Page 102 of Everything In Between
I grin. “Yes, please.”
“But we’re trying to keep our stay on the down low, guys, you understand?” Hayes asks Mickey and Preston.
The two of them share a look and then nod solemnly. “Say no more. We’ve got you covered,” Mickey says, sliding me a refill of the drink I’ve polished off. “We’ll leave you to it. Let me know if you need anything else. Me and Pres have a bet to settle.”
Preston rolls his eyes then explains. “Tonight’s our coaster Olympics rematch.”
My interest piques. “Coaster Olympics?”
“On slow days, we create some sort of competition with the coasters.” Mickey holds up a cardboard coaster with the Red Zone: Bar and Grille logo on it. “Preston’s whooped me the last few events, so I’ve got to get back in the game.”
I glance at Hayes, shaking his head in amusement. “Now this is something I think I have to see.”
Preston and Mickey share another look and then Mickey rubs his hands together in front of him. “What’s on the docket today, Pres? Got anything we can play with them too?”
Preston smirks and develops a sneaky glint in his eye. “You already know I do.”
Preston explains the game and we dive right into competition.
He calls it “vacuum” where the goal of the game is to pass the coaster around using the suction from our lips. Whoever is the last one standing—the only person not to drop the coaster—wins the figurative gold medal.
Not even ten minutes later, I find myself laughing hysterically as Hayes and Preston take their turns trying to pass the coaster from one to another. Hayes is to my left and I have Mickey on my right, Preston positioned across from me in the circle.
I clap my hand over my mouth, giggling as Hayes tries to pass the coaster to Preston. Hayes is currently doing a great job of keeping the coaster suctioned to his lips and Preston is trying to take it from him. He purses his lips and goes in for the hand off.
There’s something far too hilarious about the sight of Hayes and Preston mouth-to-mouth with only a coaster between them.
Preston manages to take the coaster and fist pumps the air with both hands victoriously. Two seconds later, he loses his hold on the coaster and it falls to the floor.
He looks at it dismally. “No gold medal for me.”
Hayes reigns victorious at the vacuum game, and I manage to best the three men at the flipping game before we decide to call it on the competition.
I can’t recall a time I’ve had this much fun at a bar.
Hayes and I eventually drag ourselves out of the bar a few hours later after some delicious smash burgers and a few more drinks. I’m still laughing to myself, thinking about how much fun we had with Mickey and Preston, as we make our way to the truck. Hayes has his arm wrapped around my shoulders and he holds me tightly to his side. I’m carrying Peri’s fluffy bed in myfree hand while she’s content to be a football in Hayes’s arms again.
“That wassomuch fun. Thank you for bringing me to meet them,” I say, leaning into Hayes even more. My heart and my belly both are fully satisfied.
He presses a kiss to my hair and unlocks the truck, opening the passenger side door for me to slide into my seat. After I’m settled, he leans in a bit, kissing me properly on the lips.
When he pulls away, he says, “I’m glad you had a good time. They’re never boring, that’s for sure.”
I lean my head against the headrest and grin. “Can we come back again while we’re here? I still need to meet Preston’s daughter, too.”
“You really wouldn’t mind doing that?” Hayes asks. “I know I kind of put you on the spot. If you don’t want to open up that kind of attention, you don’t have to. Preston will understand.”
I shake my head. “No, I don’t mind at all. I really do love getting to meet fans. It’s when there’s a ton of them, that it can get a little crazy. But if it’s only Preston’s daughter or a few others, it would be totally okay.”
Hayes’s expression softens. “I’ll let him know.”
“So, how about you show me this lake house now?”
THIRTY-NINE
hayes
MONDAY, APRIL 7
