Page 9 of Pucking Your Best Friend

“Oh, Matt,” Maddie said with a grin, patting his shoulder in mock sympathy, “there’s no reason to be sad because your face will remain forever bare. Really. I’m sure you can grow other hair. Under your armpits, for example, or…”

“Oh, shut up,” he said with a snort, rolling his eyes.

She laughed loudly and took the last sip from her glass.

He raised his eyebrows in surprise. “What happened to your tequila sunrise?”

“I finished it,” she said innocently. “I’m nervous because I have an important meeting tomorrow with a music producer who wants to be a Match Me! client. Apparently, I drink when I’m nervous.” She frowned. “Tell me, am I some kind of pimp? Because you’re paying me in tequila sunrises so you can sleep with random women.”

Grinning, he shook his head. “You’re not a pimp. Just bonkers. Let me get you another.”

“Yes, please.” Her face lit up. “You always get drinks right away!”

That was true. Carl, the owner of the Ice Lounge, wasn’t only a fan of the L.A. Hawks, he was practically an honorary member. He threw drinks at the whole team.

Matt was about to make his way through the crowd when Maddie abruptly grabbed him by the elbow. “Oh, no, wait!” She pulled him back and looked up at him meaningfully. “You can’t go now. I’ve found the perfect woman for you.” The next moment, she let go of him and stepped aside to stop a pretty waitress in a black uniform. “Hey! I’m Maddie,” she said with a big smile. “And this is Matt.” She nodded at him. “He thinks you’re incredibly cute, he’s just too shy to talk to you.”

He could barely stop himself from laughing out loud. Because, damn, she was over the top.

“Really?” the waitress said, peering up at him with interest, and then blushed.

He raised his eyebrows in surprise. Okay, he took it all back. Maddie wasn’t over the top! Yep, the woman looked incredibly good and she had that sparkle in her eyes…which meant a lot of fun and no stress. He definitely wouldn’t find a bridal magazine in her purse.

Shaking his head, Matt glanced at Maddie and then focused on the waitress again. How did she do it? She always found exactly what he was searching for. She was the best bud he had ever had! She smiled knowingly at him and disappeared into the dancing crowd the next moment.

“So,” the brunette said, tucking her hair behind her ears, “you’re shy?”

“Oh, yes, terribly,” he replied seriously.

The dark-haired woman laughed. He grinned. And that was all it took.

Chapter 2

Ten hours later, Matt stared at the naked woman next to him, trying to remember if her name was Jessica or Jane.

Concentrating, he frowned. He turned over first one name, then the other in his head, and he still couldn’t recall it. Groaning, he squinted and reached for his cell phone on the strange nightstand, quietly and carefully, so Jessica – or Jane – wouldn’t wake up.

This wasn’t good. Only assholes forgot the name of the woman they’d spent the night with. He usually boasted that he wasn’t one. He was happy to leave that to Leon and Dax. Dax, however, was happily taken now, and Leon hadn’t done anything stupid for weeks… Shit, maybe he’d been overdoing it lately.

He rubbed his eyes, propped himself up on his elbows, and texted the person he always texted when he had a problem.

The waitress from yesterday, was her name Jane or Jessica?

Maddie’s answer came within seconds.You’re not serious?

He grinned because he imagined her giving her phone dirty looks. She always got a deep crease between her eyebrows, looking like a Disney character made to represent the emotion ‘anger.’

Yes, kind of, he texted back.

I despise you so much right now.

Yeah, you do that, still, you could multitask and tell me her name while you’re at it!

I have no idea, Matt! What name did you moan last night?

He frowned.I don’t moan names. I’m not a porn star.

No, you’re the worst!

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