Page 38 of Mac Meyers Needs Me

Mac and I haven’t talked about what’s next for him. But why would we when we’re just pretend?

“I’ll have a kin degree under my belt, but the dream is to be called up by a team,” Mac confides.

“Do you have interest?” Roman presses.

“Uh, yeah. Ottawa, Edmonton, and Florida.” Mac rubs the back of his neck.

Florida and Edmonton are both a plane ride away, and Ottawa is five hours by car. I still have a year left. How would it even work if we were actually real?

“You have designs on any of those teams?”

Ariel climbs out of my lap and pushes past Mac’s knees to tug on Roman’s sleeve. “Da-ee! I need to pee!”

“Okay, kiddo, let’s go.”

I’m grateful Lexi doesn’t offer to take her.

“I’m really sorry about him,” I mutter to Mac once Roman is heading for the bathroom with Ariel doing the pee-pee dance.

“It’s okay, I really don’t mind.”

Lexi moves into Roman’s seat while he’s gone, preventing further interrogation, but he side-eyes Mac when he stretches his arm across the back of my chair halfway through the period.

Mac offers to go to the concession stand at intermission.

I turn to Roman. “Can you cut it with the hairy eyeball?”

Roman arches his brow. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Ariel pokes between his eyes. “S’mood.”

Connor scoffs. “He must really like you if he’s willing to brave Daddy Roman.”

“Do not call me that,” Roman grumbles.

Dred does a circle motion around her face, then points at Roman. “This is why Hammer and Hollis hid things from you.”

Before we moved to Toronto, Roman’s daughter, who is older than me by a few years, started dating one of the Terror players. That player also happened to be twelve years older than her and Roman’s best friend. Hammer and Hollis dated in secret for several months before the shit hit the fan. Apparently, Roman didn’t take it well at first, which tracks.

Roman pokes at his cheek with his tongue and glares at Dred.

“Don’t look at my wife like that,” Connor warns.

Dred pats his hand. “I can handle myself, Connor.”

“I’m aware, darling.” He kisses her temple.

“He’s a hockey player,” Roman states.

“Uh, yeah. I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but I’m surrounded by hockey players all the time. He’s my friend.”

“You two seem pretty cozy for friends,” my sister pipes up.

“Whose side are you on?” I grumble.

“It’s just an observation.” She smiles innocently.

Mac returns with popcorn and drinks from the concession stand for everyone, ending that conversation. He even bought Ariel a box of animal crackers.