Page 28 of Emergency Exit
“It’s not bad,” said Harper, whispering back. “But baseball dogs are best.” Ash chuckled. Their faces were only inches away and it made Harper feel giddy, like they were going to kiss.
“Kiss cam! Kiss cam!”
“Ash!” yelled Clyde. “Kiss her!”
Harper froze. A cold wash of terror flooded her veins.
The assembled guests inside the box began to cheer, and Harper felt as if her heart was beating out of her chest. Her nightmare was coming true. Again.
“I’m on the jumbotron again, aren’t I?” Harper gasped.
“Don’t worry, Smoak,” said Ash. “I got you.”
Standing up, Ash stood in front of Harper, blocking her from the view of the jumbotron camera. Terrified but unable to look away, Harper turned her head to watch him on the giant screen. Ash unzipped his coat with a flourish—revealing the black and blue Kraken jersey underneath—and grabbed Harper’s beer. He planted a kiss on the cup and then chugged the entire thing in one long gulp before holding the empty glass aloft. Ash and his beer were surrounded by an animated pulsing heart in purple and pink on the jumbotron.
The arena erupted in cheers.
“That is the kiss cam I didn’t know I needed,” said Clyde, laughing and clapping. The entire arena cheered as Ash bowed with a flourish before dropping back into his seat.
The scene on the jumbotron swept back to the ice as the action re-started, and Harper breathed a sigh of relief.
“You are amazing,” said Harper, grabbing his hand as if she could squeeze her gratitude into his fingers. She was in awe of his confidence and chivalry.
“What can I say? College teaches valuable life skills. Although, now I might either puke or burp really loudly.”
Harper couldn’t help laughing. “Please let it be burping.”
“That is also what I’m hoping for,” said Ash. “Apparently, my stomach is not as young as it used to be. We should probably just sit here and pretend to snuggle for a minute or two.”
“Bet,” said Harper.
“What?” Ash asked, laughing.
“Sorry. My co-worker says it all the time.” She settled against his shoulder and wished the chairs didn’t have arms.
“Well, you’re worth betting on,” he said, pulling her closer. Harper felt warm all over. With Ash around, she probably didn’t need a coat.
9
Ash
The Font of Teriyaki
Ash looked across the roof deck to where Harper was talking to Tommy. Tonight, Tommy was wearing a red suit with a teal and yellow bowling shirt that was giving 80s vibes. He and Harper were the most colorful people at the party. Harper looked sexy as hell in a blue silk number that Ash could picture sliding off her hips. He took a deep breath and re-focused on the conversation.
If Tommy was still here, then the party was safe. That was a judgmental thought, and Ash didn’t like having it. It implied that Julia Dorsey’s parties would turn into a debauched drug-fest. Which was ridiculous—most people had the discretion to keep the drugs out of sight. But the later the evening got, the less discretion there was. Emma had generally mocked him for being so prudish about drugs, but with his family history and ADHD, Ash didn’t really think casual drug use was in his skill set. It was all or nothing for him, and having watched his mother struggle with alcohol, he picked nothing. He wasn’t sure what Harper’s feelings about drugs were, but he probably ought to leave before one of them felt uncomfortable.
He drifted apart from the conversation and headed around the pool toward Harper. Julia had dotted the roof garden with a multitude of heat lamps. She’d been popular during Covid for her outdoor parties, and she revived them in Fall. The biting October air was bearable with enough bodies and heat lamps.
“Asher Valkyrie!”
“Robbie Callum,” said Ash, mimicking the tone. The barrel-chested finance bro had gone to the UW with Ash and seemed to think that made them friends. Ash thought it made them unfortunate acquaintances.
“Let’s catch up later! I hear you’ve got some interesting packages.”
Ash waved acknowledgment and kept walking, hoping the blonde Robbie was talking to would keep him distracted. He reached Harper’s side of the pool and was pleased to see that she and Tommy looked relaxed and happy.
“Oh, yes,” said Harper confidently as he approached. “Teriyaki is really a very American dish.”
