“He’s only a few years in and he’s gone from New York to Colorado and now to Edmonton. That’s a lot of trading in a short career. It suggests he’s problematic.” Mike lifts his brows.
“Can’t imagine the boys in Edmonton are gonna be stoked about that,” I mutter. “I have a couple of friends from BC on the team, and they know the story of him trying to break things off between Sami and Matt.” I lean back and watch for Brady and Matt who are in the other room talking to Sami and Nat. “And while Canadians are nice, they don’t forget something that shitty.”
“Yeah, what happens in the locker room stays in the locker room,” Mike grumbles. “You do not film and leak videos of your teammates getting blow jobs in the shower.”
I change the subject, nervous about bringing up Tandy in this house, “Now that your balls are dangling from Liz’s bracelet, you don’t have to worry about any of that,” I tease.
“Speaking of balls in a knot, you having any luck with that redhead from the wedding?” Mike winks.
“How’s the baby coming along?” I continue, not bothering to answer. I don’t want to jinx anything that’s going on between Jenny and me. Two weeks of nothing terrified me there would never be more. Until last night after the game and her weird story explaining everything, we had fun and the sex blew my mind.
Mike doesn’t take the bait and stays with Jenny as a topic, “That girl can play hockey, huh? All the girls on that beer league team were outstanding. I can’t get over the goalie.”
“No one can. It was pretty crazy. How’s Liz doing?” I try once more, desperate to change the subject before the guys come. Jenny has a way of becoming a hot topic quick, and there’s a solid chance I will never get beyond the friend zone with her.
“I try not to ask her too many questions.” Mike loses the shit-eating grin. “You remember how Sami was?” He lowers his voice, “This is worse, I think. Liz’s been accusing me of cheating on her because I took too long at the grocery store a couple of times. She tracked me on the iPhone app. It’s hell.”
“Are you cheating?” I ask flatly.
“No, dick.” He scoffs. “Her fucking list of demands from the store is insane. I tried mentioning that my mom writes her grocery list according to the route she takes through the store, instead of how Liz has me running all over hell’s half acre. She didn’t talk to me for three days. She’s mental.”
“Okay, so not that I have a lot of experience with pregnant women,” I admit comfortably, “but maybe don’t recommend anything to her for the next little bit. Just do as you’re told. How hard is that?”
He cracks a grin again. “Okay, lover boy. One day when your balls drop and you manage to get someone knocked up, I’ll remind you of this advice.”
“What advice?” Matt asks as he sits with Brady following behind him.
“Skippy here just told me to do as I’m told and not question or suggest anything to Liz while she’s pregnant.” Mike nods at me.
“Yeah,” Matt agrees, seeming lost on how this is funny. “Question nothing. Offer no advice. Never argue. There’s no point. Pregnant women are crazy. They can’t help themselves. Totally hormonal.”
“Come on, it’s not that bad. Sami seemed all right once you guys were patched up.” Brady takes the deck and shuffles while we wait for Carson and Cap to arrive for the game. “Though I bet Nat becomes a train wreck when we have kids one day. She has that potential hiding below the surface.”
As if on cue, Nat and Sami walk into the games room. “Hey, guys.” Sami beams, looking like a breath of summery air. “What are you talking about?”
“Hockey.”
“Poker.”
“Chips.”
“Pregnancy.”
We all answer at the same time and I’m the only idiot who tells the truth.
Sami’s eyes fix on me, narrowing. “Pregnancy, huh?” She ignores the other answers. “What about it?” She sits on Matt’s lap as he shoots me a dirty look.
“How majestic it is.” My answer is shaky and stupid.
“You’re the worst liar, Lori.” Sami steals a chip and eyes Matt. “Were you bitching about me?”
“No,” Matt says with a laugh. “Not a chance. We all know Lori would rat on me in a heartbeat.”
“His bros before hos is broken,” Brady adds.
Under the bus I go.
“I wish.” Sami scoffs. “He’s barely got time to speak to me since he and Jenny started hooking up. I hardly saw him at the wedding.”
“Oh my God, speaking of weddings, can she be your date to mine? She’s so pretty and perfect for the pictures and atmosphere. She’s fun, ya know?” Nat asks excitedly and my insides take a tumble. “She’s so cool.”
“Ours?” Brady offers. “Our wedding? I’m going to be there too.”
“No!” Sami says, scowling, completely ignoring Brady. “We don’t want Lori to actually date Jenny. She’s way cooler than us. I can’t live with that.”
“Yeah, she is,” Brady agrees, going for the low blow.
“We could always call off our wedding.” Nat lifts an eyebrow at him.
“Whaaaat?” Brady sings with a high-pitched tone and pulls her into his lap.
Mike rolls his eyes at Matt and Brady.
Fortunately, Carson and Cap come in at the same time, saving us from the awkward public displays of affection from Brady and Nat.
“I thought we were playing poker.” Carson wrinkles his nose at Sami and Nat.
“We came to show you these.” Sami pulls an iPad from her oversized handbag and taps on it until she’s at a website for some critic I’ve heard her talk about before. She leans across me, wafting her perfume in the air. “Look!” She swipes to a review of the wedding.
“Someone reviewed our wedding?” Matt asks flatly.
“Of course.” she scoffs. “Like twenty someones. People who actually mean something to the bridal and influencer world.”
I lift the iPad and read,
