LITMIR.BIZ

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television as if the referees could hear them. The same thing happened every week. It was typical guy behavior during a football game. Josh was on his feet, one arm raised in the air as he accentuated his words to the referees, while the other arm had a giggling Lily in a football hold.

      Micah smiled to herself.

      “You would think with three of us against the two of them, we wouldn’t have to watch football every Sunday,” Sabina complained as she gnawed on a carrot stick.

      “Oh, come on. It’s a tradition we’ve had every season for as long as I can remember,” Hanna defended.

      “Yeah, and baseball, basketball and hockey, too.”

      “Well, it comes with living in Boston. We love our sports.”

      “While we are on the subject of traditions, I think we have too many. We need to reconsider some of them.”

      “What’s wrong with traditions?” Micah felt a little offended by Sabina’s comments. They always had fun no matter what they did together. Although, she was sure there would be complaints if they started attending fashion shows and operas.

      “No need to get defensive. Jeez! I was only stating my opinion. Don’t worry. I don’t think any of your precious traditions will be messed with.”

      “Hey, is the buffalo-chicken dip finished?” Hanna had her arms full of chips to take out to the guys.

      “Just about. You can take the veggies and dip, if Sabina would stop eating all of them. Oh, and the pizza bites are ready, too.”

      “No wonder I can’t stick to my diet.” Hanna rolled her eyes.

      “Yeah, you and me both.”

      “Oh, I love when you girls are in charge! We get the best football food.”

      “How about you guys pick something different than pizza next week?”

      “Like what? Calzones? Hey, Josh, we can go to that place around the corner. That chick was really diggin’ me last time.” Jamie stuffed his face with a chip overloaded with buffalo-chicken dip.

      “Yeah, right. She was so into me. Even gave me her number.”

      “Seriously?” Jamie’s brow furrowed as he sat forward and looked at Josh.

      Josh nodded, showing he was participating in the conversation, but the whole time he was playing a staring game with Lily. She sat on his lap, her little hands framing his face, her forehead resting on his. It was the cutest scene, but nothing new to Micah. Josh had always been like this with his nephews and nieces. Unca Joshie was the best.

      “Can’t believe it. I thought she was hitting on me! Man, I was really into her, too.”

      “You want her number?” Josh ended the staring game, kissing Lily on the nose. She let out another string of giggles.

      “No. Not now. I’m no one’s second choice.”

      The girls could not help it; they were dying laughing listening to the conversation between the two guys.

      “I’m at the top of your list, right, Mike?” Jamie grabbed her hand as she tried to pass him en route to the chair on his left. Instead he pulled her down to sit on the couch between him and Josh. As her thigh brushed up against Josh’s, an electric current sizzled through her.

      She held her breath and looked up to see Josh’s eyes upon her. There was nothing in his gaze that said he had felt it, too. This was ludicrous. She felt like such a fool. Of course he didn’t feel the same electricity. She was his best friend. That was all.

      She turned her attention back to Jamie. “Yes. You’ve always been my number one.”

      Micah leaned forward to grab her drink at the same time that Josh moved, causing them to bump arms.

      “Sorry.”

      “Go ahead.”

      Micah wanted to go and hide somewhere. It was all so weird between them. Why couldn’t she act normal around him? Why was she suddenly bumbling and clumsy in his presence? And she followed each with a round of awkward apologies. Surely everyone noticed the tension and weirdness happening so blatantly in front of them.

      “Josh, what kind do you want?” Sabina held up two different types of beer for him to see.

      “That one.” He pointed to the one on the right. “And can you slice up one of those green lemons and stick it in the top?”

      They all broke out in laughter, but Sabina rolled her eyes. It was a long-running joke with them. Seemed like forever ago, Sabina had made one of her silly comments about green lemons and no one had let her live it down since. You mean limes, Sabina? Josh couldn’t help but be the one to point it out while the rest of them were snickering, leaving her clueless.

      “Will you guys ever let that one go?”

      “No.” Josh came to get his own beer, because after that Sabina’s generosity had run out. “You know I can’t help teasing you about that one.”

      “Josh, one day you are going to say something stupid and I am going to have so much fun making fun of you.”

      “I seriously doubt that.”

      “No. I will.”

      “Oh, I’m sure you would, but I’m saying that I seriously doubt I will say anything that stupid.”

      “Oh, leave her be.”

      “What the—!” Josh bolted upright, causing the other four to turn their attention back to the television, and Lily giggled as he held her sideways under his arm like a football. Their team intercepted the ball and headed toward the red zone. All of them were on their feet, cheering the player on.

      “Go! Go! Go!”

      Then suddenly, ten yards from the end zone, the screen went black.

       SIX

      “I can’t believe your television broke!”

      “Let’s not talk about it.” Josh massaged his temples, hoping to alleviate some of the building pressure.

      He couldn’t believe it. His freaking television had gone out right in the middle of the game. He’d missed the biggest play of the game because of that. He was still worked up over it.

      He took his sports seriously. Most people from Boston did. You were asking for trouble if you came between a man and his sports, and that’s exactly what his beloved big screen had done. What was he going to do about it?

      Josh nursed his Red Brick brew, trying to not let it get to him. He would worry about it later. Micah, however, was a whole different situation. What was with the looks? It had taken everything in him to stay seated when she first walked in. The look she’d given him set him on fire, pushing every one of his self-imposed limitations to the brink.

      “What’s the score? I can’t see it from here.”

      “I can’t see, either, but I think we are winning still.”

      All five of them had ditched the apartment and sought out the nearest sports bar after Lily’s mother came and picked her up. Loud, raucous patrons filled the space, but somehow they’d been lucky enough to find a table still within view of the television screens.

      “You would know if we were losing. The whole bar would be yelling at the TVs.”

      “You’re so right.”

      The waitress walked over to their table and set a fresh one down in front of him. He hadn’t ordered it, nor was he finished with his first one.

      “Thought you might want a refill,” she said in a breathy voice.

      Seriously? “Uh...thanks.”

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