He yawned, turning his face away from me. “Power of suggestion. You reminded me to be tired. Guy said you like to golf. You should have come.”
“Ah, I’m on bridal duty,” I said. “Can’t abandon her in her time of need. Plus, I hardly see her. It’s been really nice being together again.”
“I’m not keeping you from her, am I?”
I waved my hand. “No, no. She’s occupied.” Nick followed my gaze to where Kitty was catching up with her cousins.
The bartender put our drinks up on the bar, and Nick suggested we move outside where it was quieter. We settled in at a table. I’d been at weddings and had this happen before, where you randomly make friends with someone you’ll never see again. There was something comforting about it.
“Well, since you missed golf this morning, maybe we can get in nine holes Sunday before we leave? Can’t let the sporty girl get away without playing a little sports on vacation.”
I chuckled. “You are very determined that I’m athletic.”
He cringed and even in the low lighting, I saw him blush. “I’m doing it again, aren’t I?”
I shook my head. “It’s fine.”
He met my gaze again. “Why’d you quit?”
“Volleyball?” He nodded and I blew out a breath. “Honestly?”
“When are we ever going to see each other again? What do you have to lose?”
The man had a point. “Money. I could have gone for Team USA, and I considered it. I was never going to make enough as a female volleyball player unless I got up to Kerri Walsh Jennings’ level with all the endorsements. I didn’t want my dad to have to keep supporting me. Especially since—” I stopped myself from saying something vulnerable to a pseudo-stranger. “Anyway. Being a lawyer is significantly more secure.”
He chewed his lip, studying me. “You miss it?”
“Every day.” I didn’t expect to get emotional over something not related to Roger or being happy for Kitty this weekend, yet there I was, fighting to keep tears out of my voice. “What about you? Do you miss doing magic instead of hockey?”
His eyebrows went up, a puff of air leaving his nostrils. “The magic is fun, but hockey is my love. I’m good at it. I wish I could do the magic stuff more, but being a goalie isn’t as scary as performing on stage.”
“You’re such a goalie,” I laughed. “You would think being on stage is scarier than ninety-mile-per-hour frozen rubber flying at you.”
He chuckled, looking wistful. “I used to do theater some too. Maybe when I retire, I’ll do community theater or something.”
“You should tell your agent, Nick. I’m sure they could get you bit roles in some project. A little paycheck and you get to do something fun.”
“I guess you would know about that, huh? Sports attorney and all. How is that different from being an agent?”
I took a sip of my Diet Coke. “I do mostly agent stuff, but with more of a focus on the legal matters. I rep a few Preds.”
“Come to L.A. and maybe I’ll let you be my agent,” he suggested.
“Ha. I’ve learned not to mix business and pleasure too much.”
Implying that being with him was pleasurable put a freshtension in the air. Nick cleared his throat, looking at his lap for a moment before popping his head back up. He gave me a conspiratorial look, not so different from what he did before we sang Tom Petty the night before.
“You wanna . . . misbehave a little?”
My grin spread wide. “What do you have in mind?”
He tipped his head toward the wedding across the way. “A little old-fashioned wedding crashing.”
I gnawed my lip, considering the offer. “It does look like fun. And the DJ is playing solid bangers. What’s our cover story?”
“I’m John’s nephew. You’re my fiancée. We’re getting married on New Year’s Eve. Unless we elope first.”
As if a sign from the heavens, the opening notes of Shout played. “Nick Oberbeck, I think we’re crashing this wedding.”
