“Yes,” I answer.
“You’ve got condoms?”
“Jesus, yes. This is not the first time I’m going on a date. Hell, it’s not even the first time Liza and I are hanging out in public. I appreciate the love, but you don’t need to treat me like somedumbass kid who doesn’t have a clue. I’m going to get my girl. I’ll see you two later.”
I wave goodbye to my buddy and his girlfriend and when I’m halfway down the steps, I turn my ass around and head back up. Without missing a beat or saying a word, Bridgette hands over the bouquet I picked up at the flower shop this afternoon.
“Thanks,” I say, while Dutton just laughs.
Thirty seconds later, I’m knocking on Liza’s bedroom door. It’s probably corny as hell, but I want to make this special for her.
The door opens, and I feel like I got slammed against the boards and had the wind knocked out of me. Liza is a beautiful woman. That’s no surprise. She’s gorgeous when she’s breathing fire at me for being an idiot, and she’s equally irresistible when she’s naked and pliant in my arms. Liza is a stunner in sweats and a BU hoodie, but right now, with her hair flowing over her shoulders on loose curls and her body encased in a silky little navy blue dress that highlights her waist and shows off her curves? Damn. I thought I was prepared, but I’m a novice when it comes to Liza DeWalt. She has the power to knock me on my ass when I least expect it.
I manage to hand her the flowers without dropping them, and we let Ollie and Fallon snap some pictures of us before we head out the door. It’s entirely unnecessary and it feeds into Ollie’s narrative that he somehow made a match between the two of us, but it’s also harmless. Plus, protesting would take longer.
The drive to the restaurant doesn’t take long, and I’m gratified when Liza’s eyes light up as we pull into the lot. She works at a busy restaurant downtown, and I wanted tonight to be a chance for her to relax, so I picked a place on the water that’s guaranteed to be less crowded in the off-season.
“Have you been here before?” I ask, opening her car door and reaching for her hand.
“No, but I’ve heard good things. Plus, it’s seafood. I come home smelling like pasta and sauce at least twice a week, so this is a welcome change.”
I celebrate the win as we walk into the softly lit space, then I curse myself for being a dumbass. “Did I tell you look beautiful tonight?” I ask. “I mean, you always look beautiful, but…wow.”
Liza beams at me, wiping away any embarrassment I might feel at my word vomit of compliments. The hostess eats us in the corner near the fireplace and it’s long before we’ve ordered our meals. I don’t remember what I asked for because it’s finally hitting me that I’m on a date with Liza DeWalt. A real date.
“So, are you ready to kick Coleridge’s ass this weekend?” she asks, unable to hide her smile.
“Hell yes,” I answer, falling easily into a conversation about hockey. We go back and forth analyzing our next opponent before changing direction and talking about Hazel’s impending motherhood, and the interview Liza has next week for a summer internship. We move seamlessly from one topic to another, pausing to eat our meals and share bites of each other’s dishes.
Being with Liza is so effortless, so natural. In my experience, nothing this good or pure ever lasts. The only exception to that rule is my friendship with Dutton, but he’s every bit as stubborn as I am.
“What do you think?” Liza asks. “Caramel apple pie or chocolate mousse?”
Both desserts sound good to me, but I have a distinct memory of Liza licking chocolate off her fingertips while she was eating chocolate-covered strawberries at the carnival a few days ago, so I pick the second choice. The look on her face tells me that was the right one.
Liza excuses herself to the restroom and our server stops by to refill our coffees. I check my watch and am relieved when I see we’ve got plenty of time to catch the movie. I probably packed way too much into one evening, but since I leave for a road trip tomorrow, I wanted to make tonight count.
A couple sits down at the table closest to us, and I immediately recognize Bill Stanwick, a good friend and associate of my dad’s. The polite thing to do would be to stop by their table and say hello, or at least wave in acknowledgement. But since Mr. Stanwick is facing away from me, he doesn’t even notice me.
I’m taking that as a win. He’s a nice enough guy, but the last thing I feel like doing tonight is making idle chitchat with an investment banker. I’ll be doing that for the rest of my life, so I’m going to enjoy my little bubble as long as I can until it bursts. And I’m not letting anything intrude on my date with Liza. We’ve been a couple for less than forty-eight hours, and I want our date to be about us and not my boring as hell future.
26
Liza
Getting the team ready for a road trip is like packing for a vacation times a thousand. There are a million little details to tend to, but those are my specialty, and the reason clipboards were invented. I’m checking every item on my list, as I usually do, but it’s a little tougher tonight because my mind keeps wandering off and replaying scenes from my date with Blue last night. I’ve never been wooed like that before. The flowers he gave me last night are sitting on my nightstand right now, and they’re stunning. I know they’ll wilt eventually, but I’m going to enjoy them as long as I can. I’ve never let myself be vulnerable enough to believe in fairy tales, but now that I’ve found myself in the center of one, I have to admit that it’s pretty wonderful.
“You need some help, or are you ready to go?” Blue asks, walking into the storage room. He’s gotten used to the fact that I’m here later than most of the players. It’s just part of my job.
“I’m all done,” I say. “But I do need your help.” Nerves settle into the pit of my stomach, but I will them away. This is Blue Halliday. He’s up for anything. And he’s not going to turn down public sex.
“Did you just say public sex?” he asks. God bless the man for being able to keep a straight face.
“I know our last attempt didn’t go so well, but it’s still on the list and, ugh. I don’t know. The idea of it is just so hot. I was thinking maybe we could try it again?” I ask, hating the way my voice rises at the end, like I’m unsure of what his response will be.
“Hell yes, we can,” Blue says easily. “Are you thinking the locker room? We should probably disinfect the hell out of the benches first, but yeah, I’m game.”
“I actually have somewhere else in mind. And I’ve already sprayed it down. And disabled the cameras.”
