Love Match (7 page)

“A teenybopper club doesn't sound that fun,” Diego said.

“You've never been to an underage club here,” Maya said. Not that she'd been to one either, unless she counted the Underground, which she didn't.

“Okay, Maya,” Diego said. “Show me the town.”

“You can't go,” Travis reminded him. “This whole thing is in your honor.”

“You mean
you
can't go,” Diego corrected him. “I can do what I want. As you pointed out, this thing is in my honor. And I would be much more honored if my welcoming committee took me out on the town. What do you say, Maya?”

“I don't think this is a good idea,” she answered honestly.

“The fun ideas are never good,” Diego said. “You've served your time here. Now comes a reward.”

Maya looked over at the clumps of teachers and coaches circled around in quiet conversation. It was probably the exact opposite of what Renee and Cleo were doing at that moment. If they stuck around at the reception any longer, they'd never make it to the club before it closed. It was a school night, after all.

“I'm in,” she said.

Maya and Diego turned to Travis. “I can't,” he said. “My dad's right on the other side of the door.”

“Your dad is Nails Reed,” Diego said. “The guy who got his nickname from all the women he nailed in college. That guy would want you to go out on the town.”

All the air suddenly went out of the room. “That's not where his nickname comes from,” Travis said through clenched teeth.

Diego shrugged it off. “All those coaches keep telling me how much you're like your dad. Maybe it's time to prove it.”

Maya carefully stepped out of the Porsche Cayenne Turbo, making sure that her skirt didn't ride up too high as she reached for the curb. The line to get into 360 went all the way down the block and every head turned to see who was getting out of the luxury SUV. Maya felt like she was disappointing them by failing to provide a genuine star sighting.

Diego slipped out from the backseat. He let out a long, low whistle when he saw the line. “We are never getting in tonight.”

“It's okay,” Maya said. “Travis is probably on some list. We'll be fine.”

Maya sounded like she knew what she was talking about, but the truth was she'd only been to one other hot spot since moving to Florida. This experience was almost as foreign to her as Diego's homeland had been.

They waited on the sidewalk while Travis gave detailed instructions to the valet about the proper way to park the
SUV. He wasn't normally so specific, but it wasn't exactly his car he was about to hand over to a total stranger.

Travis's Mercedes Roadster was only a two-seater. The three of them had quickly realized that they would need an alternative mode of transportation after they slipped out of the formal reception unnoticed. Since Maya was carless and Diego's limo had gone off duty, that only left one of the rides in Nails Reed's small fleet of vehicles. Quietly slipping out of the garage in a car stolen from his dad's collection was Travis's second act of rebellion that night.

When Maya turned her attention back to the club, she was surprised to see the bouncer holding the velvet rope open for her. “Good evening, Ms. Hart. Welcome to 360.”

Maya looked down at the rope, then up at the bouncer. “Excuse me?”

“Ms. Ledecq is already inside,” he said. “She made sure you were on the list.”

“Th-thank you.” Maya stepped across the invisible line separating her from the riffraff waiting on the sidewalk. It wasn't the first time she'd gotten past a velvet rope before, but on the previous occasion she'd had Nicole King by her side.

“Impressive, Maya,” Diego said as he followed. “You do know how to show off for the new guy.”

They waited in the doorway beneath the neon 360 sign for Travis to catch up. “I figured there was a chance Renee put us on the list,” Maya said. “But I didn't have to tell him who I was. He
recognized
me.”

Diego smiled. “Of course he did. You're news. I was reading about you all the way in Rio over the weekend.”

“But … I didn't even win.” The fact that Maya had made news wasn't news to her. She'd seen the articles herself. She just didn't think anyone else had.

“Why are you hanging out in the doorway?” Travis asked when he finally caught up to them.

“Maya wanted to make sure you could get in,” Diego joked. “Since we're clearly not celebrities like her.”

“Speak for yourself.” Travis took Maya's arm. “I'm the son of Nails Reed, football hero. That makes me famous by association…. Able to get into clubs across this nation … so long as the owners remember my dad.”

