Dropped Gloves (Five for Fighting #5)

by Amber Lynn

  Lisa’s eyes remained locked with Casey’s, so as her husband spoke, Lisa got to see the small sparkle in Casey’s eyes that made her think that Dylan may not watch the video, but there was a good chance Casey did. Casey had to already think Lisa had a few screws loose, so watching her pantomiming her inner battle about whether she should take off before anyone else got there probably wasn’t so bad.

  “You don’t think we should verify our guests didn’t kill someone and bury them on our property while they waited for us?” Casey’s face transformed with a megawatt smile as she looked over to Dylan to ask him the question.

  There was something odd about the pair, but yet they were somehow perfect for each other. Lisa wasn’t really sure how to explain what it was that made her feel that way. It felt like Dylan was way too laid back for someone with so much argumentative energy rolling through her. More than likely there was something Lisa was missing about their relationship, so she tried not to spend too much time analyzing it.

  On the exterior, the pair looked the part of the perfect couple. Even with two young kids and busy jobs, they looked like they didn’t miss a second of sleep at night. Being married, Dylan didn’t get as much attention as he once had because of his perfectly trimmed brown hair and easy to fall into blue eyes, but the women in the stands still talked about him, specifically what it would be like to spend a night with him.

  It was uncomfortable to sit and listen to them talk, but talking about the players and coaches seemed to be something a lot of the female fans enjoyed doing. The men in the stands didn’t go on and on about women involved with the team, but if they had a chance to see the fiery redhead with daring green eyes that sat across from Lisa, they’d find themselves doing more than just talking about the game.

  It was difficult being the odd man, or woman, out at the table. Any hope that Ryan was even slightly less attractive than their hosts was dashed when he stepped out of his car. He had about the same hair and eye color as Dylan, but his hair was a little longer and still wet from a postgame shower. He was also about three inches taller and built a little more like a tree trunk.

  Lisa should’ve been intimidated by him, but yet she had no problem yanking on his nose. Part of her thought it had to somehow be fake, not only because she expected it to be broken, but because his face was almost too perfect.

  Rather than dwell on that fact, Lisa focused on her food, trying to wind the long fettuccine noodles on her plate around her fork. She didn’t have any real expectations for the dinner, so her goal was to say as little as possible and get home as quickly as possible. The conversation had moved to the hockey game they’d all come from, so it was easy for Lisa to tune out and let everyone else do the talking.

  “I’m sure you know better than me, but I get the feeling you’re going to have an issue trying to get that fork in your mouth.” Lisa startled hearing Ryan’s whisper close to her ear.

  Since she was staring at her plate, one would assume she’d know that the noodles around her fork were about two inches wide, but Lisa wasn’t paying attention. Her face flushed as she realized she’d let her mind wander.

  “She was probably hoping she could shove it in your mouth so the conversation would turn to something she cares about.” Casey nodded her head to the side, like she actually expected Lisa to try to feed the forkful to her dinner companion.

  “I’m fairly certain Ryan is old enough to feed himself.” Lisa moved her fork so she could cut the noodles off of it by putting a little pressure against the plate. It was pretty clear to her that anytime her involvement was brought into the conversation it was going to lead to weirdness.

  “But I wouldn’t mind trying a bite of yours.” Before she could get far in relieving the noodle binds around her fork, Ryan reached over to her hand with the fork and guided it to his mouth.

  Lisa was so shocked the action was happening that she didn’t fight against it. She was too busy asking herself why in the world Casey had set her up with not one, but two guys who had no idea what the meaning of the word boundaries was.

  A few of the noodles had fallen off, but that didn’t change the fact that about a quarter of her plate was on the fork that easily fit in Ryan’s mouth. A part of her felt she should clap at the accomplishment, but instead she ended up pulling her fork away from him once the food was gone and setting it down on her plate.

  “I think I should probably go home.” The words should’ve been more convincing, but Lisa couldn’t muster more than a half murmur.

