“Of course I am. I’m a goalie.”
“Is your underwear on inside out right now?”
“No, but it will be for the game tomorrow,” he chuckled. “I’m actually a terrible player. I’m just propped up on superstitions.”
He took my fingers in his palm again, stroking his thumb over my nails. “Love these nails, Annie. They’re always done up. I picture you having a little gossip in the nail salon.”
I snorted. “That’s cute, but I do my own. It’s one of my ways to relax at home. A cheap thrill, if you will,” I said. “But thanks for noticing.”
His gaze burned into mine with a soft smile lighting his lips. “I notice everything about you, angel.”
The bartender called our food order, which Nick got up to get.
“You gonna come watch me tomorrow?” he asked as we sorted out whose burger was whose.
I shook my head. “Eating up all my weekend days, Oberbeck.”
“Surely you’re going with Kitty,” he said. “And now you have my jersey to wear.”
“Don’t you think that’s going to be suspicious?”
“You’re my agent! You’re supposed to support me! You win when I win!”
“Yeah, well, I won’t win if I lose this job. I don’t have a milli in the bank.” I bit into my pickle, the perfect texture and sourness. “Shit, that’s a good pickle.”
“You want mine?” He held his up.
“Do you not like them?”
“No, I do, but if you love it that much, I want you to have it.”
While he was dangling his pickle over my basket, a familiar face cleared through the thick of people. “Jesus, Nick. Dev is here.”
I slumped down at first, but Nick gave me a scathing look. “It’s going to look more obvious if you hide,” he murmured. “We have an excuse. I’m taking you out as a thanks for today.”
He was right. I turned directly to Dev and waved. He held thehand of a very beautiful woman, approaching us with a big smile.
Dev and Nick exchanged a bro hug and Dev gave me a quick hug. I shook hands with his wife, Priya. “What brings you two out on a Saturday night?” Dev asked, giving me a quick glance.
“Annie was a big help with the goalie school today. The photographer had to cancel last minute, so she had to step up. I felt bad for stealing her Saturday, so the least I could do was buy her dinner.”
“Yeah, Nick had my ass on skates today. He owed me,” I added.
Priya laughed. “That’s going above and beyond, that’s for sure.”
“Right? I deserve a trophy for my performance.”
“You guys wanna join us?” Nick offered. “There’s a couple chairs over there.”
“Oh, no, we’re meeting some friends for drinks. You guys live in the neighborhood?”
“I’m not far in Manhattan Beach. Annie’s in—” Nick started, then realized he shouldn’t admit that he knew where I lived.
“I’m in Westmont,” I said with a smile.
Dev nodded. “Nice. Well, we won’t keep you. Nice seeing you outside the office. Both of you.”
We exchanged “nice to meet you” with his wife and they disappeared to the other side of the bar.
