Chapter 2

Lisa

"What the fuck is this, man?" Viper bellowed as he walked into Scooter Joe's Café and dropped the newspaper on my table.

"Good morning to you too." I laughed, picking it up.

Front page. Top story. Bold letters.

SORRY, LADIES! MINNESOTA WILD GOALIE IS OFF THE MARKET:

LISA MANOBAN PROPOSES TO GIRLFRIEND JENNIE KIM

"What the hell? How do they know already?" I growled in frustration as I slammed the paper facedown on the table. As annoyed as I was with the headline, I was even more annoyed with the picture they added below it of Jennie and me at the zoo with the girls. Ruby and Jane were facing the other way, so thankfully no one could see their faces, but it still pissed me off. Jennie and I had talked long ago about my life and how it's in the spotlight more than I'd like, and she swore to me that we were worth it and she could handle it, but when they start posting pictures of her daughters, all bets are off.

Viper pulled the chair out and plopped down across from me. "The question is, how do they know before me?"

I smiled at him and shrugged. "Sorry. It just happened a couple days ago. I wanted to tell you in person. That's why I asked you to meet me for breakfast."

"Well, congratulations." He reached across and shook my hand.

"Thanks."

"You sure you're ready for this?"

"I'm more than ready." I sat up, looking him straight in the eye. "I want to marry that girl today, before she realizes she can do way better than me and changes her mind."

Viper sat still for a minute, not responding. Just before I opened my mouth to talk, he batted his eyes at me and clapped his hands together. "Awww. There's no one better than you, Lisa Manoban," he joked in an annoyingly high-pitched voice.

"Cut the shit, Finkle." I laughed. "You're just jealous I didn't save myself for you."

"True," he agreed, "but we could always have some scorching affair and really give the magazines something to talk about. Do you like being on top or bottom?"

I held my hand over my mouth, concentrating desperately on not spitting my coffee out. "Okay, that was a little much."

Viper laughed heartily and smacked his hand down on the table loudly, causing a couple people to turn and look at us. "All jokes aside, I'm happy for you, man. I really am. She's a great girl, but you're right… definitely out of your league."

I looked down at the table and thought about Jennie and how I couldn't wait to spend the rest of my life with her. Ruby and Jane, the kids we would eventually make together, holidays, graduations, vacations… Those were all the big things I was looking forward to, but with her I wanted more. I wanted all the awesome little things too. Sleeping in on Sundays, date nights at my favorite little Italian place in the city, all of our weird inside jokes, her cinnamon rolls. I wanted all of it, every single day.

"Jesus, wipe the goofy smile off your face." Viper threw a wadded-up napkin at me, laughing when it bounced off my forehead.

"Sorry." I shook my head back to reality. "Hey, I actually asked you here for another reason, not just because I wanted to see your ugly face."

"Oh, this should be interesting." He sat back in his chair and locked his fingers behind his head.

"Unfortunately, there aren't a lot of guys on the team I can stomach and my choices are limited," I joked, "so I wanted to know if you would stand up with me in our wedding?"

"Seriously?" he asked excitedly, sitting up straight.

I laughed. "Yes. Seriously."

He clapped his hands together and rubbed them as an evil smile spread across his face. "I'm so ready. Do I get to be best man?"

"Unfortunately, no. That job is reserved for Bambam. Sorry." I shrugged.

"Really?" he whined. "Fine, but I get to plan the bachelor party."

"Oh, Jesus." I sighed, dropping my head into my hands.

Viper laughed wickedly and took his phone out.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

Frowning in concentration down at his phone, he moved his fingers back and forth as fast as he could. "Midget strippers. Jell-O wrestling. Camel rides. Booking it all now." He looked up at me quickly. "You're not allergic to maple syrup, are you?"

"Oh my God, put the damn phone down." I rolled my eyes, reaching over and grabbing it from him. I set it on the table in between us. "Let's not talk about anything wedding, or bachelor party, related for ten minutes, okay?"

"Fine." He pouted like a child who'd just been scolded.

"So, I haven't talked to you in a few days. What's new with you? Seen Darla lately?"

"Actually, yes. We went to a movie Monday night."

My mouth fell open. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "Wait. You took her on a date? Like an out-of-the-bedroom date?"

"Yep. I mean, I tried to get her to suck my dick in the theater, but she had a fit. I had no choice but to watch the whole fucking movie." He sighed.

"Oh, you poor sex-deprived maniac," I condescended.

"How you guys doing? You okay?" Joe asked as he walked up to our table. "Need anything?"

"I think we're still good. Thanks, Joe." I smiled and nodded at him.

"Joe, did you know this idiot is getting married?" Viper pointed across the table in my direction.

"I did hear something about that this morning." Joe looked from Viper to me, a smile spreading across his face. "Two hot little blondes were talking about it when I was getting their drinks. I asked who they were talking about and they showed me the paper."

"This one?" Viper picked it up and showed it to him.

"Yeah, that was it." He nodded, taking the paper from Viper and examining it closely. "I gotta say, you picked a good one, Lisa. Nice little ass on her." Joe slapped my shoulder in congratulations before he walked away.

I watched Joe walk across the coffee shop until he was behind the counter, out of earshot, and I looked back at Viper. "There's something wrong with him, you know that?"

Viper laughed and slammed his hand down again so hard it made our cups rattle against the table. "Are you kidding? I love him. He's a horny old man, my hero. I want to be Joe when I grow up."

"Be serious. You're never growing up." I threw the balled-up napkin back at him.