  “We have more forks,” Casey suggested. “I think you should give it a little more time. I mean, you have to look on the bright side. He hasn’t asked to play hide the salami.”

  Casey was stringing together statements, like the more she could say, the better the chances of Lisa not running for the door as fast as she could. The only thing keeping Lisa in her chair was the fact that she felt a firm leg move to brush against the front left leg of her chair, and the leg attached to the man next to her hadn’t moved out of the way.

  “Is that why you said what you did earlier? Someone seriously propositioned you on a blind date?”

  Ryan made it sound like the idea was preposterous. Lisa didn’t want to look over to see how his face matched the tone, so she kept her eyes on her plate. She hoped he was focused on the rudeness part of the suggestion and not that she wasn’t worthy of sleeping with.

  “There’s a reason there’s no alcohol at the table. I knew we wouldn’t have the same problem with you, but the fork steal was surprising.”

  Somehow Casey’s use of the word surprising seemed like a massive understatement. Lisa had never shared her fork, or any other utensils with someone. Even guys she’d dated for months knew where the lines were drawn. Her plate was hers. His was his. It really was that simple.

  “We’re on a date. What’s so surprising about me trying some of my date’s food?” Ryan sounded legitimately perplexed.

  “So, Lisa, let me clue you in on a little secret about guys,” Casey said, making Lisa think they were on the path of ignoring Ryan’s question. Casey’s right hand, with an empty fork in it, jutted out to point at Ryan. “In my years of observing the male species, I’ve come to the conclusion that they are horrible at picking up social clues. The specimen sitting next to you may in fact be the worst offender I’ve ever seen.”

  “What am I missing?” Ryan was quick to jump in before Lisa could comment. “You’re the one who pointed out we were holding hands, so it’s not like there isn’t some level of intimacy going on here. Do you like Italian food?”

  Lisa didn’t have to wonder who the question was directed at. Ryan’s foot nudged her chair to let her know. Things were well on the road to the weirdest date she’d ever been on. Wanting to do what she could to just get the conversation over with so maybe she could leave, she nodded her head.

  “Then why have you sat there for twenty minutes with food on your plate without eating a bite? I thought maybe you thought something was wrong with the food, so I sampled it for you. It hasn’t killed me yet, so I think it’s safe to eat. I promise I don’t have cooties.”

  Cooties wasn’t Lisa’s general concern when it came to him eating off her fork. It was the familiarity the action stood for that weirded her out. Be that as it may, his explanation was kind of cute.

  “I don’t like eating in front of people.” The anxiety she felt when put in that situation was something she usually hid, but the group she was with made it harder to lift the fork up to her mouth.

  Casey was aware of the issue, since Lisa thought it was necessary to warn her before the first blind date. Tim had been so annoying that the free meal was all Lisa cared about. Ryan was different, and not just because he was gorgeous. She felt an odd tingling of a draw to him, and it scared the crap out of her. The idea of him seeing her slurping noodles and making a mess of her face was something she couldn’t get past.

  “But you agreed to have dinner. Didn’t you think there’d be food involved?”
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br />   “Don’t be dense, Ryan.” Lisa caught the glare Casey shot his way. Stating the obvious in the woman’s presence didn’t tend to go over well. “You actually like him, don’t you?”

  Casey also didn’t think before she said the words on her mind. It was a habit no one who met her appreciated much. Lisa didn’t mind hearing what Casey had to say on a subject, but calling her out was a little out of bounds.

  “I know nothing about him, so it’s a little hard to say whether I like him or not.” Lisa was curious what gave it away, and hoped the males at the table bought her reply. Dylan seemed to be more engrossed in his food than the conversation. If Lisa knew anything about hockey, she would’ve tried to steer the conversation back to the sport.

  “You had no problem eating with Tim around. I think your eating phobia just depends on the people around you.”

