Page 45 of Play to Win

“Good.I need coffee.And food.”

“Your Keurig is on the counter.”She holds up the mug.“Want me to cook something?”

“No.I mean, I can cook.You hungry?”

“I could eat.”

“I’ll see what we’ve got.Or maybe we can go out for something.”

She stands, the blanket still draped around her, and I see she’s wearing my T-shirt again, her legs bare.She follows me to the kitchen where I peruse the contents of the fridge and find eggs and ham and, yes, cheese.Omelets it is.

“What’s the plan for today?”Lacey asks as she makes me a cup of coffee at the Keurig.

“After food?”

“Yeah.You’re pretty obsessed with breakfast, huh?”

“The most important meal of the day.”

“If you say so.”

“Here’s the plan.”

“I knew you’d have a plan.”

I pause.

Her lips twitch.

“Is that bad?”I ask.

“No.Not at all,” she hastily assures me.

“We’ll go find a shopping mall and get you some clothes and whatever else you need.Maybe a grocery store, if we need more food.Then I’ll bring you back here and you can explore the beach while I go to work.”

“Oh.You have to go to work already?”

“Yeah.”

“Where do you work?I mean, I know you work for the hockey team, but you must have an office or something, right?”

“Right.The arena isn’t that far from here, in Santa Monica.Which is why some of the guys live here, I guess.Our offices are there.”

“Got it.”She hands me my coffee.“What can I do?”

“Grate some cheese.Do you want toast?”

“No thanks.But I can make some if you want.”

We’re getting along just fine here for two people who barely know each other.This makes me smile.

“What’s so funny?”

“This whole situation.Manny was surprised last night when I introduced you.I wondered what he was going to think when you went to bed in your own room.”

“I thought of that,” she admits.“I hope it was okay I went to your room.”

“It was fine.”I pause in whisking eggs.“I was disappointed you were asleep, though.”

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