Page 11

11

ANDI

On my way out for the evening, I stop at Ford’s door and knock.

He opens the door and rakes his gaze from my face to my toes and back up.

“Oh, hi,” he says smiling.

“I was just having dirty thoughts about you.”

I snort.

“You’re a father now. You need to behave.” I hold out the little stuffed bear.

“This was at my place. Tilly really likes it so I thought I’d drop it off on my way out.”

“Oh.” He takes it.

“Okay. Thanks.”

He continues to look me over.

Maybe it’s my top?

The snug, black asymmetrical shirt leaves one shoulder bare.

My jeans are long and loose and my pointy-toed flats peep out from beneath the hem.

“Okay!” For some reason all my breath has evacuated my lungs.

“Bye!” I head to the elevator.

Did he like how I’m dressed?

I know he was joking about having dirty thoughts about me, but the way he looked at me…

eh.

Probably not.

But it’s fun to wear sexy, grown-up clothes for a change.

In the lobby I book an Uber and wait for it to arrive to take me to the rooftop bar in Manhattan where I’m meeting Elodie.

I didn’t exactly lie to Ford.

I am going on a date.

But it’s a date with my best friend.

I don’t know why I didn’t mention that.

I just got this weird vibe from him.

Like he didn’t want me to go on a date.

Does he expect me to spend every minute of my life helping him with Tilly?

I reflect on this in the back seat of the car as we travel into Manhattan.

I don’t think he does expect that.

He’s been very reasonable about how much he’s asking of me.

I can tell he hates it that he needs help.

But everyone needs help, sometimes.

We sat down with his schedule and my schedule for the next month.

His is a lot more involved.

I just have a few meetings scheduled.

We figured out when Tilly needs care based on his practices, workouts, and games.

There will be travel; they open the season with two games at home, but next weekend they travel to Washington.

That’s not overnight, though, just a late night.

But the week after that they’ll be gone for three days.

I’m not nervous about looking after Tilly by myself for three days.

I’m terrified.

Deep breath.

I can do it.

I wanted to do this for Ford, to pay him back for being there for me.

But I have to admit that Tilly is cute and I kind of like seeing her.

And seeing a new side of Ford.

The car stops on West 26th Street in front of an elegant hotel.

I text Elodie and she replies that she’s in the lobby so I hurry in.

I see my friend near the elevators, with her chin-length blond bob and bright red lips.

“Hi!”

“I haven’t seen you for so long!”

“You’ve been busy traveling.”

“I know, and you’ve been busy, too.”

“Wait till you hear.”

She gives me a wide-eyed look.

“Let’s get a drink.”

We ride up to Nakuru, the rooftop bar on the fiftieth floor.

It’s chilly for sitting outside so the glass doors are closed, but we score a table for two right in front of windows with a view of the Empire State Building.

“Wow.” I gaze out.

“This city never fails to amaze me.”

“Gorgeous, isn’t it?”

We order frosés—vodka and rosé wine, frozen to a delicious and potent slush.

“Okay, tell me everything.”

I blow out a breath.

“Okay.”

She listens as I talk, mouth falling open, leaning closer, making noises of astonishment.

“Holy shit,” she says as I finish.

“I know, right?” I sip my drink.

“You don’t even like babies.”

“I know.” I wince.

“Although Tilly’s pretty cute.”

“I can’t believe that mother just abandoned her child.”

“I know! I feel very judgmental about it. But I’m trying to be fair; things must be pretty bad for her to do that.”

“I guess so.” Elodie drains her drink.

Mine is still full since I’ve been talking so much, but we order two more anyway.

“If you need help, I can come over,” Elodie says.

“At least I have two nieces.”

“I might take you up on that. The week after next, Ford will be away for three days.”

“Uhhh… I’m in Seattle that week.”

“Well, shit.” I fake cry.

“I don’t know how I’m going to do that.”

“Maybe he’ll find another nanny by then.”

“Maybe.” I’m doubtful.

He’s pretty picky.

Three guys walk into the bar and are seated at the table next to us.

I give them a quick glance as they’re all tall and wearing nice suits.

Elodie and I catch up on other things—how her job is going, how my business is going, how I’m feeling about Haven being pregnant.

