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“Yeah. Yeah.”

When DJ had gone up for the swing, Margo had promptly blocked her, and the ball had gone straight back into DJ’s face. She was fine, though, and there was no blood to stop them from playing.

“Can we run through a few serves?” Aspen asked, walking back to the service line. “I want to finish with that.”

“Yeah, sure,” Whitney replied. “Hey, Margo and I were invited to this dinner thing tonight. Do you two want to go? It’s at Queso Fresco, so not at someone’s house or anything.”

“Who’s going to be there?” DJ asked.

“You need more than just me and Whit?” Margo asked with a smirk.

“No, I just want to know what I’m getting myself into. I might not like the people who’ll be there.”

“Like who? Chase?” Margo teased. “No, that can’t be right because you really like Chase.”

“Shut up.” DJ laughed.

Aspen smiled and readied her serve.

“It’s a bunch of former players, mainly, with a few still on the tour, whoever happens to be in town and available tonight. Technically, it’s someone’s birthday, which is why we’re doing it, but I forgot whose birthday it is, so we’re just going to go and hang out,” Whitney explained.

“I don’t know. Maybe,” DJ replied.

“Chase will be there, you know?”

“He will?” DJ asked, suddenly very interested.

“Um… Service,” Aspen reminded them loudly, trying to get everyone to pay attention to the remainder of their practice.

When they wrapped it up, they left with DJ confirming her attendance at the party that night and Aspen saying that she was a maybe. After all, Aspen’s crush wasn’t going to be there, unlike DJ’s very obvious one that almost everyone on tour knew about. Chase Cunningham was newly single, too, after ending a relationship with his girlfriend and making sure everyone on tour knew that he was available. Aspen wasn’t his number one fan because there was typically only one reason why a guy would blast that he was available like that in a tent full of players, and that wasn’t because he was looking for another serious relationship.

“So, you’re worried?” Kendra asked.

Aspen was standing on one side of her fence, and Kendra was leaning over the other. After her practice, Aspen had gone home to get in some gym time and have lunch, but she’d heard someone outside and had looked out the back window. Seeing nothing but still hearing strange sounds, she’d walked outside and noticed Kendra on her patio, which Aspen couldn’t see from her window. Kendra was setting up the new grill she’d just bought, which made Aspen smile because she was pretty sure Kendra had expedited that purchase just so they could share a meal she planned to cook on it. She’d called out, and Kendra had joined her at the fence where Aspen had caught her up on her morning.

“I’m not worried-worried. I just don’t think he wants what she wants, you know? DJ’s had a thing for him for a while now, but he had a girlfriend, and now, he’s acting like he’s just earned his freedom from prison or something, making sure every woman knows that he’s available. I’m pretty sure he’s hooked up with a few players already. And DJ likes him; she doesn’t just want sex.”

“She’s an adult, though, right?”

“Yeah. But she’s also my friend and my partner, so if something happens and it impacts her game, I’m in trouble.”

“Just going to some party tonight doesn’t mean that something’s going to happen,” Kendra reasoned. “Besides, did she specifically tell you that she wasn’t interested in just sex with him or anyone?”

“No, but she told me she was ready for a relationship.”

“Maybe she is while also being up for something else, too. Assuming she hasn’t said that she doesn’t want to just hook up with Chase, you probably need to just let her do whatever she’s going to do and hope for the best.”

“Yeah, I know.” Aspen sighed and leaned over the fence. “I wasn’t going to do anything to try to stop her. I was just debating if it would be best to stay home and not go myself, or go to be there for her in case she needs me.”

“What would she need you for?”

Aspen laughed softly and replied, “Okay. Good point. DJ is way better at making friends than I am. And she’s a total extravert, so she’ll find people to talk to in any room.”

“You’re not like that?” Kendra asked. “That surprises me about you.”

“How, exactly?” she asked back, really wanting to know that answer.

“I don’t know. You just seem to enjoy having people around. I always see you talking to someone new whenever I’m working.”