Game On

by Kelly Jamieson

  “I want to meet your sister. See who these people are that did a number on you.”

  She laughed as if she thought I was joking.

  “Seriously.”

  She eyed me dubiously. “Again, I don’t know if that’s a good idea. We don’t have to make my family think you’re losing a bet.”

  “Ha. I know. I’m just curious.”

  “Well…do you want to be my date next weekend? Wait, you probably have a game that night.”

  “Which night?”

  “Friday. It’s my brother’s birthday, so my parents are doing a family dinner.”

  “No game Friday night.”

  She still appeared doubtful. “Okay then.”

  We explored more of the center, then headed back to where we’d left the car, stopping at Daley Plaza to study the Picasso.

  “I think Picasso had a fucked-up mind,” I say. “I went to an exhibit once in New York…at the Guggenheim.”

  “Whoa. I’m impressed.”

  “Don’t be. It all seemed weird to me. Some of his paintings…” I lifted my hands.

  “He definitely had an eccentric style.”

  “Like…what is that?” I waved a hand at the sculpture. Ah shit. I sounded like an idiot. And probably offended her.

  But she laughed. “There was a lot of controversy about the sculpture at first. Some wanted to replace it with something more historical.”

  “Yeah, this isn’t really old, is it?”

  “No. It was finished in 1967. What do you think it is?”

  “No fucking clue. Maybe a giant insect with a long nose and big wings?”

  She laughed again. “Could be. Picasso never did explain what it represented.”

  “You mean, nobody knows?”

  “Nope.”

  “Christ. What’s the point?”

  “It’s interesting.”

  “If you say so. Sorry.”

  She laughed again and slid her arm through mine. “Don’t be sorry. I know exactly what you mean. Okay, now we go for dinner, and then on to our last stop.”

  She directed me to the Green Door Tavern, of course one of the oldest restaurants in Chicago. As I sat in the wooden chair at the small table, I made a show of testing it, earning a laugh from Olivia.

  “I didn’t want to say it last time, but do you think that chair broke because you’re such a heavyweight?”

  “Ha. Heavyweight? I’ll have you know I’m a svelte two hundred and twenty pounds.”

  “Point made.”

  I gave her a mock offended look.

  We had burgers amid the old-fashioned American décor while Olivia gave me another history lesson. “This building was built in 1872, just after the fire. It was built before they made new laws about wooden structures, so it’s one of the few frame structures remaining. And did you notice how it leans?”

  “Yeah.”

  “It’s been that way for a hundred years.”

  I picked up a fry. “There’s something…reassuring…about these old buildings.”

  She tilted her head, her eyes soft.

  “Like, it’s reassuring that some things stay around for a long time. Does that sound stupid?”

  “Not at all.” Her eyes warmed, and her lips parted as she leaned forward. “I know just what you mean. I like thinking about the generations who ate here before us, and hopefully all the people who’ll eat here after we’re long gone.”

  “Yeah.” She got it.

  “Thank you for enjoying this. I didn’t want to geek out on you.”

  “I did enjoy it.” I met her eyes and felt the heat.

  She blinked. “We have one more stop after this, but it doesn’t open until eight o’clock, so no rush.”

  “What’s that?”

  “I want to surprise you.”

  “Okay.” I was getting a kick out of this. I loved living in Chicago, but this just raised my feelings about the city to a whole new level. “Is that when I’ll need the suit jacket?”

  “Yes.”

  She’d told me not to wear jeans and to bring a suit jacket, which was incredibly fucking mysterious. She was dressed in a pair of black leggings, short boots, and a long sweater.

  Once more, she directed me. Basically, we were heading back toward her place in Lake View, but then we ended up detouring, parking off Belmont and Scheffield. She led the way down a little alley, past a metal gate to an old wooden door lit with red light. A bearded dude peered out through a tiny window. “Password?”

  My eyes bugged out. You needed a fucking password to get in here?

  Olivia gave him the password, and it apparently worked because he let us in.

  “How did you know that?” I whispered to her.

  She gave me an enigmatic smile as we were led into a bar with low lighting, old brick walls, and big leather chairs arranged around small tables. There was a neon sign on one brick wall, and the place was decorated with vintage knickknacks. It was like we’d stepped back in time to the 1920s.

  We settled into chairs. Olivia crossed her legs and unbuttoned her sweater, revealing a satin and lace camisole that skimmed over her tits. I leaned toward her. “Sexy girl,” I murmured.

  She smiled again, and our mouths met in a brief but scorching kiss.

  This was all turning me on, seeing this side of her, how passionate and smart she was about her city and its history. I wanted to get her home and get her into her bed and worship her body and fuck her lights out.

  The bearded dude who’d just let us in was also apparently the waiter and bartender, dressed in a button-down shirt and pants with suspenders. The place wasn’t busy, probably because it was early. Or because nobody knew the goddamn password.

  “Our cocktails are made using only alcohol that was available in the Prohibition era,” he told us. “Classic gin, whisky, and champagne cocktails.”

  “Huh.” I looked over the menu and ordered a Manhattan, and Olivia requested a champagne cocktail.

  “So this place obviously has a history too,” I said.

