Page 57 of Buzzer Beater

“Hey,” I said.

She smiled and looked back at her menu. The Teppanyaki style restaurant had a limited menu plus a page for sushi. I glanced over it quickly before deciding.

She was wearing a pretty red dress that left her shoulders bare. My fingers tingled, desperate to touch her.

“You look great,” I said.

I wanted to look away, but my eyes linger on her for a few more seconds. Finally, I glanced away. I didn’t want to freak her out before I even had a chance. The last thing I wanted was for her to switch seats with someone. Hartman and Kendall were sitting across the two massive flat grills from me, watching. I’m sure they were entertained watching me crash and burn. I hoped they enjoyed the show.

I wanted to stick out my tongue or give them a single finger salute, but I knew better than to give them something more to laugh at.

“Thanks,” she said. “The dress is Elena’s but she swore I could pull it off.” She tugged at the fabric over her stomach.

I reached for her hand and pulled it away. “You look beautiful.”

Her eyes connected with mine for a brief moment, but it felt like forever. I wanted her to believe it, but I had no way of knowing if she did. Not yet at least.

The waitress came by and took our orders and immediately after a chef walked out ready to put on a show.

I spent more time watching Lucy’s reactions to his tricks and jokes than I cared to admit. She was radiant. Sun-kissed cheeks and loose waves. When she laughed, I was taken back to our time in college. Back when she was mine.

Dinner wouldn’t come to an end. I swear the guys kept ordering things just to prolong my torture. Every time Lucy reached for her drink her arm would graze mine. When she laughed really hard, she leaned to her left side. Into me. It was such a natural reaction for her that I doubted she even noticed.

She did that all the time back then. There were times when I’d have to hold her up while she was having a laughing fit. It was a struggle too; her laugh was infectious. One of those that you couldn’t help but join.

It was happening now. The entire group, on both tables, were laughing, some with tears in their eyes.

Wyatt said, “Lucy, tell us the most embarrassing thing Colin did back in college.”

I glared at Wyatt, but he didn’t miss a beat. “I’m sure there were several, but what’s your favorite?”

She looked at me with a wide smile. “Well, there are a few.”

I started shaking my head, but I knew better than try to stop it. It was sixteen against one. I had no chance.

“But the best one would have to be the time Colin got caught by the dean in nothing but a pair of women’s underwear.”

I groaned and dropped my head to my hands. Of all the miserable, embarrassing stories she had to go with the very worst.

The guys shouted questions while women at the table burst into snickers and giggles. Wonderful. I was never, ever going to live this down.

“We need details!” Grant said.

“So, one night we were hanging out with the team,” she said. “One of the guys wanted to play truth or dare, like we did back in middle school.”

I closed my eyes, willing the earth to open up and swallow me whole.

“The dares got worse and worse, but it was all topped by one of the player’s girlfriends daring three of them to run around the dorm building twice. At first it was supposed to be naked, but one of them argued that they could be arrested, so it changed to underwear. Women’s underwear.” She was laughing too hard to continue.

I almost finished for her, but when I looked up her expression stopped me. She was looking at me with genuine happiness on her face. Not just amusement, but like she was was remembering. It was the first time I’d seen her talk about our past without sadness or pain.

I sucked in a breath and smiled. I couldn't care less if the guys made fun of me for the rest of my career. This moment was worth it.

She stared at me, watching my reaction while she finished. “The guys changed and left to run outside. We watched from the window. Two of the guys got in and locked the door behind them so Colin was stuck outside. He was banging on the door when the dean and our biology teacher walked by.”

I sighed while she paused to laugh some more. She wiped under her eyes and smiled at me again. “The dean recognized him, so instead of getting in trouble the building manager was called to let Colin back in. Every time we went to biology class for the rest of the semester the teacher couldn’t look at him without laughing. I think my favorite part of college was watching the dean lose it when he announced Colin’s name at graduation.”

A chorus of guffaws lasted for a solid five minutes before they started to calm down.