  “Wait a second. Tim? As in Tim Langford. You set her up with Tim Langford?” Ryan sounded shocked, which seemed weird since he obviously knew the other man.

  “Is there only one guy named Tim who plays hockey?” Lisa assumed there were more, but maybe there was only one who had played on the team.

  “No,” Ryan said, using his foot to move Lisa’s chair to face his direction more, since she’d refused to look in his direction after the fork incident. “I thought the hide the salami comment was a joke, but if Tim was involved, it makes sense, and so does a comment you made earlier when we were in the driveway. As you’ve already pointed out, we know nothing about each other, but I’m smart enough to know you and Tim isn’t happening in this lifetime.”

  It sounded like an insult to Lisa, which made her brow furrow slightly as she thought about it. Ryan saw the action and reached up to rub his thumb across her forehead.

  “That was a compliment. I have nothing nice to say about the women Tim ends up with. I could tell you some of the stories I’ve heard, but I don’t think they’re appropriate for dinner.” His hand remained on her head for an extra second before he exited her personal bubble. “If you still want to leave, I wouldn’t mind heading out. It’s been a long day, and I’m sure you’ve got plans for tomorrow.”

  Lisa rarely had a day off, so she did have plans, but nothing she wanted to share. Everyone else around the table made more in a month than she did in a year. She wasn’t embarrassed about what she did for a living, but it wasn’t something she wanted to discuss in detail.

  “If there’s no other complaints, I think I’d like to call it a night.” Before Lisa could say more, her chair was pulled out and she found herself standing.

  “Perfect. Thank you both for your hospitality, but I think it’s best if we call it a night.”

  Lisa found her left hand engulfed with Ryan’s larger one as he pulled her around the table and over to the door. It was only about five feet away, but she was still impressed by how quickly he moved.

  “Um, I think I can make it out to my car by myself.” Lisa understood the want to get away, but she didn’t know what possessed Ryan for the fast exit.

  Ryan wasn’t waiting for a response from their hosts. They were outside, with the door closed behind them and a cool breeze hitting them in their face. Lisa was happy she hadn’t taken her coat off, even though at first she thought it was a little rude that they’d sat down to dinner like they were ready to leave at any second.

  “I’m sure you’re more than capable of moving on your own, but I got the sense Casey was going to give you grief and convince you to stay longer, something I’m sure you would’ve hated. She can claim I’m unobservant all she wants, but in reality, I just didn’t want to make assumptions about why you seemed withdrawn.”

  They had made it to her car, with the only noises around them the crunch of the gravel under their feet and Ryan’s voice. It wasn’t difficult to figure out which of the cars parked in front of the house was hers. Thankfully, even with the bright light coming from the house, it was a little difficult to see just how beat up the red machine was.

  Lisa was waiting for the door they’d exited to swing open and Casey or Dylan to come running after them, but no one seemed to be worried about Lisa being rushed off. Lisa really didn’t have a reply to what he’d said. He was right about Casey and what her response would’ve been. She would’ve been stuck there for at least another hour, wishing she were anywhere but there.

  “Look, you don’t have to say anything. It’s late, and as I already mentioned, I’m sure you have stuff to do tomorrow.” Ryan had turned Lisa so her back was against her driver’s side door. He gave her a little space, but kept ahold of her hand. Ceasing to talk for a second, he just stared into her eyes, looking for something. “I know this date was short and probably nothing like either of us expected. Or maybe you did, since you’ve been set up before. Anyway, it didn’t go how I would’ve liked it, so I suggest we try it again without the matchmakers.”

  Lisa felt her eyes widen as the words sunk in. Her heart wasn’t sure if it should speed up or stop, making her grab her chest with her free hand in an attempt to regulate the beating a little.

  “I don’t know if that’s such a good idea.”

  “Come on. If the eating thing is an issue, we can go to the movies or something. I would really like to get to know you a little better, whether that’s romantically or just as friends. I don’t know what you know about me, but I’m pretty new to the city and friends aren’t something I have right now.”

