Bar Down (Grand Marquee Manticores #2)

Prologue

PROLOGUE

Eight Months Ago

Ash

I find myself on my best friend’s doorstep even though I’m not supposed to be here until tomorrow for the New Year’s Eve party. A very irritated Robbie opens the door and scowls at me.

“What the hell are you doing here?” he all but growls, but I know it’s just his playful side coming out. When I got traded to the Manticores a few years ago, Robbie was the one who immediately took me under his wing. Not only is he our team captain, but he’s one of my best friends.

“Nice to see you too, grandpa,” I quip, bringing up the nickname I know annoys him. I give him a wink as I walk inside his ranch-style home on the outskirts of Grand Marquee like I own the place. Messing with Robbie is one of my favorite pastimes. He’s the fucking best, but his reactions are so predictable, making it easy to get a rise out of him. Sometimes I wonder why he lets me stick around with all the crap I give him. Any other guy would get annoyed and cut me out of his life, but not Robbie, he’s the male equivalent of a mother hen. He’s a father hen.

“Where’s my favorite girl?” I say to him with a smirk and move out the way when he attempts to punch my shoulder.

“Stop hitting on my girlfriend, you dipshit,” he says halfheartedly. Robbie knows I’d never actually make a move on Olivia. I’m not stupid, or blind. That girl is so gone for him. I’d tease her endlessly if we were closer, but since I don’t know her on a deeper level like I do Robbie, I keep my remarks to myself.

Walking into his large, open kitchen, I say, “Never, you need some healthy competition.”

“Ash, you’re here?” Olivia greets me from the massive island where she’s currently arranging appetizers on a charcuterie board. Robbie’s entire kitchen space is currently taken up by chips, dips, drinks, meats, cheeses, veggies, and other pans filled with appetizers that still need to go in the oven. The man really knows how to throw a party.

“I can’t believe he’s making you work,” I scoff. “You know he can afford to hire someone to do all this, right?”

Robbie swats at me with a towel before placing it on his shoulder. Wannabe Jamie Oliver over here walks up to Olivia and gives her a kiss on the cheek before saying, “I’m not making her do anything. Food is our shared love language, so we like cooking together.” Olivia blushes and gives Robbie a look that says you’re totally getting some later.

I fake a gag and take a seat on one of the leather bar stools at the kitchen island. I place a few slices of cheese on a platter just to stop looking at the two of them. They’re cute as hell together, but their love is kind of making me sick. I didn’t think I’d ever be jealous of one of my friends being in a relationship, but here I am, moping. Since when do I mope?

“Is there something on your mind, Ash? You seem a bit quiet,” Olivia says, looking up from the board she just finished arranging.

“I don’t have a date to the party,” I say, sounding like a teenage girl not having a date to prom. Robbie laughs and we both look over at him with questioning looks on our faces.

“What?” I prod.

“Come on, man. There’s gonna be plenty of people here. I’m sure you’re gonna find someone to hook up with.” He doesn’t say it with malice, but his words hit me like a brick just the same. Is that what I’ve always done? Hooked up and given everyone the impression that I don’t want more? Maybe I didn’t before, but lately I’ve found that I do want it—lovey dovey bullshit and all.

“But I don’t want to hook up,” I whine, like the petulant child that I am.

“Then what do you want?” Robbie asks, exasperated.

“A date. Like, someone to date. For longer than a few hours.” And I know exactly who I want—pale blue eyes and light blond hair, built like a viking—but I can never admit to it out loud.

“And you thought waiting until the day before to find that was a good idea?” he deadpans. Olivia sighs and elbows him, which makes me smile. This little firecracker has got my back. A small smile makes its way to my face, but it quickly drops when Olivia questions me.

“Ash, did you have someone particular in mind?” she asks gently, and for a second I almost want to tell her everything.

I think I have a huge crush on one of my best friends and I don’t know what to do about it.

Need advice, please and thank you.

But I can’t tell her that, so I pout instead and rest my chin in the palm of my hand. The next moment, Olivia is by my side, giving me a hug. I turn so I can hug her back tightly and look up to see Robbie staring at us. I can’t help but tease him again, so I smirk over her shoulder at him.

