Page 9 of Playmaker

Darcy pointed his spoon at me. “That’s karmic revenge for trying to fool me like that.”

I blinked, tears threatening. I blinked harder. I didn’t cry. I certainly didn’t cry because my best friend couldn’t believe Cooper, the hockey player, had wanted me as his date. Hell, I didn’t believe it, and I’d been there.

It was hard to fool Darcy. He’d known me too long, too well. “Shit, that was a horrible thing to say. I’m sorry, Callie.”

I shrugged. Just more proof that I shouldn’t expect a phone call from any hockey player. I needed to find another way to prepare for this golf thing. I’d lost out on the silent auction. I couldn’t blow all my money on golf lessons any more than I could on fancy dresses.

Darcy stared at me. “You weren’t joking, were you?”

“Heprobably was. He won’t call.”

Darcy leaned over and grabbed my hand, preventing me from getting more ice cream, damn him. “Wait, Cooper has your phone number?”

Now I was worried. “Should I have made one up? He’s not going to do something horrible with it, is he?”

Darcy squeezed my arm and let go. “I don’t think NHL superstars get phone numbers to prank people.” He squinched up his nose. “Well, maybe their teammates, but not people they don’t know. That wouldn’t be cool.”

Or nice.

“So, just tell me what happened.”

I relayed the story: the golf lesson auction item, Benson, the offer of help.

Darcy’s eyes were wide and he’d forgotten to eat any more ice cream. “Seriously? What did you say?”

I grabbed another spoonful of cold deliciousness. No sense in it going to waste. “I told him I wouldn’t have sex with him.”

Darcy laugh-snorted and covered his mouth with his hand. “And he asked for your number after that?”

I licked my spoon. “He said he wanted a friend to be his date for his sister’s wedding, someone who wouldn’t have any expectations about what going to a family wedding would mean.” I should have asked more questions. Now that I was telling Darcy, it seemed even less plausible. He’d said something about a lawyer, but still.

Darcy’s eyes were a little glassy, so I waited while he considered.

“You gave him your number, and then…” He waved his hand, ready to move on now.

“Then I went to meet a potential new client Mr. Anderson was courting. He said some complimentary things about me, and I’ll look up some of the tax information this guy needs, see if we can help him.”

Darcy nudged me with his shoulder. “What happened with Cooper?”

“I don’t know. After he got my number, I went to meet Mr. Anderson’s client.”

Darcy opened his mouth, closed it, then sat back, ignoring the ice cream. “That was…that was something. But yeah, not sure he’s gonna call after that.”

I ignored the jolt of disappointment. Obviously, a big hockey star wasn’t going to call up and give me golf lessons. I’d take care of the golf lessons myself. But that was okay. I’d learned a lot of lessons in my life. And one I clung to was to rely on no one else. If I earned something, it was mine, and it was a lot harder to take it away. Gifts were too easily taken back.

I’d earned my law degree. I’d earned the money for the down payment on this condo.

I’d earn the partnership and then they’d have a difficult time getting rid of me.

Chapter4

You could keep some clothes on

Cooper

“Kook!”

A finger poked my face and I blinked out of sleep. One of my favorite people in the world was beaming at me. “Kook!” she repeated.

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