GROUNDING 🏈 Nick Bosa

#FORTY.

I retrieve my drink from the bartender and give Nick a look as if he didn't scare me. His facial expression stays unsettled as he watches me re-join the group.

Joey carefully observes my appearance as I sit across from him. He also, seemed flustered to the core by what I was wearing, his eyes gnawing at the slits of my dress.

He doesn't say anything right away, though. He just tries to focus on keeping his gaze off of me, but I could tell he was struggling to do so. Every once in awhile he'd side eye me.

Jimmy gets up from his spot and now sits besides me. "How have you been?" He asks, his voice was pleasant to listen too, but his smile was even more delightful to look at.

"I've been hanging in there." I tell him. "Just had a hard week and needed to take some time off." I explain.

"Are you feeling better now?"

"Yes." I lie.

"Thats good. So, I kinda wanted to ask you something..." He says, licking his lips in-between sentences. "I have these basketball tickets for tomorrow, but my friend doesn't want to go now. I wanted to see if maybe, you would be interested in going with me?"

I take a sip off of my glass, trying to buy time to think about it. I reply after swallowing. "Um, sure. That sounds like fun."

His face brightens up, a board smile now appears across his face. "Really? Cool. I can pick you up tomorrow. Can I get your number?" He asks, pulling out his phone, he leans in closer to me now.

I glance up at Nick who's back in the corner of the couch. He's watching us with a cynical look, probably plotting Jimmy's murder in his mind.

After Jimmy gets my number he leans his back against the couch. He seemed relieved he was over asking me to go out with him. I could tell I made him nervous and it was quite adorable. Jimmy seemed like a perfect gentleman, he came off very genuine and sweet.

I position myself on the couch sideways and look him in his big brown eyes. "This can't be a date, though." I point at him and smile.

He smiles back. "No, it's not a date. Just two very good looking people hanging out together."

He makes me laugh. "Okay, that's fair enough." I reply.

Joey unexpectedly, now crosses over to my side of the couch and sits himself so that I'm in between him and Jimmy. I give him a look as if to say, what the hell do you think you're doing?

"That's an interesting dress, Lili." He says, taking a swig of his beer.

"I know it is."

"You don't want to leave anything up to the imagination to anyone in this room, do you?" His tone of voice sounded almost too much like Nicks. They handle situations similarly, probably learned a lot of their behavior from their father.

I lean closer to him and quietly say "Is it me Joey, or do you sound jealous?"

He snorts. "I'd just be careful if I were you."

"I'd be careful if I were you." I reply, annoyed with him trying to act like he had any right to tell me what I should do. "Nick told me to stay away from you. So, can you move back over there?" I add.