Page 68 of Ice Ice Maybe
Zena’s prediction wasn’t far off target.
After an exciting evening, which included the Sea Lions easily winning the game 5-0, we headed back to the hotel, completely exhausted. While Zena was doing her nightly routine in the bathroom, I lounged in bed, trying to read but really just anticipating her emergence in that silky red nightgown. When she finally came out, all my fantasies sank faster than theTitanicas I saw her wearing theSimpson’sT-shirt I had given her.
“You look disappointed,” she said with a smirk.
“What happened to the silky red number you wore last night?” I asked, trying not to sound too dejected.
“I’m saving it for a rainy day,” she replied, sliding into bed with an amused smile.
I pointed to the window. “What a coincidence. It is raining right now.”
“Nice try. I can see the moon out the window.”
“That’s impossible—your dad is at the other hotel,” I said. “Go on, get changed. Chop, chop.”
“Keep dreaming,” she smirked.
Believe me, that’s all I’ve been doing.
Zena leaned over to grab her book from the nightstand, inadvertently flashing more leg.
“Shiver me timbers!” I yelled, trying to distract myself.
Zena erupted in laughter. “Nice. Tapping into your inner pirate again. I thought you wanted to ease up on pushing Mitch’s buttons.”
“That wasn’t for him,” I defended. “That was an homage to all the pirates of the world who feel excluded. Pirates are people too, you know. Somebody has to stand up for them. Besides, I doubt Mitch has returned from the arena yet. You know, sometimes they do tons of post-game interviews.”
As if on cue, there was a loud bang on the door.
“Open up!” Mitch yelled from the other side.
I sighed and slid out of bed in my black boxer-briefs.
“What are you doing?” Zena exclaimed. “Don’t open it.”
“Relax,” I said. “I won’t do anything crazy. I’m going to apologize for the pirate thing and let him know it was an accident.”
“That’s not going to work,” she warned.
I opened the door, and Mitch pushed right past me into the room. He stopped between our beds, looking furious.
“What are you doing?” Zena demanded. “Get out of our room!”
Mitch’s face contorted with fury as he spat out his words. “I’ve had it up to here with you two! You’re everywhere I turn, flaunting your relationship in my face, plastering it all oversocial media, and don’t even get me started on that kiss cam stunt at the game.” He paced the room like a caged animal, his voice rising with each step. “And that ridiculous pirate act of yours is not funny and I swear it’s giving me nightmares. Every time I close my eyes, I hear ‘shiver me timbers’ echoing in my head!”
He’d left himself wide open for plenty of jokes, but I took a different approach this time. The straight and narrow. “Sorry about that, Mitch. I wasn’t going to do that anymore, and it slipped out. It won’t happen again.”
My honesty seemed to confuse him. He blinked rapidly, as if trying to regain focus. His gaze fell on the beds. Two separate beds. Zena in one, and the other, looking like I’d vacated it.
He pointed, the confusion on his face. “Why are you sleeping in two different beds?”
My mind went blank. I couldn’t come up with an answer fast enough. Zena was just as bad, fumbling with her words.
“Good question,” she said. “The simple answer is, I have gas, wind like a tornado. Yup, a terrible case and I’m keeping the distance. Just tonight, of course.”
Mitch’s gaze bounced between us, his eyes narrowing as he ignored her excuse. “I’ve figured out your little scheme.”
I swallowed hard, hoping he was bluffing. “What have you been smoking? There is no scheme.”
