Play Along(7)

“Yeah, but I only realized she was single eight months ago, so technically I’m only eight months in on this whole thing.”

“Wow.” Cody nods. “Trav is right. You are an idiot.”

I smack him on the back of his head. “Remember last night when we were a few drinks in and I told you two that you guys were my best friends?”

“Yeah?”

“I take it back. You both fucking suck.”

The back door to the club opens and the bouncer nods in Cody’s direction, allowing the team to start trickling their way in with the three of us bringing up the rear.

“We’re just looking out for you.” Cody swings his arm over my shoulders. “You’ve been shooting your shot for years and look how well that’s worked out.”

I wasn’t shooting my shot. Sure, maybe I’ve shamelessly flirted with the girl for the past three years, but none of it was serious. She had a fiancé. But now . . . now she doesn’t. Now I’m dead serious about my intentions, but she thinks I’m still joking around.

Call me ridiculous. Call me superstitious, but that day I met her three years ago felt like fate. What I typically consider the worst day of the year had a bright light for once.

That same date on the calendar is only minutes away, and still, in the eighteen years since I lost my mom, there was only one time I genuinely smiled on that date, and it was the morning that Kennedy Kay came barging into the women’s bathroom and subsequently my life.

I shuffle forward, following my teammates into the club, having to project my voice over the pounding base. “Don’t you guys believe in fate?”

“For fuck’s sake, Rhodes.” Travis shakes his head at me. “Did you really just scream ‘don’t you guys believe in fate’ in the middle of a goddamn nightclub? Please for the love of God, go get laid.”

Cody can’t help but laugh as the bouncer closes the back door behind us. “I’ll start believing in fate the moment Kennedy decides to voluntarily spend time with you outside of work.”

Travis chimes in. “Forget spending time with him. At this point, I’d consider it fate if Kennedy so much as said a single word to him outside of work.”

Walking backward, I face my buddies as I continue to follow our group to the private table of the busy club. “You have no faith. One day, you’ll see.” I throw my hands wide. “It’s meant to be!”

Without looking, I barrel into someone behind me, stepping right on their foot. I stumble but catch my balance and even over the music, I can hear their low hiss in pain.

“Oh shit.” I turn just in time to grab their upper arms, keeping them from toppling over. “I’m sorry! I’m so sorry. I wasn’t looking.”

“Clearly.”

The woman’s hair curtains her face as she babies her injured foot by hobbling on one single high heel in agony.

That hair.

Even in the darkness of the club, I know that hair. The shade is one I’ve memorized. Auburn as Cody first taught me.

Kennedy Kay Auburn as I refer to it now.

“Kenny?”

I watch her body instantly stiffen before her brown eyes cautiously lift to look at me. “Isaiah?”

“Hi.”

Her shocked expression does nothing to stop my eyes from wandering the length of her.

God, she’s stunning. I’ve never seen her outside of athletic clothes, namely the staff uniform of a Warriors’ polo and black leggings. But tonight, that hair is down and perfectly styled, her freckled arms and legs fully exposed thanks to the crisp white mini dress and matching white heels.

She looks so fucking good. Her outfit seems expensive and polished, tailored to fit her body.

“Isaiah.”

“Yeah?”

“I asked what you were doing here.”

My attention immediately darts to the foot I just stepped on. Kennedy is still keeping her weight off of it, clearly in pain. I bend down before stopping myself and realizing that checking out someone’s foot in a club is fucking weird, no matter how much I might be crushing on the person it’s attached to.

“Is your foot okay? I’ll get some ice from the bartender.”

“It’s fine. Surprisingly, my foot is more sore from wearing high heels than it is from being stepped on by two hundred pounds of muscle.”

A smirk lifts on my lips. “Keeping up on my body stats, huh, Ken? I knew you were obsessed with me.”

“Don’t flatter yourself, Rhodes. It’s my literal job to know your body stats. What are you doing here?”

“It’s our preseason bonding trip. Well, pre-regular season and post-spring training.” I gesture to my teammates, who are being ushered to a roped-off corner of the club. Cody and Travis wave to her from across the room.

It’s hard to tell with the low lighting, but Trav is shaking his head in disbelief at the same time Cody mouths, you’ve got to be kidding me.

“Oh,” Kennedy says in realization. “Everyone from the team is here.”

“Everyone but Kai. He’s at home with Max and Miller.” Motioning towards our table, I add, “You should come hang out with us.”

“It looks like it’s guys’ night.”

I scoff. “It most definitely isn’t guys’ night.”