Page 13 of Gamechanger

As we left the Golden Dragon, a wicked wind gust hit us, and it smelled like rain. Moose shivered, zipping his jacket up to his chin.

"Man, I'm still not used to this Portland weather."

I grinned and watched as his breath formed little puffy clouds. "This? Wow, it's nothing compared to winter in Minnesota."

"Hey, Finn, why don't you skip the Uber and let me give you a ride home?"

"I won't turn that down, and thank you." We hurried down the sidewalk to Moose's car, a block away. As soon as he turned the key, he cranked the heat up.

"Alberta Arts District, right? How do you like it there?"

I nodded. "It's a great neighborhood, lots of art galleries, cute stores, and nice restaurants, but it's hard to get the energy to go out when it's just me."

Moose pulled up to a stop light and then turned his head to look at me. "Maybe it won't have to be just you so much anymore."

An electric sensation raced up my spine. I watched the raindrops begin to dance across the windshield, and the city lights after dark turned into a wavy kaleidoscope of color. I couldn't stop myself from stealing glances at Moose.

"I'd like that," was all I could think of to say. "And thanks for sharing the holiday. It was great."

"Anytime. That's what friends are for."

Friends. The word comforted me, but I instantly knew it wasn't quite enough. I wanted to push those boundaries, but I needed to find out whether that was on Moose's mind, too.

When we pulled up in front of my apartment building, the rain was falling steadily. I hesitated before putting my hand on the door handle. I wasn't quite ready for the evening to end.

"So, about the rain check on the environmental science to sports marketing story. Should we—"

He interrupted. "How about this? Next time we both have a free evening, I'll make dinner at my place and give you the complete Moose Moretti story, including old photos. Deal?"

"Deal," I agreed and smiled broadly.

While I stood under the small awning on my building's front stoop, I watched Moose's taillights disappear around a corner. A strange mix of emotions swirled inside. The homesickness wasn't gone, but it fought for attention with something more positive, a sense of something new and exciting around the corner.

Chapter five

Moose

My stuffed closet threatened to become a textile tsunami, burying me in a mountain of button-downs and sweaters. I inhaled the scent of cedar hangers mixed with detergent while I rifled back and forth for what felt like the three hundredth time.

"Hey, Moose, buddy, still there?" Quinn was on the phone with me. "Picked anything for today yet? Or are you still planning to cosplay as a deer in headlights?"

I growled and sat back on the foot of my bed. "What the hell was I thinking when I decided to do this, Q? I'll show up looking like a color-blind scarecrow. Why on earth would they trust that guy to market their team?"

"Drama queen much?" Quinn laughed. "Come on, big guy, I'll help out. Give me some of the options we've got to work with."

I stood again and surveyed the disaster zone that used to be my closet. "Umm, I've got that navy blazer I wore to the interview. Now, when I look at it, I think it screams 7th grade confirmation."

"Umm, okay, let's move along. What else?"

"There's the green plaid button-down you say plays well with my eye color."

"That might work… and pants?"

I rummaged through the right-hand side of my closet. "Do you suggest khakis or dark jeans? Not much else to choose from."

"Jeans," Quinn said decisively. "The goal here is professional while still approachable. In other words, you want it all to say, 'Hey, I may work in an office, but I still know what the inside of a locker room smells like.'"

"You know, that's weirdly specific." I tugged on the jeans while the phone lay in the middle of my bed.

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