Page 53 of Pucking Your Best Friend

She swallowed the latter thought quickly.

“Okay, I’ll check with them,” she replied. “If they don’t mind, I’ll change the reservation to four people.”

Matt breathed a sigh of relief. “Great. See you later then?”

“I think so.”

“Okay, I’m cooking something tonight.”

She snorted. “You’re cooking?”

“Hey, I had to cook a lot as a kid! I can make vegetable stir-fries. Pasta. I even made a casserole once.”

“By topping pasta and vegetable stir-fries with cheese?”

“Exactly! So, look forward to a gourmet meal.”

“I’d rather look forward to the gourmet restaurant on Wednesday,” she replied. “Which, I hope, I won’t have to pay for.”

“Do you think Alfie will treat you?”

“No way. You will!” she said, grinning. “You’re rich.”

He snorted. “And you call yourself emancipated.”

“You can be emancipated and still let the millionaire hockey star pay. So, see you later.”

“Later,” he said, amused. “And thanks…for the date.”

She swallowed. “No problem. It’ll be great.”

Chapter 14

Matt wouldn’t admit he was nervous when he and Maddie enteredVie en Roseon Wednesday, a fine restaurants occupying the top floor of one of Los Angeles’ skyscrapers. That was only because a hockey player never confessed he was nervous, though. He knew his opponents would shamelessly exploit it. And, okay, this double date wasn’t his adversary, but it wasn’t his friend, either. Neither was the knee-length dress Maddie was wearing. She wasn’t wearing nylons underneath, even though it was quite chilly out, which meant she wanted to impress the guy she was meeting — with her legs, which she always said were too thick but Matt thought were rather perfect — totally becoming.

It didn’t bother him that the dress was snug and she looked beautiful. Maddie could wear whatever she wanted. He wouldn’t have commented if she had come in suspenders or a potato sack. Well, if it were the latter, he would have asked if it was scratchy. A man could show concern. However, overall, women should do whatever they wanted with their bodies. It did bother him that before they left the loft together, she had asked him several times if she really looked okay. She seemed so terribly insecure that he was tempted to grab her by the shoulders, push her against the nearest wall, and show her with his mouth howokayshe looked!

He didn’t want to fall into that trap again, though, so he just kept nodding and saying that she looked amazing. This was true, even though it drove him a little crazy that she had jokingly let slip on their way out that she had to make sure the strapless, dark blue dress didn’t slip, since no bra fit underneath.

He loved that she had no problem sharingeverythingwith him, but, by God, some things were just too much for his imagination.

“What are you thinking about? You’re rather quiet,” Maddie said, interrupting him and nudging him with her shoulder.

About your breastswas probably not the right answer. “Just a little nervous,” he murmured. “I haven’t been on a real date in ages.”

“Ditto. It’ll be okay. Oh, there they are!” She guided him to the right and smiled at a tall, dark-haired woman wearing a scandalously beautiful red dress. She looked very much like a young Naomi Campbell. Then she raised her hand toward a brown-haired, skinny man sitting not two seats away from her at the bar.

Oh, wow. Christina Henley was beautiful. Maddie hadn’t exaggerated when she’d said, “She’s perfect.” He knew he should probably focus on Christina – she was his date after all – but it was difficult not to inspect Alfie McDonald closely. He looked like a complete idiot.

Matt knew how to spot one. He played against them every day. Sometimes with them, depending on whether Leon was on the ice or not.

He had slicked-back dark hair that curled at the nape of his neck, wore a dark red shirt with too many buttons undone so that you could see his chest hair, and wrinkled trousers. Matt usually made it his mission not to judge anyone at first glance based on their appearance alone — but he made an exception for Greasy Alfie!

“Hey,” Maddie said kindly, walking ahead. “You must be Christina…and you’re Alfie.” She pointed a finger at each of them, making it look like she wanted to make a Western but the budget was too small for guns.

Christina answered first. “Yes, and you’re Maddie? I recognize you from the TV interview. It’s a shame you don’t have the chicken with you.”

Maddie chuckled and greeted her. Meanwhile, Alfie looked over at Matt with his mouth gaping. “Oh, shit, you really are Matt Payne,” he whispered, almost tripping over his own feet to greet him, ignoring Maddie in the process, which was bad.

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