“Eve was a tomboy when we were growing up. She played baseball with me and even made our high school baseball team,” David said.
“David stood up for Tami and me so we could play Little League. He knew I was a better player than most boys, so he talked me into playing on the JV team in high school,”
Eve said.
“You two dated,” Crystal said, remembering her conversation with David about his romantic history.
“We did, for a minute. Then I got my break in music and moved to Nashville,” Eve said.
“Eve had me act in her music videos,” David said.
“David was a good sport. I owe him,” Eve said and asked, “How did you two meet?”
“David didn’t like me at first, but I wore him down,”
Crystal said.
“Back when I dated him, he was just starting to make a name for himself. I would imagine it must be crazy now that he’s famous. How do you handle all the girls chasing him?”
“You mean like tonight?” Crystal asked.
“Don’t worry about them. They’re David’s good friends, and they were just giving our stupid boy a hard time,” Eve explained.
“Why does everyone call him ‘stupid boy’?” Crystal asked.
“Because I was completely clueless about the opposite sex,” David said.
“In some things. But I remember you knew more than the average boy did about certain others,” Eve teased.
“Yeah … well … ah …” David stammered.
“Let’s just say that David’s ‘friends’ all had a hand in training him. You might want to thank them,” Eve overshared.
Crystal shook her head in response.
“Thanks,” David grumped.
“Oh, look at that. It’s time for me to do another set,” Eve said.
She got up and then leaned down and kissed David. She winked at Crystal.
“When David is giving out kisses, you get in line.”
“Is that so?” Crystal asked.
‘Oh, boy,’ David worried.
Eve laughed as she left.
◊◊◊
Back at the hotel, Crystal went to the bathroom to take off her makeup and brush her teeth. Closing the bathroom door, she listened to the hum of David channel-surfing.
When she came out, he’d stripped down to his boxers and was leaning against the headboard.
‘He has abs to freaking die for,’ Crystal thought.
She was at the fun end of a bottle of wine and feeling frisky but confused about where she and David stood.
He gave her a funny look.
“You okay?”
Was she? Crystal didn’t know.
When she didn’t answer, David asked, “Would you tell me if you weren’t okay?”
“Yes.”
No. She probably wouldn’t. A part of her was cursed.
Like poison running through her veins, she could never get a relationship right. After meeting all the great girls David had dated, how was she supposed to stack up?
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“I …”
“You know I like you, right?”
That brought Crystal up short. David wasn’t the kind to lie about something like that.
“I just am feeling a bit insecure,” she admitted.
He got out of bed and came to her. He reached down and lifted her chin, and she found him smiling at her.
“I like you.”
She leaned into him, and he wrapped his arms around her. Her head ended up on his shoulder. She leaned back so she could see his eyes.
“Take me to bed and show me how much you like me.”
Crystal’s frisky feelings switched to red-hot passion. She planned to thank each girl who’d been there tonight because they’d turned their stupid boy into a better man.
By the time he was done, she had no doubt about their relationship.
◊◊◊
Chapter 19
The morning sun streamed in through the hotel room window, waking Greg early and reminding him that he needed to close the curtains before bed. He blinked several times, trying to clear the sleep from his eyes.
Last night, Uncle John invited him and his brothers to play a round of golf first thing this morning. David had accepted the news with the enthusiasm of a disobedient child being sent to the corner for a time-out, while Phil took it in stride.
Greg got out of bed and found a note from Joey saying she’d gone for a run. He took a quick shower and then went down to the lobby, where he found Uncle John and David eating breakfast.
“Crystal seems nice,” Uncle John was saying.
“She’s so out of my league; hell, she doesn’t even play the same sport,” David said to shock them both.
“I call bullshit,” Greg said.
“Tell me the truth. Before I did all the stuff that made me famous, could you ever see me with someone like her?”
David asked.
“That sounds like something we should discuss,” Uncle John said.
David high-fived Greg and said, “Pay up, sucker.”
“What are you talking about?” Uncle John asked.
“Five minutes, thirty-nine seconds,” David said, checking his phone. “Not quite a record, but impressive.”
“We bet on how long it would take before you went into psychologist mode. I said it wouldn’t be until we got onto the golf course.”
“And David said it would be sooner,” Uncle John said, giving them a disappointed look. “You know I only do that to help you boys, right?”
“More like he can’t help himself,” David mock-whispered.
“I call a foul because you baited him. We both know you aren’t feeling insecure about dating Crystal,” Greg said to David and then turned to his uncle. “And you fell for it.”
“Don’t be a sore loser. It means you get to go first and get it over with,” David said.
“What’s he talking about?” Uncle John asked.
“I have … I mean, I get to ride in your golf cart first,”
Greg said, partially saving himself.
“Just for that, you both have to talk to me about your life goals.”
Both Greg and David moaned. If Greg wasn’t sure that David was the mailman’s kid … well, they certainly acted and sounded like brothers.
◊◊◊
Greg stood at the first tee, taking in the morning. He felt like he was completely surrounded, yet totally alone. He pushed that feeling down as he heard the gurgle of a mourning dove. A dog barked in the distance.
He got a tiny grin on his face as he addressed the ball.
He’d goaded his brothers into putting some money on today’s round. He swung his club and heard the satisfying crack as his ball traveled down the center of the fairway.
“We’re screwed,” Phil said.
“You’ve been playing with Dad,” David guessed correctly.
“We play a couple of times a week,” Greg admitted.
It was David’s turn.
“Oh, shi-shoot!” he said as his ball hooked into a sand trap.
“Easy money,” Greg goaded his brother.
David glared at him.
“Now you’ve done it. He’s going to kick your butt,” Phil said as he laughed at Greg.
Greg instantly recognized that he’d made a mistake.
When David got pissed, he would focus and, more times than not, win at whatever they were playing.
◊◊◊
Greg was sitting with Uncle John in their golf cart as David hit out of the sand. Greg suppressed a laugh when his brother’s mighty swing caught all sand to spray all over him, and the ball went straight up and landed back in the trap. They were going to be there for a while.
“Remind me of your life goals,” Uncle John said.
“My children come first, be a good example, find what makes me happy, don’t let others define me, and take a deep breath before making a decision,” Greg replied.