Page 16 of The Purest Fake

I smile back, and we share a moment, solidifying our partnership, until the sound of someone clearing their throat cuts in. Both our heads turn.

“River?” I say.

He shakes my hand, pulling me to my feet. “Cooper, my man.” We share a quick, back-thumping hug and grin at each other.

“What are you doing here?” I ask.

“I just signed with the Virginia Vipers hockey team.”

“That’s fantastic. Congratulations.”

“Thanks.” His dark gaze zeroes in on Scarlett. “Who do we have here?”

Scarlett stands, moving in beside me.

“This is my girlfriend, Scarlett.” Before I can continue, he cuts me off.

“I’m River. It’s wonderful to meet you, Scarlett.” He takes hold of her hand, slowly turns it over, and presses a kiss to the back.

She smiles. “It’s nice to meet you, River. How do you and Cooper know each other?”

This time I’m the one cutting him off. “We went to college together. River was a few years ahead of me, though.”

“And now you’re both playing sports professionally,” she says.

River nods. “We are.”

“And in the same city, no less,” I add, clapping him on the shoulder.

“Right,” he agrees.

“It’s funny how things work out,” River says, his eyes still fixed on Scarlett. “I never would have guessed Cooper here would end up with such a stunning girlfriend.”

I feel a twinge of irritation at his obvious interest in Scarlett and I find myself slipping into a protective boyfriend role.

“Well, I’m a lucky guy,” I say, sliding my arm around Scarlett’s waist. She leans into me, as if we’ve done this a hundred times before.

“So, River,” Scarlett says, “tell us more about your new team. Are you excited to be playing for the Vipers?”

As River launches into a rambling description of his contract negotiations and training schedule, I can’t help but admire how smoothly Scarlett handles the conversation.

She asks insightful questions and laughs at all the right moments. I wind a silky lock of her long hair around my finger and watch as she effortlessly charms River, keeping him engaged while subtly deflecting his flirtatious comments. As the conversation flows, I find myself relaxing, my earlier irritation fading.

“Well, I hate to cut this short,” River says, checking his watch. “But I better be sociable and make the rounds. It was great catching up, Cooper.” He turns to Scarlett with a grin. “And it was truly a pleasure meeting you, Scarlett. I hope we’ll see more of each other now that I’m in town.”

“I’m sure we will,” Scarlett replies with a polite smile. “Best of luck with the Vipers.”

As River walks away, we return to our seats. I lean in close to Scarlett’s ear, murmuring, “You handled that beautifully.”

She turns to me, smirking. “Did his flirting upset you?”

“It was a little annoying.”

She rolls her eyes. “You’re such a guy.”

“Hey, I am and I’m proud of it. While you and I are only friends, he doesn’t know that. I guess his flirtatious behavior felt a little disrespectful.”

“I could tell it bothered you.” She smirks.

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