Page 22 of Playing His Game

Management wouldn’t let me go up a mountain anyway. We play tomorrow and the day after, but Saturday?

Fortunately, back-to-back games meant no one on the team had time or energy to ask questions about Adam’s new boyfriend, so he hid his lack of knowledge easily enough for the next two days.

The morning after the second game, Adam dressed in casual clothes, careful to avoid any of his branded Canyon gear, and got into his Rover to pick up Mo.

Mo settled into the car with the same deeply unimpressed look he’d worn a few days prior. “You’re still driving this?”

“Well, I had planned to sell it after our last date and upgrade to something that meets your approval, but I just didn’t have the time.”

“Sugar lips, are you saying that you won’t prioritize me over your job? How can this relationship ever last?”

“Prioritizing you is one thing. Prioritizing your snobbery is another,” Adam shot back.

“Mysnobbery,” Mo spluttered. He sounded genuinely surprised by the accusation.

“Oh, so judging me for driving a perfectly dependable car because you think it’s not cool enough is not snobbery?”

“No! It’s just… there are so many nice cars out in the world. Ones that need loving homes. And you get this boring factory model? It’s a hate crime.”

Mo talked about cars like someone might a stray animal. A smile tugged at Adam’s lips. “Right.”

Mo crossed his arms. “Besides, your alignment is off.”

“Huh?”

“The wheel alignment. It’s off. When was the last time you had this serviced?”

“Oh, uh, I don’t know. A couple months ago?” Adam hated trying to keep track of those tasks. Thank God for digital calendars. Otherwise boring, routine adult tasks would get lost in the shuffle of his regular-season schedule.

Mo scoffed. “Fire your mechanic.”

“What?”

“If your car is this wonky only two months out, they should be fired! Just because your car is boring doesn’t mean she doesn’t deserve proper care!”

“Right.”

“You’re infuriating,” Mo grumbled.

“Why do I get the feeling this date is going to end with me at a mechanic’s or with you under the hood of my car?”

“She should be so lucky as to have my hands on her,” Mo sniffed.

“And here I thought you only liked boys.”

“When it comes to cars, I don’t discriminate. Being attracted to men is a fate I only have to suffer through with humans, thank you.”

“Suffer, huh?”

“Have you met men?”

Adam laughed. Sometimes, after being stuck on the road with his teammates for days and then in the locker room with themagain, he did question his sexuality. Or at least his sanity.

“So, getting to know each other,” Mo said.

“Getting to know each other. Also making up our backstory. I’ve had questions and no answers.”

“Oh. Of course. Have you said anything yet?”