Page 64 of Player For Hire

The conversation flowed around me, and I found myself laughing and joining in.

I was surprised to see Callahan. Did he live in the building too?

Seemed like Lonegan’s was an extension of our apartment building. He seemed to know everyone here as well. He wore a baseball hat that had seen a few hard years, and the simple black ear gauges he usually wore were replaced with small diamond encrusted hoops.

Just different enough from his bar attire to make me notice.

People watching was my favorite thing to do, and this crew kept me entertained.

“There he is!” Eli and Callahan both stood with raised arms. “Our favorite guy.”

I turned to see a man coming through the doors with two large flat boxes and a red to-go cooler on his arm. He was tall, with disheveled dark blond hair, and tired eyes.

“Well, don’t just shout hello. Come help me, you animals!”

Eli, who was actually wearing something other than a suit, hustled to the door with Callahan right behind him. Eli took the boxes from him, and Cal grabbed the cooler.

“Where’s my little brother?” the man asked.

“He hasn’t been back down yet.” Eli set the boxes down near the soda.

People from the couches hurried over to the food. When the scent of the pizza hit me, I followed suit. I’d been writing all day and kept forgetting to eat. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been so enthralled with something.

Well, except for Colder, but I had a feeling the good sex thing was mostly because it was so new. Getting lost in my writing? Nope, that was a whole new experience.

I’d always written in secret without believing it would be anything other than a hobby. Something just for me because I couldn’t contain the ideas that crowded my brain.

The logical side told me to go back to submitting for jobs, but the story had already consumed me. I’d written all morning and probably would have continued if Iona hadn’t bugged me to come down and be social.

Then again, there was Colder.

If I hadn’t come downstairs, I would have missed…well, going down on him.

Already, I’d put some of his lessons to use. Layering the possessive side that Colder had shown me into the story. The conflict and tension were so much better now.

“Nay!”

“Coming.” I put my writing thoughts back into their box and joined the others. My mouth watered at the array of pizzas with a familiar box.

“And who might you be?” the tall guy who’d brought in the pizzas asked.

“Oh, hello. Sorry, I was overwhelmed by all the names today. I’m new to the building. I’m Naomi.”

“Oh, you’re Naomi.” He popped a pretzel in his mouth as his smile widened. Crinkles at the corners of his eyes gave me a little deja vu. “I’m Jimmy.”

I glanced at the box then at him. “As in the pizza?”

“That’s me. Jimmy Banks.”

Banks.

He had a similar look to Colder, though he was probably a few years older. Instead of light blue eyes, Jimmy had hazel eyes.“You know my brother pretty well, huh?”

“Um, yes. We are neighbors.” What the hell was I supposed to say to that? I’m banging your brother for science? Dear God.

“So Brian said.”

I frowned. Who was Brian?