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Rakell’s eyebrows arched. “Well, he’s pretty formidable,” she offered in a lame explanation.
Mellisa chuckled. “Okay, that’s one way to describe him. When I said he’s hard not to think about, I was referring to Jake being an over-communicator. Jenae and I talk about it all the time. He used to text in between classes, then football practice breaks, before he went to bed and when he woke up, just to check in and see what we were up to. He’s better now because we told him to cut that shit out—we have jobs and other people in our lives, and we can’t constantly be answering his texts. So I can’t imagine what it’s like to be his girlfriend. Not just some girl he’s casually dating, but The One…the one he’s made known as his forever girl. Lord, I owe you this day and many more for the sheer exhaustion of life with Jake Skyler. His heart is beyond generous, but the amount of attention…”
Caught off guard by Melissa’s exacting description, Rakell barked out a gust of laughter. “Oh my God, it’s so true. He’s adorable, but I mean…it’s sweet, yet so...”
“Fucking annoying—excuse my language. The past few months, that word has become a normal part of my vernacular. I have to stop myself to avoid it slipping out in front of the kids. Seriously though, Jake…”
Dark eyes peered in from around the curtain of the cabana. “Miss Skyler?”
“Yes,” Melissa replied, gesturing to a mid-twenties broad-shouldered guy with tawny-colored skin, holding a tray with two cocktails in plastic margarita glasses.
“Sorry to interrupt, but these were ordered by Jake Skyler.” His lips wrinkled up, as if trying to submerge a smirk. “Well, that’s what he said. My name is Carlos, and I’m supposed to ensure I care for you both very well today. Mr. Skyler said two of his loves were hanging out in cabana six, and he wants to make sure you both have a good time.”
When Melissa and Rakell’s gazes met, they both burst out laughing.
Rakell was not sure if Melissa had caught the odd expression on the waiter’s face when he said ‘two loves.’ Carlos set the drinks down on the table, then swallowed a muffled chuckle before he said, “Guess it’s pretty nice being an NFL star.” He grinned, scanning from Rakell to Melissa as if they were perks of the profession.
“Thank you,” Melissa said, “but wait, please.” She dug into her bag, pulled out her wallet, and handed Carlos a platinum credit card. “Can you do me a big favor?” she said lightly, “and tell my brother that this is our day. I have it covered…and if he calls you again…Carlos, right?” Melissa asked pointedly.
His neck elongated as his back straightened, alerting to Melissa’s intentional tone.
“Tell him his sister said he’s not invited, and he needs to stay out of our day so we can have a sliver of time that we’re free of controlling men.”
Slowly, his fingers pinched the card as he eased it from Melissa’s outstretched hand. “Um…”
Rakell caught how Melissa’s eyes roamed his taut, broad, bronzed body. “Would you do that for me? Let the great Jake know that he can’t adult his big sister no matter how famous he gets.”
Rakell snickered into her cupped palm, watching Melissa pick up the margarita and sip it. “Well, he did remember the light syrup, so there’s that,” she uttered, tilting the glass to her lips and taking a long gulp as though it was lemonade. “Go ahead and bring us two tequila shots, too—the cleanest Blanco you have, please.”
Rakell saw the imperceptible shake of the waiter’s head as his eyes lingered on Melissa. "Sure, no problem, Ms. Skyler. I’ll let Jake know in a more pleasant way, and don’t worry, I’ll still be the one taking care of you. I’ll be right back with your shots. Let me know if you want food. Our tacos are great, as are the wings. I made sure your cabana was stocked with water and fruit, but anything else?”
“Yes, Diet Coke,” Melissa said. Rakell was surprised because Jake had described Melissa as a health nut saying that she didn’t drink, ate only clean food, and wouldn’t touch a preservative for anything. But Rakell had seen her drink the last couple of times she was at gatherings, and she’d eaten BBQ, not exactly healthy food.
When he turned, exiting the cabana, Melissa said, “Damn, Jake,” and grabbed her phone. “I know he’s trying to be nice, but it’s also controlling. I’m texting him to stay out of our girls’ day today. We are not talking about him anymore, except for me telling him: I told your girlfriend not to let you control her!” Then she tapped on her screen frantically, slowly reading what she was texting.
Rakell laughed softly. “Oh, I’m sure that’s going to go over well.”
“Oh, I’m adding…but brother, I appreciate that you arranged for Rakell and me to have the hottest waiter in Austin. This guy is charming and even more chiseled than you.” She tossed her phone back into her bag.
Rakell felt pulled in by Melissa, as if they had an understanding about men, specifically Jake—not that he was bad—but it was nice to be with someone who recognized that his intensity could also be challenging. He reeked of chivalry, but the tether of control that dominated his approach didn’t go unnoticed by Rakell. She took a long swig of the cocktail, then said, “You know what he did in Tahoe?”
Melissa’s head twisted toward her. “I’ll smack him, what?”
Rakell let out a sigh. “It wasn’t bad at all, quite the opposite, it was—” She took another swig.
Melissa sat up, bringing her margarita to her mouth and sucking down a long swallow. “He didn’t tell you the rules…or…”
Rakell’s eyes widened. "What? No. He…well, let me back up. I flew into Reno, rented a car, and drove to Incline Village to meet him, but I’d taken the winding path, and he knew it was stressful, so…” She let out a long breath. “So, Monday, when I went to leave, he let me know that he’d had my rental car returned and that a driver was picking me up to take me—not to the Reno airport—but to drive me to the Sacramento airport because he’d found a direct flight to Atlanta. When I said everything had already been booked, he told me he’d texted my agent, Ana, to cancel my other flight because he’d booked me a first-class flight and didn’t want me driving back to Reno.” Rakell searched Melissa’s face before she continued. “I didn’t say anything because he told me while running out the door to the first day of training, as he kissed me and told me he loved me and would always take care of me.” Rakell’s shoulders inched up to her ears as her frustration rose, remembering the scenario… “Sorry, I just…”
“Noooo, that is controlling, you were right to feel…well, not sure what you felt. I certainly don’t want to express your feelings for you, but that’s controlling. Yes, I know my brother, and I’m sure he was well-meaning, just like today, but regardless, that’s a bit controlling.” She shook her head. “Actually, it’s fucking over-the-top control freak shit. Men…” She guzzled the last of her margarita, and Rakell followed suit.
Just then, Carlos cleared his throat from outside the cabana. “Okay for me to…?”
“Yes, come in,” Melissa said. “We’re ready for those shots and probably refills on the drinks. Is that okay with you, Rakell? Talk about a control freak,” she huffed, her thumb aimed at herself. “I think it’s the Skyler bloodline.”
“That sounds good. Can we get a couple bottles of Topo Chico?”
“Sure, no problem, and Ms. Skyler,” he continued, handing each of them the tequila shots with a slice of lime, “your brother said he’s been trying to call you since he has a few minutes to talk during his lunch break.”
