Page 31 of Unrivaled Love (D.C. Renegades #2)

Jo

"Ultimatums never work."

"Oh, I’m aware. I haven’t had free time since." Bryson smiles as he grabs my hand and walks me towards Aberdeen & Rich.

"Really?" I ask as we head inside. I brace myself to be knocked senseless by overpowering cologne and squinting to see in the low lighting.

But the lights in the store are actually on and it smells, fine.

"Yep, I'm gonna help you find something cute to wear today and tomorrow and then we'll go down to Athlala and you can get whatever you want, on me."

"You don't have to buy my clothes."

"I'm not."

"I'm not shoplifting them to get a rush. I'll buy my own clothes."

"I'm an Athlala rep so I get a monthly stipend I rarely use. You can spend a grand no problem. And as much as I want you to keep wearing my clothes I'm looking forward to picking out a sexy little dress for you."

"I don't really wear dresses." Feminine touches aren’t exactly my thing.

"Will you wear one for me?" Bryson asks as he pulls a yellow dress off the rack .

"Sure." I remember how delicate I felt in his arms in the lake. I can back squat 160lbs but he traced my form completely unfazed by my strength. I think I might like wearing dresses for Bryson. But if he expects me to wear them all the time or get all fancy to go out together he’s got another thing coming.

"This one." He says as he hands me the dress. The straps are wide and it has a tight fitting bodice until the skirt flares out at the hips.

"Why this one?" I ask as I hold it up over my body like that'll tell me anything about how it'll fit.

"Because it’s going to make your chest look fantastic and your legs look phenomenal. And I'll be thinking about taking it off you all night."

The heat in his eyes causes my cheeks to flush like I just spent the day doing sprints. This is the look of a man who is going to like me no matter what I’m wearing. Or not wearing. And if a little dress will fire him up this much I could be convinced to wear them more often.

When he hands me the same dress in another color, I smile. "For tomorrow?" He nods. “Okay, hold on while I try them on quickly.”

“Can I join you?” He asks with hands at my hips as he steps up close behind me.

“Absolutely not!” I scold and shut the dressing room door in his face.

“Jojo, c’mon let me see.” He whines.

“Call me Jojo again and I’ll castrate you.” I tell him as I slip the dress over my head.

“So Jojo is a no-no.”

I hate that I laugh but I do. “Exactly.”

The dress fits like a glove. It makes my tits look amazing. The permanent sports bra tan I’ve been rocking since high school is clearly visible with this neckline but there’s nothing I can do about it now .

I give a little twirl in the mirror. I’d love to find lacy boyshorts to wear because the hem brushes my fingertips at my thigh. I bet I can convince Bryson to stop at one last store after Athlala.

***

After our trip to Athlala where, with a quick call to his manager, the haul was approved, I was able to bribe Bryson to wait outside while I bought a few panties.

We stopped for wraps and green juices after shopping and real food tasted amazing.

We step out of the artificial air of the mall to the dry heat of Colorado in late July and I squint against the sun.

He pulls out his phone to get us a rideshare and I sigh as I rake my hand through my hair.

"What's going on?" He asks, looking up from his phone.

“Nothing.”

“Jo, that sigh was like you just gave up an own goal in the 88th minute.”

“I would be cursing up a storm if that happened.”

“Fine, but you sounded down and out. What’s going on?” He presses and I pull at his t-shirt I’m wearing because I’m starting to sweat.

Or it could be an emotional response.

"I haven't told my mom I'm in Colorado yet and I'm not ready to tell her what happened.”

"Maybe if you tell me what happened it'll be easier to tell her." Bryson says

"Maybe," I agree begrudgingly. I pull out my phone and nod for Bryson to follow me to a bench in the shade. "Let me call Al and tell you both at once. The less I have to repeat this story the better.”

"I honestly cannot wait." His eyes sparkle with curiosity.

"This doesn't leave this circle of trust.” I point at him .

“So I shouldn't text the Big Guns?” He asks dead serious with his phone in his hand.

“The what?” I ask.

“The D.C. Renegades team chat. All twenty rostered guys are on it and–”

“No!” I screech, cutting him off and batting his phone to the ground. Someone walking by does a double take. Bryson holds his hands up in an “I’m innocent here” gesture. I smile and give them a thumbs up.

“All good, thanks!” I call out as I wave.

"Geesh, overreact much?" Bryson asks as he checks his phone for damage. I trust him not to text the guys in front of me. Do I trust him not to do it later? I’m not sure.

But I have bigger fish to fry as they say.

I need to get this over with.

I hold up my phone, dial, and don’t get a chance to take another cleansing breath because Al answers on the first ring.

"I'm sitting on the toilet," she whispers.

