Player(4)

But he was Ian, and nobody told Ian what to do. I could goad him, guide him, but that marked the end of my power.

I imagined Val coming to work with her face swollen and eyes bright with tears, unable to concentrate, potentially losing her job. Because as much as I wanted to believe she was too smart to fall for him, I’d seen him lie his way into enough hearts not to doubt him.

The thought seized me by the guts and twisted.

And judging by the familiar challenge in his eyes, there was only one way out.

“Swear it,” I said, my voice low. “Swear that if I hold up my end, she’s off the table. You won’t touch her, talk to her, ask her out—nothing. Swear it, Ian.”

He smiled. “I swear.”

I stuck my hand out for a shake, but instead of taking it, he punched me in the shoulder and laughed that carefree laugh of a man with no soul to burden.

“God, you’re such a pussy. Good luck. Clock starts tomorrow. Not gonna lie…I’m hoping you lose. I’d love me a little taste of that girl.”

“I fucking hate you,” I said lightly.

He clapped me on the arm. “I love you too, man. I love you, too.”

With that, he walked away in the direction of the flutists. When I picked up my bag and turned for the exit, I caught sight of Val, who was watching me again. Her eyes darted away the moment I looked at her, the gesture as sweet and endearing as it was worrisome.

Reluctance pressed on my shoulders in layers, and in between every one was another emotion—relief, frustration, anticipation.

My only comfort was that she’d be better off dealing with me than with Ian.

At least I wouldn’t hurt her.





2





Proof Positive





Val





“Good news, bad news.”

I closed the door to our brownstone with a neat click.

The faces of my three roommates turned to the sound of my voice. They sat scattered around the living room, listening to music—Rin with her computer resting on her never-ending legs, Amelia with a book in her small hands, and Katherine with a ball of yarn in her lap and knitting needles clutched in her fingers.

I felt my expression quirk in confusion. “Are those…knitting needles? Are you knitting?” I asked stupidly.

She shrugged. “I’ve always wanted to learn. Plus, I’m the only librarian in the New York Public Library system who doesn’t. Even old James does it, although I’m pretty sure it’s just so he can get into Esther’s pants.”

“Isn’t she, like, eighty?” Amelia asked, frowning.

“I know. He has a thing for older women. He’s barely pushing seventy-five.”

Rin snorted a laugh and closed her laptop. “Bad news first, Val. Always the bad news first.”

I sighed, dropping my bag behind the couch and walking around to sit next to Katherine. “It happened again. I swear, I cannot share air with him without somehow making a fool out of myself.”

“Oh no,” Amelia said, her voice soft and face sad. “Sam?”

“Who else?” I picked up Katherine’s ball of yarn before it rolled off the couch. “This time was the coup de grace…I emptied my spit valve onto his shoe.”

Amelia gasped. Her hand flew to her mouth.

Katherine’s needles stopped moving. “You spit on his shoes?”

“Just one shoe, and I didn’t actually spit, but yes.”

“What’s the good news?” Rin asked, her face drawn in concern.

My sickening embarrassment lifted with my smile. “He knows my name.”

Giggles erupted out of all of us. Well, except Katherine, but she was almost smiling, which was her equivalent to a full-blown grin.

Amelia beamed. “Okay, tell us the whole story.”

“Well, I was trying not to pay attention to him, and I guess it worked a little too well. I didn’t even see him coming when I emptied my spit valve and ended up blowing all over his shoes. For a split second, I thought I was going to have a heart attack. But instead of cardiac arrest, I lost my mind. I got on the ground to clean it off like an idiot. And my mouth—my God, my mouth—would not stop going on about spit and vomit and…ugh,” I groaned.

“Vomit?” Now Katherine was definitely smiling, which consisted of a sardonic tilt of her lips, nothing more.

“Vomit. But then he helped me up, held this hand”—I lifted it in display, palm out—“and said my name! He knows my name!” I laughed, pressing the hand he’d held to my warmed cheek. “God, I am such an idiot for him.”

“What do you think it means?”

“Nothing, I’m sure. He’s so far out of my league, he might as well live on Jupiter. He probably only remembers me because I fell on him last week. But man, oh, man—does he have a great lap.”

“Maybe he likes you,” Rin said hopefully.

A laugh burst out of me. “Please, Rin. I know you’ve never seen him, but trust me when I say he’s so gorgeous, it hurts to look at him. Like, it gives me physical pain. I’m pretty sure I have permanent retinal damage from looking without sunglasses on.”

“So what if he’s gorgeous?” Katherine asked matter-of-factly. “He’s always so nice to you even though you almost broke his bass that time.”