“Don’t be a jerk.” Liv shook her head at her brother and then looked at me and winked. “If Henry and Alice want to make plans to go on a hot date, then let them.”
“Liv, seriously, grow up.” Aiden’s voice was stiff and he turned around and blew a whistle. “Hey, guys, we’re about to get started.” He shouted out to all the other people in the field. “Please gather around so we can pick teams.”
“Bossy-boots as usual,” Liv whispered to me as we walked to stand in the crowd of people in front of Aiden. “I swear I don’t know why you want to date him. He’s just way too annoying and obnoxious.”
“Maybe that bossiness will be good in the bedroom,” I whispered back to her. “Maybe it won’t be as annoying.”
“You’ll have to let me know.” She giggled. “Well, not any specific details, just if the sex makes up for it all.”
“If we even get to have sex.” I sighed. “At the rate this is going, it’ll be a while.”
“What will be a while?” Xander asked me as he stood next to us.
“Her and Aiden hooking up in the bedroom,” Liv answered.
“I thought you guys have already hooked up?” He looked confused.
“Yeah, we had sex once,” I said. “But I’m wondering if we will have sex again.” For some reason, my voice grew louder and as I spoke, I realized that the field was silent and there were a few people looking at me.
“Are you ready, Alice?” Aiden said sarcastically as he stared at me. “Or would you like us to wait while you discuss your sex life?”
“Please go ahead,” I squeaked out and glared at him. Insufferable pig. I looked away from him, angry that I had somehow turned back to my teenage self around him. I was older now. More confident. More capable. I wasn’t some immature little teenager anymore. I was an adult, and I wasn’t going to allow Aiden to make me feel like some naughty little kid. At least, not outside of the bedroom.
***
“I’m glad you’re on my team.” Henry smiled at me as we stood at the end of the field, panting.
“Me too.” I smiled and took a deep breath. My heart was racing from all the running, and I just wanted to collapse onto the ground.
“The other team seems to be way too serious.” He laughed and we watched as Aiden and Xander kept throwing the ball back and forth.
“I don’t know how Aiden and Xander wound up on the same team.” I laughed. “It almost seems unfair. Though I’m glad because that means I’m not paired with either of them.”
“Poor Liv.” Henry grinned and we watched as she kept yelling at the two men to pass her the ball.
“I know.” I laughed. “Do you think we should run down there and try and grab the flags?”
“Nah, not yet.” He shook his head. “Our teammates can handle the defense for now. Seems like you still need to catch your breath.”
“Yeah.” I nodded, not feeling embarrassed that he’d noticed what bad shape I was in. “I guess that’s what I get for working in an office.”
“What do you do?” he asked curiously.
“Nothing fun.” I laughed. “I’m an assistant, secretary, receptionist for a real estate company.” I made a face. “It’s boring, but it pays the bills until I can do what I want to do.”
“What do you want to do?”
“I’d love to be an actress.” I smiled at him. “Isn’t that what everyone says that works as an assistant?”
“No, I think that’s what baristas normally say.”
“True,” I agreed and sighed. “Okay, that was a bit of a lie. I don’t really want to be an actress.”
“Oh?” He looked confused. “That’s a weird lie.”
“I know.” I shook my head. “I’m an idiot. It just sounded more glorious than what I really want to do.”
“What’s that, then?” He scratched his forehead. “Let me guess.”
“Okay, then, guess.” I smiled.
“You want to be a preservationist and preserve insects?”
“Eww, no.” I giggled.
“Okay, let me guess again.” He pursed his lips and looked thoughtful, his green eyes alive with humor as he gazed at me. “You want to model lingerie at Victoria’s Secret?”
“No!” I said emphatically, and he laughed.
“A man can hope.” He winked at me and I could feel myself blushing. Was he flirting with me?
“That’s never going to happen. That would be my worst nightmare.”
“What would be your worst nightmare?” Liv came running towards me, her face a deep red and her eyes looking crazy and wild from all the exercise.
“Me being a lingerie model.”
“What?” She stopped dead in her tracks and started laughing. “Who’s gone and offered you that job, then?”
“No one offered me that job.” I shook my head and rolled my eyes. “Henry was just saying that—”
“Liv!” Aiden ran up to us and shouted at his sister. “Stop bloody talking.” He glared at her and blew his whistle. “Everyone stop!”
“What’s up with the whistle?” Liv looked confused as all the players came to a halt. “What’s going on?”
“That’s what I want to know.” Aiden frowned and gazed at me for a second before looking away. “Alice and Henry aren’t doing anything, and now you’re just standing there talking as well. Are you guys sure you want to be a part of these games?”