Page 41 of Game Plan

“Thanks.” Jett grabbed my hand and held it in his, but it felt wrong, so I jerked it away and pretended to scratch my cheek to get out of his grip. He returned his hand to the steering wheel.

Henri’s was a pizza place disguised as a fancy restaurant. White tablecloths, red leather booths, soft jazz music playing from ceiling speakers. I’d heard about this place but never tried it. It was popular amongst Crestwood University students. The menu was simple, and they were famous for their breadsticks and lasagna.

“Table for two?” the hostess asked.

“Reservation under the name Chambers.”

She grabbed menus from under the counter and motioned us forward with a tight-lipped smile. “Follow me.”

Jett’s palm lingered on the small of my back as the hostess led us to a table by a large window. A lit candle had been set in the middle, and a bottle of nonalcoholic cider lay in a bucket of ice as if it were an expensive champagne.

Jett helped me slide in first before rounding the booth and taking a seat on the opposite side.

“Enjoy,” the hostess said before turning away.

My insides twisted with unease, but I refused to let a stupid hunch ruin my night. I scanned the small eatery and relaxed a little in my seat. “This is nice. I love the atmosphere here.”

“The pizza is really great. It’s one of my favorite places to eat in town when I visit Jules.”

He was busy pouring cider into flutes when I gasped and choked on my breath. No. This couldn’t be. I was dreaming the entire scene.

The hostess led the Pierce brothers to the booth next to ours. It had to be a coincidence, right? A little voice inside my head told me it was all but. That stupid hunch. I should have listened to my intuition. Sinking lower in my seat, I pretended to rummage through my purse for a lip gloss as they sat down. Maybe they were meeting friends and would be too busy to notice me…or perhaps they were on a double date. Once again, the idea of Mason dating another girl sent acid swirling inside my stomach. I had no reason to be jealous, and yet, I couldn’t help myself even though it sounded ridiculous in my mind.

“To us,” Jett said, raising his glass and waiting for me to do the same.

I plastered a smile that I hoped looked genuine on my lips and clinked my glass with his. “To us.” We each took a sip. “Anything you recommend?” I asked, surveying the menu while trying to use Jett as a barrier so Mason wouldn’t notice me, desperate to keep the conversation going to make sure I stayed busy. What a joke. When I stared at Jett, two blue irises connected with mine over his shoulder.

Mason’s heated gaze sent electric discharges down to my toes.

My body had no right to react to his presence. We were on the same team. It shouldn’t betray me.

“Their lasagna is legendary, but I prefer their pizza. The prosciutto supreme and the Italian combo are both very good. If you’re not a meat fan, then the broccoli garden and the carbonara grande are great choices. Or we can share a plain cheese pie or choose spaghetti and meatballs. Whatever you feel like eating.”

He grinned, and I mirrored it genuinely this time.

“Okay, gimme a minute to look at the menu. Everything sounds amazing.”

Jett and I exchanged stories about our part-time jobs and our sports as we waited for the server to bring our food. We had chosen to split a broccoli garden and a prosciutto supreme pizza with a basket of cheesy breadsticks and marinara sauce.

His phone rang while he was halfway through the retelling of his latest game. “It’s my roommate. I must take this. Can you give me like five minutes?”

“Yeah, sure. Take your time.”

He motioned to stand as he brought the phone to his ear and said, “Hey, man. I was wondering when you’d get my message…” The chatter of the restaurant and music drowned his words as he sauntered toward the hallway leading to the restrooms, no doubt to get away from the noise.

The moment Jett disappeared from view, a voice I tried so hard to block broke the silence. “Hey, Mel. How is it going over there?”

I reined in my anger as I faced a smug-looking Mason and a surprised-looking Craig. “What are you two doing here?” I asked, clenching my hands under the table. This was no coincidence, I could tell. Mason had planned this little meet-up.

“What do you think?” Mason asked. “We’re on a date. Sibling date. What about you?”

“Mase, you know perfectly well I’m on a date. Don’t play stupid.”

He clamped a hand to the back of his neck and frowned, pretending to think about it. “Nope. That’s not what it looks like.”

“Ma-son. Why are you being like this?” Irritation tinted my words.

“Like what? Awesome? Wonderful? Great-looking?” He scanned around him. “We could eat together. It would be just like our high school days all over again, only in college this time. Wouldn’t it be fun, bro?” He looked at his brother. “The four of us sharing pizza and talking about our lives and our dreams. Yes, I think it’s a marvelous idea.”