She shook her head. “We’re less than twenty-four hours into this.” She moved her hand in front of my face with the ring. “Are you sick of me yet?”
“Oh please. Give the honeymoon phase at least a week.”
She put her hand on mine. “You’re an interesting man, Dustin. I can’t figure you out.”
I shrugged. “What’s to figure out? I’m just like the average guy. I love the three things men everywhere celebrate: sandwiches, blowjobs, and hockey. What’s not to understand?”
She burst out laughing. “Well, the third point is a little unique, at least.”
“What about you? I don’t get you at all.”
“Well, ask me something.”
“You’re smart, drop-dead gorgeous, and not married. Well, you’re married now, I suppose. Why weren’t you married, again? I know you said you didn’t meet anyone you meshed with, but it seems strange to me that someone like you would still be single. I mean, anything besides the ‘nose in the books’ thing?”
She clenched up. “Marriage just isn’t something that has interested me.”
“Bullshit. You’ve thought about it.”
“Okay, okay. I have but I don’t have any time to date. I guess I always had this vision of some guy just dropping out of the sky and into my lap.”
“Like a guy finding you crying at three A.M. in a Vegas Casino?”
To my surprise, she didn’t laugh at that one, just turned away toward the window. “Yeah. That was ... interesting.” She turned back. “We have an expiration date though.”
I stared at her and waited for her to finish. “Right?” she added.
“I suppose we do. Doesn’t every relationship?”
“Yeah, but usually it’s death. When does ours expire, exactly?”
“I’ll stick around until you get your visa stuff squared away at least.”
“That could take a while.”
“I’ve got a lawyer friend I’m going to call on Monday. She knows how to make things happen.”
“Wow. Alright. And I’ll stick around until ...”
“Until the end of the season.”
“When does the season end?”
“Ends in June.”
“I thought hockey ended in like April.”
“The regular season ends in April. But we’re making it to the Stanley Cup. So we won’t be done until June. Maybe May if the playoffs run short.”
“That’s a cocky statement.”
“Not cocky. Just the truth. As long as I stay put on the Tigers, we’re winning it all this year.”
“So what do you need from me tonight?” She cracked a smile and whispered in my ear. “I mean, besides sandwiches and blowjobs.”
I let out a good belly laugh. “I need you to charm the fuck out of Old Man Bells and crew. And they need to not just believe, they need toknowthis is for real. That I’m a changed man. That you’re the perfect girl for me, and all that bullshit.”
“Challenge accepted,” she nodded, then frowned. “There’s just one thing.”
