I took another sip and then set my glass down. “I saw someone walking toward us, and his eyes were focused on me. All I could think of on the fly was for us to get all cozy and take couple photos. But the waiter came with the champagne and the man turned away.”
“Does that happen a lot?”
“Me asking for strange objects and then a waiter appears?” Vivian raised one brow. “Oh, you meant interruptions.”
“Yeah.”
“More than I’d like but not nearly as often as someone like Michael Jordan or Shaquille O’Neill.”
Our food was quickly delivered, and the night seemed to be blowing by; I had no clue how to slow it down.
“I’m really shocked you know Young Frankenstein,” Vivian deadpanned.
“Why?”
“It was kind of before your time.”
“Bullshit,” I hissed. “That movie came out like fifty years ago, so it was before your time too.”
She cracked up, and I sat there admiring the way her eyes lifted the same time the corners of her mouth did, and how her laugh wasn’t soft or loud, it was just contagious. I could listen to her laugh for hours. I glanced around and saw other diners watching her as well, and they too were smiling at Vivian.
“Hey, come to my game tomorrow night.”
“Uh, what?”
“I have a home game tomorrow night, come as my guest, please. You can bring a friend or two, whatever. I just want you to be there.”
“Are you sure? You won’t be embarrassed having this older woman sitting there?”
“Okay enough with the older woman shit, no more, I mean it. Find something else to pick on me about because eight years is not that big of a gap. I want you there. Please, Little One.”
“Let me see what I can do. Mikki tries to take off as many home games as she can. Let me see what she has planned.”
“Just text me and let me know if you can make it and if you’re going to bring anyone with you. I’ll leave passes for you and them at will call.”
Vivian
“I have no fucking clue what I’m going to do.” I plopped down in a chair at the table where several of my friends had dropped in for lunch and to be nosy about last night’s date.
“Was it that bad?” Sophie asked with a mouth full of salad. “Carter couldn’t stop laughing about how you drunk dialed an NBA all-star.”
“No, it was wonderful. He’s wonderful, really, really wonderful. He scares me because he makes me feel things, but he’s so damned understanding when I have momentary breakdowns. He just holds me and lets me cry.”
“Sounds sorta perfect to me,” Leo said. “Sometimes, that’s what we need, someone who sees what we need even when we don’t.”
“Sounds like you’re talking from experience there,” Kat said and then directed all of her attention on Leo.
“Touché.” Leo smiled brightly.
“All of this is nice, but it isn’t my problem. My problem is that I’m going to piss Mikki off, and I never want to do that.” I slammed my hands flat on the table.
“Why?” Stella asked.
“Aaron invited me to a game . . . tonight.”
“She’s going to kill you.” Sophie half laughed, half sighed with sympathy. “I mean that, she’s already hiding her jealousy over you dating her dream man.” This had us all chuckling.
“Exactly, and now I need to see if she will work tonight so I can go watch him play. Oh, I can take a friend or two. But, I’ve decided I’m going to text him and tell him that I can’t come.”
“Don’t, ask her if she can work and explain it to her, she will understand. She wants to see you happy. She’s been with you since the day this place opened.” Leo rubbed my back.
I was in jeans and a gray T-shirt because it was the closest that I had to the Lightning colors of blue and silver. Mikki, on the other hand, had #33 painted on one cheek and was wearing a jersey with the name Skkye above the number thirty-three on the back, silver tennis shoes with blue shoelaces, and jeans with basketballs embroidered all over them.
“What are you doing dressed like that?” I asked.
“I’m going to put the game on the television and cheer from here.”
“I’m sorry Mikki, if this is too much, you go.”
“Nope, you both go.” I turned to face the door as Leo, Sophie, Ariel, and several others walked in.
“Oh fuck no, there is no way I’m going with her,” Stella announced as she walked into Sixes wearing jeans and an Orlando Lightning shirt. “Jeans and jersey are fine, rest of the shit goes.”
“Stella, I brought you some decals for your face and brought you some blue and silver basketball beads. Oh and glasses, see?” Mikki pulled items out of her bag.
“Oh, well then, you can stay. Give me that shit. Let’s go all freak.”
“Whoa, wait a minute, what’s going on?” I practically shouted.
“I’ve worked restaurants most of my life,” Kat, a motorcycle deputy and one of our close friends, said as she walked into the bar. “Hell, I still do when my parents are desperate for help in theirs. I’m stepping in to help.”
“I called Alexis, and she should be here in a few to help as well,” Mikki added. Alexis was one of my full-time waitresses, but she usually worked days.
“But I told him that I was coming alone, he won’t have passes for all of us.” I suddenly was worried.
“Yes he will,” Stella said, her head bobbing with stupid sunglasses. “I still had Erin’s old number, so I called him and told him what we had planned. He’s got us covered.”
“Thank you.” I kissed one finger and held it up and waved it. I caught myself, that was something I used to do with—. No, I’m not going there, not now.
“Have fun!” was yelled out. “Can’t wait to hear what all happens.” I wasn’t sure who had said that, so many people had gathered around. “Make her be
