Page 21 of Playing for Keeps

“I am looking forward to dressing up,” I admitted. “But you would’ve made the whole ordeal more bearable.”

He grinned, softening. “You’ll be dazzling no matter what. Someone else will have to be your partner-in-sarcasm this time.”

“I’ll never forgive you,” I said, mock stern.

“Yes, you will,” he said with a wink. “I’ll take you salsa dancing as penance.”

I laughed, shaking my head.

Simon’s eyes shifted past me, landing on someone across the bar. His grin spread slow and wide.

“Don’t look now,” he whispered, “but I think I’ve just found my text-the-next-day candidate.”

I glanced anyway. There was a good-looking man by the bar, laughing with friends. He caught Simon’s eye and held it, a spark already there.

“Go,” I urged, smiling. “Before someone else does.”

Simon hesitated, reluctant to leave me, then leaned over and kissed my cheek. “You’re a star. Don’t stay up too late writing about tragic heroines.”

“Go,” I repeated, as he slid off, weaving through the crowd towards possibility.

I stayed for a little longer, finishing my wine, but couldn’t shake the image of those warm brown eyes.

When I finally headed home, I knew I wouldn’t sleep anytime soon.

11

MAX

The pizza place smelled like melted cheese and Italian herbs – a sharp contrast to the cold, sharp air of the rink we’d just left. We’d played our hearts out, surviving a scoreless overtime only to watch the game slip away on a perfect saucer pass.

“Better luck next time, boys,” a regular at the counter said. “We’ve got faith in you.”

It stung a bit less to hear that. We nodded, thanked him and found a booth in the back. As Lewis and Seth started dissecting the ref’s calls and Will tried to joke away the disappointment, my heart rate finally settled. Seth dove right in.

“So,” he said, lowering his voice just enough to make us lean in, “hooked up with this girl the other night. And, uh… she showed up with handcuffs.”

Lewis nearly spat out his Coke. Will looked like he wanted to crawl under the table. I was laughing before Seth even finished.

“Handcuffs?” I managed between chuckles.

“Yup,” Seth said proudly, tossing a pepperoni onto his plate like a poker chip. “Bit crazy. But, boys…” He paused for dramatic effect. “…loved it.”

Lewis shook his head, still grinning. “You’re unbelievable.”

The laughter was still bubbling in my chest when someone across the restaurant called out: “Emma!”

My head snapped up before I could stop myself, my heart racing. But right away I saw it wasn’t her. Not the girl from the bookstore.

I leaned back in the booth, trying to play it off, but Will was watching me. “No luck?” he asked quietly.

“No,” I admitted, picking at the crust of my slice. The disappointment was sharper than I wanted to let on.

Before the silence could drag on, Seth elbowed Lewis and nodded at two girls by the counter who weren’t exactly subtle about staring. Seth grinned, Lewis shrugged, and just like that they were off.

The space didn’t stay empty for long as two other girls walked over.

“Mind if we sit?” one of them asked, already sliding into the space where Seth and Lewis had been.