Happiness ripples through me. “This is the coolest news ever, Matt. I honestly didn’t expect it.”
“The best things in life are the ones you don’t expect,” he says softly.
I hold those words close to my heart as we say goodbye, and I head back to the break room. Just in time, too, because the moment I walk in, Jenny shrieks and points to the television mounted to the wall.
“He just mentioned Fetch! ON LIVE TV!”
“What? Who?” I hurry over to her and Jackson, both of whom look shell-shocked. On the screen, I’m startled to find Blake Riley sitting on Matilda Morgan’s beige upholstered couch. He’s wearing a gray wool suit with a Toronto jersey under the jacket instead of a dress shirt. And either I’m imagining things, or Blake really is talking about our company.
“Miracle workers,” he’s saying. “Like, you realize how easy my life is now, Matilda? All those things I used to want at three in the morning and couldn’t get because I was a Lazy Lou? I get ’em all now.”
The bleached-blond, Botox-faced morning show host giggles loudly. “Well, Mr. Riley, you can’t just tease our viewers like that and not offer some details. What does a professional athlete require at three in the morning?”
Blake’s expression is solemn. “Pie. I always crave apple pie at night. Oh, and once I ran out of puppy food for Puddles.” He winks at Matilda. “But this is why I use Fetch now, feel me?”
The host changes the subject to Blake’s childhood, but my brain is still stuck on the previous topic. Did Blake Riley just endorse our company on live television?
“Did Blake Riley just endorse our company on live television?” Stunned, Jackson voices my exact thoughts.
I slowly turn toward him. “I…think he just did.”
Nineteen
Not the Chocolates’ Fault
Matt
I have a box of chocolates clutched in my hand, and I’m sitting on the team jet, hating them.
It’s not the chocolates’ fault, though.
I cancelled another date with Hailey tonight. Third time this month. The team was supposed to get back to Toronto at six, which should have been plenty of time to make it to the bowling alley and wow her with my horrible bowling. It would have been fun.
But we were late to the Denver airport, and we lost our takeoff time. Then it started snowing on the Rockies, and the whole airport got backed up because of visibility issues. If that weren’t enough, Toronto airspace is too crowded, and now we’re actually circling, waiting to land.
All the chocolates in the world aren’t enough to make up for dating a guy who stands you up every time he says he wants to take you out to dinner.
My brooding is interrupted by a howl of victory across the aisle. Chad Lemming has just defeated Will O’Connor at whatever video game they’re obsessed with this week.
“You got owned, OC!” Blake says, peering over their seats from the row behind. “I’m up next, right?”
O’Connor gets up and sidesteps, parking himself in the empty seat beside me, allowing Blake to take his place. “What’s up with you, E?” he asks, signaling the flight attendant for a drink.
“Nothing much.” I sigh, checking the time yet again. I wonder what Hailey is doing right now. I hope she took me up on my offer to head over to my place and wait for me.
Except…ugh. Waiting. That’s the very thing my ex hated about being with me. And she let me know pretty damned frequently during the last year of our marriage.
O’Connor accepts a diet soda from the flight attendant and gives me an appraising glance. “Something wrong?”
Yeah. But I’m not whining to this youngster about it. “You and Lemming were brawling just the other day,” I point out, changing the subject. “Did you kiss and make up?”
“It was a misunderstanding,” O’Connor says, stretching his neck.
I snicker. “Lemming just misunderstood your intention to move in on his conquest?”
“Yeah he did.” O’Connor narrows his eyes. “I took that girl home and walked her to her door. Handed her off to her parents.”
“Parents?” Jesus.
“Yeah. She was underage and lying about it. I saw her real driver’s license when she took out her fake ID for the bartender. Lemming didn’t believe me. He was drunk and horny. And the girl was working it hard.”
“Shit.”
“Exactly. She was a high school girl, and that’s not cool. I like to have my fun, but everybody has to be a consenting adult, you know?”
“Hell,” I say. “I’ll be retired from the league by the time my girls are dating. But I’m planning to keep up with my bench press. The first time a boy comes to take one of my girls out for a date, I’m gonna ask the kid to spot me while I bench three hundo. Just so the kid knows I can take him.”
O’Connor laughs.
“So you patched things up with Lemming?”
“Yeah.” His smile fades. “Told him he needs to be more careful. And I promised I’d be the best wingman he ever met the next time we’re out at the bars. Like, Top Gun level.”
“Ah.” I’m a little stunned at this burst of humanity from our team’s resident asshole. But I guess it’s good to know he has a heart beating in there somewhere. My phone buzzes with a text, which means the jet’s Wi-Fi is back on. “’Scuse me,” I say. “Gotta do some groveling because we’re so late getting home.”
O’Connor lifts his eyebrows, and I brace myself for another helping of his cynicism about relationships, but it doesn’t come. He tips his head back against the headrest and closes his eyes.
I unlock my phone, and the message is from Hailey. She’s responding to my profuse apologies from earlier.
Hailey: Don’t worry about it. I used the extra hours to keep my head above water at work.
I’m sure that’s true. It’s just that one of these nights she’ll look up from her work and realize how much more fun it would be to date someone who was around more than two randomized nights a week.
Matt: And now? Are you at my place?
It takes a second until I get a response. But then my screen fills with a shot of Hailey’s bare feet crossed on my comforter. Her toenails are painted pink, and wouldn’t you know it, but Rufus’s nose is lying across her ankle.
Matt: Once again, I’m jealous of my dog. He’s not supposed to be on the bed, by the way.
Hailey: He’s good company.
Ouch.
Matt: I can’t wait to take his spot.
Hailey: :) You don’t need to sleep on my ankle, though. It’s okay if you use the pillow.
Matt: You know what would be fun?
Hailey: Three straight wins in a row this week? I thought you had excellent footspeed last night, BTW. Good hustle.
Matt: Um, thank you. You know what else would be fun? If you were naked in my bed when I got there.
There is no response for a couple of minutes.
Hailey: Rufus has been relocated to the dog bed in the living room. And I made myself more comfortable.
My groin tightens with expectation.
Matt: How comfortable are you?