Free Kicker (DS Fight Club Book 1) by Josie Kerr

you, Em. That’s a perfect slice,” Charlotte said, managing a weak smile.
    “Honey, you don’t have to eat it,” Em began, but Charlotte stopped her when she put a large forkful of the cake in her mouth.
    “Oh my God, Em, this is fantastic,” she said through a mouthful of cake. She swallowed and accepted a glass of water from Bailey, who patted her on the shoulder and gave her a sympathetic look. “Well, go on; get your own slices before I eat the rest of it.”
    Em served the others, and Rory excused himself, with his cake, fibbing about a meeting and leaving the three women alone to talk.
    They ate their servings of cake, the sounds of forks scraping the plates the only sound in the room.
    “You want to talk about it?” Em ventured when they had finished.
    Charlotte shrugged. “It’s not really anything. There was a housekeeper that was really nice to me, and she bought me a Barbie cake for my sixth birthday even though sweets were expressly forbidden.”
    “What the actual fucking fuck,” Em blurted. “You were six . It was your fucking birthday.”
    Charlotte shrugged. “I’ve always been heavy, you know? I cannot remember when I wasn’t on a diet.”
    Em harrumphed, and Bailey patted Charlotte’s hand.
    “Well, I’m not on a diet now,” Charlotte grinned. “I eat what I want.” She ran her finger around the rim of the plate. “These plates are beautiful.”
    “Thank you,” Em said before flopping backward into her chair. “Man, you’d think I’d learn not to surprise someone with a cake, huh?”
    Bailey giggled, and at Charlotte’s look of confusion, she mouthed, later .
    “So, you’re going over to your family’s house for cake-free festivities tonight?” Em asked. “Ow.”
    Bailey glared at Em, who rubbed her leg where the toe of Bailey’s shoe had made contact.
    “Oh Lordy, no. Sunday is family day, period. I’m on my own tonight, thank goodness. I thought I’d go to my favorite restaurant, have a nice meal, and then watch a movie or something.”
    Charlotte looked between her coworkers, who were looking at each other and apparently having some sort of telepathic conversation.
    “What?” Charlotte said, full of suspicion.
    “Nope. You are doing no such thing,” Bailey declared. “You are coming to the Carmichael housewarming party.”
     
     

“What you lookin’ at, Tiggy?” a voice piped behind Tig. He turned and grinned at Bailey.
    “Hey there, Mrs. C., pretty lady.”
    Bailey grinned and blushed. “I’m still not used to that. They called my name three times at the doctor’s office before I remembered that I was Mrs. Carmichael.”
    “Everything okay?” Tig’s brow furrowed.
    “Yeah, just a follow-up for some things.” Tig squinted at her, and she grinned. “We’re both good, Tig. Now what’re you looking at?”
    Tig laughed. “Come here and I’ll show you.” He pointed at the car that sat idling on the street. “Do you know who that is?”
    “Charlotte! She came.”
    Hot damn. Ponytail came to the party.
    “Charlotte? She work with you at Tara?”
    “Yep. She started working with us not terribly long ago. Oh, you might have seen her after the last fight. She came into the party room for a bit.”
    Oh, yeah, I saw her all right. But he played dumb, saying “Oh, yeah. Dark hair, little suit, right?”
    She nodded enthusiastically. “Yep, that’s Charlotte. She hasn’t quite bought into the fact that we’re a little more casual here than where she’s used to working.”
    Tig did not say anything but raised his eyebrows in interest.
    “Yeah, she’s used to a big accounting firm and being in front of clients. She’s our forensic accountant, so she doesn’t see anyone really. It’s just her and about a million spreadsheets.”
    “Forensic accountant? Sounds fancy.” Tig looked at the big imported sedan. Yep. Fancy .
    Bailey dismissed that thought with a wave of her hand. “Eh, deep down, other than suits and her high heels, Charlotte’s