Page 32 of Playing for Keeps
“Really? That’s fantastic! Congratulations!” Del told her. “We’d love to host your engagement party. Just stop by the bar in the next couple of days and we’ll give you a tour of the Skybox and you can confirm your booking.”
“I’ll have to see when Ellis’s next game is,” Naomi said. “But thinking about it now, it’s really perfect. Announcing our engagement at a sports bar is genius. Ellis is going to love it and his teammates can come and any of those other players he wants to invite. What’s the capacity in this Skybox area? We may need to rent out the entire place.”
For a moment Del looked confused.
Rylan, irritated that they were standing in the very public parking lot while her food was getting cold, decided to help him out.
“Naomi is engaged to Ellis Colby, the top scoring point guard in the NBA this season.” She could’ve seemed a little more enthusiastic about that especially since she enjoyed basketball, but Naomi was working her nerves with this impromptu interruption.
The quick and lethal glare Naomi cut her seconds after she finished meant her sister wasn’t pleased with her at the moment either.
“Damn, Ellis Colby? Well, hell yeah, we’ll rent the whole place out to you for the engagement party. I’d have to go over some things logistically with the guys but we can definitely make this happen,” Del said, excitement clear in his tone.
Rylan felt guilty at that point. Why hadn’t she thought about suggesting the engagement party be at the bar? Naomi was right, it was a genius idea. That didn’t mean she cared anymore about this wedding than she had ten minutes ago.
“Okay, I’m going to go right home after I get my pork chops and call my event planner. We’re going to start working on this ASAP. Do you have a card or something?” Naomi asked.
“The bar is a ten-minute drive from the house, Naomi. You can drive over and speak to Del and the guys just like he suggested,” Rylan said. “And why don’t you plan to do that tomorrow or the next day. Whenever. I’d like to eat my food before it gets cold.”
Naomi looked unbothered. “Well, you can run along. Del and I are discussing business.”
When Rylan hesitated, Del stepped in. “It’ll be better if you come down to the bar, Naomi. That way you can get a look around and make sure it’s what you want. Talk to your planner and then we can schedule a time for the tour.”
“Sure,” Naomi said. “But you really should get some cards, Del. If you guys are running a business, you need to run it correctly.”
“Yeah, thanks,” Del told her. “I’ll get right on that.”
“Goodnight, Naomi,” Rylan said and went to her car.
Del moved when she did, walking her to the door of her car and waiting while she got in. “I’ll be right behind you,” he said as he leaned down and kissed her lightly on the lips.
The act shocked the cold out of Rylan and she sat there blinking at him for endless seconds. She knew that Naomi was still standing there because she’d heard her sister gasp. And since she wasn’t sure what to say to Del at the moment and definitely didn’t want to hear anymore of Naomi’s comments, Rylan closed the door and started the engine.
Rylan thought she’d lost her appetite, but once she was inside Del’s house and he told her to have a seat while he heated the food and fixed their drinks, she realized she was still hungry.
And she was still annoyed. Not so much at Naomi anymore, because her sister was just being her usual self-absorbed self. Even when she’d texted Rylan asking if she could get a discount on renting out the bar since Rylan was obviously sleeping with Del. Rylan hadn’t even bothered to respond. She had considered how Del was going to feel about someone else in town knowing about their little fling. Secrets never stayed secrets for long in Providence.
She was walking around the large living room admiring the modern décor mixed with pieces that she knew had come from his mother’s house when it dawned on her that Del had actually kissed her. Right in front of Naomi, as if he didn’t give a damn who saw them. The thought made her smile as she stood at the bay window looking out to the dark street.
“There are some TV trays over in that corner. Bring two over and we can eat here in front of the television.”
She hadn’t startled at Del’s voice, but Rylan did turn to look at him first. He’d taken off the Game Changers shirt and now wore only a white t-shirt and jeans. Even that looked scrumptious on him. Or was she just thinking about food?
“What?” Del asked.
When she realized she was still standing in the same spot while he was holding two plates of steaming food, she shrugged. “Ah, I was thinking that this is a great spot for a Christmas tree. When do you normally put yours up?”
She could’ve just asked him about that kiss. Why he’d done it? What it meant that he’d done it in front of her sister, or anyone else who’d could’ve been walking by? But she didn’t, instead, she moved to the other side of the room, past a curio cabinet that held over fifty bells inside. She recalled his mother had collected bells. There’d been three shelves full of them in the house where Camy now lived. Obviously, the siblings had divided them so they could all have something of their mother’s.
“I wasn’t going to put up a tree,” he said once she had the trays set up and he’d put down the plates. “I’ll get the drinks. Find something on television.”
Rylan found the television remote on the glass table beside the light gray couch. That was a good place for them. Instead of between the cushions on the couch, or under the pillows in her bed. She turned on the sixty-five-inch flat screen that was mounted above the natural fireplace. When she found a holiday favorite, she set the remote back on the table and sat down. Del came in with glasses of iced tea and groaned.
“I thought you weren’t into those holiday movies like Camy,” he complained as he sat.
“This is a classic, just likeChristmas Vacation. I usually watch it at least once a season, if not more,” she said.
“It’s ridiculous,” Del said. “Who gets on a plane and leaves their kid at home? Even though she has a bunch of kids, it’s still a little far-fetched. And then to make a sequel where the parents do the same thing, but this time the kid ends up in another state. Unreal.”
