Page 58 of The Girlfriend Card
I sighed wistfully. “Isn’t he, though?”
“Sotall and handsome,” he admitted. “Obviously, I have to ask, when and how did you start hooking up with a professional hockey player?”
“It’s a long story.”
The gleam in his eye told me he didn’t mind. “Oh, I’ve got time.”
I hesitated. “If I tell you, you have topromiseyou won’t tell anyone.”
“I pinky promise,” he said, offering his pinky.
We locked fingers. With the vow of secrecy sealed, I told him the story of how I’d found Dakota’s job listing on Craigslist and how he’d talked me into playing the role of Jane. He burst with laughter at all the ridiculous twists and turns, like how we’d both failed to disclose our real identities to each other, and how it culminated with us at my house to meet Dakota’s “boss.”
“What the hell is wrong with the two of you?!” he said, his chest shaking with laughter.
“We didn’t know!” Fighting through a fit of laughter, I pleaded my defense. “We both had our own reasons to hide our real identities, okay?!”
“Also, I’m curious what rock you live under that you heard Dakota’s story and didn’t immediately figure out he’s the hockey player in the news,” he said. “One look at how tall and muscly he is, and it’s obvious he’s a pro athlete. Add in the rest of what he told you, and it’s justtooobvious.”
“But I’m not into sports!”
“But your dad owns the team!” he countered.
“Aahh!” I yelped, and buried my shameful face in my hands. “I don’t know, okay!”
“Alright, fine.” Chuckling, he wiped a hand through the air. “Let’s get back to your story.”
Picking up where we left off, I filled him in on the dinner debacle, the ride home, and how, after Dakota walked me up to the room, I invited him in. One thing led to another, and …
“Be honest, what were you two doing on the couch?” he asked.
I bit my lip. “Nothing, really. A little kissing.”
“Uh-huh.” He gestured with his hands to keep the details coming. “Some kissing, and … ”
“Maybe some heavy petting …”
His nose wrinkled with doubt. “You should’ve seen the look onbothyour faces when you peeped over the back of the couch—like you’d been caught red-handed, guilty as thieves. You weren’t just kissing and petting.”
“Okay, fine.” I giggled, a guilty heat in my ears. “He was about to finger me. But that’sit,I swear.”
“Aboutto finger you, huh?” Leo repeated skeptically.
“Yes. About. When you opened that door, all he’d done was tease me with the most deliciously cruel half-inch of a finger. And that is the honest-to-God truth.”
Leo accepted my explanation with a nod. “Your words have the ring of truth to them.”
“More like the ring of frustration,” I quipped.
Leo laughed, and a silence came between us as we retreated deeper into our own thoughts.
Leo broke the silence first. “Well, I have to say, it sounds like you like each other well enough.” He drew a deep breath. “I say you should go for it,as long asyou two are alotmore discreet in the future. Which means no more bringing boyfriend home to daddy.”
Safe to say, after how mad Leo seemed at first, I was surprised. “Wow. Uh. Why the change of heart?”
“It’s not a change of heart,” he said. “This is what we’ve always discussed: public relationship, but private love life. Just like I don’t want my dad to know what my love life is like behind closed doors? Your dad doesn’t need to know whatyourlove life is like, either.”
“I’m … surprised you feel that way,” I mumbled. “I really thought you were mad.”
