Page 66 of My Lucky Charm

I feel the corner of my mouth twitch, but I tamp down the smile before it gives me away.

“Oh my gosh! One almost popped out! I saw it!” She points at my face.

I turn my head and a smile does pop out.

Dang it.

“The real question is—did you have fun out there?” She leans closer. “Did you love it?”

She doesn’t know what I said to that sideline reporter. She doesn’t know how much her words affected me.

I can smell her shampoo. It’s like pineapple and sunshine. I remain stone-faced, but then I notice her red nails. The same color of red as the heart on the bottom of my hockey stick.

“Yeah. You could say that.”

Before I can continue, though, Junior bear hugs me from behind and lifts me off the ground. “This guy!! What the heck, dude!? Can you play like that for the rest of the season?!”

I nod, just waiting for him to let go, and say, “I’ll try, man.” He goes off hooting and hollering down the hallway to his girlfriend, who shuts him up with a kiss. He backs her against the wall where they start fully making out.

Eloise and I both turn away from them and exchange a winced look.

She clears her throat and says, “Okay. So. That’s happening.”

There’s a small awkward pause, and I know she’s going to fill it with words, so I just wait.

“My sister Raya and I were going to tag along tonight, but we don’t have to. You know, if it’s weird for you to be out with your assistant. Socially. In a group.”

“It’s fine,” I say. “I might not even go.”

She gives my shoulder a playful punch. “You’re going.”

When I look at her, her expression shifts.

“Geez. Sorry. I don’t know why I did that.” She stuffs her hands in her pockets. “I promise I’ll figure out how to treat you like I work for you.”

“You treat me fine,” I say. I don’t really want her to think of me as someone she works for anyway.

Her eyes flick to mine, and the electrical current buzzes.

Jericho’s wife, whose name I don’t know, walks up. “We were going to go to Bianchi’s, but they can’t get us in. So, maybe Tudor’s?”

I don’t know either of these places, but I’m starting to wonder if this is a bad idea. Being out in a social setting with Eloise might blur one too many lines. After all, the last time we were out together, I had her body pressed up against mine while the clock struck twelve.

“Also booked,” another one of the women says.

“Did you tell them we’re with the Comets?” a third woman asks. “And we just won?”

And while they start chattering on like a group of clucking chickens, I glance over and see Eloise on the phone. I contemplate going home, but she hangs up and returns to the group before I can make a decision.

“Got us in at Bianchi’s,” she says, like it’s no big deal.

The others stop talking, most of them mid-sentence, and stare at her.

“How?” a brunette asks.

Eloise shrugs. “I used to give tours of the city, and I know the owner, Angelo. He said he’d get the back room set up for us.”

The chatter starts again, and again, I consider leaving. But then Burke slaps a hand on my back. “It’ll be the welcome dinner we wanted to have when you first got to town.”

---