I blinked. What? But a server came by with menus and a pot of coffee and I quickly flipped my cup over for a fill.
“I’m having eggs benny.” Jayna dropped her menu on the table.
Callie was still frowning at the list of options. She finally huffed a breath. “I’ll have the same.”
“I’m definitely having pancakes.” I had a sweet tooth, which was why I had more curves than I had in high school, and I wasn’t going to deny myself to fit the mold of some model. Life was too short.
I closed my menu. The server, obviously experienced, swooped by for our orders and left with the menus after refills on our coffee.
I dumped sugar and creamer in my cup and stirred it with the spoon. “So, what’s the anti-WAG club?”
“You know what WAG stands for, right?” Jayna cocked her eyebrows.
“Wives and girlfriends, yeah. But you two are girlfriends, right? Where does the anti come in?”
Jayna grimaced. “Technically I am, but… Sorry, I’m a little touchy about that, family issues. Nothing against the group of women who are happy to be players’ wives or whatever. But I was a hockey player. I still think of myself as one. Not so much as a girlfriend. I have my own separate identity, my business, and that’s my baby right now.”
“I have a high-pressure job too,” Callie said. “I’m not giving it up. I have issues too, but the bottom line is, Cooper knows and isn’t asking me to.”
It was nice that they had that support. Was it uncommon?
“Braydon gets it.” A fond smile crossed Jayna’s lips. “He’s told me I have to support us once he’s done with hockey.”
“Does he think that’s soon?” Even if he wasn’t a superstar player, he’d be making good money as long as he was playing.
“After the playoffs last season, he’s a little spooked. Plus, he had a whole thing planned out in case he didn’t make it to the NHL, so he’s just making sure he doesn’t jinx himself.”
That was smart of him. I thought I’d figured it out. “So, this anti-WAG thing is about being a nontraditional WAG?”
Jayna nodded. “Exactly but try to make that into a catchy phrase.”
NTWAG. Yeah, that wasn’t going to work. “But why am I here? I have no talent for catchphrases.”
The two women exchanged glances. “You’re a grad student, right? So you’re nontraditional too.”
I dropped my hands to my lap. “But I’m not a WAG. Not a wife or a girlfriend,” I clarified.
“But you and Josh?—”
I shook my head. “We dated in high school, but we’re just friends now.”
“Really?” Jayna flinched as she spoke. “Sorry, of course you know what you are, but Ducky has been spending so much time with you—we assumed you guys were dating. I apologize if we overstepped. It can be a little overwhelming when you start dating a professional athlete, and since you’re a student, we thought we should reach out and offer our support.”
These women were nice. I’d like to be in a group with them. But I couldn’t claim to be dating Josh just to get friends. “If you were running some other kind of club, I’d definitely want to be part of it. I promise. But I’m more like Jess. Sort of WAG adjacent. She’s a sister, I’m a friend.”
Callie narrowed her eyes, staring at Jayna, then jerked her head in a nod. “Let’s do that.”
Jayna was also confused. “What do you mean?”
“If we’re going to be anti-WAGS, then being a wife or girlfriend shouldn’t be a requirement. I like Jess. Let’s add her to the group.”
I looked between the two of them. “You’re making a nontraditional player-adjacent club?”
Jayna grinned. “You’re right. This is even better. You in, Katie?”
“Absolutely. Where do I sign up?”
Chapter 23
