Page 19 of Game Changer
“I was thinking of heading there after...”
Kip stood straight up to meet Scott’s gaze. “Are you asking me to come get a burger with you?”
Scott was absurdly terrified. But goddamn, he wanted this. “Yes.”
Kip grinned, showing his dimples. “All right. I’ll meet you as soon as I’m done here. At the front doors?”
“Yeah...” It suddenly occurred to Scott that he was wearing a tuxedo, and didn’t have a change of clothing on him. “An hour, you think?”
Kip shrugged. “Maybe a little less. Maybe longer if you keep distracting me.”
“Okay!” It was all Scott could do to keep from clapping his hands together with glee. They were doing this. They were going to get a burger together. He would fix the tuxedo problem and he would let this thing happen.
He didn’t think he could get to his apartment and back here on time. No nearby clothing stores were still open, unless...
* * *
When Kip saw Scott again, he was standing near the front doors of the complex, wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt that had BROOKLYN written across the front, and a black knit hat that said NYC on it. He had a cheap-looking knapsack slung over his shoulder containing, Kip assumed, most of his tuxedo.
“I, uh, I didn’t have a change of clothes with me, so I went to a bodega that sold some touristy stuff,” Scott explained.
Dressed like he was, you almost couldn’t tell he was Scott Hunter. But Kip knew. And he knew that Scott Hunter had frantically bought souvenir clothing so he couldgo on a date with him.
Maybe. Maybe a date.
Kip smiled. “You look good.”
Hedid.A little odd, perhaps, in a hoodie, navy tuxedo pants, and dress shoes, but good. Kip was pretty grubby, in the same jeans he’d worn earlier in the day and a black T-shirt he had been wearing under his uniform tonight.
He zipped up his parka before following Scott out into the cold. It wasverycold.
“You must be freezing,” he said. “You sure you want to walk there?”
“I run hot,” Scott said with a grin. “I’ll be fine.”
They walked together through the quiet streets. Not a lot of people out on this frigid Wednesday night. There were a few flurries in the air, but no wind. Despite his claim of not being cold, Scott had shoved his hands into the pocket of his hoodie.
“How was the road trip?” Kip asked, after spending a solid minute trying to think of something to say.
“Good! Went well. We won five of the seven games, should have won the one in San Jose, but that’s a rant you don’t want to hear.”
“You like the travel?”
“I don’t mind it. I like some cities more than others. Some cities likememore than others...”
“They’d all love you if you played for their team.”
“Maybe.”
They walked another block in silence. Kip still couldn’t believe who he was walking with.He’s just a guy. He’s just a really hot, enormous guy who’s famous and beloved and...cold.
Scott was definitely huffing a bit as they walked. And his shoulders were hunched.
“You all right?” Kip asked.
“Oh, yeah. Just...itispretty cold.”
Kip smiled. “Yeah, okay, tough guy.” He got brave and nudged Scott a bit with his elbow.