There’s a stark contrast between Robbie and Olivia; he’s more blunt with me and knows when to call me out on my bullshit, while Olivia is gentler with her advice. It’s no surprise they work so well together.

She pulls back and puts her hands on my shoulders, giving me a stern look. “Ash, I think you need to tell whoever you’re pining over how you feel about them. I know it’s not easy to open up to someone like that, but if you just hang on to those feelings and don’t vocalize them you’ll just regret it later.”

I sigh and bite the inside of my cheek as I look down at the floor. “But what if they don’t feel the same way?”

“Then it’s their loss, because you’re amazing and you’re going to do great things. But also, you deal with it. It won’t be easy, but in time you’ll move on.” I take a moment to appreciate her sage advice then muster up the resemblance of a smile and bring her in for a hug again. I do my best to blink back the tears that threaten to spill, but when Robbie throws down his towel and joins in on the group hug, a traitorous one escapes anyway.

“If you need a wingman, you know I got you, man,” Robbie says lightheartedly.

I scoff as I say, “As if I’ve ever needed a wingman.”

Eli

My head is still pounding from last night’s migraine and I take a couple of painkillers, downing a whole bottle of water on my way to Robbie’s front door. He’s left it unlocked as he sets up for the party and I make my way down the familiar corridor. The place looks impeccable, as always.

I greet everyone with a wave and a mumbled hello and make myself busy hanging up “Happy New Year” garlands in the dining room and large kitchen. I’m sluggishly moving through the motions, willing my headache away.

Robbie is always the host of the group, taking care of us, but he rarely asks for help. I feel bad not being able to give this task my all when my friend needs me.

Olivia and Alice, Robbie’s sister, took over the decorations earlier and there are black and gold ornaments and balloons all over the living room, dining room, and kitchen. The island is full of drinks, from champagne and tubs of beer on ice to bottles of liquor and mixers for cocktails. The dining table is elegantly decorated with candles and green vines surrounded by dozens of plates of party food.

Robbie assigned me to furniture duty with Jordan, one of my best friends and teammates. We moved the furniture around in the living room so there’s space to mingle and also made sure to lock the doors to the bedrooms, leaving only the mudroom and the two bathrooms accessible to guests.

Once everything is ready, we take a moment to admire the newly transformed living and dining room as we gather in the kitchen. We all grab a drink, smile, and cheers to a job well done and the start of a new beginning. Robbie looks around and asks, “Where’s Ash?”

My friends shrug and I zone out of the conversation as I think about the last member of our group.

Ash.

Out of all my friends, he’s the one I have a soft spot for. Ever since he got traded to our team, only a few months after I joined, we’ve been inseparable. We have this running joke that Robbie all but adopted us into the family, but truthfully, I don’t know if I would have opened up to anyone if it wasn’t for Ash and his incessant line of questioning.

It probably helped a lot that we ended up living across the hall from one another in the same apartment complex. At first, I found it annoying that he constantly wanted to hang out, but now I can’t imagine spending our days any other way.

Whether it’s going to the gym, coming over to play video games, or simply driving to the arena together, at this point, it’s our ritual. I don’t think I could imagine playing hockey without him by my side.

I catch snippets of the conversation and try not to daydream as I often do. I hear them talking about the lodge and figure they must have been talking about the all-star break that’s coming up.

“Olive, we’ll rent a snowboard for you to try and if you hate it, we have plenty of other things we can do. The resort is huge,” Robbie says.

“Sounds good. Besides having to teach me, I won’t keep you away from the slope, don’t worry,” she says in a chuckle.

“We’re not worried, we all plan to take turns and teach you,” I say, joining the conversation.

Robbie called me the other day and wanted to get my opinion on inviting Olivia to the lodge. I appreciate him asking, but it’s not like any of us would say no. She’s a really great referee, making all the fair calls on the ice—whether we like them or not—despite having only joined the AHL a few months ago. And even though their relationship is new, she’s a great girl who makes him happy. As his best friend, that’s all I need to know. Olivia is always welcome in our circle.

