he tried to kiss her,
since the valets were openly gawking, but she promised in a
whisper, “Wait till we park at the restaurant. I’ll make it worth
your while.”

They drove to Gusty’s, a sprawling
multi-level place on the river. Sean had predicted she might meet
some other Lancers tonight. Maybe even a few Trailblazers. And
according to Bam, the owner was trying to draw from an even wider
circle of sports figures, which made sense given the sheer size of
the place.

Judging by the parking lot, Gusty had a ways
to go. But at least Sean could park close to the steps leading to
huge front doors with fancy leaded glass panels. And he was quick
to get out, get her door open, and cash in on her promise to make
the kiss a special one.

“Mmm,” she moaned as he moved against her,
his tongue playing with hers. Then she suggested mischievously,
“You should feel this top. It’s sooo soft.”

“Yeah?” His hand slipped down to her waist
then up under the tube top, where he eagerly fondled her
breasts.

“Sean!” She giggled helplessly. “Not
that
top. The pink one.”

“This one’s pink. And trust me,” he teased,
“it’s hecka soft.”

She couldn’t bear to fend him off. Not with
his fingertips teasing her nipples so effectively. But she finally
pulled free, readjusted her clothing, and said, “You’re on
probation, starting now.”

“Totally worth it.”

She knew he could corrupt her again, so she
said wistfully, “Be good in there, okay?”

He pulled her close and murmured in her ear,
“Man, that was fun.”

Feeling guilty, she said without thinking, “I
know I’m being silly—”

“I didn’t say that. We’re taking it slow,
right? Because I broke up with married twin virgins five minutes
ago. I’m just saying . . .” He nuzzled her again. “You’re
soft.”

“Mmm.” She kissed him gratefully, then pulled
free. “Your best friend is on a hunger strike. And this place needs
the business.”

“Yeah.” He activated the car alarm and took
her by the hand, then said with a grin, “You’re wearing that outfit
to the show, right? You promised.”

“We’ll see.”

She couldn’t help smiling as they climbed the
steps. It was absurd to dole things out this way but maybe it was
curative too. She had almost forgotten about the breakup with
Kerrie, but wasn’t he right to mention it? Unlike Tess, he really
did
need some breathing room.

Shaking it off as they walked through the
doors, she took stock of the new place, especially the bar, which
was visible from the reception area. It was gorgeous with gleaming
lights, huge mirrors, and hundreds of colorful bottles, but had
only a sprinkling of customers to enjoy it.

So far.

Luckily the main eating area was bustling
with families, which Sean thought was Gusty’s main goal, so she
decided to forget about the empty bar.

Not your problem. Just like Noah. Thank
God.

A perky hostess led them up two more levels
to a cozier room with dimmed lights, soft music, and a small dance
floor to the side of the tables. Most of these tables were empty,
making the presence of the McSpurlings and Bam even more
impressive.

When Tess and Sean reached the table, Johnny
startled her by taking her arm and leading her firmly away. She
glanced back at Sean to make sure he wasn’t pissed, and when he
just raised both eyebrows as if asking for input, she smiled and
nodded she was fine. Confused but fine.

As usual, she was wowed by the QB up close,
especially with him looming over her, his handsome jaw tight with
concern. “Are we okay?” he demanded.

“That depends. Are we running away together?
Because I don’t have my toothbrush.”

“I’m serious, Tess. We ambushed you the other
day and I feel like crap about it. Especially since I completely
agree with you. If this is happening—and I’ve been against it from
the start—you can’t let Deck rush you.”

“He’s not rushing me, I promise. He’s been
unbelievably patient.”

“Good.” His eyes shifted to her tube top.
“What’s with the sexy outfit?”

“I wore it for
you,
if you must
know.”

He finally cracked a smile. “I’m serious,
Tess.”

“Coach Riga must be stressing you out,” she
said with a sigh. “And meanwhile I think your bride is filing for
divorce, so we better get over there.”

He laughed. “Luckily, I warned her I was
going to run away with you. But just for a few minutes. So are we
good?”

“Yes.”

