Page 32 of Pucked Together
And he knows her name? Who the hell is this asshole?
She throws her arms around his neck in a quick hug and then lets go and kisses her phone. At least it was her phone and not this guy.
"I wouldn't do that," Justin says, wincing. "It was found on the bathroom floor."
Izzy gags theatrically.
"That's unfortunate," I say, crossing my arms.
Justin glances over at me.
"Can I get you guys anything to drink?" he offers.
Oh great, he's nice too.
"Yes, please!" Izzy says at the same time I say, “No thanks.”
Justin rubs the back of his neck, clearly trying to get a read on us.
“Ok, so what’ll it be, Izzy?”
“A diet Coke with three ice cubes and a splash of lime,” she smiles brightly.
“What?” I eye her.
“It’s what I always get. Just ask, Keelan,” she shrugs.
“Coming right up,” says Justin. He pops open the bar top and slides behind it like he’d done it a million times before.
“You didn’t order that last night,” I remind her.
“That’s because last night I was trying to forget a certain hockey player exists, and today I have new problems."
"Hmm," is all I respond. We still need to talk about the Trevor thinking we're together thing. I'll wait to bring it up in the car.
I shove my hands in my pocket and look around the place. In the daylight, it definitely loses its charm. You can see just how dingy it is. Scuff marks are all over the floor from the nightly drunk dancers. The paint looks like it hasn't been retouched in what seems like over a decade.
"So, how long have you been working here, Justin?" Izzy asks, leaning the top half of her body over the bar and anticipating his answer.
She'd changed into her usual attire of curve-hugging yoga pants and oversized Heatwave merch. But today, she's wearing some dark combat boots with the ensemble. Her hair is up in a whimsical topknot. It suits her.
Thor whips out a glass, drops in three cubes, and sprays some Diet Coke into it. "Pretty much my whole life, really." He squeezes a lime over the top and sticks a straw in. "My dad owned the place and passed it on to me," he clarifies.
"That's pretty cool. Bet you meet some interesting people."
"Every night," he pushes the drink towards Izzy.
"Anyone I would know?" She takes a sip. Her perfect lips wrap around the straw, and she plays with it in her mouth as she speaks.
He leans onto the bar, "Hmm, we've had a few celebrities stop in. Mostly sports stars. We get some Heatwave guys that are regulars."
She grins with the straw still in her mouth and looks back at me.
"I'd recognize Ryker Balinger anywhere," Justin admits. "You're a legend, man."
Well, shit. Now I have to be nice. He's a fan.
"Thanks." I shrug at a loss for words at the moment.