  “Well, it’s inspired by the old speakeasies,” Olivia said. “During Prohibition, speakeasies, bootleggers, and rumrunners popped up all over the place. Of course, the speakeasies were all secret and hidden because…Prohibition.”

  “Of course. And how did you get us in here?”

  “I have a membership.”

  “Oh.” This was all new to me. “Okay.” I checked out the place. Another awesome choice. I looked back at Olivia. “Thank you for a fantastic day.”

  Her face softened. “I’m glad you had fun.”

  “I did.” I leaned closer. “Would you be offended if I told you it made me horny?”

  Her eyes widened, and a surprised laugh burst from her lips. “Actually no. I think you’re horny all the time.”

  “True. But even more so now. I can’t believe you talking about history has me all hot.”

  “Hot and bonered.”

  I grinned. “Yeah.” I sipped my drink, watching her. Awareness sparked over my nerves, tightening my groin.

  I wasn’t sure why I’d pushed to meet Olivia’s family. Other than a deep curiosity to know them and see for myself what kind of people she’d grown up with and been influenced by. We were now a month into the two-month deal. I enjoyed spending time with Olivia, a lot actually, so it wasn’t a hardship, and amazingly she seemed to like being with me. I’d made some mistakes, sure, like not paying enough attention to her that day we went out with the guys. I knew I could be kind of a jerk sometimes, thoughtless I guess, but I didn’t have a hard time apologizing when I screwed up, and it was worth it to make sure Olivia wasn’t hurt or feeling bad. I got the impression she’d had enough of that in her life.

&n
bsp; Which made the woman she’d become pretty goddamn awesome.

  Chapter 15

  Olivia

  Cam wanted to meet my parents. That freaked me out a little, because in the past, it had often been the only reason guys were dating me.

  But it wasn’t like that with him. We both knew exactly what this was…two people having fun together for a limited time so Cam could win a bet.

  I rolled my eyes. It was ridiculous, really. It was also ridiculous that I’d invited him to a family dinner, knowing all this. Ah well.

  As always, a family dinner ratcheted up my anxiety, and showing up with Cam only made me more nervous. They’d all better be nice to him. Which was a ridiculous fear, because I didn’t think my family were all monsters. I was just oversensitive about things.

  I considered buying a new dress for a boost of confidence, but my week was crazy, reviewing the new campaign Julia was developing using Cam to promote the organization, working on a grant proposal, even the evenings busy with work functions and yes, a hockey game that I went to with Paisley. Now it was Friday and I hadn’t had time to go shopping, so while reviewing the draft grant proposal I was also mentally cataloguing my closet, trying to decide what to wear.

  My phone rang and I grabbed for it absently.

  It was Helen Zawatsky, the principal at Franklin Middle School. “Well, this was quite a surprise,” she said. “We just got a delivery from a sporting-goods store with all kinds of new equipment.”

  “Oh yeah? That’s great.” I wasn’t sure why she was calling me about this.

  “Apparently Cam Brickley sent it.”

  I jolted. “What?”

  “Cam Brickley bought us new mats for the gym, as well as new resistance bands, weights, fitness balls…and more.”

  “Oh my God.” I leaned back in my chair in my office. “You’re kidding. I had no idea he was going to do that.”

  “It’s amazing! I thought I’d let you know. Do you know how we can reach him to thank him?”

  I pressed my fingertips to my mouth as I thought. I didn’t want to give out his phone number or email address. “If you send me something, I’ll make sure he gets it.” Heh. I was seeing him tonight. “He also said he wants to come back to the school again, so maybe there’ll be an opportunity to thank him in person.”

  “I’m just so grateful,” Helen said. “We all are.”

  “I’ll make sure he knows that.”

  I hung up my desk phone and sat for a moment staring into space. What an incredible thing to do. And he hadn’t said a word about it, to anyone, least of all the media. Wow.

  I lifted a hand and rubbed absently at the soft warmth expanding behind my breastbone.

  Why did he keep being so damn nice? He was making me like him more and more against my will. Oh no. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Somehow he kept charming me. Showing me parts of him that were sweet and generous under that smooth charm and lighthearted demeanor.

  He liked to have fun, and there were times I wondered how serious he was capable of being. Then there were times he showed me…our discussion last weekend at the Cultural Center, when he’d talked about winning the Stanley Cup, when he’d admitted he’d had doubts about his abilities and his goals. And the first time we’d gone out, playing that game, when he’d told me about the letter he’d written to his hockey idol, that had never been answered. I’d seen the disappointed young Cam, but also his determination to make it. Those had been glimpses of vulnerability, which made me like him even more.

  That day when we’d gone bowling and I’d felt left out had made me wonder if the only person he really cared about was himself. But he’d been so sincerely apologetic afterward, and he had been different the last couple of times we’d been out with his friends, taking care of me and making sure I was included in conversations. He obviously cared for his friends, and he definitely loved Magnum. He’d been so great with the kids at Franklin, and now he’d made this incredibly generous gift, and…I was succumbing to the allure of his shining light and enchanting smile, but even more than that, I was succumbing to the big heart he hid under his cocky humor and pervy mouth.

