Page 134 of Game Misconduct

Leif thought about it and honestly, what did he have to lose? At this time of day, even if traffic going into the city wouldn’t be nearly as bad as that going out of it, he didn’t really feel like fighting it.

Might as well hang out with Ian.

“Sure,” he said. “That sounds nice.”

In the house, Ian took care of the dog, washed his hands, then pulled some pre-prepped stuff from the team chef out of the freezer so Leif could pick what he wanted. They threw the two aluminum pans in the oven to heat and prepared a salad.

Ian turned on music—something instrumental—and Emmie wandered around, sniffing the floor near their feet, hopeful for delicious scraps. Apparently, she was real sucker for carrots. Ian tossed her a little chunk of one, and she happily crunched into it, her tail wagging.

“I had no idea dogs could even eat carrots,” Leif admitted.

Ian smiled. “They’re a pretty good treat for them actually. She’s really into ice cubes too. If you give her one, you’ll be her best friend for life.”

Leif dutifully went over to the refrigerator and got a small handful from the ice maker. He held one cube out to Emmie, who sniffed it and licked it out of his hand where it fell to the floor. The others were melting in Leif’s hand, so he tossed them gently on the floor too.

When he glanced up, Ian was smiling. “Why the hell didn’t I invite you over to hang out before this?” he asked.

Leif shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m bad at that sort of thing too. I never think to invite people and I always worry I’m making it weird. T—uh”—he cleared his throat, the name Tanner stuck in his mouth, because he’d been about to drop that without even thinking.Ugh, what is wrong with me?—“This guy I know, he could literally make friends withanyone. Just a total social butterfly.”

Ian smiled. “Yeah, I have a friend like that. He’s really … smooth. Just the kind of guy who has everyone eating out of his hand. Charisma, I guess? I’ve never had it, but I know it when I see it.”

Leif chuckled. “Yeah, I know what you mean.”

He asked Ian if he minded Leif taking a picture of the dog to share with his friend and Ian shook his head.

“Go for it. She’s a pretty girl.”

Emmie lifted her head and wagged her tail.

Leif smiled and snapped the picture. He intended to send it to Tanner—who he belatedly realized he’d never responded to earlier—but before he could open the texting app, the timer on the oven beeped.

He stuffed his phone back in his pocket and went to help Ian get dinner on the table.

They ate in the kitchen, with Emmie looking at them with hopeful eyes as she lay on the floor nearby.

“Thanks for this,” Leif said when dinner was over because it had been really nice actually. He and Ian had more in common than he’d realized. “Let me help you clean up.”

After everything was in the dishwasher and the kitchen was tidy, Ian hesitated. “Look, if you want to get back into the city, I understand,” he said. “But if not, I’m gonna put the New York Lights game on in a few. You’re welcome to join me.”

Leif shrugged. “I’m not a huge basketball guy, but I could watch.”

They settled in the living room and this time, Emmie sprawled next to Leif and put her chin on his thigh. He smiled at her and reached for his phone, snapping another picture of her.

“So if you aren’t a big basketball guy, how much do you know about March Madness?” Ian asked.

“Uhh,” Leif said, setting his phone down again. “Not much. You want to explain it to me?”

Ian launched into a description of the playoff format and Leif nodded intently as he listened. “You’re rooting for the Lights, yes?”

“Yep,” Ian said. “I’ve become a huge New York fan this season.”

“Who were you rooting for before?”

“The Toronto Titans.”

Leif squinted. “You’re not from Toronto, right?”

“Nope. British Columbia.”