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“Oh! Yes! Please.” She grabs her friend’s arm. “And this is Candice Claymore. We’re working together on a new movie.”
“I’ve heard all about you,” Candice says. “It’s so great to finally meet you.” I’m not sure I want to read too much into her smirk.
“It’s great to meet you, too.” My voice is wooden.
A round of introductions follows, and Flip, being Flip, tries to flirt with both of them. But Scarlet can’t be bothered, and Candice seems more interested in Dallas, whose focus is on the dance floor, rather than her.
Scarlet pretty much glues herself to my side, asking how I’ve been, what I’m up to, if I’m dating anyone. The conversation feels stilted and uncomfortable. Not for the first time tonight, I find my mind and gaze wandering.
Eventually Rix, Hemi, and Peggy return to the table with Tristan in tow, glowering like he’s ready to commit murder. Shilpa and Ashish might still be out there. No one exists outside of their bubble of two when they’re on the dance floor together.
Hemi grabs Peggy’s arm and leans in to say something. Suddenly her eyes widen and her mouth falls open. She lifts her hand to cover it as she scans the table. Rix notices Scarlet and latches on to Peggy’s other arm. There’s squealing from Rix, and Hemi is all smiles.
I expect Peggy to have a similar reaction after what Roman said, but her gaze locks on Scarlet’s hand, which is currently resting on my forearm. Her legs are crossed, and she’s leaning into me, which means her foot brushes my shin.
The sudden wave of guilt is jarring and unexpected. Peggy is as off-limits as it gets. I can’t afford to have feelings about the expression on her face. But my chest still twists uncomfortably at the flash of hurt.
Telling her it’s okay to use my place for privacy when I’m out of town feels like a line I can’t uncross. So was putting my hands on her when she was in my bedroom the other morning. And the fact that I can’t stop thinking about her is its own problem.
“Scarlet, that’s my daughter, Peggy, in the middle. She’s a huge fan.” Roman motions to the girls.
Scarlet’s eyes flare. “Daughter?”
“I was a hormonal teenager. Well, her mom and I were both hormonal teenagers who didn’t read the fine print on combining birth control pills and antibiotics. Best oopsie-daisy ever, though.” Roman smiles fondly at Peggy.
Scarlet presses her hand to her chest. “Aww… I love that you’re out together. That’s so fun.”
“Peggy probably feels a bit differently about that.”
Hemi and Rix flank Peggy, each holding one arm as they drag her forward. Her eyes are wide, and the color has drained from her face.
Scarlet slides out of the booth and grabs my hand, pulling me with her. “Introduce me!”
I wipe my damp hands on my pants. “Scarlet, this is Hemi Reddi-Grinst, our team PR liaison.”
“It’s so lovely to meet you!” They shake hands.
“I love all the charities you support! I’m such a fan of your team promotion,” Scarlet gushes.
Hemi, forever poised, graciously accepts the compliment.
“This is Beatrix Madden, Flip’s sister. She’s a financial planner, but she also preps meals for a few of us on the team. She’s a wizard at creating a balanced diet, and we’re lucky to have her,” I say.
“Oh, I love that! That’s amazing!” Scarlet says.
Rix flushes and waves the compliment away. “It’s something I do for fun on the side. It’s so great to meet you. I’m a huge fan. Like, so huge. I’m trying to keep it together, but it’s a struggle. You’d think having all these hockey stars around would desensitize a girl, but apparently not.”
Scarlet laughs. “Oh, I get it! I almost fainted when I met my unicorn actor last year at the awards.”
“We all have a unicorn, don’t we?” Rix and Scarlet share a laugh.
I swallow past the enormous lump in my throat as I make the final introduction. “And this is Peggy, Roman’s daughter.” I don’t know what’s going on with me, but this whole situation is beyond uncomfortable.
“Hammer. I’m Hammer. Most people call me Hammer except for my dad’s side of the family,” she corrects.
“Oh! Like Hammer, short for Hammerstein, because you grew up surrounded by hockey players?” Scarlet asks.
“Basically, yeah.” Peggy’s eyes dart to where Scarlet is petting my arm. “Didn’t you and Hollis used to date?”
