Free Playing For Keeps by R.L. Mathewson Page A

mind wandered to Jason and how good it felt to have him
hold her most of the day. Then she reminded herself that they were
just friends and forced herself to smarten up.
    Nothing was ever going to happen
between them. Jason was a buddy, a real good friend and she
wouldn’t ruin that for anything in the world. Friendship was one of
the things she valued most in the world and she would not risk
their friendship. It wasn’t worth it.
    Besides he was probably with some
bimbo at the moment. The idea turned her stomach. She placed her
half-eaten sundae on the floor and groaned. Sometimes friendship
sucked, she thought as she dunked herself under the water so she
could let out a frustrated scream.

Chapter 8
    “Come on, guys! Let’s go back. Those
women were hot!” Mitch said for the hundredth time since they'd
left the club.
    “No,” Brad and Jason said in
unison.
    Mitch let out a frustrated sigh as
they walked into the hotel foyer. “I know why Brad doesn’t want to,
he’s married, but why don’t you?”
    He shrugged. “I just don’t want to. Is
that okay with you?”
    “All night you turned girls down. What
the hell is wrong with you?” Mitch demanded.
    “Nothing,” he mumbled. He wasn’t in
the mood for this conversation or for Mitch. All night he resisted
the urge to punch the asshole. When he wasn’t thinking about
punching Mitch he was kicking himself for leaving Haley. He should
have stayed and taken care of her. She was cool enough to bring
them with her to catch a really great game and they ditched her
like a bunch of ungrateful bastards. Plus, if he was going to be
honest, he probably would have had a better time with her just
sitting around watching a movie than going to a club and having a
bunch of women rub all over him.
    “Problem guys,” Brad said as he walked
back to them from the desk clerk.
    “What is it?” he asked.
    “They gave our room away since we
didn’t check in and there are no more rooms available.”
    “Shit.”
    “Yup.”
    “Hey, where are you going?” Jason
asked Mitch’s retreating back.
    Mitch stopped and gave him a "duh"
look. “We don’t have a room. I’m going back to that club to find a
warm body and a bed for the night.”
    That son of a bitch.
    He’d been trying to get between
Haley’s legs for a week and wouldn’t stop it. Now he was trying to
get laid just for a bed. Jason had no doubt come morning he’d be
back sniffing around Haley.
    “Are you coming or what?” Mitch
demanded.
    He shook his head in disgust. “No, you
go have fun. I’m going to bed.”
    “Whatever,” Mitch muttered as he
headed out.
    Jason nudged Brad. “Let’s go beg for
mercy.”
    Brad looked relieved as he nodded and
gestured for Jason to lead the way.
    They walked up to Haley’s room and
knocked. After a few minutes they knocked again. Finally the door
opened revealing a sleepy eyed Haley.
    “What is it?” she asked, trying to
stifle a yawn.
    “They gave away our room,” he said
with a pout.
    She rolled her eyes. “Well duh, you
didn’t check in this afternoon.”
    “You don’t have to rub it
in.”
    “That’s not me rubbing it in, trust
me. If I was doing that I would give you an evil little laugh and
shut the door in your face.”
    “Good point,” he said, wincing, while
hoping she didn’t do just that. He was exhausted and didn’t feel
like fighting with Brad over the backseat of his car.
    “So what do you want?”
    “Mercy?”
    She rolled her eyes. “You want to
sleep here? There isn’t enough room for all four of us.”
    Obviously she hadn’t noticed Mitch’s
absence.
    “Mitch went elsewhere for night. It’s
just me and Brad.”
    Something in her expression shifted.
Was she upset that Mitch wasn’t here? The idea pissed him off more
than he wanted to admit.
    “Alright, guys. Come on in,” she
mumbled as she made her way back to the first bed. Jason of course
took the time to note the cute little tank top and matching cotton
shorts that hugged her