I’m not sure I know all the words to “Lean On Me,” but hopefully I only need to get through the first little verse and the chorus.
Not only did she not expect me to sing, but I can tell she didn’t expect me to have a really good voice. Yeah, I can fucking sing. I don’t do it much, but, what can I say? I’m a talented guy.
As I croon “to” Beckett and Lawson about leaning on me during their “tough times”, her smile gets brighter and brighter, and her eyes actually sparkle.
Both Beckett and Lawson are laughing by the time I’m done, the entire crowd cheers loudly, and Nora whispers, “That was really hot,” when I hand the mic back to her.
I still hate the rest of the third period.
But maybe not as much as I did before.
CHAPTER 21
NORA
“You knowevery single woman there tonight now wants him, right?” Sutton asks.
I look at her. “But…”
Dammit. Yeah. Alex was pretty great tonight. He’s good-looking, incredibly athletic, and then tonight he not only allowed himself to be goofy, he did it with this grumpy, put-upon air that made it even funnier.
And then he sang.
The guy shouldn’t be good ateverythinghe does.
“What about Beckett?” I ask.
She rolls her eyes. “Everyone already thought Beckett was cute and funny. And they’ve seen him play before. Alex is new.”
“New does get more attention,” Andi agrees. “And Beckett is an attention whore. He’s a goofball. That’s not everyone’s type.”
It’s nothertype. That’s what she means.
Though I think she protests too much. I’m just not brave enough to call her on her shit. Yet.
My friends are sitting at the coffee counter while I load a tray with plates for the hockey guys who’ve congregated around a table in the bar.
“He’s notalwaysa goofball,” Sutton defends her brother. “He takes things seriously when he needs to.”
“But for him, hockey is about the videos and likes online,” Andi says, popping a fry into her mouth.
“Well…” Sutton can’t really argue that.
I know that Beckett wanting to be popular with hockey fans and make a name for himself as a good-time player to watch has to do with more than just being famous, but I can’t tell Beckett and Sutton’s story. That’s up to them. Though I’m surprised Sutton hasn’t told Andi. Maybe it’s because she wants Beckett to tell Andi if and when he wants her to know.
Beckett’s crush on Andi is obvious, and he makes no secret of it, but it is a little hard to know how serious he is about wanting to really get toknowher. He might just want to sleep with her. Or he might just want to flirt. He may simply consider her a challenge since most other women tend to swoon for him pretty easily.
“Okay, what about Lawson?” I ask. “He’s hot and broody.”
Andi nods and looks at Sutton. “He sure is. Don’t you think, Sutton?”
Something in her tone makes me look at our younger friend, too. She’s blushing.
“Is something going on with you and?—”
“No!” Sutton says quickly.
“But she’d like it to,” Andi says.
