Page 9 of The Playboy’s Playbook

Chapter Seven

MATT

I ’ve been wracking my brain for a week now wondering what the hell I did to Laila. I know I wasn’t always the nicest guy. In fact, I was a dick to most people. But I didn’t speak to her at all, so I’m not sure why she hates me so much.

The only place I feel peace is at the gym where it’s just me, a good playlist, and some heavy lifting.

I’m about to start my workout when I feel a light tap on my shoulder. I turn on the bench and see a petite girl with hazel eyes and brown hair behind me. She’s in a light blue workout set that shows off her abs. She’s pretty fit for being on the shorter side.

I pull my headphones down before speaking. “Hey. Did you need to use this machine? I can go to another one and come back.”

She places her hand on my shoulder to stop me. “No, you’re good, Matty. I just wanted to say hey. It’s been a while.”

I smile and nod, trying my best to hide the fact that I don’t know her. Every time I leave my apartment, my past shows up and bites me in the ass. For all I know, I could’ve fucked this girl one day and her best friend the next.

Just when I’m about to be honest and tell this girl I don’t know who she is, the doors open and in walks an angel on Earth.

Laila is dressed in a similar workout set to the girl in front of me, except hers is hot pink and shows off all of her curves. She has her black hair pulled into a tight ponytail and is making a beeline for the receptionist’s desk.

“Uh, excuse me,” I say, brushing past the girl and making my way to Laila. I wasn’t planning on putting my plays in motion today, but there’s no time like the present.

“Okay, just sign here and I’ll go get your key card activated. Did you have any more questions?” I catch the receptionist asking Laila. I quickly piece together that she’s buying a membership to the gym. Which means I could possibly see more of her.

“How busy is it in the morning?” Laila asks, not aware of me lingering behind her.

“Not really busy at all. There might be a few people here, but a lot of people come here at night.”

Laila nods and thanks the receptionist when they hand her the key card. Just as she turns, she bumps straight into my chest. Instinctively, I put my hands on her waist to keep her from falling backwards.

“Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry!” she apologizes before looking up at me. I immediately see a rush of hatred and disgust pool in her brown irises as she quickly steps out of my embrace.

“I overheard you signing up for a membership here. It’s a good gym.” I’m the worst at making small talk, even more so with her. I don’t know what to say to her.

“And I’m already thinking about reconsidering it,” she says as she folds her arms over her chest. It takes everything in me not to trace her body with my eyes, wishing they were my hands.

“Laila,” I begin, stepping closer to her when the girl from earlier appears and interrupts me.

“Here’s my new number, Matty. I’ll talk to you soon, okay?” she runs her hand up my arm before turning to Laila. “Oh, I love that color on you!”

Laila gives her a tight smile and an even tighter thanks before circling around us and leaving the building. I look at the girl and know just by the smug look on her face that she knows what she did was a malicious attempt to make Laila mad.

Unfortunately for me, it worked.

I turn on my heels and jog after Laila, not wanting her to slip through my fingers. I just need to know why she hates me and what I did so that I can make up for it.

“Laila!” I shout as I speed up to catch her before she climbs into her car – a very shiny black Lexus.

She stops and turns to face me, fury in her eyes. I slow down, not wanting to poke the bear more than I have. “Leave me alone. I don’t want to talk to you.”

“We haven’t seen each other in seven years, so forgive me if I want to talk to you and see how you’re doing,” I breathe out, trying my best to regain my energy. She has short legs, but damn she’s a fast walker.

“What the hell did I do to you, Laila? Tell me what I did to make you hate me so much so I can fix it,” I beg.

She chuckles and I can tell it’s full of sarcasm. “Goodbye, Matthew.”

She gets in her car, turns the engine over and speeds out of the parking lot, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

I think I just backpedaled on my playbook before I really began running the plays.

“She absolutely hates you,” Luke says as soon as I finish explaining to him about the run-in I had with Laila at the gym.

“I mean, I figured you were just exaggerating when you said that you think she hates your guts, but the fact that she practically ran away from you in what I can imagine as a hot pink flurry means that she not only hates your guts but wishes she could set them on fire.”

I sigh and slam my head down on my dining table. “I think I made a mistake trying to get her attention and making those plays. She doesn’t care. This is all pointless.”

“Matty, you need to understand that Laila is very much entitled to feeling how she feels. If she’s not ready to tell you, then the best thing you can do is respect that.

If you run into her again, just smile and wave to show that you come in peace,” he says before some clinking sounds in the background.

It’s late in the afternoon, so he’s more than likely getting ready to start dinner for the boys.

“Uh, not to add fuel to the fire here, but I think I just found out what Laila’s been up to since y’all graduated.”

“What? How?” I ask, picking up my phone and pacing back and forth with anticipation.

“Turn on the TV. Channel four,” Luke says simply. I rush to my living room and quickly flip on the TV and go to the channel, listening to the news anchor talk.

“Earlier this month, WKNA political reporter, Ethan Hightower, was in Washington, D.C. and was able to interview Alabama Senator Eleanor Mitchell and get her thoughts on the recent departure of former Senator Benjamin Morrison following a scandal that upended his office. Here’s what Senator Mitchell had to say on the matter,” the news anchor says.

A transition happens and there’s an older lady in the frame, but I catch a glimpse of Laila in the back, looking just as gorgeous through the pixels of the screen as she is in person.

Half of her body is out of the frame, almost as if she wants to blend into the background and not be seen, but that’s impossible. Laila Wright demands to be seen because she’s just that fucking beautiful.

“Senator Mitchell, do you have anything to say to Senator Morrison’s resignation?” the reporter asks.

“It’s not about how I feel or what I have to say about the former Senator.

I feel for the young woman who felt that if she came forward with her story about his horrific abuse in the workplace, she wouldn’t have been heard or believed.

Her gaining the courage to step forward and say enough is enough should be an indicator to those who at this moment, in whatever they are dealing with, will get the strength to finally free themselves.

“Abuse has no place in this Capitol, especially at the hands of a grown man who was elected to be a leader and serve the people of this nation. I hope that young lady finds peace, remembers that she is not alone, and there are people in this building that care about her and her well-being. Thank you.”

My eyes follow Laila until the screen changes back to the news reporters and the regular broadcast continues.

“Well, that answers your question on what Laila’s been up to. The girl’s been in D.C. working with the big dogs,” Luke says, pulling me back to reality.

“Yeah, she has,” I say breathlessly.

Laila has always had a bright future – she was SGA vice president, class salutatorian, and not to mention an all-around good girl. Laila was and still is perfection in human form.

Fuck it. I’m not giving up on her. Whatever she hates me for, I’m going to find out and I’m going to make it right.

Whatever it takes.