Bar Down (Nashville Knights Hockey #4)

Prologue

MUSIC CITY MATCHES

TheFriendlyGhost

Are you a cat? Because I’m feline a connection between us

CatsRCool

Does that actually work?

No. But it broke the ice

Oh my God. I should end this right now

You won’t

You sound pretty confident there

Because you’re going to tell me why cats are cool instead

If I have to tell you, you’re clearly a dog person

I love dogs. Don’t have one, but I grew up with them. Never had a cat though

Cats are better. They have an air of mystery about them

Are you saying dogs don’t?

You know exactly what dogs are thinking all the time

But not cats

Nope. Hence the mystery

And you like a little mystery?

Coming from the ghost

Are you going to ghost me?

Why would you think that?

Your username??

If you knew my name, you’d get it

What’s your name?

Are you going to tell me yours?

I don’t think you’ve earned it yet

Ouch. How do I earn it?

Tell me something no one knows about you

I hate hockey

Hockey? Really? That’s not that exciting

If you knew what I did, it would be

What do you do?

I play hockey

Aren’t you funny

I know

I have to run

Don’t ghost me

Same can be said for you

New message from Music City Matches user CatsRCool at 11:11am

CatsRCool

What’s the worst pick-up line you’ve ever used on someone?

TheFriendlyGhost

Are you a cat? Because I’m feline a connection between us

Not the one you used on me

But it was!

Have you never used a pickup line before?

Never

And you started with me? Ballsy

Something about you made me want to try it out

And? Would you try it again?

Never again

I mean, not one that bad

Okay, if you had to use a pickup line to try and woo me, what would you use?

Woo you?

Why am I trying to woo you?

You know what I mean

Might need a dictionary

Didn’t realize we were time traveling tonight

Let’s flip a coin. Heads, I’m yours. Tails, you’re mine.

Damn. I like it!

> Thank you, thank you

You would’ve won me over if I needed it

If?

I already won you over instead with my feline connection

Did you though?

You’re still talking to me, aren’t you?

New message from Music City Matches user TheFriendlyGhost at 8:31am

TheFriendlyGhost

Tell me something no one else knows about you

CatsRCool

I hate music

You hate…music?

What do you listen to in the car?

Podcasts

On why cats are cool

Maybe I should find you one on ghosts then

Wouldn’t that just be a crime podcast?

Nah

They’re already unalived

Well I don’t do crime

Really?

Nope. I need happy things

Like cats

Like cats

New message from Music City Matches user CatsRCool at 3:42pm

CatsRCool

If you could have dinner with any person, living or dead, who would it be?

TheFriendlyGhost

Wayne Gretzky

I should have known that would be your answer

Then why’d you ask?

What if it was someone interesting, like Freddie Mercury?

Hey! He’s interesting

I take it Queen is your answer?

Not Queen, Freddie

Freddie Mercury is the greatest musician of all time

I will take no criticism on this

Ever.

Point made

I guess I shouldn’t make fun of you then for picking the obvious answer

I guess you shouldn’t

I’d love to learn more about hockey from him

Other than passing the ball?

You did NOT just say that!

Just wanted to see your reaction

You made it too easy

New message from Music City Matches user TheFriendlyGhost at 8:18pm

TheFriendlyGhost

If you could watch any movie again for the first time, what would it be and why?

CatsRCool

Movies? Damn

I don’t know if I can choose…

You have to

Five…

Four…

Three…

Fine! Ten Things I Hate About You

You’re mean

No way

I love that movie!

Seriously?

What, I can’t like a rom-com?

You don’t seem like the rom-com kinda guy

And what kind of guy do I seem like then?

Documentaries about books

Documentaries

About books

Is that really what you think of me?

Well, maybe about hockey

So you can learn how to pass the puck

At least you’re improving and know it’s a puck

And it’s played on a field with quarters

You wound me

Maybe you need to watch a hockey documentary

With you? Sure

Consider it a date then

New message from Music City Matches user CatsRCool at 12:02pm

CatsRCool

If you could be a dinosaur, what kind of dinosaur would you be?

TheFriendlyGhost

Umm, what?

Dinosaur. What kind?

I’ve never thought about it

Think about it. I want to know

Will this earn me your name?

Grizabella

It’s fine if you don’t want to tell me your name

It’s from the musical Cats

Cats are so cool they have their own musical?

Yes! It’s why cats are superior beings

I’ll take your word for it, Bella

Grizabella

Grizabella sounds too mean for you. Bella it is

Okay, Casper

Damn. You guessed my name

> thank you

Back to the dinosaur question…

What kind of dinosaur would you be?

Triceratops

Really?

Yup. I like their horns

Let me guess. You’ll be a T-rex?

Nope.

