Page 40 of Desire or Defense
Bruce makes a whimpering sound like he’s about to cry. Colby’s mouth falls open in shock. Noah and Remy just shake their heads.
“The biscuit is referring to the puck, Blondie,” I explain.
She glares at me, then turns back to Remy. “Okay, the first two don’t count. Give me another one.”
He eyes her skeptically, but asks, “Who’s currently the team captain for the D.C. Eagles?”
Myself, Noah, Bruce and Colby look directly at Remy, trying to convey that she’s literally speaking to the team captain.
But she doesn’t even notice, completely missing our silent clue. Andie groans, “These questions are way too hard!”
The room erupts in laughter. We’re all laughing so loud it must sound like thunder to her neighbors. Even Remy has tears in his eyes… or maybe that’s from disappointment and not humor.
“Sorry Blondie,” Remy uses my nickname for her. “You’re a lost cause.”
“Ask me what a hat trick is!” She raises her voice defensively. “I know that one! Or, or the colors of the jerseys!”
Colby scoffs. “I’d rather drop a hundo in your jar right now than suffer through any more of this.”
“Same,” Bruce admits.
“Fine. But I’d like to see you guys try to place an I.V.” She sighs heavily and shifts on her feet. “Well, can I get everyone something to drink, at least? I was about to make myself a piña colada before you all got here.”
Colby looks up from the instructions he was reading and says, “I’m down!”
“Me too,” Bruce says, then starts singing the old song about loving piña coladas.
Remy nods. “I need something stronger after that… but I’ll settle for a piña colada.”
Andie meets my gaze, and I swear her eyes soften. It’s like they went from dark chocolate to melted chocolate. There’s a silent question in her eyes. Her look conveys more than do you want a piña colada. Maybe I’m reading into her look, convincing myself she’s feeling something she’s not…. but I’d like to tell her I’d like a helluva lot more than a piña colada.
Being overwhelmed by her looking at me like that, I blurt, “I don't drink.”
“Oh,” She starts, looking a bit surprised, but recovers quickly. “How about pink lemonade?”
I feel a now familiar tug at the corners of my mouth, like my body is willing me to smile. Holding back smiles used to be easy… until Andie. The girl who has pink lemonade and piña coladas in January.
“Yeah, that’d be great.”
She smiles and widens her eyes at her brother. He understands her meaning and follows after her to help with the drinks.
Colby grabs the front of his t-shirt and starts tugging at the collar of it. “Damn, is it hot in here? Or was that just the steam from Andie and Mitch’s heated eye contact?”
“Oh, it was definitely from the eye contact,” Remy states matter of factly. I glare at him, he’s supposed to be the mature, level-headed one of the group.
Bruce whistles. “The chemistry between you guys almost makes up for the fact that she’s never heard of Wayne Gretzky.”
“Almost,” Colby agrees.
CHAPTER 16
ANDIE
“You’re just giving our address out to strangers now?” I whisper to Noah in the kitchen as I assemble the piña coladas… and pink lemonade.
“Mitch isn’t a stranger,” he whispers back. “And you’ve met the other guys too.”
“Once!” I say a little too loudly and lower my voice again. “Meeting someone once doesn’t mean we give them our address. Didn’t Mom and Dad teach you about stranger danger?”
