Page 49 of Must Love Dogs… and Hockey

I reach for the check at the same time she does, but I wave her off. I wouldn’t let her pay anyway, but knowing more about her financial situation I’m definitely buying lunch. Happily, she doesn’t argue, instead smiling and saying. “Thank you. Lunch was great.”

It was.

Out on the sidewalk, she pulls her mitts on. One end of her scarf is loose, so I take it and loop it around her neck. “Which way are you going?”

She points down Broadway, the opposite direction of my place.

“Okay. You’ll take Otis out on Saturday?” That’s our next game, here at home.

“Yes.” She nods firmly.

“Great.” I don’t move. I don’t know when I’ll see her again.

“Thanks again for lunch.” She doesn’t move either. For a moment we watch each other, and I feel like I’m resisting a physical pull as I take a step backward. She takes a step back too.

“Bye.”

“Bye, Easton.”

We each take another step. Finally I give my head a mental shake, grin, and lift my hand in a wave.Jesus, man, get a grip.

I stride along the sidewalk. Fuck, what is wrong with me? Not only am I getting attached to a dog, I’m getting all sappy over a woman. I know better than that.

What I need is some good fucking.

Problem is, I keep thinking about fucking Lilly.

Chapter 10

Lilly

It’s girls’ night out at the Hungry Dog Lounge in the East Village. We’re going to play Skee-Ball and drink cocktails and eat pizza.

Carlin and I take the subway and meet up with Maya and Adriana at the bar. It’s Thursday night and the place is jumping. We make our way through the noisy crowd and find a high-top table with only three stools.

I glance around and spy a table with a couple of guys and an empty stool. I slide over there. “Hey,” I say with a smile. “Are you guys using this stool?”

They smile back at me.

“You can have it, but you have to sit here with us,” one guy says.

I laugh. They’re teasing me. “I can’t ditch my friends, though.” I gesture at the others nearby with a mock sad face.

“Not even for us?” He gives me a flirty smile.

He’s cute.

But I’m not interested.

Dammit, why not?

“You can take it,” the other guy says kindly.

“Thanks.” I lift the stool and carry it over to our table.

“What was that about?” Maya asks.

“I almost had to sit with them.” I slide onto the stool.

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