Reagan

Naked yoga? What had I been thinking? No, what had Carter been thinking wanting lunch with me in the first place? I could seriously slap myself. Naked yoga. What the hell? It was all his fault, putting me on the spot like that. It was his fault my brain fried from shock, so I just said the first thing that popped into my head.

I groaned, hitting my forehead, and then I rested my head on the top of Brooke’s desk.

Naked yoga?

Why did that pop in my head in the first place? Maybe I’d been thinking about his body at the time and how flexible football had probably made him.

Yes, it was all Carter’s fault.

And he remembered me back in high school?

Who? What? When? How? Why?

My brain either just farted or I’d finally lost it.

Again, all because of Carter Anthony… but seriously, how could he remember me when we never spoke? We never hung out in the same crowd.

He was high, I was low.

He was new, I was old.

He was…? What in the damnation am I going on about?

Was it too early to start drinking?

Rattled, I needed a drink to calm my nerves. Carter Anthony had obviously rattled me.

Damn me for not asking how he knew me back then. It should have been my first question, but he’d sent me bonkers.

When the door suddenly opened, I quickly straightened in the chair, pretending I was doing yoga. Only, because I didn’t actually know any yoga, my jazz hands appeared.

Brooke paused, took me in, and burst out laughing.

She walked in, still laughing, and placed a tray of food on her desk. I grabbed a chocolate croissant and bit into it, chewing while she gained her composure.

“J-jazz hands?” She cackled. One arm went across her stomach while she placed the other on the desk and leaned into it.

“When you’re ready.” I waved my goodness around in the air. “Laugh it up while I slowly die of humiliation.”

“Oh,” she gasped. “God. I can’t breathe.”

“Good,” I harrumphed.

“Okay.” She inhaled deeply. “All right. I’m good.”

“So…,” I drew out. “Can we move up burying me to, say… about now?”

She grinned. “This wouldn’t have anything to do with naked yoga, would it?”

I gasped, stood, and banged the table with my hands, squishing the croissant in the process. “Who told you?” I demanded.

She snorted out another quick laugh. “Your Carter came up to me and wondered why I wasn’t in here doing naked yoga with you.”

I groaned and smacked my forehead with the squished croissant. Great, just great. I probably had chocolate all over my forehead and it would look like shit. “Was anyone around when he said this?”

“Only Tom.”

“Good.” I nodded, and took a bite of the squashed croissant. I mumbled around my mouthful, which wasn’t a pretty sight, “At least Tom already knows I’m crazy.”

“That he does.”

“What did you say to Carter?”

“I told him I was heading here, but I had to grab us some sustenance.”

Nodding, I dropped back down into her seat. “Good.”

“You do know he realizes you’re full of it, right?”

Slumping in the chair, I closed my eyes. “Yes.”

“Why would you say it?”

Opening my eyes, I told her, “Because he was freaking me out.”

“How?”

So, I started from the time he walked into the classroom, to Elena showing up and mentioning how we all went to school together. “Then he said he remembered me from high school.” I nodded to her shocked look. “I know. It wasn’t something I was prepared for. I told you how we’d never spoken, hung out or… anything during our teen years. Hearing him say that confused me and my brain shut down. He wanted to have lunch to talk. I panicked and said… well, you know.”

“Why did you panic and not want to have lunch with him?”

With a sigh, I shrugged. “I don’t know. The thought of sitting and eating with him makes me nervous. I probably would have choked on my food or done something else stupid. It was best to run.”

“Hmm.”

“Hmm? Why hmm?”

“I think he likes you.”

I scoffed, snorted, and then laughed like a mad woman. Maybe it wasn’t me who was crazy, but Brooke. After calming, I asked, “Are you feeling okay?”

Brooke glared and pulled out the chair opposite her desk, sitting in it. “I’m totally fine. You can’t live in your little bubble of insanity forever. Carter Anthony likes you.”

“Stop saying that please,” I whispered.

“Ree-ree.” Brooke sighed. “Why do you like to live in denial land?”

“It’s safer that way. I can’t get hurt then. Anyway, Carter told me himself that we were friends.”

“Good.” She nodded. “That’s a start. At least now you won’t kill me when I tell you I gave him your number.”

My precious croissant dropped to the floor.

By the time I’d made it home, my nerves were eating at my insides. Heck, I was even afraid of my phone. It sat on the kitchen counter while I stared at it like it had some decaying disease.

