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“EXPLAIN TO ME AGAIN why you waited so late to ask her?” Cam asked as he walked past, pulling on his shirt.
Andrea gave his disappearing skin an appreciative look before shaking her head. “Well I probably would have thirty minutes ago, if someone hadn’t ambushed my shower. I told you this way she has less time to think about it.”
“What if she has plans?”
“She doesn’t. Unless she added some since yesterday...which is possible. About to call and find out now.”
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MIKA SAT AT HOME IN her favorite chair almost finished painting her nails hunter green, while watching “Wifey Club of Charlotte”. Why she watched this trashy show she didn’t know. It reminded her of her cousins, which wasn’t a good thing. She figured she could get another episode in before the game came on. She loved mid-October as she knew the rivalry of Michigan vs. State would be an entertaining game. Most years she went to a viewing party given by friends or colleagues. She’d even randomly picked a sports bar a few times and joined the animated crowds.
Occasionally, she had dragged Andrea to a few events over the years. Her friend didn’t mind sports now and then, but said the craziness of this particular game annoyed her. Mika agreed it could get wild, which was why she would be screaming out her lungs in the privacy of her own home this year. Her phone rang just as a lady on “WCOC” was getting overpriced champagne thrown in her face.
“Hello.” She hadn’t even looked at the caller ID. Her eyes still glued to the screen as a table was flipped. Seriously, why were these people not banned from all nice places by now?
“Hey! What you doing?”
“Watching these fancy waiters trying to break up a fight. Girl they don’t get paid to do all that! I’d quit.”
“Don’t tell me you’re watching that crap again.”
“Yeah. Figured I’d catch up on my DVR before the game came on. What’s up?”
“You want to go to a watch party with us? A friend of Cam’s is hosting.”
Mika gave Andrea her full attention now that a commercial was on. “Huh? I thought you hated this game.”
“True, but I figured since Cam wanted to go...”
“Ha, part of your marriage duties! I’m becoming old like you, I honestly didn’t want all the drama this year. I told you that’s why I’m watching solo.”
“I know, I know. But this is a small gathering maybe twenty people. Right Camden?”
Mika heard him agree in the background before she spoke up again. “Yeah, but...”
“Come on, no buts. We can hang out and you can wile out for your team at the same time. We’ll even pick you up, so you can drink as much as you want.” When Mika still hemmed and hawed Andrea quickly added in a whisper, “Please go! That way I’ll know at least one other female there. Hell, I don’t even know if there’ll be other women.”
“I really doubt Cam would take you to an all male party,” Mika said dryly. “Fine. I’ll go.”
“Yay, you're the best! We’re on our way. Give us about thirty-five minutes.”
“That’s fine, you know I’m already dressed.”
“I know it! You’ll have fun in a smaller setting.”
‘Yeah, yeah hurry up, the game starts in about an hour.”
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IN THE TIME IT TOOK them to get to her house she freshened up, then hunted up a couple of extra props. Grabbing a jacket and a bottle of wine as a gift to the host, she was ready and waiting when Andrea texted they were outside. Locking up, she jogged her way out to the car and got in the back.
“What’s up people! Thanks sexy Cam for driving!”
“Not a problem Ms. Trouble.”
Conversation flowed easily between the three as it always did, making Mika glad she’d come out. She’d gotten used to being the third wheel while the two had dated. Overall it didn’t bother her because she liked Cam so much. He was like the indulgent older brother she’d never had. Easy to talk to, quick to laugh and 250% in love with her friend.
Funny how time seemed to go more quickly when someone else drove. In no time they were pulling into a curved driveway. They stood outside the home’s door still chatting, as they waited for it to be answered. She finally noticed neither had on anything that represented a team. “Cam you went neutral too? I’m disappointed in you. Pick a side!”
“Nope, I have no skin in this fight. I’ll leave all that craziness up to you and Robert. Though I do put a small bet randomly on a team each year, just for the hell of it.”
Mika face twisted hearing that name. It had taken her almost a full month to stop having random flashbacks of that man. So imagine her dismay as the door opened and there he stood.
* * *
MIKA SAW THE SURPRISE in Robert’s eyes as well. As he and Cam greeted each other she whispered to Andrea, “You didn’t tell me he would be here.”
“Well it’s his house party.” Looking confused Andrea asked, “Does it matter?”
Pressing her lips together Mika turned around and entered the house at Cam’s urging. Once they were all inside she tried to get her bearings, as Robert greeted and hugged Andrea. Okay, this wasn’t the end of the world. It was probably a given she would run into him from time to time. Though what were the odds, since she’d gone a whole year never meeting him before the wedding? However a married couple truly combined their lives, and that meant their friends too. Shit.
Robert stepped up to Mika as their friends took off their coats. He was completely surprised to see her standing in his house, and right now he couldn’t decide if he was annoyed or not. “Didn’t expect to see you.”
“Same here. Andrea didn’t say Cam’s friend was you. I would have stayed home.”
“You sure should have, coming in my house wearing all that hideous green.”
She snorted looking him up and down. He had on a maize and blue sweatshirt along with a watch with the school’s logo. “Whatever. You would be backing a losing team like the University of Michigan.”
“It’s ‘Hail to the Victors’, all day long baby in this household. I’m a proud alumni.”
“Why does that not surprise me. They usually produce boring, fake know-it-alls. I’m a legacy of the best, Green and White is the only way to go.”
“Both of you give it a rest,” Andrea said walking back to them. “Camden why didn’t you tell me Robert was a Michigan fanatic?”
“I told you he was a huge sports fan.” Cam wasn’t bothered by the other pair’s banter. That’s what these parties were for. So opposing teams could trash talk at each other the whole night.
Andrea took the wine out of Mika’s hand and shoved it into Robert’s. “Here, she brought a peace offering.”
“Nope for him it’s going to be a consolation prize,” Mika taunted, walking past Robert to join the rest of the gathering.
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RETURNING FROM PUTTING away the wine and his new guests’ coats, Robert found Mika sitting between his two younger cousins, both idiots already grinning. He took a seat off to the side so he could watch TV and keep an eye on the minx that was currently touching Devon’s knee. She seemed to have no problem relaxing with other men just not him. She probably wasn’t used to a guy not falling all over themselves for her. Like Darrell was doing now by jumping up to go get her something to drink from the kitchen. He also noticed a few of the other men giving her more than a casual look. More power to them. It was clear their mutual dislike of each other mirrored this game’s rivalry...instant and strong.
Mika found herself having a good time despite the fact she was in his house. Everyone was lively, friendly and into the game. Well mostly. Out of the twenty-two people that sat or chatted around Robert’s generous living room, there were about seven other women besides her and Andrea. It was obvious three were with boyfriends or husbands, and Mika couldn't tell about the other four. They all seemed to be well known and from pieces of conversation she caught this wasn’t the first year they’d watched the game here. From the side-eye looks a few were giving her she figured they were “friends” of the host.
She found it interesting that he remained friendly with any of his past lovers. He hadn’t seemed the type. He struck her as overall rigid, like the type when a relationship was over, it was completely over. For her part she paid the women no mind, as they were civil enough. To her it was clear the women had come to get his attention, not to watch the game. However not her monkey, not her problem.
