Page 118 of Breakaway Goals
“Uh, well, didn’t want to look too biased,” Morgan said. Finn had sent him more than a few pointed texts about it. Jacob had only shot him a look when he’d seen him this afternoon.
“Biased would’ve been picking the Bandits,” Hayes countered. He shot Morgan a wild grin.Stay on the road, stay on the fucking road.“’Course you’re not doing that, because I think it’d be a miracle if they make the playoffs.”
“Ouch,” Morgan said weakly. But Hayes was not wrong. His old team was struggling a bit. He’d been trying to give Danny advice, but shit was hard. It was entirely possible they’d end up in the draft lottery.
“Hey, just being honest.” Hayes shrugged, adorably. “Just like you were being, I’d imagine.”
“Wanted to pick you,” Morgan admitted.
“I know,” Hayes said, shooting Morgan a look that said it all.
Yes, he knew, and yes, he was enjoying giving him shit about it.
It was a short drive to the restaurant he’d picked. He’d been there with Finn and Jacob a few times, and he knew Finn and Jacob liked to go there on date nights. Knew they had a semi-private back room. Privateandromantic.
Still, Hayes looked a little surprised when Morgan pulled up to the valet station.
“We’re going here?”
“Have you not been here before?” Morgan frowned as he handed the keys over to the attendant. He’d been sure that this place had originally come as a recommendation from Hayes.
“No, I have. I just . . .” Hayes looked at him strangely.
Morgan had no idea what he was trying to say. Bluntness was probably not the best choice for a date, but he never wanted to do anything Hayes didn’t like.
“Do you not want to go here?” He’d made all the arrangements. The private table. The flowers. The candles. The special dessert. But he’d pivot, if this wasn’t what Hayes wanted.
“No, no, it’s perfect.” Hayes smiled, looking flustered. “Just . . .not what I expected.”
They were going to have to dig into whateverthatmeant, butafterthey were at their table. And maybe after he’d buttered Hayes up with the flowers and the candles.
“Alright,” Morgan said and gestured towards the doorway. Hayes shot him a look a little sweet and a little baffled still but went. Morgan had told himself he wouldn’t go all caveman,dragging-his-catch-back-to-the-firepit,but it was impossible not to at least put his hand on Hayes’ lower back, fingers brushing the fabric of his shirt, feeling the heat of his skin underneath, as he walked into the restaurant.
The hostess recognized him and took them to the back of the room. It was cozy, intimate, and they’d pulled the screen partially over, as he’d requested, not because he was afraid of people seeing them together and drawing the correct conclusion, but because he didn’t want to create a sensation.
And he and Hayes together tended to create a sensation. Even their names linked together was all it took.
The hostess brilliantly made herself scarce after showing them to the table.
Morgan watched with apprehension and a still-twisting gut as Hayes looked at the low arrangement of trailing ivy and white gardenias in the middle of the table. The candles scattered across it, illuminating his face.
“Um, is it okay?” Morgan asked. Then kicked himself. He was supposed to be charming Hayes, not constantly worrying about whether he’d screwed up.Have some fucking confidence, Mo, he could imagine Danny telling him.
“It’s . . .” Hayes laughed, a little hysterically. “I thought you’d want to stay at one of our houses. Then when you said we were going to dinner, I imagined, I don’t know, some kind of very obvious bro-dinner.” Hayes collapsed into his chair. If he was anyone else, it wouldn’t have been graceful, but he was Hayes Montgomery so it looked like a work of performance art.
“What the fuck is a bro-dinner?” Morgan sat down across from him and resisted the urge to reach out and take Hayes’ hand.
“Like, I don’t know. Wings and beer. Slapping each other on the back. Talking about hockey.”
Morgan told himself he had prepared for every eventuality. Every single thing that could go wrong. He’d even prepared the conversational topics list, even if he couldn’t remember a single fucking one of them.
But he couldn’t have ever prepared for this.
His jaw dropped. “You thought I was going to take you to beer and wings? I’m not saying I wouldn’tever, but on our first date?Seriously?”
Hayes was flushed now. “I don’t know. It sounds stupid when I say it like that, but you’re not out. Iam.”
And oh.Oh.
