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Heart hammering in his chest, Oliver rolled his hips, forcing a groan from her throat as she grasped fistfuls of his coat. He reluctantly pulled back. “Shame we have to wait till January.”
“I know. Silly work commitments.” Pausing for a beat, the sparkle returned to her eyes. “Hey, what about this Friday? You free?”
“I am!”
“Let’s go for dinner! I know this great Laotian-Thai place. Has incredible cakes and desserts, too, perfect for the most well-travelled of sugar gliders.” Georgie played with the hair at his temple and looked so damn happy, glowing just as brightly as the lights along the Yonge Street strip.
Picky Oliver had never eaten Laotian or Thai cuisine, but his finicky tastes were no match for his overwhelming desire for Georgie. And if the desserts at this restaurant were exemplary…well, at this point, she could’ve asked him to dive naked into Lake Ontario midwinter and he would’ve said yes.
Oliver kissed her on the forehead and mirrored her eager grin. “I’d love to. It’s a date!”
TWENTY-ONE
GEORGIE
The next day, Wednesday, November 11, 1992
Leafs record: 8 wins, 5 losses, 2 ties (in overtime)
Fingers impatiently drumming the Formica table, Michael sat up straight as Georgie arrived, the shoulders of her coat dappled with raindrops. “Okay, I’m freakin’ out a bit.” His narrowed gaze darted across Lime Rickey’s and back again. “You only socialize on Remembrance Day if there’s a game, so what’s up?! Is it the promotion? Is your mum all right?”
“Mum’s fine.” Georgie tossed her tote and purse into the booth and whipped off her coat, careful not to stab herself with the pin of her poppy. Lips still tender, she broke into a grin as a waitress carrying a platter of cheese, salsa, and chips slid the delicious distraction onto their table. “Ahhh, Bou! You ordered celebration nachos!” Meeting the eyes of the departing server, she chirped, “Thank you!” and scooted across the booth’s banquette.
“Georgina!” Leaning in, Michael gestured to himself. “Eyes here, cheese later! What happened?”
Guilt twisted like a corkscrew in her chest. As much as she appreciated Eden’s perspective on matters of the heart, Michael should’ve been the first person she’d confided in. She bundled her coat beside her and sucked in a deep breath, letting it all escape on her exhale. “I have a thing for Oliver.”
With a hard blink, Michael eased back into the booth. “That’s it?” He laughed and played with the scattering of quarters lying near the mini jukebox. “Jesus, Georgie! I’ve known since that night at McNally’s.”
Her jaw dropped. “How?”
“It was the way you looked at him.” He toyed with the coins. “Once upon a teenage time you looked at me like that.”
Sweet memories of hazy summer days frolicked through Georgie’s mind. She reached across the table and squeezed his hand.
“But onward and upward, eh?” A tender smile curved Michael’s lips as he squeezed her hand in response before letting her go. “I was wondering when you were gonna say something. I actually have a bet with Kaitlin.”
“Nooo! You guys!”
Michael laughed and picked up his cherry cola, stealing a quick slurp. “Thanks to you, I’m now $20 richer.” He returned his glass to the table. “Kait thought you wouldn’t tell me.”
“At all?” Georgie eyed the strawberry milkshake he’d ordered for her. “Why?”
“You’d talk yourself out of it,” said Michael. “Find a million reasons why getting involved with Oliver was a bad idea.”
“Yeah, sounds like me.”
“See? We know you better than you know yourself.” He scratched the back of his neck. “I think on some level Kaitlin was hoping your crush would fade.”
Frowning, Georgie reached for her shake. “That’s weird. Kait encouraged me. So did Leesa.”
“She was all for it till you mentioned something about keeping him away from your apartment and all your hockey stuff and whatnot.”
Georgie swirled the straw through the whipped cream and pink froth. “No, I said I didn’t want him seeing me in full fan mode: in my jersey with you guys, being sweary and unteacher-like.”
“But isn’t that two sides of the same coin?” Michael tugged a nacho free from the cheesy pile. “Keeping him at arm’s length, hiding who you really are.”
“Not forever,” said Georgie. “Just initially.”
