Protecting Alabama (SEAL of Protection Book 2) by Susan Stoker Page B

their back to a room.
    “I guess we should all introduce ourselves,” a beautiful woman sitting in the middle of the table said in Alabama’s direction. “Don’t worry, if you don’t remember everyone’s names. It took me forever to remember them myself!”
    Everyone around the table laughed.
    “And I’ll do it, ‘cos if the guys do it you’ll only hear their nicknames and you’ll never learn their real names. I’m trying to get them to use their given names, but they’re hopeless! I’m Caroline and I’m with this big lug, Matthew. Sitting at the end is Sam and his girlfriend Molly. Next to them is Faulkner and Brittany. Then there’s Kason and Emily, and finally, across from you, is Hunter and Michele.”
    When she’d introduced them, everyone said hello at once and then started talking again. Alabama breathed a sigh of relief that no one seemed to want to draw her into conversation yet.
    Alabama listened as the men joked with one another. It was tough to keep everyone straight, especially when the men called each other by their nicknames and the women used their real names. It was if there were double the number of people sitting at the table.
    “Hey, Christopher, how did you guys meet?” Alabama thought it was Kason’s girlfriend that had asked, but she couldn’t remember her name.
    “Remember that fire a month or so ago?” Christopher asked. When the women all nodded he continued. “Alabama saved my life. She was there and helped get me and a bunch of other people out of the building.”
    “Whoa, that’s intense,” Michele said. “Didn’t you go to that party with Adelaide?”
    Abe’s eyes squinted like they did when he was pissed. Alabama didn’t know what was up with Michele and her attitude, but it obviously pissed Christopher off.
    “Yeah, I did, but it didn’t work out. I met Alabama that night and things went from there.”
    Michele obviously didn’t know when to stop, because she continued, “What did Adelaide have to say about that?”
    Cookie didn’t give Christopher time to respond because he jumped in. “What the hell Michele? Abe’s with Alabama now, give it a rest.”
    Alabama was confused and freaked out. She’d never met Michele, but it seemed as if she didn’t like her…at all.
    “We all know you and Adelaide are tight, but Jesus, woman, Abe dumped her because she was acting crazy. I told you to let it drop and here you are bringing it up in front of his new woman.” Cookie was obviously pissed. Strangely enough him being pissed seemed to calm Abe down.
    “Let’s go,” Cookie told the woman at his side. “We’re done. Abe man, sorry. Alabama, it was nice meeting you. You’re way too good for an asshole like Abe here, but damn glad you’re overlooking that. Hope to see you again soon.” With that, Cookie forced Michele up with a hand on her elbow and without giving her a chance to say anything, led her away from the group.
    Alabama didn’t know what to say, so she just sat there embarrassed.
    “Jesus, sorry about that Abe, Alabama,” Benny said softly, leaning across the table toward his teammate and his date. “Alabama, he’s been seeing Michele for a while. She and Adelaide are friends. Obviously it was a mistake to bring her tonight.”
    Abe nodded stiffly. Jesus, he’d wanted to make sure Alabama would meet his friends in as stress-free of an environment as possible, and Cookie’s girl-of-the-month had to go and ruin it. He looked down at Alabama.
    Feeling Christopher’s eyes on her, Alabama looked up. He looked tense and pissed on her behalf. She giggled a small quiet giggle and watched as his eyebrows rose questionably.
    Alabama knew she had to grow a backbone. The whole thing was pretty funny if she thought about it. She wanted to reassure Christopher that she was all right. She didn’t want him to think she’d cry every time some woman brought her claws out. Hell, with the way he looked, she’d be crying all the time. She knew every woman