Free Drive by Brenda Rothert Page A

all of a sudden?”
    “The guys might see,” he mumbled.
    I rolled my eyes at him and squeezed tighter. “Just tell ‘em I’m your girlfriend.”
    “I need to get back to work,” Dell said, wrapping a ponytail holder around her long red hair. “See you guys in the meeting spot after the game.” She ruffled Kyler’s hair and kissed his forehead. “Be good.”
    Kyler tucked his video game into his pocket as we boarded the elevator.
    “Aunt Sadie, do you have a boyfriend?” he asked, wrinkling his brows at me.
    “No, Ky. Why do you ask?”
    He looked up at me, his hazel eyes wide. “I think Niko should be your boyfriend.”
    I laughed lightly at his suggestion. “I don’t have to have a boyfriend. Sometimes people are in a relationship and sometimes not. It’s okay either way.”
    He kept the pleading gaze up as the elevator opened. “But he’s really nice. He showed me how to make a wrist shot.”
    I couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across my face. “So you think he should be my boyfriend because of that? Your standards for me are pretty funny, kid.”
    “He thinks you’re pretty.”
    His casual tone made it clear this was a tiny detail to him, but my heart was suddenly racing.
    “Why do you say that?” I asked. We’d approached the concession line, and Kyler was scanning the menu board.
    “Can I get a slushie?” he asked. “A blue one?”
    “Sure. Why did you say Niko thinks I’m pretty?”
    “He said so.”
    I told myself not to read too much into the words of a first-grader, but it was hard not to feel a little giddy. I knew Niko found me fuckable, but pretty?
    “When did he say that? And how did he say it?”
    Kyler scrunched his face at me. “He just said it. I don’t remember when.”
    “But, were you guys talking about something else? How did it come up?” We’d made it to the front of the line and I had to order. “Two hot dogs, two nachos and two blue slushies.”
    Kyler sighed as he thought about it. “Some of the guys were talking about who’s the prettiest girl they know. And he said you.”
    “He did?”
    Kyler nodded. “I told him you’re really nice and he said the best kind of women are smart and pretty, like you.”
    “He really said that?”
    “Yeah.” He took a big sip of his slushie. “Can we go sit down now?”
    “Sure.”
    I thought about what he’d said as we made our way to our seats. It made me warm all over and a little bit excited. This was the Niko effect. Usually I had to be in his presence to have this physical reaction to him, but here I was, breaking out in a sweat because he’d said I was pretty.
    Kyler and I chatted about school, hockey and the new movie he wanted to see until the game started. As soon as the players skated out and I spotted the ‘Vereshkova’ jersey I was searching for, I realized it was time to stop denying it, at least to myself. I liked Niko, and not just in a one-night-stand kind of way. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d found a man so intriguing and sexy at the same time.
    Hockey was so primal. Watching Niko throw down with players from the other team only added to my impatient desire for him. I found myself jumping up before Kyler did when our team scored. I was into this game, partially because I was so into one of its players.
    Our team lost 2-1, and Kyler was downtrodden on the walk to wait for Dell.
    “What do you want for Christmas?” I asked him.
    He shrugged.
    “Maybe more Legos?” I said. “So we can build taller castles?”
    “Yeah,” he said, his tone sullen. I tried not to smile, but it was hard to take his sulking seriously when he had a bright blue slushie mustache.
    Players had started funneling out to the parking lot, all dressed in well-tailored suits, and I tried not to be obvious about searching for Niko.
    “I’m tired,” Kyler admitted, glancing up at me. “It takes Mom and Luke a long time to get ready to go home. Can I spend the night with you?”
    “Sure.” A cold gust