Page 58 of Payoff Pitch
I run my tongue over my teeth. “Fine. The bar across the street, and only one drink. I really need to get home to my girls.”
Cheetah smirks. “Girls?”
“Girl. I meant girl.”
“Sure, buddy. Let’s go.”
Ten minutes later, we’re all sitting at a table with a round of drinks. All eyes fall on me.
I look around at my friends and take in their serious faces. “Why do I feel like this is an intervention?”
Cheetah nods. “It is.” He swallows. “After theSports Illustratedparty a few weeks ago, did you know that Bailey went home with Ezra?”
I can’t stop my jaw from ticking. My grip on my glass becomes so tight that I think it might break. The thought of her with him or any other man makes me ill.
Cheetah turns to the guys. “Told ya so. He’s into her too.”
I lift an eyebrow. “Too?”
He nods. “She’s into you.”
“Not if she went home with Ezra.”
“Nothing happened. He said she couldn’t go through with it because she’s hung up on you. I now know that you want her too. What’s the problem?”
“I’m pretty sure you’re hung up on Kamryn. What’s your problem?”
He shrugs. “Kam will eventually come around. She’ll wise up one of these days.”
“According to Bailey, Kamryn is already extremely wise.”
With a completely straight face, he declares, “Nearly all women at one point possess highly intelligent DNA. But most eventually spit it out.”
I can’t help but chuckle before turning to Daylen. “What about you? You were seeing that Linda woman. What’s going on with her?”
He scrunches his face. “She asked me to name all my sexual partners.”
Everyone grimaces. Layton shakes his head. “Oh no. Never answer that. It’s a trap.”
Daylen twists his lips. “It’s even worse than you think. Note to self, when asked that question, be sure to stop at the name of the woman asking. They don’t like when you name people after them.”
I sigh. These guys are idiots. Well-intended idiots, but idiots nonetheless.
Cheetah nods at me. “Come on, Montgomery. Spill it. What’s the story with you and Bails? What’s stopping you?”
I scratch my fingers through my beard. “Where do I begin? She’s too young for me. She’s too good for me. And she’s Harper’s nanny, who Harper happens to idolize. It’s all a recipe for disaster.”
Vance shakes his head. “You’re allowed to be happy, Tanner. All you do is work and spend time with Harper. What about you? You need to do something for yourself. Trust me, man, I know.”
Vance is one of the most selfless people I know. Because of it, life has been an uphill battle for him.
“Being with Harper makes me happy. I was a shit father for her first three years. I need to make up for it.”
Layton sighs. “You weren’t a shit father. Maybe a shit husband, but never a shit father.”
I give him the finger, even though I know he’s right. “Thanks, asshole.”
He chuckles. “Sorry, man. It’s the truth. You know it is.”