X
Max
P.S. There’s a Wolverines shirt in here for your friend. Unless you brought a date. If that’s the case, fuck ’em. He’s not getting shit.
I laughed and handed Maggie the card.
She read it and grinned. “I like him already. He’s hot, wants to put you in his seat with his name on your back, and has gifts for your friend. If you don’t wind up going out with this guy, I’m warning you, I’ll be giving him my number.”
I shook my head with a smile. “Come on, let’s go change and get you some snacks before the game starts.”
We arrived at our seats carrying two hot dogs, ginormous sodas, and a large pack of Twizzlers. The same woman was sitting in the adjoining seat as last time.
“Hi, Jenna.”
“Hey, Georgia. I heard you might be here tonight.”
I settled into my seat with a furrowed brow. “You heard?”
“My husband asked Max if anyone was using his seats. My mother-in-law was thinking about coming. Max said his tickets were being used by his new green-eyed lucky charm. I had a feeling he meant you. By the way, thank you for being here. You saved me three hours with my horrible mother-in-law.”
I laughed and pointed to Maggie. “This is my friend Maggie. Maggie, this is Jenna. She’s married to one of the players.”
“Great to meet you.” Maggie leaned over me. “So, do you know Max pretty well?”
“Well enough that I’ve seen his ass more than once.” Jenna smiled. “We have a summer home out east, and it has an outdoor shower. Max loves it, and I can’t get him to keep his bathing suit on when he uses it.”
“Nice.” Maggie smiled. “Can I ask you a question about him?”
Jenna shrugged. “Sure.”
“Would you let your little sister date him?”
“I don’t have one. But I did try to set him up with my best friend, if that answers your question. She’s a model and was very into him. They met at a party at my house, and at the end of the night she asked him if he wanted to go somewhere and hang out more. He declined, saying he had to get up early the next morning. He definitely could have had a good time and then ditched her. But instead, he kept things friendly. When I asked him the next day what he thought about her, he said she was really cool, but he wasn’t into her that way and didn’t want to take advantage. Not too many single guys would have done that seeing as Lana has been in the Victoria’s Secret catalog.”
Maggie aimed a gloating smile my way. “Good to know. Thank you.”
The game started, and Maggie and I really got into it. Having someone to cheer with made all the difference. We stood when Max’s team scored, booed when the visiting team did, and during intermission, Jenna brought us to some secret wives’ suite where we had cocktails and everyone was super friendly. At one point during the third period, Max scored. When the camera zoomed in on his smiling face, I could’ve sworn he looked right at me and winked, which made the crowd go crazy. I was certain every other woman in the arena thought it was for her, too.
During the last period, the usher who had showed us to our seats came by. He handed me another envelope and two lanyards. I recognized the all-access pass from the one Jenna had let me borrow last time. The women on both sides of me grinned as I slipped the card out of the envelope.
In case you want to return my little friend in person, rather than leaving him with security.
I hope to see you.
X
Max
• • •
“Can you tell me how we got here?” I shook my head and spoke to Maggie as I stared across the bar.
“Well, we put one foot in front of the other and walked about two blocks from the Garden after the game ended.” She lifted her chin toward where Max was talking to the bartender while waiting for our drinks. “I honestly don’t remember much after that gorgeous beast of a man flashed those dimples and asked us to come out with him.”
I sighed. “I know the feeling. One minute I was waiting outside the locker room, swearing I was returning his lucky charm and saying thank you and goodbye, and the next I was sitting here. I think the dimples are hypnotic or something.”
Max returned to our booth with two glasses of wine and a bottle of water. He slid into the seat across from us and looked back and forth between Maggie and me.
“Why does it feel like the two of you sitting on one side is more dangerous than skating on an eighth-of-an-inch blade toward a three-hundred-pound defender with no teeth?”
Maggie grinned. “The man knows how to read a room.”
“I wish I was better at reading your friend.” His eyes shifted to meet mine a moment. “Tell me how to get your friend to go out with me.”
She wagged her pointer. “Not so fast. I need to make sure you’re right for her. I have a few questions first.”
Max smiled. “I can see why you two are good friends already.” He lifted his arms to rest along the back of the booth. “Ask away, Maggie.”
“Dogs or cats?”
“Dogs. I have two.”
“What kind?”
“A mutt and a Pomeranian”
I laughed. “You have a Pomeranian?”
Max nodded. “It wasn’t by choice. My brother bought it for his kids for Christmas last year. His one daughter couldn’t stop sneezing, and the other two couldn’t stop crying after he told them they had to give the dog away. The younger one suckered me into taking it so they can still see it sometimes.”
“How’d she sucker you?”
Max grinned. “She smiled at me.”
We both laughed. “What are the dogs’ names?” Maggie asked.
“Fred and Four. I adopted Fred from the pound. My nieces named the Pomeranian. I always called the girls Thing One, Thing Two, and Thing Three, so my brother started calling the dog Thing Four while they were trying to think of a name for it. It stuck, but I shortened it.”
“What do the dogs do when you’re on the road?”
“I have someone who comes and stays in my guest room. They take care of my apartment and my boys. It’s actually two sisters who do it as a business. I give them my road schedule in advance, and they work it out between themselves for the season. They’re dog lovers. It’s great because the dogs get to stay in their own home, so it doesn’t upset them too much when I leave for a few days. One of the sisters sells homemade organic dog treats, and she uses my kitchen when she stays, so they sample every batch. Sometimes I think they’re pissed when I come back.”
“Do you have any pictures of them?” Maggie leaned in. “If you do, it’s bonus points. Assholes don’t usually have pictures of their dogs on their phones.”
Max dug his cell from his pocket. “I think there are a few videos of them snoring, too. They’re bed hogs, and one snores louder than the other.”
Maggie pointed to me. “Oh, so like Georgia.”
“I do not snore.”
Maggie deadpanned to Max. “She snores. Loud.”
I laughed. “Just shut up and let’s see the dogs.”
Max punched in a code on his phone and slid it across the table.