Maya laughed along with Diego even though she thought that she'd heard an unusual touch of bitterness beneath the joke. She expected that type of attitude from a different Reed brother, not Travis. Brushing it aside as a figment of her imagination, Maya walked through the doorway and into an entirely different world.

The club was thumping. Music pounded out of the speakers and lights danced along to the pulsing beat. Bodies filled every inch of the floor. Most were moving to the rhythm, but a few were completely out of step and didn't seem to care at all.

Maya made quite an entrance walking in on the arm of a hot guy. Sure, they were only friends, but the girls shooting her jealous looks as they watched the door didn't know that.

The good feeling lasted for about a half second. Then she saw the other brother heading their way.

“What's the matter?” Travis asked as she pulled away from
him. He held on tighter, unaware that his brother was coming toward them. “It's okay. Friends can hang on to each other's arms. It doesn't mean anything.”

“No,” Maya said. “It's—”

“I thought you two had some official hosting duties tonight. Did Dad give you a ‘get out of fancy reception free' card or something?” Jake may have been speaking to both of them, but his eyes never once looked to Maya. If only the same could be said for other eyes in the club.

The death glares Maya now got from the girls scoping the entrance almost caused her to laugh out loud. If only those girls knew the truth. Maya was standing with three of the hottest guys in the club, but it was the last place she wanted to be.

Travis clung even more tightly to Maya. “We skipped out early. Diego wanted to see the town.”

“Diego?” Jake asked, noticing the third wheel for the first time. “You the new competition?”

“I thought the Reed brothers played American football,” Diego said. “Not the real thing.”

“Oh, we play the real thing, all right,” Jake said. “Not some lame version of kickball.”

“And why do you need those helmets? To protect your hairdos?” Diego asked, coming chest to chest with Jake.

“Hey!” Travis jumped in. “My stylist charges two hundred fifty dollars for this look. I have to protect my investment.”

The guys busted up laughing, breaking the tension. Funny how Jake could joke around with his brother, but still couldn't bring himself to look at Maya.

“We'll set you up at the salon sometime.” Jake reached for Diego's head. “She could do wonders with those dark curly locks.”

Diego ducked out of the way. “Thanks, man.”

Jake held out a hand. “Nice to meet you, Diego. I look forward to beating you on the field of battle. Just name the sport.”

“Poker,” Diego said as they shook. “That's my favorite sport. So, did you come over to buy us drinks?”

“Nope,” Jake said. “Time to go. I have practice in the morning.”

Maya was glad that Travis had her arm. She about fell over when Jake said that he was leaving a club early because of practice.

Jake finally noticed Maya. “I never had the chance to congratulate you,” he said, holding out a hand to her. “Nice game this weekend.”

Maya untangled herself from Travis so she could shake Jake's hand. It was warm and inviting, with just the right amount of pressure. “Thank you. Have a good practice.”

“Thanks,” he said as he left. Just like that. He
left
. No posturing. No strained conversation with his brother. He was polite to Maya, but remote. And it didn't seem to have anything to do with her hanging on to Travis's arm.

Maya couldn't help but notice that no one was hanging on to Jake's arm.

Diego put his hands on Maya's shoulders and pushed her into the crowd. “Okay, Maya,” he whisper-yelled into her ear over the thumping music of the club. “Since you already have
enough guys after you, I think it's time you introduced me to some girls before I have to make my move, too.”

Maya laughed at the joke. At least, she hoped it was a joke. He was right about that. She was already dealing with more guys than she could handle.

Maya was so glad she'd blown off the reception, she didn't even care if it meant another call to Nails Reed's office. The playlist at 360 was great, the drinks were tasty, and, best of all, everyone was having a blast. She'd been most worried about that last part. Cleo was still mad at Travis for the role he played in Nicole's plan to break up Maya and Jake. It didn't matter that Cleo believed he wasn't a completely willing participant. She was angry that he would fall for one of Nicole's schemes.

