Page 22 of Stick Side
“Annie!” Pam shrieked.
“What?” Shawna put in. “Annie’s right. Mel has a killer rack and that dress showcases it to perfection. Suggestive, but not slutty.” Shawna drew the tips of her thumb and index finger together in positive affirmation. “If I were into ladies, I would totally do her.” Shawna turned to Melody and gave her a flirty wink.
“Me, too,” Annie giggled. “Maybe I should leave that door open. I might have better luck if I dated women.”
“Awww, sweetie,” Pam said sympathetically as she reached over to lay her hand atop one of her sister’s. “Mark obviously just wasn’t the right guy for you.”
Annie grimaced in acknowledgment of her recent breakup. “I guess not. Still. It seems like it takes forever to meet anyone in this city. By the time I actually meet someone interested in dating, it feels like they’re such a precious commodity that I spend way more time giving them a chance than I probably should.”
“I get that,” Melody sympathized. “It isn’t easy to meet eligible men when you spend most of your time around septuagenarians. I don’t imagine it’s any easier for you as a grade schoolteacher.”
“It really isn’t,” Annie grieved. “I’ve been feeling so demoralized that I was thinking of going to a speed dating event tomorrow night. At least, that way, I would have a chanceto meet a bunch of single men who are actually interested in dating.”
“Do it,” Shawna encouraged. “Speed dating is a great idea. It’s the perfect way to feel out a bunch of guys and determine whether you might be compatible without any real commitment. Since you’re only allotted five to ten minutes with each participant, if you aren’t feeling it, that’s a heck of a lot less painful to sit through than a whole coffee or dinner date. Meeting a bunch of guys one after the other should also make the good ones stand out.”
“So true,” Annie acknowledged, seeming to warm up to the idea. She took a thoughtful sip of her cocktail and appeared to mull it over.
“We were just about to order some appetizers when you arrived,” Pam said as she slid an open menu over to Melody and pointed at the heading that read “Bar Bites.” “We were thinking of getting the air-popped popcorn with truffle oil and cinnamon, the chocolate-covered bacon strips, and the barbecue cauliflower wings.”
“Sure. Sounds good,” Melody agreed as she flipped over to the cocktail menu. “What did everyone else order?” she asked curiously.
“I ordered a daiquiri,” Pam volunteered. “It’s not too sweet and has just enough lime to give it a nice tang.”
“I went for a cosmo,” Annie voiced. “I was hoping to harness my inner Carrie Bradshaw and bring myself some sex in this city.”
Pam snorted into her drink.
“Look here, you,” Annie scolded her older sister. “Don’t judge me. We aren’t all lucky enough to be married to sexy, virile hockey players who worship the ground we walk on.”
Pam appeared to choke on her daiquiri. “Did you just call my husband virile?”
Annie rolled her eyes. “Yes, Pammy. The man knocked you up with triplets. I think that it’s fair to say that, if anyone deserves the title, it would be him.”
Melody noticed that Pam didn’t argue with that. She focused instead on taking a careful sip of her drink. The slight blush dusting her cheekbones and secret smile playing at her lips weren’t lost on Melody.Lucky Pam.
“Eh,” Annie groaned. “You and Kev are so happy that it’s almost sickening. If I didn’t love you so much, I would be seriously jealous right now.”
“If it makes you feel any better,” Pam said encouragingly, “I was your age when I met Kevin. Maybe this will be your year.”
“And do you know how you could get there all the faster?” Shawna asked with a predatory gleam in her eyes. “Speed dating!” She lifted what appeared to be scotch in silent cheers before draining the last of her drink.
Melody couldn’t help but be impressed by the way Shawna seemed to do everything she did with near ferocious verve. Whether it was using her influence as the team’s PR manager to sculpt the players’ images into the best they could be or knocking back her drinks, Shawna had a take-no-prisoners approach to life that Melody couldn’t help but admire.
Returning her attention to the drink menu, Melody skimmed through the list, running her finger down the printed options, until she came upon an intriguing mixture of sparkling wine, cognac, and fresh cherries.
Seeming to deduce that Melody had made her selection, Shawna lifted her hand and caught the attention of their server.
“Hi, ladies. What can I get for you?” their waitress asked.
“I’ll have another Macallan 15,” Shawna declared. “And we’ll take a popcorn with truffle oil and cinnamon, the chocolate-covered bacon strips, and some cauliflower wings for the table.Mel?” she asked, making it clear it was now her turn to place her drink order.
“I’ll try a ‘Mon Cherie,’ please.”
“Very good,” their server said as she jotted down their selections. “Ladies,” she asked, indicating Pam and Annie, “are you still doing okay for drinks?”
“We are, thank you,” Pam answered as she took in her and her sister’s glasses, which were both still more than half full. “But give us time.”
“Will do,” the server laughed. “I’ll check back in with you soon.”
