Page 8 of The Keeper and I

“Yeah, one second, I’ll call you back on FaceTime so he can tell you about her.”

The call ended, and seconds later, Jax’s picture reappeared but this time as a video call. Laci answered, and her two brothers came up on the screen, the older looking exasperated with a hint of a smile, and the younger with a big grin. She leaned her phone against the wall so she could sign with Tate.

“Are you seeing someone?” she asked, moving her hands carefully so he would understand. Sometimes if the signal was bad, the signs were misconstrued.

He nodded and signed back to her, “I am. Her name is Britt, and she’s deaf too. She loves football as much as I do.”

“That’s fantastic!” Laci replied. “I’m so happy for you, Tate!”

“Thank you,” he signed. “I hope you can meet her soon.”

“Me too,” she said, then looked at Jax, but continued to sign so Tate wouldn’t feel left out. “Why can’t Dad go with you to the match?”

“He and Mum are going to a wedding,” he said while also signing for Tate’s benefit.

“Glad to know I was your first choice.”

“My first and only…after two of my coworkers also said no,” Jax joked. “Hey, maybe the four of us can go for drinks beforehand? We can meet Britt and see if we approve?”

Tate elbowed his brother playfully while Jax snickered.

“Well, if meeting the new girlfriend is on the table, I’m definitely in,” Laci said. “I’ll see you both on Sunday, alright?”

“Sounds good,” Jax said as Tate nodded. “So…how’d the photoshoot go?”

A slow smile spread across her face. “I smashed it.”

Jax barked out a cheer while Tate did his usual jazz hands. She beamed. While what Myla said was true, Laci had never had only herself to believe in her. She had her two wonderful brothers and her parents, who never let her doubt herself for a moment. They let her gush about Myla for a few more moments before confirming their plans for Sunday and hanging up. Laci left the studio after a quick goodbye to Myla and headed home.

It was walkable, so she decided to save herself the cost of a cab and make her way on foot. She opened Instagram and posted a few stories she’d filmed while at Myla’s. One with Myla and a few with the other models. Once they were up, she went to her notes app to drum up some questions for Britt. Where had she and Tate met? How long had they been seeing each other? Was her family hearing or deaf? Did she have any siblings or—

“Laci?”

She turned her head, the voice unfamiliar to her.

“Laci Miller?”

A man approached, about two heads taller than her, with blond hair shaved almost to the scalp and startling blue eyes. A plain white T-shirt, joggers, and a black puffer jacket hung over his slim frame. His cheekbones protruded through his skin, and his lips curled up to reveal his teeth and gums in an alarming smile. She had no idea who he was.

“Um, hello,” she said. “Have we met?”

“Oh, no, we haven't.” He shook his head bashfully. “I'm just a big fan. I’m Dane.”

He stuck out his hand, and she hesitantly shook it.

“Nice to meet you, Dane.”

“It’s even nicer to meet you,” he replied. “Seriously, I think you’re like the hottest woman in the world.”

She dropped his hand, her skin crawling. Unsure of what to say, she settled on the usual, “Thank you.”

“Some guys have no appreciation for big girls, but I think they’re really sexy. Something to hold onto, y’know?”

She blinked, nowextremelyunsure of what to say. What did he want from her? A pat on the back for finding her attractive? “Oh, um, to each their own, I suppose.”

“Those guys are fucking pricks, right?” he said with a forced laugh that made Laci take a step back. He ran his hand over his head before stuffing both hands in his pockets. “What were you shooting with Myla Berry?”

She took another step away. She had posted that story only seconds ago. Had he already seen it? And he just happened to be near the studio? The hairs on the back of her neck rose the longer she looked at him and saw a frantic shine in his eyes.