To be fair, Cleo was even angrier with Jake for believing it. That was the great thing about Cleo—she always had Maya's back.

Renee was the most easygoing of the trio, so she'd embraced Travis as part of the group more easily than even Maya, who still had her suspicions. Renee also embraced Diego, but that had more to do with his strong biceps, sexy accent, and piercing eyes.

Maya enjoyed watching Renee get her flirt on. She'd seen it before, but this show was different. Diego's skills were on par with Renee's, if not better. It was a master class in flirtation, and Maya had a front-row seat.

“Why don't you want to dance?” Renee asked Diego with a pout that implied she was waiting to be asked.

“I save my moves for the soccer field,” he replied.

“Shame to waste those moves on a field full of other guys,” she countered.

“Well, I keep some moves for more private shows,” he said.

Maya and Cleo both downed the last of their drinks. The master class had turned from an entertaining display to a personal moment, and it was clear they both felt they'd crossed the line from playful eavesdroppers to voyeurs.

“Excuse me,” Cleo said. “But that girl's had her eye on me all evening, and it's time I did something about it.”

A tall, long-haired girl with an exotic look and multiple piercings was watching Cleo. She smiled as Cleo started toward her. Maya was glad that her friends had each found someone, but it suddenly made her being alone with her one other
friend
a lot more uncomfortable.

“Another drink?” Travis asked.

Maya picked the drink menu off the bar. The club specialized in crazy, colorful concoctions that blended fruit juices into works of art so much better than that mysterious purple punch at the reception. None of the drinks had alcohol, but the sugar content was so high, they didn't need any liquor.

Maya worked her way down the list of silly tropical names. She'd already tried a Mango Melon Breeze, a Coconut Beach Comber, a Sunset Slammer, and a Banana Cabana. “I'm in the mood for”—her finger slid down the list—“blue!”

Travis laughed. “Blue it is.” He flagged down the bartender and ordered a True Blue Hawaii for each of them.

“I'm getting these.” Maya reached for her purse. The drinks were expensive, but she had enough to pay for this round.

“Don't worry,” Travis said. “It's covered.”

“Travis, if we're going to be friends, I can't let you pay for everything. How would that be fair?”

It wouldn't be fair, but it was more complicated than that. Travis could afford to buy a round of drinks for everyone in the club. Maya would be scrounging change out of the bottom of her bag just to pay for the two of them. Someday, maybe, she'd be in the position to shout “Drinks on me!” to the cheers of the crowd. But today was not that day.

“Don't worry, Maya,” Travis said. “I'm not trying to impress you again. When I say it's covered, I mean that Renee opened a tab. She got everything we ordered tonight. Or, her
parents
covered our drinks. I think she's still mad at them for missing her last swim meet.”

That explained why Renee had insisted on that round of Sunset Slammers, the drinks with the gold flecks in them. Even without liquor, the Slammers were the most expensive thing on the menu. Between the five of them, Renee had already spent well over two hundred dollars on refreshments. Maya had never paid that much for a
meal
. It was weird to think that someday that could be the norm if she continued on the path she'd planned for herself.

Thinking about that kind of future brought her mind back to Jordan's offer. Maya always knew that she'd need an agent one day. She just hadn't expected that day to come so fast. She didn't expect the drinks to come that fast either. The tall glasses full of blue, ice-blended decadence were suddenly on the bar in front of them.

Travis picked them up and handed Maya her drink. “To friendship,” he said, raising his glass.

“To friendship,” she agreed.

The blue slushy drink was cold and smooth running down her throat. It was the tastiest drink so far. She enjoyed it so much that she had to remind herself to sip rather than chug. She might not have to worry about a hangover, but she was concerned about a brain freeze.

“That's good.” Travis put his glass down on the bar next to Maya's. “Better go slow on these, though.”

“I was just thinking the same thing.”

“No, you're thinking about something else,” he said. “Something important. You have that look in your eyes. What's on your mind?”