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“Did you have a rule about only holding hands with Hoffman?”
“No, I guess not,” I muttered. I felt myself shudder slightly as I recalled the way Jeremy was often so possessive in public. He always had an arm around my shoulder or a hand on my butt. He got even more handsy when he was drunk. I didn’t want to tell Reed any of that though.
Reed leaned back in his seat and exhaled as he placed his hands on his head. “I mean, we can try it,” he said before leaning forward once more and lowering his voice. “But I don’t think Jeremy is going to get the message if I’m not even allowed to kiss you on the cheek…”
“Okay, fine, you can kiss me on the cheek. But only if it’s necessary.”
He shook his head. “These rules are kind of taking all the fun out of our relationship.”
“You can have all the fun you like with your puck bunnies after the winter formal. And it’s a fake relationship.”
“Right. That’s what I meant.”
I wasn’t convinced, and my eyes narrowed on him as he took another sip of his Frappuccino. He’d demolished the drink, and a loud slurping noise sounded as he sucked up the last of the liquid through the straw.
“Do you have any rules for me?” I asked.
“I think we have enough already,” he replied. “Let’s get onto the important stuff. Where should we go for our first date?”
“Date?” I practically squeaked the word.
“Yeah.” Reed’s expression brightened as he continued. “To prove to your ex you’ve moved on to someone better.” I had a feeling Reed was all too happy to show Jeremy what an upgrade he was.
“Right.” I swallowed as nerves bubbled up in my throat. “Are you really sure you want to do this? It seems like a whole lot of effort on your part, especially when you’re supposed to be fully focused on hockey. Are the girls at your school really that bad?”
“Yes,” he replied without hesitation. “They’re a nightmare. Now, our date. Can you think of somewhere Hoffman will see us?”
“Uh.” Reed was clearly someone who wasn’t easily deterred when he had his mind set on something. “Well, I can think of one location where Jeremy would definitely see us,” I said. “And it will piss him off for sure.”
“Good,” Reed said, his face turning stern. “After the way he treated you, Hoffman deserves a little payback.”
“Well, Jeremy hated that I never showed an interest in his hockey,” I explained. “I was usually working and couldn’t make it to his preseason games, and he was always complaining that other players’ girlfriends went to watch their practices but I never did.”
Reed’s eyebrows shot up. “I mean, I guess I can understand he’d want you to come to his games. But practices?”
I shrugged.
“You don’t even like hockey…”
“Jeremy’s all about appearances,” I said. “I guess he just wanted the perfect little hockey girlfriend on his arm. But, clearly, I didn’t cut it.”
“Perfect is overrated,” Reed replied.
“Maybe.” It was hard not to feel the opposite. Perhaps if I’d been a little closer to perfect, then Jeremy wouldn’t have felt the need to cheat.
“So, you think you should come to one of my practices?” Reed asked.
“Uh, yeah?” I couldn’t have sounded less certain.
Reed chuckled as he took in my expression. “Hey, you were the one who came up with the idea.”
“Sorry, I know.” I squared my shoulders a little more and pushed down my anxiety at the idea of parading our imaginary relationship in front of my ex. “Yes, I think I should come to your next practice. You guys have the ice at the arena before the Saints, right?”
“Yep, and we’ve got practice tomorrow night,” he replied. “It’s fairly safe to say we’ll be seen by Jeremy or at least some of the guys on his team.”
I swallowed down the nerves that were refusing to stay buried. “Okay, I’ll see you there tomorrow night then.”
“It’s a date.” Reed grinned.
