“Also cardiac disease, diabetes, thyroid issues… or obesity,” I add.
“I seriously want to know how you know this,” Trev says.
“He knows everything,” Crusher tells him. Trev is one of the newer members of the team.
“It’s true, man.” Mack nods. “If you need advice about anything, he’s your guy.”
“You guys have nothing to worry about,” I say, lifting my beer. “Not for a while, anyway.” I take a swallow.
I shift to look around at the club again and my eyes make contact with those of a woman standing at the next table. Very close to me. She’s smiling widely, blue eyes dancing.
“That was quite the conversation,” she says.
Fuck.“You could hear that?” I shake my head. “Icould barely hear it.”
“Your hearing can deteriorate with old age, too.” She gives me an innocent look as her lips close around the straw of her cocktail.
My mouth nearly falls open, then I catch on. “Ha ha. Funny.”
She laughs and tosses back blonde hair. “Sorry. I couldn’t resist.” She extends a hand. “I’m Emma.”
“Carson.” I shake her hand.
She’s pretty. Tall, slender, dressed in a low-cut top that shows off a great rack.
“You don’t look that old,” she assures me. Her eyes move over my torso. “You look like you’re in great shape.”
Uh. I think she’s flirting with me. It’s been so long, I don’t know what that is.
I remember the time in high school where the cute girl working at Tim’s always talked to me and smiled a lot, and one day told me that she got off work at eight, and I said, cool, Ihope you get home safely, and the guys all dragged me for weeks because I didn’t realize she was flirting with me.
Things haven’t changed much in fifteen-ish years.
“Thanks,” I say, trying for suave. “You, too.”
She rolls her lips in on a smile. “Thanks. I guess that’s a better compliment than ‘I want to see you naked.’”
I choke on a laugh. “Jesus.”
Her gaze flicks down to my left hand holding my beer, then back up.
I stopped wearing my wedding ring a while ago. At first, after Ayla and I separated, I kept wearing it, because honestly, I still felt married. But it’s been almost a year now.
Technically, Iamstill married. We can’t get a divorce until we’ve been separated a year. Does that mean I shouldn’t be talking to this woman? Noticing her tits? Laughing at her jokes?
I glance over at my hockey buddies, and yeah, they’re all watching us. Crusher gives me a subtle thumbs up.
Fuck.I’m the one who gives advice. But right now, I have no idea what I’m doing. Shit, I really do need to get on with my life. I haven’t been with a woman for months. So I thrash about in my brain for something to say, and come up with, “Well, I’m sure you look good naked.” I immediately close my eyes as heat rushes up into my face. “I did not just say that,” I mutter.
She laughs. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
I drain my beer in a succession of huge swallows.
“Can I buy you another drink?” she asks, tilting her head in a cute way.
Another fucking loaded question. I glance at Crusher again and he jerks his head in ayes, do it!way.
“Sure.”