  That was hard for Lisa to believe, but it did make her feel a little sorry for him. She didn’t have any real friends in the city, but she preferred it that way.

  “If you’re really new to the city, maybe I could take you on a tour or something.” The part of her that wanted to say no and run home was overruled.

  “I’d like that,” Ryan said, smiling as he pulled out his cell phone. “Why don’t you call or text a time and date that works for you and we’ll get together.”

  They exchanged numbers and Lisa was ushered into her car. She wasn’t really sure what she’d gotten herself into, but a part of her was excited about what a normal date between them could bring. She didn’t have any dreams of them falling and love and getting married. She was too realistic for that, but there was something about Ryan that made her want to spend more time with him. If nothing else, she wanted to figure out what that was.

  Chapter Five

  Six days, not quite a week, but at the same time it felt like a lifetime. Ryan hadn’t expected to hear from Lisa the very next day after they exchanged numbers, even if he hoped he would, but he thought for sure eventually she’d call. He knew there were lines he probably crossed during their date, but he’d managed to keep from giving her a goodnight kiss, so he really had constrained himself.

  The longer he sat there and observed her during dinner, the more intrigued he’d become. He was already attracted to her based solely on looks, but the fact that she didn’t throw herself at him made him like her even more. There was something about the timidness he felt during the meal that made him feel protective of her, which was why he rushed her out of the room.

  Casey didn’t appear to have a filter, and Ryan wanted to keep her from revealing any more things she picked up between them. If he wanted a chance with Lisa, they needed to spend time outside a group dynamic. There was no question he wanted a chance. He should’ve been scared that he’d actually dreamt twice about her walking down an aisle towards him in a white dress, but the dreams only made him want to see her more.

  “Still no call or text?” Dylan asked from behind Ryan.

  They’d just finished a morning practice and Ryan had taken a seat on the bench to clear his head a little. The rest of the team had headed back to the locker room, but Ryan wasn’t ready to leave the chill the ice provided. Every inch of his body was covered with sweat, which he usually ran to wash off.

  Ryan hadn’t spoken to Casey, but he had apologized to Dylan for the quick exodus and explained his actions. Dylan seemed to understand his want to get Lisa out of the situation and wa
s glad to hear they’d exchanged numbers. Apparently Ryan was frustrated enough that he hadn’t heard anything that his coach was able to pick it up.

  “Not a word. Things seemed positive when she left, so I’m not sure what’s going on. Obviously she’s got a life, and I suppose things may just be busy right now.”

  That’s what Ryan told himself when he stared at his phone late at night, willing it to ring. It was unlike him to be that focused on a woman, but he didn’t even know if she made it home safely.

  “At least you’ve been able to see her a couple times, even if you haven’t spoken to her.”

  Ryan had focused his eyes on the gouges they’d put into the ice during practice, even after his quiet time had been interrupted. Hearing that Dylan thought he’d somehow seen Lisa made Ryan glance over his shoulder.

  “What do you mean I’ve seen her?”

  “I’m pretty sure I didn’t stutter. She’s been on the ice for both of the games we’ve played this week. You’d have to be blind not to see her.” Dylan’s forehead scrunched as he took in Ryan’s dumbfounded expression. “I’m starting to wonder if my wife was right about how blind you are. I mean, you’d really have to get into your pregame mode to not hear her name and see her out there.”

  “Why would she be here? I figured she worked here since you guys know her, but I never saw her before that night.”

  Ryan reached up and massaged his forehead as he tried to remember seeing Lisa. He zoned out when he started focusing on the game, but Dylan said something about hearing her name, and Ryan had no idea why he’d hear it during the game. He looked back out on the ice, like maybe something out there would give him a hint.

  “I’m starting to think maybe I should be concerned about your mental health. Lisa sings the anthems at all of our games. You really didn’t know that?”