Page 75 of You Had Me at Hockey

“Are you drunk enough to agree to teach me how to skate?”

I pause and tip my head back. “Oh yeah.”

“I haven’t forgotten. The podcast was so good. Come on.” She bats long, thick eyelashes at me.

I shake my head. “Okay, fine.”

“We need to do it soon! Before the ice melts.”

I rub my jaw. “I guess so.”

“Monday afternoon? You have a practice in the morning, right?”

“Right. Okay.” I guess that gives me enough time to mentally prepare. At least she didn’t suggest right now.

“Yay! Thank you!” She rises onto her toes and smooches me.

Lilly is smiling fondly. “You two are so cute.”

Once again, my eyes flick over to Easton, who’s talking to Barbs but apparently also listening to us, because he rolls his eyes at that remark.

Asshole.

We close the place down at two in the morning, and I walk with Sara and Kaylee over to Fifth Avenue to flag down a cab for them. “Want me to ride with you?” I ask Sara, leaning in.

“We’re good.” She smiles. “Talk to you tomorrow.”

“Yeah. Bye, Kaylee, nice to meet you.”

“And you!” she calls.

I shut the door and the cab pulls away. Russ and Hannah and I are going to share a taxi and they’ve got one waiting for me, so I jog over and jump in.

“Your girl is fun,” Hannah says.

“Um…thanks.” Do I take credit for that? I don’t think so. “I mean, yeah, she is.”

Sheisfun. She fit right in with everyone…probably better than I do. I wouldn’t have gone out tonight if it wasn’t for her. I would have gone back to my hotel and lay on the bed and watched sports highlights. But it was fun. My teammates are good people, Red’s drunken hitting on Kaylee notwithstanding. And Easton’s douchery. His girlfriend is nice, though.

I wish Sara were coming home with me. But I’ll see her tomorrow. In my new place.

I think about her asking me about Cora. And admitting she was jealous. Man, she has nothing to be jealous of. When I was with Cora, I thought she was great, but now I’ve been with Sara, who’s…so much…I almost can’t remember what Cora looks like. Sorry, Cora.

—

I had to set my alarm so I didn’t sleep too late because I’m checking out of the hotel today. Even so, it’s a little after noon by the time I shower and zip up my suitcases and head down to the lobby. Amazingly, I feel good, even after the numerous drinks Sara and I consumed. Hopefully she feels as good.

I check out and pile my suitcases into a taxi to drive over to the apartment building. I haven’t been here for a while other than the day I stopped in to pick up the keys. It seems nicer than I remember. Or maybe I was just a big grouch last time I saw it.

I let myself into the apartment. And I stop.

I don’t know what I expected, but the furniture’s all arranged, stuff set up. I wander around the living room, then step into the kitchen. I pull out a drawer and see my cutlery all neatly arranged.

Huh.

Down the hall, I stop in my bedroom door to see the bed made. And in the bathroom, towels are hanging on the racks, ready to use.

The extra bedroom has a few boxes neatly stacked against one wall, the pullout sofa bed against another wall, and my desk set up beneath the window.

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