Page 70 of Sweet Thing

“You close to Hatch?”

“Very.” Though not as much as before. Hatch seemed moodier these days, not the fun-loving guy I remembered. Playing on the same team as Theo Kershaw had to be tough. “What about you guys?”

“Kershaw Junior? Sure, we’re not rivals for the same lines, so we get along fine. Your dad’s awesome, too. Not sure partnering with Nyquist is best for the team, though.”

Alarm bells went off in my head. Yet another dig at Lars.

“But you’re on the same team, right? Isn’t it one for all and all for one?”

He looked at me like I didn’t get it. Maybe I didn’t. I wasn’t a player.

Candi came back with the drinks and Rowan asked her if she’d take our photo. As she fiddled with the phone, he slid over to my side of the booth and put his arm around me.

“Let’s make it a good one.”

Unlike the others was the implication. I raised my glass because he raised his and I tried not to recoil at the way he pressed his body close to mine. He was attractive, supposedly interested in me, and most importantly, not my dad’s closest friend. I should be enjoying myself.

We spent the next few minutes chatting about Chicago and favorite places to eat. All of his were clubs which, again, weird. I wasn’t very good at keeping the conversation going but Rowan didn’t seem to mind. He was a multitasker: drinking, eating, chatting, texting. I wasn’t even all that annoyed at his phone etiquette. It just confirmed what I suspected: I wasn’t interesting enough to date.

I excused myself to go to the bathroom and called Rosie.

“Oh, this can’t be good.”

She knew me so well. “Just checking in.”

“Is it truly going terribly or are you trying to tank it?”

“I’m not sure we have any chemistry.” Not like I had with a certain someone. “And he’s asking tons of questions about my dad and Lars. It’s weird.” It reminded me of guys I dated in college who were only interested in me when they discovered my last name.

“He’s asking you those things because that’s what you have in common. Have you told him anything about yourself? That you like music? Art? Books? Hockey stats?”

“He hasn’t asked.”

Rosie sighed. “Take charge of the conversation. Offer things about yourself and see if he responds.” She said something to someone in her orbit, then returned to me. “Go back out there and sparkle.”

Sparkle.That was Rosie’s approach to everything. It was easy to sparkle when you were as gifted and interesting as my friend. I didn’t have the effervescence gene.

“Okay, I’ll try.”

I checked my reflection but unfortunately, I hadn’t become more desirable in the last five minutes. My phone buzzed with a call from Lars. I answered immediately, worried about Mabel.

“Is everything okay?”

“That’s what I’m calling to ask you.”

I rolled my eyes. “It’s fine. We’re at some club.” I added, “Having dinner.”

“Dinner at the club. Sounds great.”

I was allowed to think that, not him. “What would you know? When’s the last time you went on a date? Oh, that’s right, you just bang them in bar bathrooms. So romantic.”

I sounded unbelievably jealous. There was a pause, then Lars spoke again. “I just wanted to be sure you were safe. That you …feltsafe.”

Never mind safe, I now felt guilty. And stupid. Lars was just looking out for me, in a fatherly way.

“Yes. I’m—I’m fine. Go enjoy your night with Mabel.” I hung up before he could speak again.

When I returned the booth was empty, but Rowan’s phone was on the table and was blowing up with texts.

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