Page 9 of Home Town Advantage (Fourth Quarter Fever #1)

FOUR

CLUB LIBERTY

VANCE

I ’m not surprised to see Sulley walk into the club with Layla and her new teammates, but she looks surprised to see me. Maybe it’s more like disappointment flashing across her gorgeous face. The last thing I want is to cause her any more pain than I already have.

I should leave. I begin to stand, but Daylen grabs my leg and quietly says, “You’re not leaving. Let’s rip off the Band-Aid. It’s been five years, and you’re both adults. She’s going to be around. Learn how to coexist.”

I sit back down and look at him. “If she gets emotional, I’m taking off. I don’t want to hurt her.”

He nods. “Fine.”

“I can’t watch a woman cry over me.”

He deadpans, “I’m sure it happens every time you have sex with one and they’re disappointed in the outcome.”

I punch him in the leg before I turn back to the group of beautiful women walking toward our table.

I take in Sulley’s full appearance. Her body has filled out in the past five years. She’s got curves she didn’t have when I last saw her in person.

I watch her on TV all the time, but she’s not in a basketball uniform now.

I’ve never seen her dressed like this or wearing any makeup.

She looks like sex on a stick. I have to adjust myself to make room for the sudden swelling of my cock.

It doesn’t feel so great considering the sunburn I have on my balls from our team’s afternoon in the sun today.

What the hell was I thinking doing that?

Daylen looks down at my lap and chuckles while I subtly flip him the bird.

The group approaches with Layla and Presley leading the charge. We’re introduced to the three girls, and then Presley introduces Daylen and me, along with Beau and Champ.

I shake Kennedy and Palmer’s hands. Kennedy is Coach Jeffries’ daughter and looks a lot like him, but I’ve never met her in all these years. I don’t think they have a close relationship, though he doesn’t reveal much about his personal life, especially since his divorce.

I then tentatively hold my hand out for Sulley.

I see her visibly swallow before cautiously taking my hand.

I inhale her scent. She smells so good. So…

womanly and sophisticated. It’s like a bed of flowers with a hint of coconut.

I remember that coconut scent from the one and only time I got to hold her in my arms, touching her, kissing her.

Fuck. Stop it.

She gives me a forced smile. “Vance, it’s…umm…good to see you. It’s been a while.”

Kennedy narrows her eyes as they toggle between us. “Do you two know each other?”

I nod. “Sulley and I are from the same hometown. ”

Daylen knows we need a topic change and immediately interrupts by asking the girls for their drink orders before flagging down the waitress, telling her what everyone wants and adding several appetizers to our order.

Kennedy carefully studies him and then starts laughing. He raises an eyebrow in confusion. “What’s so funny?”

She has a bemused look on her face. “We’ve had a few conversations about red flags and, to be honest, you check a lot of those boxes.”

He twists his lips and asks, “Like what?”

She answers, “You’re wearing sandals and a necklace, and your cell phone is an Android.”

His jaw widens. “ Those are red flags? They’re kind of petty. I bet you’re one of those chicks who has a long list of red flags on her phone. A whole folder dedicated to it.”

Kennedy proudly displays her phone. “You bet I do. I think everyone should, men and women. It reminds us of what we do and don’t want in a partner.”

Daylen shrugs. “That’s kind of a glass-half-empty approach to dating and life in general. I don’t believe in red flags. I’m a glass-half-full kind of guy. Instead of looking for red flags, I look for green ones.”

She challenges, “Tell me a green flag of yours, Mr. Perfect.”

“Someone who doesn’t have a list of red flags on her phone,” he cheerily replies.

Kennedy rolls her eyes. “What else?”

He scratches his chin. “Hmm. Good in bed.”

She lets out a laugh. “That’s just a nice way of saying that being bad in bed is one of your red flags.”

He winks at her. “Like I said, glass half full. And I don’t get many complaints in that department, sweetheart.”

She sighs. “Ugh. You’re a player. Also on my red flag list. You’ve probably slept with hundreds of women.”

He gives her a lopsided grin. “Thousands. Proud of it.”

She shakes her head. “I hope you wrap it before you tap it, big guy.”

He nods enthusiastically. “When I was fifteen, my father showed me a thirty-minute PowerPoint presentation on why I should use condoms.” He deadpans, “It was all pictures of me.”

She scowls at him. “I feel like your birth certificate is an apology from the condom factory.”

He rolls his eyes at her. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a woman annoy him as much as she’s clearly bothering him. “Sugar lips, I’m so well-equipped that when I was born, I got a girth certificate.”

