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Will’s place…is a SPORTS bar? Oliver tensed. Their sports bar?! Luckily, Georgie was half-turned, tossing her empty cup in the trash, so his unease escaped unseen.
“I should’ve mentioned it yesterday when I was rattling off places to eat. It’s super close, just two doors down from here. Great food, great people.” She twisted back toward the table and unfolded another letter. “It’s my other home away from home.”
“We head over after most games, too,” added Leesa. “It’s like Cheers. Everyone knows our names.” She glanced at Kaitlin, who grinned playfully.
“You should join us sometime, Oliver!” Her stare hopped across the table. “Right, Georgie?”
Looking up, Georgie’s open-mouthed gaze bounced to Kaitlin. “Uh, yeah?” She glanced sidelong at Oliver. “If you’d like.”
Leesa pounded the table. “Tonight even!”
And enter the orbit of his estranged father? Oliver froze, the shock of the unexpected invite rippling through him, rendering him temporarily gobsmacked. His pulse pounded in his ears.
Shit had just gotten real, real quick.
And out of his control.
Kaitlin nodded. “Come hang out, have some wings, a few drinks…” She quieted as a tall man in a tracksuit with a dark brown mullet, a moustache, and a furrowed brow approached. He nodded hello, and his greeting dropped a hush over the fan club contingent until he flung open the door to the team’s executive offices a few feet away and disappeared inside.
“That’s our head coach,” Leesa explained to Oliver as the guys at the second table erupted into a rowdy bout of fanboy chatter.
Georgie leaned in. “Hey, I’ll even buy your drinks tonight as a thank you for being such a great sport this morning.”
“Oh, you don’t have to do that,” said Oliver.
“I want to.” She removed her notebook from her bag. “And I want to share a presentation idea I’ve come up with, so guys, talk amongst yourselves, ’kay?”
Oliver couldn’t have been more relieved at the change of topic. Hopefully, she’d get so deeply involved she’d forget all about his McNally’s invite.
* * *
“So!” Flipping her notebook closed, Georgie angled closer. “Whatcha think?”
“It’s terrific.” Oliver relaxed into a smile. “I’m bowled over, actually.”
Georgie laid her hand on her chest. “Oh, I’m so glad!” Tucking a wisp of hair behind her ear, she sat up straight. “Great! I’ll flesh it out further.”
“Maybe see what my boss says first? I don’t want to waste more of your time if she isn’t keen.” He downed the last lukewarm mouthful of coffee.
“I’m not wasting anything. I like collaborating with you,” said Georgie. “It’s fun, and honestly, I think she’s gonna love it. We’re gonna kill this thing.”
Oliver grinned, thankful for his own little fan club of one. He turned to lob his empty Tim Hortons cup into the trash.
“Roll up first, Oliver.” Kaitlin pointed. “The rim. Take a look and see if you’ve won.”
Prizes? Concealed in a coffee cup? So that’s why Georgie was fussing with hers earlier.
Leesa leaned over the photo album in her lap, keen for the result. “Could be a donut, a coffee, a car.”
Oliver unfurled the paper rim and found Please Play Again/Réessayez SVP. He shook his head and threw the cup away. “Maybe next time.”
“Ah, story of my life”—Georgie grimaced—“in more ways than one.”
Oliver watched her fish another letter out of the to-be-answered pile. “I wish there were something I could help you with in return.”
“You already are. I’m hoping to add the presentations to my résumé. There’s a department head promotion I’ve been working toward for a while now, but I recently had a minor setback.” Her brow furrowed briefly as she flattened the creases out of the letter. “Contributing to the museum’s school programming might give me the boost I need.”
Something in her voice sounded bruised. Oliver suspected there was much more to this “minor setback” than she was letting on.
