I’m back home within thirty minutes, packing for the trip I was coerced into taking when there’s a knock at my door.
I’m expecting Bianca, but right behind her is Tobias, in all his sweatpants and sleeveless glory, with a box of bagels in his hand.
“Be warned, there’s a naughty man in Nike coming in hot,” she singsongs as she pushes through the door. “And he comes with carbs.”
Behind her, Tobias wiggles his brows, but I shake my head, running back into the living room to pick up the dirty clothes off the floor.
On my way home, I called Bianca to tell her about the trip and the bonus and like I knew she would, she asked if she could stay at the apartment for some downtime and told me to claim that sitter fee for myself. So, I am. Bailey won’t be staying behind, but the school doesn’t have to know that.
Bianca tosses her bags on the floor and hops right up on the bed, crawling up to Bailey. “Auntie B is here, baby B!” She smiles down at her and Bailey grins, sticking her fingers in her mouth. “Tell your mama to let you stay with me.”
Bailey makes a cooing sound and Bianca laughs.
“Tell your auntie B she’s lost her mind.”
Bianca and Tobias both chuckle and as if she recognizes his voice, Bailey’s head snaps to the left.
She searches the room and when he gets closer, his knees hitting the metal of the fold-out bed, she lets out a little squeal. Her legs start to kick, and her arms begin to wiggle.
“Well at least someone’s excited to see me,” he teases as he drops his fist onto the bed and lowers his upper body, letting her reach up for his hat with fumbled movements. “Hi Bailey Bay, you ready for a road trip?”
My stomach muscles clench and I go back to stacking onesies in the diaper bag.
Sensing Bianca’s eyes on me, I cut her a quick glance. She gives nothing away, but I know her. She wants to smile as much as she wants to scowl.
Same girl. This, whatever it is, is scary.
Tobias picks up on something and looks from her to me as he stands, but Bianca makes sure no tension is created by reaching over to snag the box he set on the arm of the couch. “So he comes unannounced and bearing gifts.” She bites into a blueberry bagel, speaking with her mouth full. “My guess is he has something to say.”
“He should have a whole lot to say, considering I’m packing a bag for a trip I didn’t know I was going on.”
Tobias chuckles, looking to me with a giant grin. “Sorry about that.”
“Uh-huh.” My eyes narrow. “Your smile is too big. Spill.”
It grows deeper. “Bus driver owes me a favor, team coordinator, too.”
“K...”
“They’re counting me on my bus, counting you on your bus, and we are driving up together tonight. I got a rental.”
My face falls and Tobias’s excitement dwindles.
“Tobias, Coach Reid won’t—”
“Fuck him,” Bianca snaps, catching herself mid eye roll. “I mean ... who cares, right?”
Tobias frowns but keeps his attention on me. “He won’t know. Him and Doc fly out tomorrow at noon, team leaves at eight. You’ll be at check-in tonight; I’ll meet them at the field mañana at two.”
“So, you think you’ll be staying in her room tonight, do you?” Bianca raises a brow.
His smirk is slow. “Like I said, the team coordinator owes me one.”
“That’s not a no.” Bianca fights a smile and Tobias’s grows.
I toss a diaper at her, and she tosses it into the bag with the others as she drags herself to her feet. “Hurry up and get out of here. I’m ready to have this place to myself, plus or minus one.”
“The one better be Coop,” Tobias teases.
She pauses at the bathroom door, spinning to face him with her hands on the frame. “Coop will be with you, four hours away.” She smirks, closing herself in the bathroom.
Tobias turns to me.
“She told you that on purpose.”
He chuckles, but his expression grows an anxious kind of excited.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“That was a quick nothing.” My eyes narrow with suspicion, but Tobias only grins wider, spinning to my giant pile of ‘must haves’ it takes to travel with an infant.
He claps his hands and then starts loading us up. “Road trip here we come!”
q
“Okay, known for their materialistic society, the Lycurgus founded who around 800 BC?”
“AC/DC.”
I laugh, falling back against the headboard.
“‘Highway to Hell’, ‘Let There Be Rock’, ‘Back in Black’.” He grins.
“Come on! That’s the third one in a row you’ve missed. No more rock star knowledge! You have to get a ninety or better.”
“Maybe I don’t want to.”
I roll my eyes, playing a quick game of peekaboo with Bailey as she tries to tug her foot to her mouth.