“I can’t wait,” Dana agreed.
“What kind of happy pills are the two of you on?” I asked, dragging my cane between steps. The end of the day still made my leg ache. “You should score me some.”
“We’re just high on life,” Corey said, and Dana shot her an amused look.
When we got to Beaumont, Corey and I took the service elevator together, while Dana nabbed us a spot in line. “You know,” Corey said as the ancient lift began to move, “I’ve missed the comforting sound of these gears grinding.”
“Me too.” Since she sounded just like old times, I began to relax.
Until Stacia arrived.
We were seated and tucking into our pasta when my girlfriend plunked down next to me. Without a word to Dana or Corey, she opened with a complaint. “Hartley, you didn’t return my text.”
I went for the innocent look. “Sorry, hottie. What did you need?”
She tossed her hair. “Well, the hockey team has Friday off, and Fairfax is having a little party. I told him we’d be there.”
Dana and Corey exchanged another loaded glance. And I didn’t blame them. Stacia wasn’t the warmest creature. I wiped my mouth and thought over my answer. I’d rather not argue with her in front of my friends, but Fairfax’s party wasn’t that high on my list. “I don’t know about Friday, Stacia. Maybe not this time.”
Her perfectly-styled eyebrows wrinkled in distress. “But we have to. You can climb the stairs slowly. I’ll wait with you.”
Huh. While I was glad that Stacia had finally decided to remember my injury now that it was almost healed, that wasn’t really the problem. “I appreciate that. But I told Bridger that I’d go with him to the basketball game. Of course you’re welcome to come along. You too, guys,” I lifted my soda glass toward Corey and Dana.
Stacia pouted. “A basketball game? What about Fairfax?”
I didn’t want to go there, but she wasn’t going to let it drop. “What about him? He hasn’t been that good a friend this year, if you want to know the truth. Hell, my digital teammates on RealStix have been nicer.”
“Oh!” Corey slapped the table, and then turned around to get into the bag on the back of her chair. “Hartley, you just reminded me. I’ve had this in my book bag since before break.” She dug out a small package with Happy Birthday paper on it. “Somehow I didn’t get around to giving it to you on your birthday. I’m not sure how that happened.”
She met my eyes then, just in time to see me freeze up. Damn, I wasn’t ready for that. My neck got hot as I took the gift from her hand. “Thanks, Callahan. You shouldn’t have.” I set it down on the table and picked up my drink.
“Aren’t you going to open it?” she asked. “It’s not, like, sex toys or anything.”
Because I’m suave like that, I actually choked on my soda.
“Good grief, are you okay?” Stacia asked, whacking me on the back. She was the only human alive who could manage to sound pissed off that her boyfriend was struggling for breath.
“Went down the wrong pipe?” Corey asked.
I nodded, coughing.
“I hate that,” Dana said. Something in the tone of her voice made it sound like she was enjoying herself.
I was in deep shit. And it was entirely my own fault.
Manning up, I slid my thumb under the edge of the wrapping paper on Corey’s present. When I tore it back, I looked up at her again. “Aw, you got me the new RealStix?”
“I did.” She smiled for real this time. In fact, it was the first smile I’d gotten out of Corey since The Weirdest Night Ever. “It’s pretty much the same as the old version — but with all the recent draft picks.”
I rubbed my hands together. “I’m going to be unbeatable.”
“Please,” she said. “As if.” Her eyes sparkled, just the way they were supposed to.
Stacia scowled at her plate, saying absolutely nothing.
— Corey
“Oh my God,” Dana said once we got home, her voice low enough that we couldn’t be heard in the hallway. “That was hysterical!”
I tossed myself from the chair onto the couch. “I’ll admit, that was fun.”
“You are a fierce competitor. I had no idea.”
“That’s not even the point,” I admitted. If I had it to do over again, I wouldn’t have bought the game for Hartley. Inviting him in for more hockey did not fit with Operation Forget About Him.
“Well, then you have perfect comic timing,” Dana giggled. “And did you see her when he said he wouldn’t go to the party? She all but stamped her foot.”
“I know,” I whispered, but then shook my head. “And yet, he’s still with her.”
We were both quiet for a minute. Dana came over and sat beside me, tucking her legs up Indian style, the way I used to do. “You know what? I think it’s going to be okay either way.”
“How so?”
“Well, either Hartley will realize he’s a fool to be with her, no matter how attractive she is on the outside. That’s what I hope will happen.”