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Actually she was surprised, too Usually she wasn’t confrontational, but she was living out a fantasy, and she didn’t want it ruined by hi her sorry lack of a social life

As it was, her two older brothers and her father were constantly foisting eligible friends off on her There just wasn’t anyone she wanted to date Well, maybe Ted, but he was already involved with Blythe

Now that she was on a date with hi it with a proize," she whispered, her eyes avoiding his "I didn’t mean to snap at you"

"No, no," he said quickly, "the fault was mine I shouldn’t have pried It’s just that--" He stopped abruptly "Never est a friend you wantof introducing you to any of ues"

It was absurd that she was so pleased to know that

When they’d finished their dinner, they headed for the Foru up Joy was aot at the court level co in the stands

"This is fabulous," Ted said as they settled onto the folding chairs on the sidelines He twisted around and looked into the row upon row of seats behind hi," she said It was a long shot, but she was covering her bases "If you ever hly unlikely, whatever you do, don’t hed "So there is soht arm for these tickets"

"Yes But family It would have only caused problems Three men Two tickets Besides, I was the one on that silly drawing I don’t kno, iant barrel, and I love basketball as much as my father and brothers"

Applause erupted when the two teams ran onto the polished wood floor Soon the players were taking practice shots, tossing the ball back and forth to each other Joy was close enough to hear the whoosh of the balls as they passed from one pair of hands to another

She craned her neck back to watch the men who raced past her "I don’t think I ever realized how tall everyone is"

"Me either," Ted agreed

Within a few ame started, and the action was nonstop Whatever inhibitions Joy had experienced at the beginning of their evening vanished as the Lakers took the floor She cheered when they scored and argued with the referee over what she felt was an unfair foul

It wasn’t until the fourth quarter, when she was relatively sure the Lakers would win the ga her

"What?" she aze held hers fast and hard

"Nothing," he said

"Then why are you looking at rinned "I’m not entirely sure what ‘that’ means, but I will tell you I’ve never seen anyone enjoy a basketball game as much as you"

"Oh"

Her enthusiasm did seem to runneth over She honestly tried to sit still for what reame, but it was impossible Each time the Lakers scored, she leaped to her feet and applauded loudly And when an official, the very one who’d given the unjust penalty, happened to walk past her seat, she suggested he ht want to have his eyes checked

If the referee heard her, he chose to ignore the coame when Seattle took a ti her hands

"Why?" Ted wanted to know "Do you have a lot of"It’s just that if I’uys, the least they can do is win"

"They have enough incentive of their own"

"I’m sure they do"

The buzzer blared, and the two teams returned to the court Joy’s eyes followed the ti them in the lead There was time, almost a ame

The Lakers piled two points onto the scoreboard, and the gaed on for twenty Just before the buzzer, Stanley, a rookie player for the Lakers, threw the basketball at h the net, and the fans ild

Without thinking what she was doing, Joy cried out excitedly and hurled herself at Ted His arround and whirled her around several times in their own private celebration

People crushed in around them, but Joy didn’t notice and she doubted that Ted did, either All at once she realized that she was in Ted Griffin’s aro

Enjoy it, she told herself Consider it a bonus

She closed her eyes and savored the feel of his arth

He released her abruptly, as if he realized he’d held her far longer than he should have Joyher sweater and her purse The Foruaame," she said, the first to breach the silence

"One of the year’s best"

"Stanley’s going to be an asset to the tea shoulder to shoulder with the slow- crowd

"He already is"

She noticed Ted didn’t sound his usual self and wondered rong When she could, she chanced a look at hiht, his eyes brooding and thoughtful

All they’d done was share in the celebration of the win It didn’t