Beautiful Player
Page 77
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“It’s not awkward?”
Pulling up short, I turned her to face me. “Have we done anything yet that feels awkward?”
Her cheeks went pink, and she blinked down the street, mumbling, “No.”
“And you believe me when I say I’ll make everything good for you.”
She looked back up at me, eyes soft and trusting. “Yeah.”
I took her hand in mine again, and we continued walking. “It’s settled then. There will be some sixty nine in your future.”
We walked in silence for several blocks, listening to the birds, the wind, the sound of traffic in bursts organized by the streetlights.
“You think I’ll ever teach you something?” she asked just before we reached the bar.
I smiled down at her, growling, “Without a doubt.” And then I opened the door to Maddie’s for Hanna, gesturing that she lead us inside.
My friends, seated at a table just to the side of the little dance floor, saw us as soon as we walked in. Chloe, facing the door, noticed us first, her mouth forming a tiny, surprised O that she almost immediately tucked away. Bennett and Sara turned in their seats, each of them deftly hiding any reaction. But f**king Max had an enormous shit-eating grin spreading from ear to ear.
“Well, well,” he said, standing to walk around the table and give Hanna a hug in greeting. “Look who’s here.”
Hanna smiled, greeting everyone alternately with little hugs and waves, and then pulled up a chair to the end of the table. I made Max move down so I could sit next to her, and didn’t miss his amused laugh, and under his breath, a guffawed “Smitten.”
Maddie herself approached our table, tossing down a couple more coasters in front of us and asking what we wanted to drink. She listed the beers on tap, and because I knew she wouldn’t like any of them, I leaned close to tell Hanna, “They also have regular bar drinks, or sodas.”
“Soda is expressly forbidden,” Max chided. “If you don’t like beer, there is whiskey.”
Hanna laughed, making a face. “Would you drink a vodka and 7-Up?” she asked, anticipating our usual routine where she ordered the drink and I was the one who actually drank it.
I shook my head and made a face, leaning into her, our foreheads practically touching. “Probably not.”
Humming, she thought about it some more. “Jack and Coke?”
“I’d drink that.” I looked up at Maddie and said, “Jack and Coke for the lady, and I’ll have a Green Flash.”
“Ooh, what’s that?” Hanna asked.
“It’s a really hoppy beer,” I told her, kissing the corner of her mouth. “You wouldn’t like it.”
Once Maddie left us, I pulled away from Hanna and glanced around the table, finding four very interested faces looking back at us.
“You two look rather cozy,” Max said.
With a little wave of her hand, Hanna explained, “It’s our system: I’ll only have a few sips of my drink and then he’ll finish it. I’m still learning what he orders.”
Sara squeaked out a tiny, thrilled noise and Chloe smiled at us as if we had turned into a photograph of two cuddling baby sloths. I shot them a warning look. When Hanna asked where the restrooms were, then headed in that direction, I leaned in toward the group, meeting each of their eyes.
“This is not going to be the Will and Hanna show, you guys. We’re in a weird place. Just act normal.”
“Fine,” Sara said, but then narrowed her eyes. “But for the record, you two look really cute together and since we all know you guys have been hooking up, she’s really brave for coming out with the entire group tonight.”
“I know,” I mumbled, lifting my beer when Maddie had delivered it and taking a sip. The sharp bite of the hops mellowed almost immediately into a warm, malty finish. I closed my eyes, moaning a little while the others began chatting.
“Will?” Sara said, quieter now, so only I could hear her. She turned, looking behind her before turning back to me. “Please only do this with Hanna if you know it’s what you want.”
“I really appreciate the meddling, Sara, but stop meddling.”
Her face straightened and I registered my mistake. Hanna was a bit older than Sara had been when she started dating the douchebag congressman in Chicago, but I was exactly the same age he had been: thirty-one. Sara probably felt it was her duty to look out for other women who could fall into the same situation she was in for so long.
“Shit, Sare,” I said. “I get the meddling. Just . . . it’s different. You know that, right?”
