Page 12 of My Five Daddies

But maybe they sacrificed something. I don’t see anyone with a wedding ring. I assume they’ve never been married before, although that’s just a guess. Sometimes though, you have to give something up if you want to achieve something evengreater.

I watch them fall back into conversation and playing and soon their food arrives. They eat as they play, and Hunter insists that I have something too. “You can’t just watch us eat, weirdo,” he says with asmirk.

I give in and join their dinner. Will even lets me play a few of his hands, which makes the whole table groan. I win a couple and lose a couple, although I don’t bet much. I don’t know how much each chip stands for, but I know they’re all a lot and I don’t want to lose Will’smoney.

After a while though, they start to lose interest. Will drifts over to me and pours himself a glass of champagne before offering me one. I accept it, just to be polite. “Not as exciting tonight, huh?” heasks.

I shake my head. “I’m having a goodtime.”

“Good.” He sips his drink and I mirror him. “We’re glad you cameagain.”

“Me,too.”

“How long are you workinghere?”

“Just one morenight.”

He purses his lips. “That’s notlong.”

“No. I’m just covering for my friendCara.”

“Ah,” Will says. “I think I know her. Blonde girl, pretty,right?”

“Right,” I say, although everyone here is pretty and I’m sure there are a bunch of blondewomen.

“What do you do for aliving?”

“I’m in marketing. I work for a record labelactually.”

He raises an eyebrow. “Whichone?”

“Treble Studios,” I say. “I’m really new there, just started recently. I don’t really knowanyone.”

A strange looks crosses his face, like he’s putting something together, but it quickly goes away, replaced by his normal outgoing, cocky self. “Come here, I want to show yousomething.”

I hesitate then follow him over to the TV. He pulls out his phone and does something, and the screen changes to a grainy oldvideo.

“What’s this?” I askhim.

“This is us from years and years ago.” He hits play, and I watch a home movie of a bunch of young kids playing hockey. The quality is bad, but I can recognize them all: Ethan, Will, Hunter, Jordan, and even Chris, still enormous even backthen.

I laugh as they get into a little scrap, the guys all piling on eachother.

“We’ve always been this way,” he says, looking at me. “Competitive.”

“In more than just poker?” I ask him,teasing.

“In everything. Poker, business, sports.Women.”

I raise an eyebrow as he moves closer to me. “Women?” I ask. “I doubt any of you have troublethere.”

“No,” he admits. “We don’t. We don’t really come here for the sex, if I’mhonest.”

“What do you come here for?” He’s standing so close, looking so confident. The rest of the guys are deep in a poker hand, completely ignoring the two of us, and I realize my heart’s beatingfast.

“It’s our little getaway,” he admits. “Our clubhouse, I guess. Maybe we haven’t grown upcompletely.”

“Maybe not, but I get it. I wish I had a place likethis.”

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