But as long as he’d been hearing it now, it didn’t appear there was one certain thing that had her laughing. From the likes of it, Byron gathered she was just the type of giddy person who was very easily amused—something he hadn’t been, in way too long. So, you’d think it would annoy him. Instead, he found himself continuing to uncharacteristically smile to himself each time he heard it, even subtly glancing in their direction.
They were close enough now that when he glanced their way this time, he was able to make out whose laugh was the one distracting him most. She was the shortest most petite of the three young girls. As far as he could tell she was Hispanic. Albeit a very light skinned Hispanic girl. Her hair was dark at the top but blended into a golden blonde starting from the middle down to the ends of her long locks. While petite next to the two other girls she stood with, she had curves that contradicted his earlier estimation about her being too young.
At that moment she was holding her phone out, showing the other girls something on the screen. He watched as the big smile flattened for a second then just like that, her entire face brightened instantly, and she even crinkled her nose bringing her fist to her mouth and laughed again. “No, no, keep watching,” she chirped through her laughs.
The other girls watched and laughed as well. Whatever the hell they were laughing at must’ve been hilarious because she even did a little dance in place as she covered her mouth and continued to laugh. As much as he hated to admit it, what his surly ass would normally consider annoying, the entire scene was fucking adorable. Byron had been so sucked into the whole show, it wasn’t even until she looked up and their eyes happened to meet that he realized he was smiling just as big as she was.
The dancing in place ceased immediately and her smile slowly went flat. As animated as she’d been that whole time her entire demeanor did a one-eighty. An air of bashfulness seemed to wash over her as she pulled a strand of hair behind her ear and glanced back down at her phone.
The abrupt realization came to Byron in a form of a knot in his stomach. His interpreting her change of behavior as bashfulness was a convenient one. Truth was he’d very likely freaked her the fuck out and he knew it. Now he felt like the biggest creeper on the planet. His cheesy ass smile flattened as well as he felt something he’d never felt before—a spreading heat rise from his spine clear up to his neck and face and even his ears.
He wanted so badly to look her way again to see if she was filling her friends in on the creepy man who’d been gawking and smiling in their direction like a maniac, but he didn’t dare. He envisioned all three young girls digging through their purses for their pepper spray or mace bottles to keep handy in case Byron decided to do more than stare them down.
What the fuck was he thinking? For all he knew she could be jailbait. Despite the curves she could still be a very young teen. She sure as shit had the stature of a high school or even middle school girl.
“Fucking hell,” he muttered under his breath.
Glancing around for someone he could wave down to come relieve him, so he could get his ass out of there, Byron was still feeling the heat in his face. Each moment that passed and he didn’t hear the familiar laughter, his face got hotter.
Finally, he heard it again. Albeit a little softer now and he had to wonder if he wasn’t the reason for her hushing it down. Was she afraid to get his attention again? Ironically even as softer as the laughing had gone, she had Byron’s undivided attention still. It was almost as if the buzz of the crowded gym was nothing but a humming drone in the background now and all he heard was that sweet giggling.
Thankfully, he spotted Nine headed in his direction making his way through the crowd with Hector, one of the owners of the gym. Multitasking, Byron motioned for the line he oversaw to move along as he flagged Nine down.
Byron knew Beast was due for a break soon and he needed to talk to him before he made his quick exit out of there. Finding someone to cover for Byron, shouldn’t be too hard or an issue, given how many other guys at the gym would be willing to mingle with the girls in the crowd.
“You doing work?” Nine tapped his fist to Byron’s in the air then clapped him on the shoulder.
“Yeah, but I gotta go soon.” Byron tapped Hectors fist next then turned back to Nine. “I just need to talk to Beast before I go.”
“Go ahead,” Hector said glancing back at Beast. “I can handle it here until I can get someone to take over.”
As much as Byron had been trying to avoid looking in the direction of the girls he’d gawked at, they were now at Beast’s table where Hector, and Nine’s attention were also on now. The girls were all smiles and at that moment Beast just so happened to be signing something for her. Beast looked up at her and smiled making what Byron assumed was typical small talk.
“Looks like they’re passing out wristbands to the rest of the people in his line, so they can be first when he comes back.” Hector motioned to the gal passing out the wrist bands. “Means he’s probably gonna take his break now. Go on. I’m good here.”
“I need to talk to him too,” Nine said as Byron started to walk away but turned back to Hector. “I’ll come back if you want and take over when I’m done.”
Hector nodded and Byron and Nine started toward Beast’s table. Though Byron made sure to take the longer way around the crowds to avoid getting there before the girls moved on to one of the other lines.
Beast was just wrapping it up with the last person allowed to stay in his line before he took his break. Byron stood a couple of feet away, feeling strangely nervous when the same girl’s laughter caught Nine’s attention. Nine smirked looking their way then back at Byron. The last thing Byron wanted was for her to notice if Nine made any loud comments. The guy was anything but discreet.
Thankfully, Beast finished up with the last in his line and Byron began approaching him before Nine could say anything. “Dude, you’re gonna be here all night. That line outside is insane.”
Beast shook his head then shrugged as he took a swig from his bottled water. “It’s for a good cause. I’ll save my complaining for when I have to do this all-day shit out of town, and I don’t even get to see my girls that night.”
The girl’s laughter in one of the other lines now, had Nine turning in that direction though Byron kept his eyes on his brother. Nine chuckled under his breath but loud enough to have Beast turning to see what he was looking at. “Never any shortage of groupies at these things, uh?”
Beast turned to Nine, his expression as soured up as Byron was fighting doing the same. “Those are all someone’s baby girls, you idiot.” Beast’s comment didn’t exactly make Byron feel better, but he was at least glad he’d confirmed what he’d first thought. “First year college students at ESU this fall. Had me signing things for their daddies’ and boyfriends.” Beast play jabbed Nine in the gut. “If my girls ever stood in a line this long to buy me something I’d be pissed if anyone mistook them for groupies.”
Nine took the jab to his gut with a laugh. “What’s wrong with groupies? They’re some of my favorite people.”
Finally easing up a bit, Byron smirked shaking his head. “Oh, Dee’s gonna hear about this.”