Pulling up short, I turned her to face me. “Have we done anything yet that feels awkward?”
Her cheeks went pink, and she blinked down the street, mumbling, “No.”
“And you believe me when I say I’ll make everything good for you.”
She looked back up at me, eyes soft and trusting. “Yeah.”
I took her hand in mine again, and we continued walking. “It’s settled then. There will be some sixty nine in your future.”
We walked in silence for several blocks, listening to the birds, the wind, the sound of traffic in bursts organized by the streetlights.
“You think I’ll ever teach you something?” she asked just before we reached the bar.
I smiled down at her, growling, “Without a doubt.” And then I opened the door to Maddie’s for Hanna, gesturing that she lead us inside.
My friends, seated at a table just to the side of the little dance floor, saw us as soon as we walked in. Chloe, facing the door, noticed us first, her mouth forming a tiny, surprised O that she almost immediately tucked away. Bennett and Sara turned in their seats, each of them deftly hiding any reaction. But f**king Max had an enormous shit-eating grin spreading from ear to ear.
“Well, well,” he said, standing to walk around the table and give Hanna a hug in greeting. “Look who’s here.”
Hanna smiled, greeting everyone alternately with little hugs and waves, and then pulled up a chair to the end of the table. I made Max move down so I could sit next to her, and didn’t miss his amused laugh, and under his breath, a guffawed “Smitten.”
Maddie herself approached our table, tossing down a couple more coasters in front of us and asking what we wanted to drink. She listed the beers on tap, and because I knew she wouldn’t like any of them, I leaned close to tell Hanna, “They also have regular bar drinks, or sodas.”
“Soda is expressly forbidden,” Max chided. “If you don’t like beer, there is whiskey.”
Hanna laughed, making a face. “Would you drink a vodka and 7-Up?” she asked, anticipating our usual routine where she ordered the drink and I was the one who actually drank it.
I shook my head and made a face, leaning into her, our foreheads practically touching. “Probably not.”
Humming, she thought about it some more. “Jack and Coke?”
“I’d drink that.” I looked up at Maddie and said, “Jack and Coke for the lady, and I’ll have a Green Flash.”
“Ooh, what’s that?” Hanna asked.
“It’s a really hoppy beer,” I told her, kissing the corner of her mouth. “You wouldn’t like it.”
Once Maddie left us, I pulled away from Hanna and glanced around the table, finding four very interested faces looking back at us.
“You two look rather cozy,” Max said.
With a little wave of her hand, Hanna explained, “It’s our system: I’ll only have a few sips of my drink and then he’ll finish it. I’m still learning what he orders.”
Sara squeaked out a tiny, thrilled noise and Chloe smiled at us as if we had turned into a photograph of two cuddling baby sloths. I shot them a warning look. When Hanna asked where the restrooms were, then headed in that direction, I leaned in toward the group, meeting each of their eyes.
“This is not going to be the Will and Hanna show, you guys. We’re in a weird place. Just act normal.”
“Fine,” Sara said, but then narrowed her eyes. “But for the record, you two look really cute together and since we all know you guys have been hooking up, she’s really brave for coming out with the entire group tonight.”
“I know,” I mumbled, lifting my beer when Maddie had delivered it and taking a sip. The sharp bite of the hops mellowed almost immediately into a warm, malty finish. I closed my eyes, moaning a little while the others began chatting.
“Will?” Sara said, quieter now, so only I could hear her. She turned, looking behind her before turning back to me. “Please only do this with Hanna if you know it’s what you want.”
“I really appreciate the meddling, Sara, but stop meddling.”
Her face straightened and I registered my mistake. Hanna was a bit older than Sara had been when she started dating the douchebag congressman in Chicago, but I was exactly the same age he had been: thirty-one. Sara probably felt it was her duty to look out for other women who could fall into the same situation she was in for so long.
“Shit, Sare,” I said. “I get the meddling. Just . . . it’s different. You know that, right?”