I was surprised how quickly Robbie fell in love. He always wears his heart on his sleeve and cares deeply about the people in his life, but I’ve never seen him quite as happy as he is around her. It’s like this little switch was flipped and he became more —more attentive, more honest about what he wants. Robbie is determined to make this relationship work and he’s determined to play his best, even while considering retirement.

One of the reasons I like Olivia so much is that I can relate to her. I was just as closed off and weary about joining this group of friends and this family, really, until Robbie made me realize how important it is to have a stable foundation and people to rely on. Especially when the world feels so lonely sometimes. I could see that weariness in Olivia too, but I think she’s starting to come around more.

As people start to arrive, the whole place changes from a cozy home to a post-game after-party, which is generally not where I find myself after a game. I like peace and quiet and that’s not what I’m in for tonight. There’s a faint headache that still lingers, even though I slept most of the day away to recover from my migraine.

I’m not usually one for drinking, but I grab a beer anyway and take a seat on the edge of the couch while I listen in on conversations and people watch. I spot Alice shyly making her way over to Jordan where he’s messing around with the computer he hooked up to a surround sound stereo, deciding he’s in charge of the music for the night. She tucks a few strands of hair behind her ears with both hands as she tells him something. I’m too far away to hear it, but Jordan laughs and gives her a once over when she’s not looking, and the way he’s checking out Robbie’s little sister is a little more than friendly.

I take a sip of cold beer and let my eyes wander around the room where I see Trip, one of our forwards, with his wife Mackenzie. The two of them are always touching when they’re near each other, like they can’t possibly keep their hands to themselves. I see Robbie reaching out to put his arm around Olivia as the four of them chat, but he pulls back at the last second and pretends to stretch. Since Olivia is a referee in the same league and region as our team, they’re trying to keep their relationship on the down low so neither of them gets in trouble. But anyone with a brain could tell they’re smitten with each other just from one glance.

I look around hoping to see a certain redhead, but he’s nowhere to be found. I pull out my phone to message him and notice I have a few missed texts. I sigh and scold myself for my annoying habit of keeping my phone on silent.

I’ve never really been into texting. I prefer to hang out with my friends in person instead. Most days Ash just walks across the hall and lets himself into my apartment when he needs to tell me something, so there’s no need to text or call one another. I notice my phone is on do-not-disturb from last night which is probably why I didn’t get a notification for Ash’s texts.

this might sound kind of weird, but would you want to go with me to coach grandpa’s party?

i know you’re already going, obviously, but i mean go together

not just drive together, but like as a date

i’m fucking rambling. srry. had a couple of drinks

i guess i’m just tired of always being dateless at Robbie’s parties. thought we could

make it fun

nvm.

I sigh and try to make sense of his ramblings. The guy texts like a highschooler and I always scold him about it. I think about texting back and telling him it might all just be gibberish, but my heart skips at the word I spot. Date. Is he—? Is Ashton Meyers actually asking me out on a date?

I read the texts again and again. Thought we could make it fun. What the hell does that mean? Before my brain can process what he meant or how I feel about it, someone takes the phone right out of my hand.

“Hey, I was reading that,” I say, straightening up on the edge of the couch and coming face to face with Alice.

“Eli, this is a social event, you can’t just sit in a corner and be on your phone the whole time. And also, since when do you even look at your phone, aren’t you like anti-technology?” Alice says, and I swear, sometimes she talks a mile a minute.

I blink at her a few times and squint. “Since when do you care if someone is not participating in a social event? Aren’t you the one that brings your Kindle to every single gathering?”

Alice scoffs at me and looks down at her hands, admiring her manicure. “That’s not the same thing,” she mumbles and I laugh.

“If you must know, I was checking on Ash. He’s not here yet,” I say, reaching over and prying my phone from her dainty fingers.

“Oh, you know Ash. He never misses a party, I’m sure he’ll show up soon,” she says and looks around. Finding what—or who—she was looking for, Alice grabs my arm and pulls me up to stand. “Come on, I want to introduce you to someone.”

“Al, no. I don’t have the bandwidth to meet new people.”

She turns around and gapes at me, “Then what the hell are you doing at a party, Eli?”

I roll my eyes and relent, following her across the room where she’s being hugged by another tiny human. Why are girls so small?

