Fin and I walked together within the crowd of people. When we turned the corner, Zane waved from a stool at the bar. As we got closer, it appeared he’d secured one other stool to his side.
“You can sit,” Fin said, pulling out the stool. “I’ll stand so this old body doesn’t stiffen up.”
As I took the seat, Zane turned in my direction. He’d grown up since I last saw him, resembling his brother even more today than he had fourteen years earlier. Of course, the last time I saw him, he was in high school. “Vee, damn, it’s good to see you.”
“Zane, what have you been up to?”
Fin patted Zane’s shoulder. “My brother’s the starting center for the Vikings.”
That explained his added bulk.
My eyes opened wide. “No. How did I not know that?”
Zane brought his hands to his chest. “I had the biggest crush on you when you two were together. Now I’m crushed that you haven’t been following my career.”
“Give her a break,” Fin said. “She’s working on her own career.”
“Were you on the sidelines today?” Zane asked.
“I was. How did you know?”
“They showed you a few times on the jumbotron with your name, and I thought, damn, she’s even more beautiful than I remember.”
While my cheeks warmed at his compliment, my neck stiffened. “I’ll be having words with our camera crew.”
“I think it’s cool,” Zane said.
“So do I,” Fin replied. “What did you think?”
“May I get you a drink?” the bartender, a thin man with tattoos on his neck and fingers, asked.
“A cosmo, please.”
Fin grinned. “I remember a time you swore off vodka for the rest of your life.”
“Don’t remind me,” I groaned. The vodka had been in screwdrivers. I’d sworn off orange juice too.
“Tell us,” Fin said, “what you thought.”
Our gaze met. “If I ask you something, will you tell me the truth?”
“Always.”
“On the last drive, on third down, did I misunderstand Drew’s play?”
Fin grinned. “What do you mean?”
“I thought he called for a run play.”
“Damn, Vee. You’re right. He did. Patel was open, and I wasn’t sure we’d get the first down with the way the defensive line was coming at our backs.” He nodded. “Tilson has promised to chew my ass Monday about that.”
I lifted my cosmo and winked. “It was a good play. You saved the game.”
“I told you,” Zane said.
Fin lifted his beer mug and our glasses clinked.
I was sipping my second cosmo, and the three of us were talking Coopers and Vikings when a buzzer on the bar began to vibrate.