We all chuckle at their interaction, though I can visibly see how uncomfortable Sulley is. I hate seeing her like this.

Presley leans toward Layla, “I’m the only one you’ve been with, right, carino?”

She bites back a smile. “Yep, all the others were nines and tens.”

The group breaks out into hysterical laughter, but Layla simply grins and leans over to kiss his cheek. That’s how they are. She busts his balls, and he enjoys the attention while deeply loving her.

Daylen asks Sulley what he knows I want to ask. “Sulley, how are you adjusting to the city? I’m sure it’s a huge change for you coming from Bumfuck, Montana. Though I’ve been there and it’s a lovely town.”

She nods, unaffected by his attempt at humor.

“It’s going well. Everyone has been super nice.

We started practices. The team is already gelling well.

I think we’ll be competitive in year one.

” It’s unusual for expansion teams to be competitive right away, though I suppose the Anacondas won a league title in their first year in existence.

I can’t help but ask, “Where are you living?” I need to know.

Her face falls, and she mumbles, “I’m living with Palmer.” She points to the shy woman who Beau can’t stop staring at. “We’re just renting an apartment for this first season until we learn the city. I’m hoping to be able to buy a place in a few months.”

Finn would be so proud that she’s in a position to be able to buy her own house. I want to say this, but I know I’ve lost the right to do so. I ask, “Where’s the apartment?” I want to make sure she’s in a safe area. I’m suddenly worried that she’s not.

“Independence Mall. It’s a lively area.” She cracks her first smile, albeit a small one. “I love how full of history it is. It’s like high school textbooks coming to life.”

That’s a nice area of the city where the Liberty Bell and the Constitution Center sit. I don’t live too far from there. For now.

Daylen stands. “I’ll be back in a bit. I need to go point Percy at the porcelain.”

Palmer pinches her eyebrows together and speaks for the first time, albeit very quietly. “What does that mean?”

I sign in annoyance. “Daylen likes to come up with random ways to say he has to use the restroom. He gets off on it.”

Kennedy scoffs. “You’re a pig.”

Daylen chuckles. “I am. Oink, oink.” He grabs my arm. “Come with me to siphon the python.”

I brush his hand away. “Huh? I’m not a girl. I’m not going with you to the bathroom. If your balls are sunburned from today, I don’t want to see them. Go apply some aloe vera to them like the rest of us did.”

He gives me a subtle kick under the table, and I exhale a breath as I stand and follow him down the stairs. Once we’re out of earshot, I ask, “What’s your fucking problem, D?”

He runs his fingers through his Miracle-Gro hair in obvious frustration. “I don’t like that Kennedy chick. I needed a minute to get away before I said something nasty to her, and then Coach would get pissed at me.”

“She’s hot. Very much your type.” Not really. He likes blondes. I enjoy messing with him though.

He makes a look of disgust. “Judgmental bitches aren’t my type.”

“Whatever. Why the hell did you need me?” I bark.

He toggles his head back and forth. “Sulley is clearly uncomfortable around you. I thought she might need a minute too.”

My shoulders fall. He’s right. “I’ll leave,” I immediately offer.

He shakes his head. “No. I think you should pull her aside. Maybe a peace offering is in order. Elvis is excited to have Layla playing in Philly. He wants us to go to all the home games with him. He wants us to spend time with Layla and her teammates. You two need to bury the hatchet. There was such obvious tension. It’s going to be awkward as fuck for everyone. You need to put a pin in it.”

I nod in understanding. I don’t want our friends to suffer, and he’s right that Presley will be asking us to go to Beavers’ games all the time.

Anytime Layla’s team from Miami played in Philly, Presley would buy the whole front row for us to attend the games and cheer her on.

Plus, I genuinely want to watch Sulley play.

I never missed a college game of hers on TV.

Even if I wasn’t home, I’d record it and watch it later.

Getting to see her play in person under the guise of supporting Presley and Layla is appealing to me.

I notice that nearly everyone from our table has moved to the dance floor.

It happens every time we’re here, but I never dance.

I’m not very good at it. I’d rather sit in our booth and watch from above.

But Sulley is out there smiling and dancing with her teammates.

I can’t take my eyes off her body moving to the fast beat of the music.

Daylen places his hand on my shoulder. “At no point in the years I’ve heard about Finn and his little sister did you ever mention she’s gorgeous and you have a major thing for her.”

I snap my head at him. “I don’t have a thing for her. I want to protect her. I promised him I would. ”