Page 8 of The Parent Playbook
“Glad to hear it,” he says in an oddly sincere way. I don’t recognize him, but that doesn’t mean anything at the Regent’s. The hotel draws folks from across the country and the world.
“Not too shabby for a small town,” I say to him, trying to be a touch more friendly and not sure I’m succeeding. “It’s like Gatsby decided to throw a party in Maple Falls, and honestly, I’m not mad about it.”
He smiles and lays my coat on the counter. “Why would you be mad about that?”
“Oh, I don’t know.” I lean in conspiratorially. “Perhaps because there’s more cash floating in those thickheaded hockey players’ pockets than I could raise in twenty years?”
His eyebrows rise like I just let a squirrel loose at the dog park. “You think so?”
“Thinkso?” I shuffle closer to him. “I know so. These dudes sneeze and moolah flows from the sponsors. And what do they do with it? Fancy cars, plenty of women, three swimming pools, a spiral staircase, and a four-poster bed.”
Wait a second, this man smellsgood.
“Three swimming pools, huh?” His eyes sparkle. Like actually sparkle with little creases in the corners.
“Yep,” I say, trying to slow down my suddenly rising pulse. “I saw that on a cover ofIceWeeklywhen I learned that my charity was going to be the beneficiary of the Ice Breakers. Not that I read the article, but hey, if these guys want to zoom around and punch each other out and give us the proceeds, then who am I to judge?”
He shifts in the spot, visibly weighing how to react.
Did I just step in it?
“Wait a second …” I clear my throat, because I don’t want to offend Mr. Handsome. “You’re a fan, aren’t you? And here I am, dissing your heroes.”
He chuckles. “No, it’s not that,” he says, but there’s a twinkle in his eye that tells me he’s gearing up for a bit of a spar. “But I reckon not every player out there is blowing their cash on gold-plated hockey sticks or diamond-encrusted mouth guards.”
I think I just snorted at the image in my head. “Oh, is that what they’re doing these days? No monogrammed skate laces?”
He laughs, a genuine, hearty sound that fills the space between us. “Well, you might be surprised.”
“Funnily, you’re not the first person to say that to me today.”
His easygoing nature and quick wit have thrown me off, disarming me more than any polished charm ever could. For a moment, I forget my mission to stay aloof and unimpressed by the glitz and glamor of the evening. “Some of thosedudesmight be investing in less flashy ventures. Like, say, community projects.”
My eyebrows shoot up. “Community projects, huh? Like building a statue in their own honor in the town square?”
He grins, undeterred by my skepticism. “Could be. But then the statue doubles as a jungle gym for the kids.”
This guy’s good. “Okay, you got me there. I’ve been a bit harsh. But if I ever stumble upon a hockey player who’s more interested in jungle gyms than jet skis, I’ll eat my hat.”
“Interesting.”
“Now would you please check my coat and pass me a ticket? I’ve got to go suck up to a bunch of these arrogant, air-headed jungle gym statue dudes.”
I can’t read the look in his eyes, but it’s true that I might have gone a bit far with that last string of slights. He passes my coat to his coat check colleague, who purses her lips in curiosity and passes the ticket back to him.
“By the way,” he says as he hands me the ticket from the girl behind the counter, “I hear Stetsons are tasty. Enjoy the event.”
He steps away, as if about to leave his coat check post.
“I’ll give it a shot?” I reply, though it comes out as a question.
As I turn to join the throng of guests, I find myself hoping I’ll run into him again. Not that I’d ever admit it out loud.
His smile lingers as he goes—in a way that gives me shivers. And I thought tonight was going to be like nails on a chalkboard, not … well, whatever that was.
Oh my goat, I think we were flirting.
Is that what that was? I’m not sure I’ve ever done it before, so it’s hard to tell. But the scent of his cologne will not leave my nostrils and the warmth over me feels like a bubble bath, complete with candles and a glass of hot apple cider.
