Page 45 of Playing to Win
Chapter 15
Rather than try to find a parking spot in downtown Oklahoma City the night of the second round of a playoff Thunder game, Callie decided to leave her car at the arena and walk to La Luna. She had called Cassie, who agreed to meet her there.
Aria had just come out of their locker room in a pair of skin-tight jeans, pulling a sweatshirt over her head. “You ready?”
“Yep. No dance uniform? I thought you loved the attention.”
“No uniform because A, it’s butt-freezing cold outside and in case you didn’t notice, our outfits are a little on the skimpy side,” Aria said, holding her hands really close together to indicate the size of their uniforms. “And B, last time I wore it out in public before a game, I got groped by this fat, naked man with a Kyle Kelly jersey painted on his chest. I still have nightmares about it.”
“He was naked?!”
“Well, okay, so I think he probably had some sort of pants on. But I was so caught up in the fact that my whole entire body was enveloped in a big blubber cocoon made of his skin that I might have embellished the naked part. But still, disgusting!” Aria gave a shudder.
“Note to self—never wear Thunder suit in public. Not that I ever would in the first place. Talk about nearly naked.”
“Hey girl, when you got it, flaunt it.”
Callie rolled her eyes.
“Where’s Cassie?”
“She’s just going to meet us there,” Callie said. “I think she was having a friend drop her off from a study date or something. She’ll just ride home with me.”
“Alrighty, chica. Let’s go hang with Maxie!”
“Girl, you are gonna catch him in a mood one day and call him that and trust me, it’s not going to be pretty.”
“Maxie, in a mood? The only mood I’ve seen on him is cheerful and sweet.”
“That’s because you never had him as a coach. Trust me, when he puts on his coaching pants, he’s a totally different person.”
The two girls walked around the corner to the entrance of La Luna. Callie saw her dad leaning against the wall, Cassie next to him, deep in conversation.
“Hey, guys!” Aria hollered. “Don’t start the party without us!”
“Hey, hey, pretty girl!” Max picked Aria up in a bear hug and twirled her around in a circle. “How’s my favorite redhead?”
“I can’t complain. How’s my favorite Maxie?”
“I was doing really well until you called me the name of a feminine hygiene product. Come on now, Red, cut me some slack, will ya? I got a bachelor status to uphold,” Callie’s dad said, his face turning red.
“All right, all right. I wouldn’t want to undermine your bachelorhood. I like ya too much. Maximillian?”
“Too uppity.”
“Maxine?”
“Too old lady.”
“Mad Max?”
“You mean as in the totally awesome Mel Gibson character who kicks everyone’s ass and avenges his family? I’ll take it.”
Callie rolled her eyes. When her dad and Aria got together, there was no telling what would happen.
“Cassie, you ready to go in and let these weirdos do their, I don’t know, weird name-calling thingy?” Callie motioned all around her dad and Aria with her hands, trying to express what her vocabulary was failing her.
Cassie let out a laugh. “Sure. Although your dad was acting fine until Aria showed up and started calling him Mad Maxine or whatever.”