"You're right," he agreed. "No way will you ever catch me putting a diamond on some chick's finger and getting down on one knee. Fuck that."

"Come on." I tilted my head to the side. "Never?"

"Nope. Never. My parents have been married and divorced enough times for me to learn that marriage just doesn't work."

He was shaking his head back and forth defiantly, but I knew even he didn't believe the bullshit he was spewing. Somewhere deep inside that walking hard-on was a man who needed a serious girl to straighten his ass out. I just wasn't in the mood to argue with him.

After I pretended to listen as Viper went on and on about conventional marriage and how pointless it was for another hour, I headed to Bambam's office. When I was there a few days ago signing my contract, I told him I was going to propose, but I hadn't talked to him since.

The elevator doors opened and I was greeted with Ellie's cheery smile.

"Hey, Lisa." She sat back from her computer. "Congratulations!"

"Thanks," I said proudly. "I'm assuming you guys saw the paper too?"

"Uh, yeah. It's been the chatter around the office this morning. Actually,"—she looked off into space, frowning slightly—"it's kinda been the buzz all over. I was getting my gas this morning and even the people on the other side of the pump were talking about it."

"Wow. Gas station gossip. Guess that means I've arrived, huh?" I laughed as I shoved my hands in my pockets and walked toward Bambam's office.

"Wait a sec, don't go in yet. He has a client in there, but I think they're just about done."

"Okay, no problem." I sat on the couch. The morning's newspaper sat on top of the stack of magazines on the coffee table, taunting me. I shoved it to the side and started sifting through the magazines when Bambam's office door opened.

A young woman who looked to be in her early twenties, probably not even bar-legal, walked out with her ponytail swinging behind her. I stood up and took a step toward Bambam's office just as he appeared in the doorway, leaning against the frame. Hiding myself behind a tall plant, I watched him watch her walk away. She got to the elevator, pushed the button, and turned back to him, a shy smile creeping across her face.

"Bye, Bambam," she cooed.

Ellie's head snapped up from whatever she was working on, and she stared at the girl. The ding of the elevator broke their Lady and the Tramp stare at each other, and Bambam offered a one-handed wave before she bounced in and disappeared.

Lady and the Tramp? I'm clearly watching too much Disney.

"Bambam?" Ellie repeated sarcastically. "Don't your clients call you Mr. Bhuwakul?"

Bambam cleared his throat and looked at the ground as his face flushed. "Uh, yeah."

"Except for me, of course," I bragged, taking a step forward so he could see me.

Bambam's eyes widened at my sudden appearance. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I came to talk to you, though it looks like you'd like to talk to her some more." I nodded my head toward the elevator. "Want to chase her down? I can wait in your office."

Bambam rolled his eyes. "Shut up and get in here."

I walked past him into his office, with him following along behind me. "Ellie, hold my calls for a bit, okay?" he called out before closing the door.

"So, who is that mystery woman? Wait. Is she even a woman? Mystery teenager?" I teased as I plopped down on his couch.

"Fuck you. She's a client." He sounded annoyed as he sat in the chair across from me.

"That doesn't answer my question." I laughed. "What's her name?"

"Callie Marsh. She's a tennis player."

"Hmmm. Limber," I cracked, ducking just in time from the football flying toward my head.

"I haven't dated her, nor am I going to date her. You know my rule about clients."

"I do, but I also saw the way you watched her leave." I picked up the football and tossed it back to him. "Rules are made to be broken, my friend."

"Ha!" He laughed out loud. "Says the one who just got engaged to the a girl who comes built-in with the most perfect family ever. Congratulations, ass wipe."

"Thank you. I think."

"Have you set a date yet?"

"Not even close." I got up and walked over to the bar area of his office and grabbed a water bottle out of his fridge. "Other than telling the girls yesterday, we've barely even talked about it. Want one?" I held up the bottle.

"Sure." I tossed the bottle to him. "Thanks. What do you mean you've barely talked about it?"

Walking back to the couch, I groaned. "You know, Jisoo said the same thing to Jennie yesterday. Why is everyone thinking we should've had this planned already?"

"I don't know, but you weren't kidding when you said everyone. Once that newspaper hit the street this morning and the article went online, I got three e-mails from banquet hall owners offering their services." He cracked his water bottle open and took a swing.

"You did?"

"Yep. Apparently they think I'm your wedding planner, not your agent."

"Actually, funny you should mention that, I do need your help with something." I shifted uncomfortably on the couch. Bambam had been my best friend as far back as I could remember, but I was nervous about asking him to be my best man. Viper was easy. I knew he'd be all over it. While I didn't necessarily think Bambam would say no, I knew he had a lot of shit going on. Part of me felt like no matter what, he would always be the figurative older brother I would constantly seek validation from.

"So, I know life is crazy for you right now, and I don't want to add to that,"—I rubbed my sweaty palms on the thighs of my jeans—"but I would be honored if you would stand up next to me and be my best man."

Bambam sat in his chair like the boss that he was, completely confident and relaxed as he rubbed his top lip with his thumb and stared back at me, making me wait longer than I was comfortable with for his response.

"Lisa, you're right. My life is crazy. The phones are ringing off the hook since you signed that huge-ass contract the other day. Blaire is as obnoxious as ever, dragging me in and out of court for money every ten minutes, and being a single dad is way harder than anything I do inside this office."

Oh shit. I'm going to have to beg Viper, aren't I?

"But… that all being said, do you honestly think for one minute I'd pass up standing shoulder to shoulder with my best friend when she gets married?" He stood up and offered his hand to me. "And I'm the one that's honored, friend."