Page 28 of The Hot Shot

“Oh?”Ignore the flutter. The flutter is a cheap attention whore.“And how’s that?”

“Like you were the Vince Lombardi Trophy covered in honey.”

“I don’t even know what that is.”

“Super Bowl, Chessie. Best you bone up on your football knowledge.”

Cute.“However he may or may not have looked at me, Finn made it clear he didn’t want to hook up. He said he just wants to, and I quote, ‘know me.’”

“Huh.” James taps his fingers on the counter for an annoying few beats. “Well, maybe it’s best not to overthink things. You like him, that’s clear. Just go with it.”

“Go with it.”How helpful.

“You never know what can happen.”

I’m rolling my eyes when someone knocks on the front door.

James snaps to attention. “Ah, speaking of that...” He fiddles with his polka-dot bow tie. “I’ve... er... met someone.”

“I presume this someone is at the door?” I ask, bemused. James has never really introduced me to anyone. Not in a formal way. I’ve gone out on double dates with him, but those were casual, and I rarely ever saw his date again.

“Yes.” James flushes. “I was going to tell you, but got caught up in your ‘dare I do the quarterback’ drama.”

I shoot him a quelling look. “Are you going to get that? Or do you want me to?”

“No, no. I’ll get it.” He hustles over to the door as if he’s about to jump out of his skin.

Which means it’s serious. Suddenly, I feel as unsettled as James looks.

I quickly tap out a text to Finn because I don’t want to be rude to James’s guest.

CC:James is here. I have to go. Talk later?

Why did I feel the need to ask? He answers quickly.

GQ:Nxt Tuesday is my day off. You available for lunch? Lemme know when U get a chance.

I don’t answer. James is leading his new love into the loft, while giving me a soppy smile. He called me besotted? The man is practically floating along.

I had expected him to introduce me to a model, either male or female. Tall and stunning is James’s preference. But that’s not the case here.

“This is Jamie,” James says, holding his arm around someone who appears to be a short, slender man with a halo of blond curls and wearing heavy, black-framed glasses. “She’s my... person. Jamie, meet Chess, my bestie.”

“Chess.” Jamie leans in to offer me a hand, and from beneath a cute blue argyle sweater vest, I see the soft swell of breasts. “I’ve heard so much about you.”

Since James has been closemouthed as shit, I can’t say the same. So I simply shake her hand, but I lose hold on my smile. “James and Jamie, eh?”

James actually flushes. “I know. It’s awful, isn’t it? We’ll be one of those couples who dresses alike and finishes each other’s sentences.” He looks completely happy about that prospect.

“You’re halfway there already,” I point out, eyeing James’s brown argyle sweater vest.

Jamie laughs. “We didn’t even plan it.”

“I’m feeling very Bert and Ernie right now,” James says, running a hand down his chest.

Jamie laughs again. “If we want to be really obnoxious, we could get a dog and name it Jimmy.” Her nose wrinkles. “Never mind. I forgot. I once dated a girl who had a dog named Jim.”

“I always wanted to meet a boy named Sue,” James muses.