Page 18 of Game Changer
Scott nodded. He desperately tried to think of something else to ask him. But all he could think about was how soft Kip’s hair looked.
“Hey,” Kip said, “thanks again for the tickets. That was amazing, being there.”
“No problem. I’m glad you had a good time. It was nice seeing you there.”
“Oh. You saw me?”
“I nodded at you when I skated by. Kind of subtle, I guess.”
“Oh! No, I saw. I just...didn’t think it was meant for me.”
“It was,” Scott said, far too earnestly. He took a step back and cleared his throat. “Anyway...”
“You’re probably busy.”
“Right. And you’re working, obviously.”
“Yeah. So...”
“I’ll let you get to it.”
“All right.”
Scott placed a hand on Kip’s free arm, needing to make contact somehow. “It was nice seeing you, Kip.”
“You... Yeah, you too. I guess I’ll see you around tonight.”
Scott nodded and Kip left to serve canapés. A hand landed on Scott’s arm immediately, and he turned to talk to one of the event organizers. He felt a lot lighter than he had before.
Scott spent the rest of the evening chatting with different people, but he kept scanning the room for Kip. Their eyes met a couple of times. The first time, Scott quickly looked away, embarrassed. The second time, though, he let his gaze linger, and he was rewarded with an adorable grin from Kip that caused Scott’s stomach to flip.
Oh no, Hunter. You are in trouble.
Once Scott had given his speech and had mingled for another hour, he was desperate to get out of his tux. Out of this room.
Except...
He caught Kip as he was loading empty glasses onto a tray.
“You have to stay much later?” Scott asked.
“Another hour, maybe? Cleanup isn’t too bad this time.”
Scott smiled a little. He couldn’t think of anything else to say. He just didn’t want to leave.
But heshouldleave. Otherwise he might say something dangerous...
Scott was a superstitious man. He believed everything happened for a reason, and it couldn’t be a coincidence that Kip was here tonight. Fate had thrown them into the same room together. It was an opportunity. Scott just didn’t know what to do with it.
“They never have enough food at these things,” he said, as casually as he could manage.
Kip looked up from the table he was clearing. “At least you got to eatsomething,” he said. “I’ve been carrying around trays of food I can’t eat all night. I’m starving.”
He kept his eyes on Scott’s, waiting. And Scottknewthis was his moment. Right here.
“There’s a place a couple of blocks from here that has great burgers,” Scott said, still carefully. Not a direct invitation. Not yet. “It’s open late.”
“Oh?”
