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“Jeans and T-shirt? Way to represent.” He shakes his head at me.
“Puck yourself.” I scowl at him.
“I feel like he should have to pay some kind of team penalty for this,” Knox says to Mason.
“For wearing normal clothes?”
“For not having team spirit,” Mason says. “I told you what to wear.”
“Fine, come up with something evil to do to me if it makes you feel better.”
Knox nods vigorously. “Oh, it will.”
The redhead giggles. “You guys are hilarious.”
“Aren’t we?” Knox smiles at her and steers her over towards the buffet table. I shake my head. That one’s definitely a one-nighter. Been there, done that, got really bored with it.
So where does that leave me?
Single and making use of my good friend, Mr. Right Hand, because I don’t see myself actually opening myself up to a relationship anytime soon.
I remember the hopeful look on my mother’s face when she tried to talk to me about Ruby. According to her, I’d never talked about any woman as much as I did her. She was probably right. I just found Ruby interesting and worth talking about.
Ironic, huh?
I shake my head and head for the buffet table, grabbing myself a beer from the cooler.
Their spoiled goldendoodle, Puck, wanders around begging for scraps. I grab a salami roll and sneak it to him.
“I saw that,” Rowan calls out to me. “Don’t feed his fat furry butt. The vet says he needs to lose weight.” Puck gives her a wounded look.
The Godfather is playing on their big-screen TV. The first, best one. Great movie—I’ve always loved it. Any other time, I’d really be into the movie and the party.
I’ve chugged half my beer when I see Ruby emerging from the hallway bathroom. She’s wearing a dress that’s row after row of black fringes, her hair is styled just like her sister’s, and she’s got one of those caps that I think they call a cloche.
She catches my eye and stops dead in the hallway.
From across the room, I hear a loud, obnoxious laugh. It’s that jackass boyfriend of Ruby’s, trying to talk to a girl I don’t recognize. She doesn’t look impressed. I’m assuming he’s hitting on one of my teammate’s dates.
This again?
I’m straight-up pissed off. I don’t need this drama in my life. I shouldn’t have come here tonight. I should have known Ruby would be here.
Well, maybe on some level I knew, and that’s why I came, and that makes me even madder.
Next time the two of them invite me to anything, I’m just going to have to beg off. At least until I can get my head straight.
I turn my back on Ruby, chug the rest of my beer, toss it into the trash, and start to make my way to the door. Let Mason be pissed all he wants. Hell, I made an appearance, didn’t I? I’ll call and apologize tomorrow. I am going to make a lousy guest tonight—hell, I already apparently harshed all over everyone’s mellow by not playing dress-up—and there’s no point in my staying here.
As I’m making my way towards the door, I run into, of all people, Ruby’s boyfriend.
“Watch it,” he snaps at me.
“Excuse the hell out of you?” I snarl back. Oh, please push me. Pretty please with sugar on top.
I glare down at him, because I’m a good six inches taller, and he blinks hard and takes a step back.
“Sorry, my bad,” he shrugs.
