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“I’d think the start of this season would be mostly highs, no?”

“Yes and no. There’s unbelievable pressure after winning the championship. The fans expect more of the same. The sports pundits will start comparing everything we do to what we did last season. Other teams will go at us harder because they subconsciously want to prove we didn’t deserve it. Shit like that.”

“I imagine at this stage of your career, you’ve been through it a few times.”

“In general, yes, but I’ve never been on a championship winning team before.”

“You guys are going to do awesome,” she says, her smile reaching her eyes this time. “I can feel it in my bones.”

“I hope you’re right.” I sit back because our food arrived, essentially ending the conversation.

“Who’s up for midnight putt-putt golf?” Blaze asks the table.

“Oh, not me,” Serena says with a laugh. “I have to be in the makeup chair at seven.”

“I’m out too,” West says.

“I don’t have anything until later in the day,” Allora says, “so we’re in.”

“Me too,” Lacy says.

“Where you go, I go,” Chris says amiably.

“Oh, that sounds fun,” Maya says. “I’m in.”

“Me too.” The words come out of my mouth, and in my peripheral vision, I catch Simon dipping his head to hide a laugh.

“I wouldn’t miss it,” Simon says, still grinning.

I give him a dirty look but he just digs into his food.

Christ, what have I gotten myself into?

* * *

We take three vehicles to the mini golf course, and it’s packed. This special midnight event is apparently very popular, so there’s a bit of a line as we wait to buy our tickets. It seems like Maya has been accepted into the fold, even without her brother being here. Her friendship with Serena helps, of course, but it’s more than that. She’s obviously beautiful but she’s also enigmatic, funny, and I get the feeling she’s the life of the party, no matter where she is or who she’s with.

It’s almost impossible not to be pulled into her orbit, and I can’t help but notice the way both Simon and Blaze hang on to her every word.

I’m suddenly reminded of the night we met. She’d pulled me into her orbit then too, convincing me to dance with her all night. Offering to buy her own drinks. Not asking a lot of questions about my life and giving me exactly what I thought I needed.

Except I’m beginning to think I was wrong.

I’ve drowned myself in liquor, hockey, and meaningless sex since the night I caught Shandy and Jake in bed together. That was what I needed at the time, but it’s been two years and it’s obviously not working for me anymore. The question now is why. And what.

“You’re up,” Simon says to me, giving me a nudge.

I pick up the club and put my red golf ball on the floor in front of me. Then I swing and watch as it goes right into the hole.

“Oh, yeah!” I lift my arms in the air.

Everyone claps, and Maya high fives me. “Good job,” she says. “Now let’s see if I’ve lost my touch.”

To my shock, and everyone else’s delight, her ball goes in right after mine and there’s another round of applause.

“I’m impressed,” I tell her.

She laughs. “My younger brother loves mini golf. We must’ve played ten times when Reid and I had him this summer.”