Why was I so scared Carter would text me? All I could put it down to was his attention wasn’t the norm for me. In turn, it unnerved me, a lot.

I’d dated. Only a few times admittedly, but I’d had a man’s attention. Only those guys were different to Carter. I wasn’t one to stereotype, but to put it in a way my brain understood, the men in my past were nerds. Cute nerds who made me happy, but in the end, things never worked out.

Carter was the hottest man who had ever wanted my number, wanted to talk to me… and Brooke saying he liked me wasn’t doing me any good. It got my hopes up, but I had to remain realistic.

Carter Anthony was out of my league.

If I started jumping to conclusions, I would most likely make a fool out of myself. All he could possibly want from spending time with me was to make a friend while he was in town. I’d heard he wasn’t sticking around forever, he was here for a year while his team promoted the new gridiron stadium. Then he’d move back home.

Could I handle being friends with Carter and keep my heart in check?

I wasn’t sure.

But was I willing to try? To have his company if he asked for it?

I didn’t know.

My mind was messed up. Confused. Frazzled.

And when my phone vibrated on my counter, my mind exploded in a frenzy of, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit.

I snapped it up, fumbled, and then managed to drop it to the floor in a flurry of curses falling from my mouth like I was a badass biker. After picking it up, I noticed the screen had cracked in the corner. “Jesus,” I muttered, and Fozzie let out a yip in reply. Absently, I bent over and scratched behind his ear, then straightened and lit my phone up.

My shoulders drooped in relief, yet I felt a pang of sadness low in my belly when I saw it was only a text from Mom.

Stupid stomach.

Mom: Be there in five to grab our baby. The fur one, not the adult one. XOXOX

Smiling, I looked down to Fozzie. “Mommy’s on her way.” He let out another yip as if he understood me.

I’d just changed into leggings and a shoulder-less long-sleeved shirt for drinks later with Brooke when my front bell rang. Of course, Fozzie reacted immediately. He turned into a dog possessed, barking and running around stupidly, trying to kill whatever the noise was.

“Door’s unlocked,” I called, slipping my phone into my handbag. I considered leaving my cell at home so my attention would be off it. Then again, what if there was an accident and Brooke was injured, and I needed my phone to call for help? Yep, that was my story and I was sticking to it.

“Ree, you really shouldn’t leave your door unlocked. Anyone could come in and rob you,” Mom called. Then I heard her cooing to her baby. “Oh, my sweetgums. Mommy has missed you. Yes, I have.” I knew she would have Fozzie in her arms and showering kisses all over him. Once again, I was thankful she never reacted like that when I’d come home from school.

“I never get that attention when I get home from work,” Dad complained as he entered the living room from the hall.

Mom snorted behind him. “You get enough.”

“Don’t need to hear about it,” I said, walking up to Dad and kissing him on the cheek. “Glad you’re both back safely.”

“Thanks, angel. But your mom is right. Lock your front door.”

“It’s safe—”

Dad scowled. “Reagan, someone could enter while you blast that stupid music and murder or molest you.”

“She could enjoy it.” We both shot Mom a look. “I meant the action part, not the murder. How long has it been, Ree?”

“I seriously wonder about you sometimes, Elaine. I don’t think you’re right in the head.”

Mom grinned. “I’m not, which is why I married you.”

“Oooh, burn,” I sang.

“Christ,” Dad grumbled. “Both women in my life are insane.”

“Hey,” I snapped half-heartedly. “I haven’t done anything lately to warrant that insane comment.”

“Tom called,” Mom supplied.

Shit.

Mom giggled while rubbing her chin over Fozzie’s head, who was still in her arms. “I want to know who it was that got you tongue-tied enough to say you were doing naked yoga.”

Double shit.

Tom was a goddamn snitch. Also, he was my dad’s close friend and had been ever since I started working at the school, and Dad warned Tom about my uniqueness. Dad only recently became a substitute teacher at the school. One good thing about Tom was that he didn’t mention Carter’s name. Though I wondered why he didn’t.

Sighing, I rolled my eyes. “It doesn’t matter who it was. It won’t happen again.” Dad scoffed. Mom laughed. “At least I’ll try to curb my outburst. Now, I have to get going. I’m meeting Brooke.” I gave them both a cheek kiss and walked past them. “After you grab Fozzie’s stuff, lock up for me, please. Oh, and tell Tom, I’m no longer adopting him as my second father. That man just can’t keep his mouth shut.”