“And you’ll wear more clothes from now
on?”

She pretended to pout. “Do I have to wear
underwear, too?”

He howled, then said with a grin, “Come on.
Bam wants to apologize too, God help you.”

• • •

She took a seat next to Sean, and Johnny sat
on her other side as though protecting her from Bam, who was across
the table. Erica had the remaining seat between Bam and Sean and
gave Tess a fond wave of her hand, saying, “Together again. And you
look so pretty.”

Apparently Tess had been promoted from
“cute,” at least for one night.

Bam didn’t waste any time, leaning forward
and saying in a contrite tone, “Hey, Buffy? I already told Deck.
Now I’m telling you. I shouldn’t have sprung that overnighter on
you. It was a dick move and I’m really sorry.”

“Did you just call me Buffy?”

“Yeah, it’s your new nickname.”

She turned to Sean, who reminded her, “You
said we should tell our friends.”

“Oh, right.” She re-focused on Bam. “Please
don’t call me Buffy. It’s silly.”

“It’s classic,” he corrected her. “Because
you and Deck are buffing. Right?”

When Erica laughed out loud, Sean told her
ruefully, “My ears are bleeding.”

“Mine too. But it’s still funny.”

A tall, dark-haired cocktail waitress stopped
by to take additional drink orders, since Erica already had a glass
of white wine and the other guys had Scotch rocks. So Tess asked
for a vodka tonic while Sean ordered a beer. Then a huge
middle-aged man loomed over their table grinning eagerly. “This is
my dream, guys. The famous Triple Threat in my restaurant. Welcome,
welcome. Thanks for coming.”

The men all stood to shake Gusty Gusterson’s
hand, while Erica and Tess sat quietly, unsure how they fit into
the manly introductions.

To no one’s surprise, Johnny smoothed over
the gaffe. “Let me introduce my wife, Erica. And our friend Tess
Colby. Ladies, meet the scourge of the Oakland Raiders, Gusty
Gusterson.”

“Nice to meet you,” Erica said, shaking the
big man’s hand.

“My pleasure,” he assured her. Then he eyed
Tess appreciatively. “Thanks for coming, miss.”

“It’s Tess,” Sean interrupted, sounding
vaguely annoyed. “And she’s with me.”

“Lucky girl,” Gusty told her cheerfully.
“Thanks for coming, Tess.”

“I love your barbecue sauce,” she said
solemnly.

“Pretty girls always do.” He grinned again.
“You folks have fun now, you hear? Jennifer, take good care of
them.”

The waitress promised she’d do just that,
then as soon as her boss had moved on, she gave them an apologetic
wince, said, “I’ll just get those drinks,” and fled.

Tess laughed, recognizing the mortified
expression. This kind of boss meant well, but always seemed to
stick his or her feet in their mouths—and the mouths of their
employees—if given the chance.

“Pretty girls
always
do?” she drawled
to Erica. “Is this guy for real?”

Bam jumped right in, saying, “Want me to kick
his ass? ’Cause you know I will.”

“Think it through, gorgeous,” she advised
him. “If you did that, the barbecue sauce might disappear.”

“Good point.” His eyes twinkled. “So let’s
get back to the nickname. You’ve gotta have one. So how about
Mini-Me since you’re so much like me?”

“No.”

“Just Minnie?”

“No.” She glared. “Erica doesn’t have
one.”

“Sure she does. I’m just not allowed to use
it.”

Tess looked at Erica, whose eyes were
twinkling. Then Sean explained under his breath, “It’s Sharica.
Because we all share her.”

“No one shares her,” Johnny grumbled. “And
Tess doesn’t want a nickname, so just drop it. Let’s talk about
something else.”

“I agree,” Erica said brightly. “Sean? Did
Tess tell you about the job as my assistant? Isn’t it the best
idea?”

“It’s got possibilities,” he admitted.

“In other words, you don’t like it?
Why?
She could finally give up bartending. Give up
commuting. No more working nights. It’s perfect.” Turning to her
husband for reinforcements, she asked plaintively, “Right?”