  “Oh boy.” I said the words aloud to myself and exhaled sharply.

  “What’s wrong?” Paisley appeared in the doorway of my office.

  “Nothing’s wrong. I mean…er, come in and shut the door.”

  She did so and slowly sat, her eyebrows pinched together.

  “I think I’m falling for Cam.”

  She snorted. “Like that’s a surprise.”

  I pursed my lips and frowned. “What does that mean?”

  “You talk about him all the time. You talk about how great he is. You can’t wait to see him. You’ve been watching every hockey game on TV since you two started dating, and making me go to games with you.”

  I slumped in my chair and swallowed. That was all true.

  Paisley grinned. “It’s okay, Liv. Obviously, he likes you too.”

  “No. He doesn’t.”

  She gave me a weird look.

  “I mean, he does…but not in that way. Look, there’s something I never told you.”

  “Uh-oh.”

  I sighed and filled her in on the bet and our decision to keep going out together so he could win the bet.

  “Oh wow.” Paisley sat back in the chair and gripped the armrests. “That’s kind of…crazy.”

  “I know. I knew at the time it wasn’t a good idea. Shit. Even then, I was starting to have feelings for him.”

  “Well, it’s possible he’s developing feelings for you too.”

  “I don’t think so. He was pretty clear that he’s not interested in relationships.”

  “As were you,” Paisley pointed out. “But your feelings are changing.”

  “You’re annoying.”

  She laughed. “Sorry.”

  “He’s coming to dinner tonight. With my family.” I hadn’t mentioned that either.

  “Holy shit.”

  “I know.”

  “Well, there you go. He wouldn’t do that if he didn’t like you. In that way.”

  I gave a pained smile.

  “You don’t seem convinced.”

  “I’m not. But whatever. I’m just going to go with it and have fun.”

  She cocked her head, smiling. “If nothing else, think how your sister will react when you walk in with him.”

  “I already had that thought,” I admitted. Then I told her what Cam had done for the school, and she was appropriately impressed. “What are you doing tonight?” I asked, since it was Friday.

  “Noah and I are going to see Three Goats.”

  “Oh.” I blinked. We were all friends, but it was unusual for Paisley and Noah to go out together just the two of them. “I’m jealous. I like that band.”

  Paisley turned to leave. Was she avoiding my eyes? “You were busy tonight, so we decided to go out somewhere.”

  “Oh good. Have fun!”

  Hmmm.

  I finished up what I was doing. Helen’s email arrived, and I forwarded it on to Cam before shutting down my computer to leave for the weekend.

  We’d agreed to meet at the restaurant, which wasn’t far from Cam’s place, and go back there after. I tucked a few necessities into my purse before leaving and taking a cab to Aurora. I’d told my parents I was bringing a date, and I had to stop from nibbling on my bottom lip all the way there.

  Cam was already waiting for me outside the restaurant. God, he looked so handsome and…adorable…and…precious. That was a weird word. Maybe “important” was a better word. Also “scary.”

  Shit, shit, shit. Emotion swelled up inside me, remembering the stuff he’d bought for the school without saying a word.

  He watched me
walk toward him with affection on his face, and I resisted the urge to take the last three steps at a run and throw myself into his arms. Even so, when I reached him I dropped the gift bag I carried on the sidewalk, wound my arms around his neck, and kissed him slow and hard.

  “Wow,” he murmured a moment later, hands on my waist. “What a greeting. Does this mean I’m getting lucky tonight?”

  “Yes.” I kissed him again. “Yes, you are so getting lucky tonight. Did you get my email?”

  “Um, the one you forwarded from the school?”

  “Yeah. What you did…” I kissed his cheek, slid my hands into his hair, and leaned back to gaze into his eyes. “That was the nicest thing ever. Thank you.”

  He shrugged it off, but I could see he was both embarrassed and pleased. “I noticed they didn’t have enough mats and the ones they had were crappy.”

  Emotion grabbed my throat, nearly choking me. Wow, I had to get things under control or I was going to be blurting out things I didn’t want to say. “Thank you,” I said again. “Okay, let’s go in. Wait.” I lifted my purse. “I need to fix my lip gloss.”

  “I think I’m wearing it all,” he teased. “How does it look?”

  I rubbed my fingertips over a bit of pink gloss on a corner of his mouth, smiling. “Sorry. There.” I quickly swiped the applicator over my lips and then huffed out a breath. “Okay. Let’s do this.” I picked up the gift bag.

  “You sound like you’re girding your loins.”

  My mouth dropped open. “Have you been reading historical romances?”

  He burst out laughing. “Um, no.” He patted my butt, directing me into the restaurant. “Why do you sound like you’re girding your loins?”

  “You’ll see.”

  We were shown to a private room, and I blinked at seeing so many people there. I thought this was going to be just family, but there were also some of Lucas’s friends, along with their partners, and…Jason.

  “Oh, for fuck’s sake,” I muttered.

  “What?” Cam shifted protectively in front of me. “What’s wrong?”

  “Ah. My ex-fiancé is here. Jason.”

  “Fuck’s sake is right.” His jaw tightened. “Which one is he?”