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“Can I buy you a drink?” Dane asked, poking his head into my office just as I closed my laptop. “I know it’s Monday and all, but Monica took Maggie up on an offer to go somewhere downtown. Apparently,” he rolled his eyes, “it’s where all the hot guys are.”
“Do you want to invite your wife? The three of us can sit in the corner and judge everyone,” I suggested, offering a sympathetic smile.
“She’s working third shift at the hospital tonight, so it’ll just be you and I in the corner if that’s okay.”
“Come on!” Monica ordered, her shrill voice filling the empty office. Dane looked at me helplessly, so I followed him out with Monica and we took the train a few stops away to meet Maggie.
Her curls bounced around her face when she saw the three of us approaching, and I suddenly felt really old. And aware. Maggie wore turtle necks in winter and cardigans in the office, but the girl had a figure and it was on fire tonight.
“Who is this?” Monica called, hugging Maggie when we reached the corner where she waited. “Margaret, you need to dress like this more often.”
Dane and I glanced at each other, maybe both wishing we’d gone home instead because Maggie looked ready to party and, like I said, I felt old.
“Come on,” she urged, taking Monica’s arm and pulling her into the bar.
“Do we get an invitation?” Dane joked, holding the door open for me.
“No,” I laughed, “because you’re married and I told Maggie I was celibate. Monica’s her best friend now.”
After two drinks, I could tolerate Maggie and Monica a little more. I just couldn’t relax, and I think it was the last week adding up. From the game I took Maggie to, to Charity and her charitable cleavage, to the coffee shop, to how simple it seemed to wait for frozen pizza on Rowan’s porch.
I wondered if she was hoping for a repeat performance, being so close to where we went out with Rowan, Diego, and Ryan after their game, and I hoped it was my imagination getting carried away.
“Want another?” Dane picked up my empty glass and waved it around.
“I’ll go,” I offered, feeling Maggie’s feet knot with mine as we both climbed from our stools at the outside table.
“I’ll come with you!”
I was about to ask her about Becky while we waited for the bartender to notice us, but fate had other plans.
“I think we’ve met before,” a man spoke behind me.
“You have,” Maggie squealed. I turned around to see who had her twirling her hair. “You most definitely have. This is Meredith.” And he was Ryan Marshall. All six foot three of him. And his muscles. Blinking hard, I smiled politely when opening my eyes.
“Nice to see you again,” I greeted him. “Great game yesterday.” The bartender leaned over, getting my attention, so I ordered drinks for our table. Remembering what Rowan told me about Ryan being a serial one-night stand sort of guy made me feel protective of Maggie and her innocent obsession with baseball players.
I took advantage of two women approaching Ryan and pulled Maggie close to me.
“Okay, Maggie, we’re not living in some baseball romance fantasy,” I scolded her, not at all feeling guilty when she pouted. “We work together and we have to be professional here. The Emeralds donate a lot of seats throughout the year to us, and we can’t look bad because some of us can’t stop obsessing over the physical attributes of some players.” I sounded like my mom. Her bottom lip quivered as she nodded, crushed by what I said, even though it was responsible and true. Her mouth hung, eyes wide as she watched whatever unraveled behind me.
The surrounding air was heavy. Maybe it was the tequila. Maybe it was Diego Leon crossing the bar to Ryan, entwined with a gaggle next to us.
“You stalker,” I muttered, shaking my head at Maggie. She shrugged sheepishly, taking the drink I ordered for her from the bar. “Take these outside,” I guided the drinks toward her. Her red lips fell open once more, as if me directing her away from a possible harassment and stalking charge was some sort of punishment. In my periphery, I was busted by a tipsy Diego and Ryan, who both faced me.
It might’ve been the first time in my life, but two incredibly hot men were staring at me and I was not interested in it at all. I was thinking about calling Ezra for a ride home when Diego nudged my arm.
“Hey, it’s,” he squinted at me, “Mary!”
“Meredith,” Ryan corrected, smacking Diego against his chest. It sounded like two boulders smashing into each other.
“Hello,” I replied, gulping down the tequila shot the bartender passed my way before turning to Ryan and Diego, “and goodnight.”
Maggie was so red when I got to the table that I couldn’t distinguish her lipstick from her cheeks. Monica eyed me over the rim of her beer glass, waiting for me to break the tension.
“I’m going out of town next weekend,” I told them. “There was a death in the family. So,” I raised the glass Dane hadn’t yet consumed, “cheers to life!”
Maggie squeezed my arm. Following her wide eyes to the intersection, I felt my stomach knot. Quietly reprimanding myself for feeling anything about watching Rowan cross the street… Until a woman caught up with him and linked her arm with his.
