Page 33 of Off the Stick
I place my elbows on the table and cup my chin in my hands, quirking one eyebrow skyward.
“Okay, so what’s next?When do we tell Lennon I’m her dad?”
17
Halle
My surprise over Dane’s eager question is only surpassed by my shock at the appearance of Anna at our table.I feel trapped in a situation that could blow up unnecessarily and turn into a huge tornado of rumor.
Exactly what I’d hoped to avoid.
“Hey, Halle,” Anna says in greeting, barely able to contain the surprised grin on her face.Her eyes gleam with curiosity as her gaze flicks between me and Dane.Extending a hand to Dane, she wraps the most artistically done nails I’ve ever seen around his knuckles when he offers his in return.
I’m momentarily dazzled with the daydream of what it would be like to have an hour to myself to spend at a nail salon.Or anywhere I can have a bit of quiet time for myself.
I brush the thought away and watch the two of them.
“Nice to officially meet you, Ax.I’m Anna Morris.I’m an analyst with Halle down in the Cave.”
The Cave, I learned last week, is the name the Ops team calls our area of the office because it’s a whole floor below the ice.It’s where all the loot—aka the team data—is stored, which is a goldmine of information the team uses to get a leg up on their opponents.And since the Vikings were notorious for looting and pillaging for riches, the Cave was a natural nickname.
Dane stands up as best he can in the cramped booth and returns the greeting with a bright smile, clearly not knocked off-balance like I am.Of course, he’s not the one who will be answering all the questions from coworkers when I return to the office.
“Oh, right.Yeah, I’ve seen your last name before on our reporting notes.Good to meet you.”
A trickle of nervous sweat beads in the middle of my back.How am I going to explain this to Anna?Will she go back and start rumors about me and Dane?She doesn’t seem like someone who would do that, but one never knows.
Anna adjusts the strap of her purse and looks over her shoulder.
“I was just about to get back when I noticed you both back here.So…” She blinks and cocks her head.“Dane’s the old friend you mentioned, eh?”
Anxiety floods my veins and my heart gallops faster than you can say Sidney Crosby.Being seen out like this could easily be misconstrued like Dane and I are together.I snap my gaze to Dane, my eyes sending a silent plea to stay quiet about how we know each other as he returns to his spot next to me.
Without even an ounce of hesitation, Dane launches into an animated story of how we met.
“Halle and I know each other from Calgary.We’re just catching up, aren’t we, Hal?”He turns that oh-so-charming smile on me, the divot-dimple doubling in size.Then he throws his arms around me in a huge bear hug and tips me back and forth in an outrageous display of fondness.
I can’t help myself.When he lets me go, I kick him under the table and he laughs out loud.
Anna eyes him quizzically, as if trying to decide whether to believe him.
“Aww, I bet it’s been fun to catch up.I bet a lot has changed since then.”
I smile innocently.“You have no idea.”
Dane laughs loudly and Anna smiles at us both, still trying to put two and two together by the look in her eyes, just as Misty appears behind Anna with our order.
“That’s our food.”I motion with my chin to the tray of food being placed on the table.“I’ll see you back in the Cave in twenty, Anna.”
She turns away for a second, looking back at the door where her friend waits to leave.“Sounds good.I’ll see you in a bit.And nice to meet you, Ax.”She wiggles goodbye with her fingers.“Have a great lunch, you two.”
Her words come out in a conspiratorial coo.Not knowing Anna very well, I don’t know how to interpret it.But so far, she’s been very friendly and helpful, so I hope she doesn’t read anything into witnessing Dane and me together.
Without sparing her another look, Dane immediately digs into the food placed in front of him, gobbling down the club sandwich and poutine fries he ordered.I gape at him devouring his lunch.
“How do you do that without choking to death?”I shake my head in amusement, amazed at how he can wolf down food without chewing a single bite.
He shrugs.“It’s a learned skill, Cherry.”
