Page 58 of Play to Win

“It takes time.How old are you?”

“Twenty-four.”

“Hey, same.Don’t be so hard on yourself.You’re probably barely out of college.”

“Yeah.”She nods.“That’s true.Ijustfinished grad school.Thanks.We should get together again.Maybe have lunch or something.”

“That would be nice.”

When I get home, I see Manny outside on his deck.“Hey, Manny.How’s it going?”

“Good.You?”

“Not bad.I just saved a dog and made a friend.”

“Cool.Come on over.Want a beer?”

I shrug.I’ve got nothing else to do.“Sure.”

We hang out on his deck for a while, drinking a couple of beers and yakking.He’s a nice guy.

“I better go get ready,” I eventually say, rising from the comfy chair.“We’re going to Théo’s parents’ place tonight for a big family thing.”

“Wow.The whole Wynn family.That’s like going to Buckingham Palace to meet the king.”

I blink.“Uh.Who’s the king in the family?”

He laughs.“Bob Wynn.Hockey royalty.”

Jesus.I suck in a breath.“Great.”

I spend the next hour getting ready, trying to calm the birds’ wings fluttering in my belly by taking slow breaths in and out.I hear Théo come in and I call out a hello from my closed bathroom door.

“I’m going to change,” he calls back and heads upstairs.

I’m wearing one of the dresses we picked up the other day, which I hope is appropriate for both meeting the parents and wowing the ex-girlfriend.It’s pretty bare and form-fitting, with narrow straps, V neckline, and just-above-the-knee hem, but it’s a demure pink with deeper pink and gray flowers.I already have a tan from a couple of days in the sun and I add a little shimmery bronzer to my cheeks and décolletage to play it up.

I take one more peek at myself in the mirror, rubbing my lips together to spread my lip gloss and fluffing my hair, then exit the bathroom.

Théo’s steps thud down the stairs.“Ready?”

“You bet.”I flash a big smile.

His gaze moves over me, taking in my hair and the dress.

“Do I look okay?”

“You look amazing.”His eyes linger on my shoulders.“Is that the dress we bought at Nordstrom?”

“Yes.It was on sale,” I quickly add.

“Whatever it was, it’s worth every fucking penny.”He clears his throat.

“Thank you.You look good too.”

He’s wearing narrow beige pants, a white shirt, and a casual blazer in charcoal.His feet are bare inside brown loafers.He’s so damn gorgeous I want to cry.

He hands me a small box.“Here.I thought this might be a good idea.”

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