“Like what?” I fix my collar then touch the hair at the back of my neck, wishing I had worn a hat. It feels like I’m on display right now, waiting to hear what she has to say. “This is how I always am.”
“Like without the whistle or the skates…” She trails off with a hum. “Makes you look more human.”
“A shame, since I do love the robot allegations.”
“Stop.” Hannah laughs and swats at my arm. “It’s a good look. Are you sure it’s really you?”
“Brody Saunders, reporting for duty. If you think this is impressive, you should see the photos Liv and I took today,” I say. “I fit into a photo booth.”
“Youhaveto show me.”
“Hang on.” I dig my wallet out of my back pocket, pulling out the thin strip of photographs. I hand it her way, watching her hold the corners with her thumbs so she doesn’t make any fingerprint smudges. “She asked. I couldn’t resist.”
“These are fucking adorable. Can I please take a photo of this photo and save it as your contact information in my phone?” Hannah taps the one of me sticking out my tongue. “I promise I won’t use it as blackmail.”
“Go ahead. But only because I know how intimidating I look in the next one.”
She laughs and snaps a couple pictures, her smile never dimming as she assesses the grainy photos one more time. “You love Liv so much, don’t you?”
“More than words. She’s my greatest joy.”
“She’s lucky to have a dad like you. Who invests in the things she likes. Who’s involved, even when he’s busy as hell.” She puts a hand on my forearm, right on my bare skin. “It’s wonderful to see.”
“That’s the bare minimum.” I don’t look at where she’s touching me. “Do you want to come sit at my table? Socializing isn’t my favorite thing in the world, but Parker and Mikal are good people. I can’t promise your mood will improve, but you’d get free drinks out of it.”
“Thanks for the offer, but my best friend invited me over. I’m going to curl up on her couch and wallow in how undesirable I am.”
I’m still trying to understand why someone stood her up. “I bet there are ten people in this bar right now who would fight to the death to talk to you.”
“I’ve always wanted someone to duel for my affection. Thanks for cheering me up, Brody. Seeing you has been the highlight of my night.”
My chest warms with pride. I’m tipsy without having anything else to drink.
The Hannah Everett effect.
Everything is always brighter when she’s around.
“Glad I could help,” I say. “You want me to call you an Uber?”
“I’ve got it covered. Thanks for the offer.” Another smile, and she climbs off her chair. She gathers her purse, but she doesn’t leave. Not yet. “That code Grant was talking about on Thanksgiving.”
I straighten my spine. “What about it?”
“You never told me if there’s anything in there about a coach touching their player’s sister.” Her sweater shows off her sharp collarbone, the spot on her throat I’d like to kiss. “Or does it only apply to teammates?”
I knock over the salt shaker. I’m pretty sure my ears are ringing. “I, ah, haven’t read anything about that. No.”
“Good to know,” she says.
If she’s going to play this game, I am too.
“By the way, Hannah.” I hop out of my seat. I walk toward her, our chests close. “You should go to sleep tonight knowing you’re anything but undesirable.”
She tips her chin up. Her lipstick is smudged on her bottom lip from drinking, and I want to wipe the rest of it away with my thumb. “Really?”
“Really.” A shaky hand tucking away a piece of blonde hair behind her ear. Another brief touch. “Her loss, remember?”
“Yeah.” She puts a palm on my sweater, fiddling with a loose thread. Nails grazing my chest. “Her loss.”
