Page 21 of For the Win

He grins.“Well, yeah.But seriously, I feel those moves.”

“Good.”

“Let’s get a couple of things to share,” he suggests.“What do you like?”He pauses.“You’re not vegetarian, are you?”

“What’s wrong with being vegetarian?”

“Nothing!I was just asking.”He shifts on his chair.

“I’m not.But I don’t want the octopus.I don’t care much for seafood.I guess I’m a prairie girl at heart.”

“Huh?”He tilts his head.“Okay, how about the meatballs?And crispy broccolini?”

“That sounds good.”

Our server arrives and we order drinks and food.I order a cocktail called Crimson and Clover, and he asks for a beer.

Wow.I’m on a date.I guess.My stomach does a little flip and I slide my fingers together to keep them from trembling.It’s fine.It’s totally fine.

“Prairie girl?”he asks.“You look like a typical California girl.”

“I do?”

“Yeah.Blond, tanned.Hot.”

I huff out a laugh.“Thanks.”

“Really.”He nods.

“I’m from Fargo, North Dakota.”

“Jeez.Seriously?”

“Yep.”I smile.“I moved here about a year ago.”

“Wow.”

“The blond hair comes from my Scandinavian roots.My ancestors moved to North Dakota back in the eighteen hundreds.”

“Huh.That’s cool.”

“What about you?”

“I was born here.But my family is Canadian.”

I grin.“That’s why you’re a hockey player.”

“That’s right.”

The server arrives with our drinks.This conversation is easy, so far, not awkward or painful.

I sip my drink.“Mmm.”

“What’s in that?”

“Orange juice, rosé wine, and a bunch of other booze.”

He laughs.

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