Page 53

Story: The Drop

“I’m not allowed it, but Grant is?” he looks outraged at Brooke. “Brookie, I called dibs.”

“For God’s sake,” Cami shouts, pushing his hands off her shoulders where he's trying to lean over the top of her. “No one is getting that damn mattress.”

“Darn it.” I shake my head with my hands on my hips, putting on a bit of an extra show. “I knew I should have spoken to you after the party.”

Brooke covers her mouth, laughing.

“He’s trying to swipe that mattress out from under me in a dirty deal,” Adam complains as Cami marches him out of the room down the hall.

“Oh my God, Adam, can you hear yourself? You sound insane.” We hear Cami tell him as they walk away, and Brookeand I burst into laughter; I throw an arm around her shoulder and pull her out of her room.

“See? We are having fun already.” I smile down at her playfully, but she shakes my arm off, laughing.

I watch her walk over to join the girls at the door, getting their jackets ready to leave.

“You ready?” Gunnar asks, handing me a shot glass. I take it and wince, tasting the cheap tequila Brooke and Cami have had to buy since Adam keeps finding the nice bottle they hide from him.

I’m still staring at Brooke, and she turns toward me and winks.

“Yup, I’m so good,” I reply, smirking.

“I don’t want the mattress,” I growl at Adam for the tenth time since we got to the bar. “We were just joking around.”

The bar is crowded tonight, and we picked a corner near the dance floor where the girls have been dancing since we arrived, and I smile at Brooke with the girls in our group as they spin and sing at each other.

Bear, Gunnar, Adam, and I are sitting with some other team members, keeping an eye on the girls.

“See, that’s what’s hurtful.” He sighs, looking down at his pint glass. “You can tell I’m passionate about it.”

“Passionate? About a mattress?” Bear asks slowly, looking confused, like he isn’t sure what he’s asking exactly. You and I both, Bear.

“Did you hear that judgment?” He gestures to Bear and me while speaking to Gunnar, “Our so-called friends.”

Gunnar’s holding a fist over his mouth, trying to keep in his laughter, and I shake my head at Adam’s dramatics.

“Not that I’m not enjoying whatever this is, but why are we on the same side of it?” Gunnar asks, taking a sip of his beer and leaning back.

“You would never try to take the mattress from me,” Adam says, putting on a shit-eating grin. “Sasha wouldn’t let you.”

“Asshole.” Gunnar shoves him, standing and heading towards the bar even though his beer is full. I’ve heard Sasha and him fighting more than usual recently.

“Really?” I shake my head at Adam. “Cut him some slack.”

Adam just shakes his head, ignoring me, and turns to talk to some guys on the team.

“So.” Bear nudges me. “Want to talk about why you were in Brooke’s room if you weren’t going to buy her mattress?”

“We were just settling a misunderstanding.” I brush him off, taking a deep pull on my beer. “We hadn’t talked for a few days, but we are all good now.”

“Well, that explains it.” He nods, draining his beer and crossing his arms, sitting back in his chair.

“What explains it?” I look over at him, confused.

“Why have the two of you been so down?” He shrugs, and I’m about to ask him what he means when Cami throws her arms around him from behind.

“Bear, can you clear a path to the bar? I need water.” She slumps, putting her weight on him, and he barely moves. Laughing, he stands up with her still clinging to him and walks off with her.

“Careful, Bear, I don’t want you injuring yourself,” I shout after him, and Cami flips me the bird hanging off his back like a monkey.