Page 8 of Shot Taker

We head toward the front doors and out onto the street.

I’d finally started to shake off the feeling of my run in with Clay, reminding myself that thousands of people work in this city without sparing a thought for the grumpy power forward, when Mari texted to demand how long I’ve been in town and when I had been planning to tell her.

“Harlan said you’re doing art for the team?” she asks as we take a right down the bustling sidewalk.

“The owner invited me. It was a surprise to say the least.”

“It’s weird.”

I cut her a look. “One of the drawings I did for the auction wound up inArchitectural Digest.”

“How did that happen?”

“I have no idea,” I admit.

She frowns. “I’m not saying you’re not great, but… James and Harlan have a rough relationship.”

“The guy hired him. How rough can it be?”

We get to the cocktail bar and find our way to a high top table. Once we’re settled, we order a wine for Mari and a G&T for me.

“How is married life?” I ask.

“Harlan’s amazing. The honeymoon was everything I imagined.” Her face transforms into a smile. “He does the sweetest things for me. Rubs my feet when I’m stressed from work. Tells me I’m the best.”

My chest aches a little. “And what do you do for him?”

She turns it over. “I listen. He has exacting standards for himself, but he’s better at managing it than I am. There’s a lot going on with the team.”

I want to press her for details but remind myself it’s not my problem.

So, we catch up over our drinks, talking about work and life and friends. Since the wedding, it's felt as if we’re on more even ground for once.

“It’s Chloe’s birthday this week,” she says before finishing her wine. “A bunch of us girls are going to the pub. You should come.”

I like that Mari’s making an effort to include me. “Sure. I’m in.” My phone buzzes, so I check it. “I need to go meet Brooke. She said I could stay with her for now.”

“You can stay with us, you know. We’d barely notice you in the house.”

“Thanks, but I’m trying to spread my freeloading around.”

Mari laughs. “Do you need a ride?”

“It’s not far, and Brooke already took my bag from the airport.”

I hug my sister, and we go our separate ways.

As I make the walk to Brooke's condo building, I’m thinking of how good things are with Mari compared to when I came for the first time. It’s for the best that my relationship with Clay, if you can even call it that, didn’t come out before the wedding.

Now, there’s nothing to come out. He made it clear we might as well be strangers.

After weeks of cradling my broken heart, maybe it’s better this way.

I’ll see him at the arena and barely even then. If he wants to be weird if we pass in the hallway, that’s on him.

And I can always flip off Wall Clay if I need to vent.

There’s no reason to spend more time with the real thing.

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