Page 20 of Your Kiss Is On My List

Before I have a chance to introduce Dani, all eyes are on her and she’s taken up all the attention from my filthy fucking teammates. I let go of her hand and move my arm around her shoulders to send an unmistakably possessive message. I go way past protective when I tilt my head toward her and kiss her temple, whispering a warning.

“Watch out for these guys. They’re far more dangerous than your NYU film and broadcast majors.” She turns her head to me and gives me that look, the one that says she’ll follow me to the ends of the earth, and I have a hard time sucking in air.

“This is Louise and Danielle, gentlemen,” Dooley says with his usual flourish.

“Call me Lou,” my sister says, eying the guys like they’re her personal feast.

“Lou is my sister,” I say, my voice stern enough to put the kibosh on the filthy intentions I know at least half of them have. I add, “And Dani is—”

“Trey’s almost fiancée,” Dooley interrupts. I stiffen and my chest seizes up, but I hide the panic from my face. I need to talk to Dani about lines in the sand, about going too far with the charade because Nate’s my best friend and someone I’d share things like a girlfriend with.

Thank fuck Nate’s busy giving Shelby a hard time so he doesn’t hear the almost fiancée crack. Dani laughs and waves hello as she leans in to me for emphasis. Lou shakes her head. Summer’s face tightens, but she gives me that look I know. Skepticism flourishes on her investigative journalist face. Shit.

Shelby pulls another table over and we join the fracas. Heather and Emily surround him and he gives them equal attention. Not sure what that’s about, but I don’t think Heather is thrilled even if she’d never complain in a million years. Two waitresses circle the table and I order.

“A round for the table.” I feel a need to take control, to take the leadership role as captain of the hockey team.

“You think that’s going to make up for your stupid fucking fight?” one of the guys shouts. He’s grinning and the guys laugh, but I hear the edge in his voice.

“You mean brilliant fucking fight, don’t you?” Nate says and that gets some glasses raised in a toast.

“Don’t encourage him,” Lou says. “He’ll get himself knocked out. He’s a better scorer than a fighter.”

“He held his own,” Nate says.

“I more than held my own. Didn’t you see all that blood?”

“Sure,” Lou says. “You blindsided the guy. Why do you think you’re the only one who got the fighting penalty?” Lou snickers. Nate lifts a glass to her.

“You know your hockey.” He’s more than impressed. He’s looking at her with the kind of attention I understand and I’m not sure how I feel about it, so I nudge him.

“You’re not exempt from the sister rule,” I say under my breath. He nudges me back and doesn’t flinch or take his eyes off Lou.

“Of course I know hockey. You’re just now realizing this?” Lou says to Nate, but her attitude is more flirtatious than defiant. Shit. Where is this coming from? They’ve met before in the past three years since we’ve been playing together and I never noticed any sparks. Not like the kind of flares I’m feeling now.

“How did you and Dani get to be BFFs?” Nate asks Lou, somehow knowing it’s like petting her underbelly, sure to make her adore him like she’s a lost puppy.

She tells him the story of how Dani saved her from a bully in second grade and I could swear Nate is mesmerized.

“What’s this bully’s name and address? I don’t think he’s suffered enough yet,” Nate says, and I see the interest in her eyes, her body language, the way she’s leaning. And I see his body leaning right back.

Could Nate be attracted to Lou? Next to Dani, she’s the most effective man magnet I’ve ever seen. The only difference is that she encourages them and doesn’t mind leaving a trail of broken hearts. Dani was better at discouraging guys before they got too attached.

Not one to hang backstage for long, Summer pushes her way in between me and Nate, not even a little subtle.

“What about you two?” Summer points at me and Dani. Her voice is loud enough to draw the attention of most of the table. “How did you become… an item.”

“You mean how did we make the leap from friends,” Dani says, “or more like frenemies with all the pranks we’ve played on each other, to practically engaged?” She’s all smiles, leaning across me to answer Summer’s question that was meant for me.

I cough as I try to swallow my sip of beer with the fat-ass lie she’s telling and Nate’s eyes bug out of his head.

“Are you shitting me? Is that for real? Engaged?” He gives me an incredulous look with a sinister tint.

“No, we’re not almost engaged. She likes to tease.” I shove her knee with mine in an effort to rein her in, but all I succeed in doing is creating sparks where there was only smoldering before. Our close proximity is one of those pleasures that needs containment even as I soak it up in the moment. She laughs and gives me a look that I can’t interpret any other way flirtatious unless she’s turned into someone other than the truly authentic girl I once knew. Is she suddenly a game player?

Duh. This pretend relationship is nothing but a big game and I’m not sure who it benefits or why she’s getting into it. I’m getting fucking pissed, but I reign it in because I was wrong to ghost her for three years, to abandon her when I know she has a dicey home. Foolish to think all she needed was her best friend Lou. Because I know very well she relied on me for the more serious stuff. But she’s a big girl now and I need to come to grips with that. I need to come to grips with how I feel about her and who she is now.

Louie is great, don’t get me wrong. But she doesn’t get it, has trouble envisioning anything other than the ideal family life we’ve always had even when she knows her friend has struggled. Partly it’s because Dani has always been so resilient. It’s like she’s emotionally bomb proof. Nothing can damage her.