Garrett shrugged. “Shoulder injury. Still working on rehab.”
“Oh, right. I heard about that. I’m sorry, man. That sucks.” The man’s gaze shifted to Alicia, and he offered up a smile that made Alicia’s toes curl. “And who’s this?”
“Sorry. Alicia Riley, this is Gray Preston.”
He shook her hand. “Nice to meet you, Alicia.”
“Same here, Gray.”
“Alicia is my physical therapist.”
Gray’s smile turned to something a little sexier. “Is that what we’re calling it these days?”
Alicia laughed. “No, I’m really his therapist. I work for the team.”
Gray arched a brow and shifted his gaze to Garrett. “So, the team pays for it? Quite a perk.”
“You’re an asshole, Gray,” Garrett said.
“That’s what my father tells me.”
“Your father’s a prick.”
Gray slapped him on the back. “And that’s why you’ve always been one of my good friends. Go on and get settled in. Trevor’s already in the bar, likely the center of attention.”
Garrett laughed. “Of course he is. What about Drew?”
“Haven’t seen him yet.”
“Okay. We’ll see you soon.” He led Alicia to the elevator and, once inside, pushed the button for the second floor.
“Gray is interesting.”
He nodded. “Yeah. His father is Senator Mitchell Preston.”
She turned to him as they got out of the elevator and walked down the hall. “I’ve heard about the senator. Very staunch and no-nonsense. Gray doesn’t seem at all like him.”
“He isn’t. Wait till you get to know him.” Garrett stopped at a room. “This one’s yours.”
“Oh. Okay. I’ll get unpacked and changed. Meet you outside in fifteen minutes?”
“Sure.”
She went into the room and put her bag on the bed, hung everything up and went into the bathroom to unpack her toiletries. She fixed her makeup and brushed out her hair, then went into the closet to ponder what to wear.
They were meeting in the bar, so she decided on a pair of jeans, a long-sleeved shirt, and her boots, figuring understated would be a good choice.
When she came out of her room, Garrett wasn’t there, so she knocked on his door. He opened it.
“Sorry. Grabbed a quick shower.”
His hair was still damp, the ends curling. She inhaled his fresh, piney scent, which made her want to inch closer and bury her face in his neck. Instead, she took a step back.
“That’s okay. Are you ready or should I just go wait in my room?”
“No, I’m ready.”
He closed the door and stood there, scanning her.
She frowned and looked down at her clothes. “What’s wrong? Am I not dressed right?”
“Uh, no. You look very nice.”
Relieved, she relaxed. “Thanks. I wasn’t sure what was going on the rest of the day, so I figured I’d go casual.”
“You’re fine. Let’s go.”
He was acting strange. Maybe it was the long drive. He might be uncomfortable. “We should get in a workout today, make sure we at least stretch out your shoulder.”
“Okay. We’ll do that later.”
“We’re burning daylight already.”
“I’ll make sure to whine and complain about how much I hurt so that you don’t forget.”
She laughed. “You can do that, but trust me, I won’t forget. That’s the whole reason I’m here, remember?”
“Right. Though Gray thought you were hired for another reason.”
She laughed. “Yes. Which I thought was wildly funny. Imagine someone like me, an escort.”
He gave her a long look. “You could pull it off.”
“Not in yoga pants with my hair in a ponytail.”
He stopped as they walked off the elevator on the first floor. “You don’t give yourself enough credit, Alicia.”
She gaped as him. “I’m not sure whether to be flattered or insulted.”
“Be flattered.” He placed his hand on the small of her back and directed her down the darkly paneled hallway, away from the main entrance. The bar was tucked just inside some doors that led outside to what she imagined was the golf course.
The bar was painted a rich burgundy and cream, separated by wainscoting along the wall. The place looked just as expensive as everything else she’d seen of the lodge, with wood tables and booths spread around, some pool tables, and televisions mounted above the bar and throughout the room showing various sports. It was kind of like Riley’s, her aunt and uncle’s bar, only way more upscale. There was a thick oak bar served by two bartenders wearing long-sleeved shirts and vests. Their shirts even had pleats. Fancy.
Definitely not the kind of bar she usually frequented. There weren’t even any peanuts on the floor. In fact, she was pretty sure she could eat off this floor.
Gray was seated in one of the booths in the corner, along with several other guys. As her eyes adjusted to the dark, she wondered if she was being punked. They all stood up, and it was like walking into a cover shoot for a magazine. Several hot men smiled at her as she and Garrett approached.