“Don’t forget the potato part,” Emerson adds, and I almost lose it.
“Ew. I knew my friends were wrong. You’re not nearly as hot as him.” The blonde looks me up and down and scoffs before storming away.
“Wow. Talk about a blow to your ego,” Emerson says.
I face her again and steal a french fry from the basket that just arrived. “I’ll get over it.”
“Does this happen a lot?”
“What, alien babies?”
“No. Women coming up to you and thinking they’ll go back to your place.”
“Everywhere I go.”
“And you always say yes?”
“Most of the time. Why not? Everything is consensual. I use protection. They know I’m not going to get down on one knee and propose, and, honestly? It’s nice to think about something other than hockey.”
“Will your dick fall off if you don’t sleep with someone tonight? How will you survive?”
“Your compassion knows no bounds, Hartwell. Thanks for your concern, but I’ll be fine. I’m more worried about you.Birthing a life form that looks like a potato spud was probably really traumatizing.”
“Almost as traumatizing as standing here and talking to you for the last ten minutes.” She puts her hands on her hips and stares at me. “You’re frustrating. That’s what I think about you.”
“Good frustrating or bad frustrating?”
“I haven’t decided yet. You’re cocky and flashy, then you go and do sentimental things like tattoo your niece’s initial on the back of your hand. It’s confusing.”
“Have I been that flashy guy tonight?”
“No,” she admits quietly. “You haven’t.”
“Did I go home with that girl?”
“No.”
“Then that should give you an insight into who I really am.” I grab half of the drinks and hold them close to my chest. “Get a water for Piper, too. That woman is drunk,and we have a game tomorrow night.”
“Good call. My legs are killing me—I’m not going to be able to help her home.”
“I’ll call you all an Uber.”
“We live four blocks away.”
“Better than walking and hurting yourself. Let’s get you back to your friends before they start to worry I kidnapped you.”
“Or before any more of your alien babies find their way into the world. That’s a terrifying thought. One of you is more than enough.” Emerson glides by me. Her hip brushes against mine as she passes with arms full of alcohol and food. “And for the record, if you tried to kidnap me, you wouldn’t get very far.”
“I’m going to win you over one day, Hartwell,” I call out. “Just you wait.”
She might flip me off after she distributes the drinks to her table and ignore me the rest of the night, but I see the smile she’s fighting to hide.
Point: me.
THIRTEEN
MAVERICK