“I was shook,” I admit to her.

“When I saw her. It really bothered me.” I shrug.

“I guess I’ve accepted it.”

“You’ve accepted that you and Trevor aren’t getting back together?”

I think about that.

Ford asked me about that, too.

“I guess I have. Too much has happened now to go back.”

“He betrayed you.”

“Yes. He did.”

The guys at the next table are eyeing us.

When I catch the eye of one, he smiles.

He’s pretty good-looking—dark blond hair, tawny scruff, and a great smile—but young.

Younger than my thirty years, anyway.

But I smile back at him.

He lifts his glass in a toast.

“Who are you smiling at?” Elodie starts to turn.

“Don’t look! Those guys over there. One of them just smiled at me.”

“Ahhhhh. Excellent.”

I roll my eyes.

“I’m not here on a man-hunt. I’m here to have drinks with you.”

“We can do both.”

I do like the excitement of flirting with a man.

The anticipation of what could happen.

Maybe sex—honest, physical pleasure.

It’s been a while and I miss that.

So I catch the man’s eye again.

And sure enough, a moment later he rises and strolls over to our table.

“Hi, ladies.”

I look up—way up.

“Hi.”

“My friends and I are wondering if you’d like to join us. We have a bottle of Casamigos Blanco and we really don’t want to drink it all ourselves.”

“Oooh, tequila,” Elodie says.

“I love tequila.”

“Perfect. Let’s get your chairs moved over to our table.”

They’re ordering bottle service and all three are dressed in nice suits.

This seems promising.

We make introductions.

The guy who came over is Ryker, and his friends are Tyler and Kevin.

They pour us shots of the sipping tequila, smooth with hints of vanilla and oak.

“So what do you guys do for a living?” I ask.

“You’re still in suits, so I’m guessing…” I put a finger to my chin.

“You had late business meetings.”

They all laugh.

“Nope,” Tyler says.

“You don’t know who we are?” Ryker asks.

“Uh…” Elodie and I exchange glances.

“Should we?”

Are they famous?

Actors?

“We play hockey,” Tyler says.

“For the Bears.”

My eyes pop open as round as hockey pucks.

“No!”

They all smirk, thinking they’ve impressed me.

“My, uh, friend plays hockey, too!” I say.

“For the Storm.”

“Uh oh.”

I grin.

“Yeah. We’re drinking with the enemy.”

“Who’s your friend?” Ryker asks.

“Ford Archibald.”

Now they seem surprised.

Did they think I was making that up?

“Hey,” Tyler says.

“I’m a goalie, too.”

“Really?” I tilt my head.

“Are you as, um, eccentric as other goalies?”

“Nah.”

“Yeah, you are,” Ryker says to him.

“You told us once that being a professional hockey goalie was punishment for something you did in a past life.”

I roll my lips in on a laugh.

“Well, yeah.” Tyler nods.

“Having frozen pucks coming at you a hundred miles an hour is like being stoned in today’s day and age.” His forehead creases.

“I just don’t know exactly what I did to deserve being stoned.”

Okay, this guy is making Ford’s idiosyncrasies seem mild.

“Archie’s a good goalie,” Tyler says.

“Really good.”

Warmth spreads in my chest, as if I’m somehow responsible for Ford being a good goaltender.

“He stopped me once on a breakaway and I still don’t know he did it,” Ryker says, shaking his head.

“That’s why they call him the Net Ninja,” Kevin says with a laugh.

I grin.

I’ve heard that nickname.

It’s hilarious.

Well, so much for getting with one of these guys tonight.

There’s no way I can sleep with a hockey player from a rival team.

And honestly?

I don’t really want to.

I keep thinking about Ford.

I don’t think he’d be mad if I did that, but…

I don’t know.

The idea has lost its appeal.

Sunday afternoon, the thin wall between my place and Ford’s becomes apparent again.

This time it’s not Tilly crying, thankfully.

It’s a lot of deep voices and booming laughter.

What the hell?

Is he having a party over there?

Oh, right.

He said some of his friends were coming over to meet the baby.

I hope they’re having fun.

I’m trying to work on a new ad campaign for one of my clients.

The noise is distracting.

There’s no way I’m going over there to complain, though.