Page 30 of Dirty Filthy Boy
He repeats the question. "What are you doing tomorrow night?"
"She's busy," Marigold spits out. "Saturday's movie night." We'd made plans to go see the new Benedict Cumberbatch movie.
"Yeah, we are."
"Surely, you can skip that. Whatever movie you've chosen will still be there next week."
"Well." I glance at Marigold. Her cocked brow does not seem the least bit encouraging.
"The Outlaws are holding a charity function. I don't know if you're into old music, but Tony Landon will be there."
Mar's hostility dissolves like spun sugar at a carnival. She loves all kinds of music but her absolute favorite is the swing era. Tony Landon, a throwback to that time, just happens to be one of her favorite artists. "I love him."
"Your friend can come too if she wants." Oliver tosses out, both including and dismissing her with a wave of his hand.
Attending his team's charity function is not a good idea. His players are bound to attend, which means Ty will be there. What if I run into him? No. This is not going to work.
But just as I make that decision, Mar's cinnamon gaze pleads with me. "Please, MacKenna."
A wrinkle pops up on Oliver's brow while his glance darts between Mar and me.
I blow out a sigh. "Okay, fine." It's dinner and a concert, four hours max. Surely I can avoid running into Ty for that long.
We agree on a time. I don't want Oliver to see where I live. So rather than have him pick me up, I tell him I'll meet him at the hotel where the event's being held. Mar and I can either drive or cab it over there.
He pulls a gold card holder from his suit's inner pocket and writes something on the back before handing it to me. "Here's my card. If you change your mind about me picking you up, call me. That's my personal cell number."
Out of the corner of my eye, I spot Ty walking in our direction, but he's so deep in discussion with the man next to him, he doesn't notice me. I need to get away before he does.
"Thanks, Oliver. See you tomorrow."
Ty's head snaps up. As his gaze zeroes in on Oliver and me, his brows scrunch together and he frowns.
Time to get the heck out of Dodge before he storms over here. I stick the card in my purse's outside pocket, grab Mar, and haul buns back to my car. I don't stop running until we've reached my car. "Get in, Mar." I tug at the driver door's handle, but the damn thing won't cooperate.
"What's the hurry?"
"I'll tell you later. Just get in the damn car."
"Okay. Okay." She has no trouble opening her door. It's only mine that's stuck.
Afraid Ty might be coming after me, I redouble my efforts. The darn thing finally pops open. I jump in and jab the key into the ignition. Thankfully, the engine comes to life. Car's wheels squealing, I peel out of the parking lot. I don't bother looking back. Too afraid of what I'll see.
"What is wrong with you?" Mar's clutching the dashboard and hanging on for dear life while giving me a wide-eyed look.
"Tell you later."
As I race toward the exit, I finally glance in the rearview mirror. Thankfully, I don't spot Ty. Still, I don't breathe easy until I reach the main road. My nerves are shot, though. I need to stop somewhere before I land us in a ditch.
Luckily, I find a diner a mile down the road. After we're seated at a booth, I wait until the waitress takes our order, before spilling the beans.
"I slept with Ty Mathews."
Mar's eyes bug out. "What? How—when did this happen?"
"Monday. I was scheduled to interview him in the morning. But he stood me up. He showed up at the newspaper, full of apologies. Of course, my boss ate it up. The Chicago Outlaws' quarterback in his newspaper is not a sight he gets to see every day. When Ty asked me out to lunch, I couldn't turn him down. Mr. Bartlett practically ordered me to go. Then he invited me to cover the Outlaws' appearance at a Boys & Girls Club. You can guess what my boss had to say about that."
"Wow. So what happened?"