Seriously? I thought all guys wanted to be a T-rex. Top of the food chain and all that

Not this guy

So you’ve obviously thought about this then

Only in the last 5 minutes

Pterodactyl

You want to fly then?

Who wouldn’t? That’d be badass

Are you a badass in real life, Casper?

Eh, maybe

That’s a no

Hey

You only wish you were as cool as this badass

I’ll let you know if we ever meet

You want to meet?

Maybe?

Maybe? Wow, I must be wooing you with my dinosaur talk

As scintillating as it is, I have to go

See ya, Casper

Bye, Bella

New message from Music City Matches user TheFriendlyGhost at 11:05pm

TheFriendlyGhost

How do you feel about Julie Andrews?

CatsRCool

How do I feel about Julie Andrews?

What kind of question is that?

She’s a national treasure

Even though she’s from the UK?

Blasphemy!

I’m not lying

It doesn’t mean she can’t also be our national treasure

Why are you bringing up Julie Andrews?

The Princess Diaries is on TV

I didn’t imagine you watching that

What, I can’t watch it?

Just didn’t figure you’d like it

My grandma was a big fan of The Sound of Music

Loved Dame Julie, as she liked to call her

She called her Dame Julie?

Technically she is a Dame

Said it’s the least she’s owed by all of us

I want to meet your grandma

Before me?

I mean, your grandma sounds like a badass

I want to discuss Dame Julie’s best movies with her

She was

She would have liked you

I mean, not as much as Dame Julie

She didn’t even like me that much

And I was her favorite grandkid

Do you sing about your favorite things with her?

No

But I never claimed to be as cool as Dame Julie

Is anyone??

I mean, you’re pretty cool

Not Dame Julie cool

You’re pretty high up there

Suck up

What can I say?

I was always the teacher’s pet

And I was the one that acted out in class

Maybe this is why we matched

They do say opposites attract

Even if we do have pretty good taste in movies

Agreed. #DameJulie4Life

New message from Music City Matches user TheFriendlyGhost at 2:47am

TheFriendlyGhost

Coffee or tea?

CatsRCool

Why are you messaging me so early?

Why are you awake?

You’re the one messaging me

Too amped up to sleep

And coffee or tea would help with that?

It got me thinking. Everyone has a preference. What’s yours?

Neither

Kombucha

Cats and kombucha. I think I just learned everything I need to know about you

And?

And what?

Do you like me?

It all hinges on one question

Hit me

Do you like ice cream?

What kind of question is that? Of course I like ice cream

Well you don’t drink coffee, so I was worried there for a minute

Favorite flavor?

Strawberry

Mine too. With chocolate jimmies

I’m learning so much about you right now

Like what?

Like where you’re from

How do you guess that?

You called sprinkles jimmies

You have to be from Mass

Wrong

New Hampshire?

Why do you want to know where I’m from? It’s not like I live there

I like talking to you

I do too. But I’m not asking where you’re from

Detroit

Except Nashville has been home for the last twenty years

From Motown to Music City

Nashville has only been home for me for like half that

Which makes me wonder how old you are…

It’s a shame I didn’t go into music

Artfully dodging the question

Alright, I’ll play your game. What kind of music would you have gone into?

Jazz

Like saxophones and trumpets jazz?

Yup. My grandpa always played old records for me growing up and I loved it

Can’t carry a tune to save my life

Did you try playing in school?

I did. Lasted one year

Aww. I’m sorry

For the record, I think Casper would make a wicked cool jazz musician

How are you not from Mass?!

New message from Music City Matches user CatsRCool at 7:59pm

CatsRCool

What would our first date be?

TheFriendlyGhost

The first date that never seems to want to happen?

That one

I don’t think you’re a dinner and movie kind of girl

Picked up on that, have you?

Easy thing to pick up on

Have you planned something?

Maybe…

Tell me!

I want to know!

And ruin the surprise?

Nah, I just need to keep you on your toes

Not cool

If you were going to take me on a first date, where would you take me?

Hockey game

Funny

I think I am

I’d take you bowling

Bowling?

What do you have against bowling?

Beer? Bar snacks? Sending a ball flying down the lane to crash into things? Peeping how cute your butt is…I love it!

Checking out my ass already?

Maybe…

Well, there goes our first date

Don’t be a stick-in-the-mud!

Not a stick-in-the-mud

I was going to take you bowling

>

Stop it! You were not

I was

For all of the above named reasons

Checking out my ass already?

Turnabout is fair play

Guess we need to go bowling then

New message from Music City Matches user TheFriendlyGhost at 7:27pm

TheFriendlyGhost

Favorite board game?

CatsRCool

Board game? Really?

Why do you keep making fun of me?

You make it easy, Casper

You’re lucky I like you

I’m honored

Monopoly

Monopoly? Really?

What’s wrong with Monopoly?

It’s only the longest game ever

I have an older brother and I always beat him

Made it more fun