Picking Up the Pieces (Pieces, #2)(64)

“As thrilled as I am to be a mythical creature, I’d like to move on now.”

“I can’t. It’s like I’m a little kid who’s met their hero. That’s it! You’re my sexual hero.”

I shook my head as we got off the escalator.

“If I bought you a cape, would you wear it?”

I thought for a moment before enthusiastically nodding my head. Who am I to turn down a cape? I’d been so preoccupied by Kyle’s adoration that it took me a minute before I realized where we were. “Do we have tickets in a suite?”

Shane turned his head slightly to answer me as he kept walking. “Yeah. I got them from Tyler at the gym. His law firm has season tickets up here.”

“Why’d he give them to you?” My tone was more condescending than I’d intended, so I tried to backpedal. “I mean . . . I didn’t mean that in a bad way. Just . . . God, never mind. I’m an ass.”

Shane laughed his easy-going laugh. “Well, you’re definitely right about being an ass. I know this is hard for you girls to believe, but some people actually appreciate what I do for them at the gym.”

“Fools,” Amanda quipped as she scanned the signs for our suite number. “Here we are.”

We opened the door and stepped into awesomeness. There was a waitress there who I instantly decided was put on this earth to make me happy. “Can I get you guys anything before the game starts?” she asked us warmly.

“You guys want a beer?” Shane asked, to which he received a resounding “Hell yes.”

As Claudia, as her name tag read, walked off to get our drinks, I leaned forward and rested my forearms on the railing. “Where are the baskets?”

“Baskets? What are you talking about?” Kyle asked.

His reply reminded me of the last hockey game I had attended. I had met Adam at one of the Swift Middle School games and he had tried to explain the game to me. We had been having a lot of fun, until Max slipped up and called me “doll” in front of Adam and I had then lied and told Adam I loved him to cover my ass. Ah, memories. “Shouldn’t there be baskets that the guys throw the balls in?”

I saw Amanda smirk in my peripheral vision. It was true that I knew next to nothing about hockey, but even she knew that I wasn’t this dumb.

“Are you for real right now?” Shane added. I could see in his face that he suddenly regretted letting Amanda choose who came with them to the game.

“Do I have the wrong sport? Is there a goal post instead?”

The boys stared at me in disbelief.

Then the players emerged onto the ice and I clapped excitedly “Ooh, look. They have ice skates.”

“How are you friends with her?” Kyle asked Amanda.

“What do you mean?” I asked, feigning offense. “I was just your sexual hero five minutes ago.”

“I’m seriously reconsidering giving you that honor right now.”

“Lily, you really didn’t know they wore skates in hockey?” Shane’s tone reflected one he may use with his niece Mackenzie.

Finally, Amanda threw her arms up in exasperation. “Guys, really? She spent the better part of six months f*cking a professional hockey player. Do you really think she didn’t pick up anything during that time? Morons.”

“You always ruin all of my fun,” I whispered to her.

“I couldn’t take it anymore. It’s a wonder they’re able to dress themselves.”

The game passed quickly and before I knew it, I was hugging Claudia for making all of my food and beverage needs come true. I may be a tad drunk.

We walked out into the mezzanine and toward the escalators. My eyes registered a commotion off to the left and I innocently turned my attention in that direction. Fuck, shit, motherf*cking whore. As if sensing me, his blue eyes shifted and locked on mine, effectively depleting all of the oxygen in the room and causing all of the people between us to fade into the backdrop. What the hell is he doing here? And why is he holding a microphone?

Amanda followed my gaze. “Oh, you’ve got to be shittin’ me.”

“What’s wrong?” Shane asked, concern lacing his words.

“You’ll see. It’s heading this way,” Amanda said, a little too amused for my liking.

I whirled my head away from her and back toward where Max had been standing. Only he wasn’t standing there anymore. He was on the move . . . right for us. I took him in as he took deliberate, confident steps. He was wearing a white dress shirt, the top two buttons undone, sleeves rolled up, coupled with gray slacks. God really outdid himself when he created Max. I shook my head softly, needing to wipe those thoughts from it. I had to sober up. Fast.

Max sidled up to us and stuffed his hands in his pockets, making him look even hotter, which I didn’t think was even possible. “Hey, Lily.” A genuine, but tentative smile overtook his lips.

Ugh, this is bad. Not only was our meeting like this awkward in light of how we left things, but I was also fairly certain Adam would have a coronary when he found out. Maybe I just won’t tell him. Though I knew I couldn’t go down that road again. It starts with one simple white lie and ends with me spread eagle in Max’s bed. Ha, in your dreams. Wait. What the hell was I thinking? Please rein in drunk Lily, please rein in drunk Lily, I chanted over and over in my head until I realized everyone was staring at me. Oh, shit. I was supposed to be responding. “Hi, Max. What are you doing here?” Very smooth.