"Is now not a good time?" I ask, glad for her sake I didn't start the call on speaker phone.

"No, it's a great time. Baby Alex is napping and I told Dylan she can't come into the bathroom anymore when mommy closes the door. So I hang out here quietly when I need a break."

"Got it."

"Put it on speaker." Bryson says.

"Who is that?!" Al whisper yells.

"Umm, Bryson."

"Svoboda?!"

"Shhh, you're going to get caught by your four year old, but yes. I'm going to put you on speakerphone so I can explain something to both of you at the same time."

"I cannot wait to hear this." Al says and I can picture her getting more comfortable on her throne.

"Hi Alexandra," Bryson says when I hold the phone out in front of me.

"Hello, Bryson Svoboda." I know she’s saying his full name to try and rile me up.

"Okay, so, Al, I've been at the vacation house this week."

"But it's under construction and no one is supposed to be down there." She says, always the rule follower.

"Right, well, see, I had an," what's the right word to describe tackling a teammate and ticking her for taking my sponsorship? "Incident."

"You okay?" She asks and I catch Bryson's smirk.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Oh gosh, I don't know where to start."

I wipe my palm down my face and wish Bryson or Al would say something but they're both waiting patiently for me to tell them my story.

"I found out EPIC wanted to sponsor me."

"That sounds like a good thing." Al says, skeptically.

"It is, except they also wanted Peyton. So Dick suggested we split it."

"Really?" Bryson asks.

"Yeah, not ideal, so I told Dick I wanted it all or nothing."

"Ultimatums never work." Al says wisely.

"No shit. EPIC gave the full thing to Pee Pee."

"That's garbage." Bryson says. "Why would they want some rookie when the best fucking forward in the league is an option?"

"Because she's younger and hotter." I inform him.

"Fuck that. You're way hotter." Bryson says.

Al gasps.

"Holy guacamole, is it happening?"

"Is what happening?" I ask.

"You two! "

"Maybe," I say and then quickly add. “But there's more.

I was putting in some extra hours on the pitch doing drills when Peyton showed up.

She told me she'd play me for the sponsorship.

So we did a round of PIG and I lost. It was only then she told me EPIC had already offered her the full sponsorship. "

"Oh no." Al says.

"Yeah," I say and let it hang there. I notice Bryson's hands are clenching and unclenching.

"I'm going to assume you didn't react positively to the news." My sister replies.

"Nope. In fact, I retaliated right then and there."

"The way you're building this up is amazing, by the way." She continues.

"Thanks. Well, here’s what happened.” I pause for effect, and courage. “I… tickled her."

"Say that again," Al says as Bryson's eyes double in size. "It sounded like you said, you ‘tickled her’."

"That is what I said."

"Are you joking?" Bryson asks.

"Not at all. I don't respond well to betrayal." I lift an eyebrow at him.

"So, you just reached out and started tickling an adult?" Al asks.

"Basically," I shift so I’m sitting as tall and proud as possible, trying to muster any shred of dignity available to me.

"I may have added in a few moves Chris taught me over the years to really get her but Coach McEmbry found us wrestling on the ground and he kicked me off the pitch.

Told me I was suspended until the end of the break. "

"Ohmigod." Al whispers. “Suspended?”

"Unofficially at least. So I drove straight to Telluride. And Bryson was at the house when I got there."

The silence emanating from both of them is more than I am comfortable with. I’m mentally begging both of them to say something.

Is Bryson appalled?

Is Al disappointed?

Am I about to be scolded?

Or dismissed?

"So, are you going to tell me about how you fell back in love with him now or another time?" Al asks and Bryson raises his eyebrow at me and mouths "back". Well, shit, I was preparing for a guilt trip from her, not that !

"Another time! Bring some wedges for me to the BBQ. Don’t tell Mom and Dad about the tickling. M’Kay, love you, bye!"

I hang up on her before she can spill anymore dirt. I definitely made my former dislike of Bryson known but I also had made my crush on him very clear to her when I was in high school.

"We will be talking about this whole ‘back in love with me' business later." Bryson says as he orders a ride for us. "Are you okay?” He asks without looking at me. I like that he’s giving me a little space and not trying to pull me into a hug or something. I’m not sad. I’m furious.

"Yeah, I'm getting okay with it." I report.

And it's true. The last few days have helped me to chill out.

I'm not ready to apologize to Pee Pee until she agrees the way she taunted me was fucking rotten. Even then, I might have a hard time doing it. Team over individual is the only way things work but that assumes your teammates aren’t assholes.

"I'm glad you tickled a teammate and got suspended, Killer." Bryson says as he links our fingers and brings my hand up to his lips for a kiss as he waves to the rideshare driver with the other.

"Me too." I agree with a laugh.