I rubbed the knots between his shoulder blades. “Pretend you’re throwing a pass in the final quarter.”
“I guess.” He readjusted his stance.
I grazed my lips against his ear. “I’m cheering you on from the sidelines, Zack. Just like back then.”
Tension melted off his muscles. My mind drifted into a fantasy—or maybe a memory. Young Nicole freezing her ass off, one of the many in the Homecoming game bleachers. Young Zack would’ve ran with a pass, his muscles rippling under tight pants and heavy padding.
This Zack nodded, and I stepped back. He hop-stepped forward, sending the dart flying in a spiral arc. The shot deserved a slow motion replay or a special song. I covered my mouth in anticipation.
The dart stabbed the board right on the double points rim where we needed it.
Zack’s voice blasted over the bar noise with a, “Yeah.” He lifted me into a spinning hug.
“Touchdown.” I laughed, hanging onto him. The bar blurred my fantasy of the past and present. A cheering crowd roared in my ears, and just when he lowered me, the world slowed into clarity. He hooked his meaty arms tighter around the small of my back. Our hearts slammed in unison. His bright gaze flicked down, and his breath fanned hot against my lips.
Yeah, we had an audience, but it felt like we were the only two people in the world, and I loved it. I loved him. Oh, wow. I really loved him.
I stroked the back of his head over that stupid-cute uneven haircut. “You know, I think I’m actually okay with PDA, if you wanted a—”
Zack cut me off with a kiss, a sparkles-behind-the-eyelids, foot-pop-worthy punch of his lips.
“Aww, yuck,” Shelby teased. “It’s like they’re in love or something.”
I pressed my forehead to Zack’s and relished in the firm, gentle pressure of his palms at my back. We were real. We had to be.
“So, what’ll it be?” Harvey asked.
“Hmm?” I blinked at him and swayed.
“What appetizer will you choose with your winnings?”
“Oh, I think…” I met Zack’s gaze.
Our minds must’ve met, because he answered, “Soft pretzels sound good to me.”
Shelby squealed. “Really?”
I nodded. We’d be one big happy family. “Eating a little more bread for one more night can’t be that bad," I said.
“I’ll put in the order and meet you back at the table.” Zack squeezed my elbow, his touch sliding down my arm before he strode toward the bar.
That man had a whole gravitational pull, and I was swept up in it. I wanted to spin and sing, dance barefoot in the snow for the high of him warming me up afterwards. I sighed happily. If he loved me, the feet pictures wouldn’t matter. He’d want to be with me the way I wanted to be with him. I hummed to a familiar song on the bar speakers and bent over to pick up a few stray darts.
A pair of bright Zeezy’s by the entryway caught my eye.
“All that salt outside’s gonna ruin my kicks,” Theo told one of the bouncers.
Well, shit.
What were the odds one of us would be dragged out of here again?
35
Pay for Play
Tonight was supposed to be fabulous, the next step to a love confession. I wasn’t going to let my ex derail that.
I stabbed the darts into the board so I wasn’t tempted to aim them at his head.