“Eli, this is Hannah. I told you about her at Christmas, remember? She’s my artist friend, the one who made that Lord of the Rings painting that you loved and stole from me,” she says sweetly, but her eyes are narrowed on me.

My smile shows even as I shake my head at her. “I did not steal it from you, lapsi. ” She glares at me harder and I can’t help but laugh out loud. Alice hates it when I call her kid.

“Well, regardless, this is the genius behind it,” she says with another flick of her dark blond hair that’s wavy today instead of her regular straight look.

I turn to face Hannah and shake her hand. She’s even smaller than Alice. Jesus, she’s probably only 5’2”, which compared to my 6’3” frame is baffling. She has to tilt her head all the way back to look at me. When she does, I notice more details about her. She’s got a nose ring and plump red lips that stand out since she’s wearing all black, from her Doc Marten boots, to her leggings and dress, which is tight in all the right places. For any other guy in here, she’d be the perfect catch.

Things would be so much easier if I was attracted to girls.

Hannah gives me a dazzling smile and blushes all the way down to her collarbone. She sways a little as I let go of her hand and I steady her by gently grabbing her shoulder. I realize the effect I have on women, and if I was straight, I wouldn’t have an issue leaving the party with someone on my arm. I’d be like Ash.

Ash .

Did he really want to come here with me as his date? Is he insane? What would our teammates think? Most of them are here tonight with their girlfriends or wives. Unlike Ash, who has no problem talking about the girls and guys he’s hooked up with, I like to keep my personal life private. Even if he did just ask me as a joke or because I was his last resort, I still would have said no. I care about him and I don’t want any of the lines to blur between us.

There’s an electric charge in the room and, as always, I can feel Ash’s eyes on me. I turn around to look for him and it takes me a second to realize he’s at the kitchen island, which means he’s already had some drinks. Our gazes lock for a moment and I lift my eyebrows in a silent question of are you good?

Ash breaks the contact first and walks away with Robbie who is leading him to the darts board. What the hell was that about? Is he avoiding me because I didn’t respond to his messages?

Alice elbows me in the ribs and I whip my head around to look at her. Her lips are pursed and she’s giving me an admonishing look. She normally looks so much like Robbie, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen this kind of expression from him before. I frown and glance from her to Hannah who is looking at me expectantly. Shit, did she ask me a question?

“Sorry, I zoned out for a second. What was that?” I say with a fake smile on my face.

“No problem, I asked if you wanted to grab a drink with me?” she says, biting her lip and looking me up and down.

She already has a drink in her hand.

I internally groan and mentally promise to throw Alice in the snow for trying to set me up after I explicitly told her I wasn’t interested.

“Um, sure,” I say and shuffle on my feet for a bit. Alice gives me an over the top thumbs up but I just shake my head and walk away with Hannah.

“So, I hear you play goalie,” she says as we approach the makeshift bar area. I lift a bottle of wine and point it in her direction. She holds out her red solo cup and I pour, waiting for her to tell me to stop. Except she doesn’t, so I end up pouring to the brim. O-kay .

I shouldn’t judge the poor girl, maybe she’s shy and needs something to take the edge off, loosen her up a bit. “I do play goalie,” I say, opening another beer and taking a sip.

“I bet you’re really flexible. Can you do the splits?” she asks and I promptly choke on my beer and have to cough into my elbow to regain my composure. Yeah, she’s not shy at all.

I barely get myself together before she takes a step towards me and places her free hand on my abs, bunching the shirt there. I frown down at her tiny fist, annoyed that she’s going to leave wrinkles on my nice button-up.

She leans further into me and goes up on her toes to whisper in my ear, “Maybe you can show me.” I lean back slowly, trying to put some much needed distance between us. What is she even talking about? Show her what?

I get distracted by Ash pulling up next to me and grabbing a whole bottle of whiskey off the table before glancing my way.

Hannah pulls back and repeats, “Will you show me how flexible you are?”

My cheeks go red and I look at Ash, but he’s already walking away. “Sorry, I don’t think I will.” I pry her greedy hands off of me and move to follow Ash, but I’m met by a frantic Robbie.

“Hey man, I need your help,” he says and pulls me aside. “Can you go hang out with Trip and Mackenzie for like five minutes? I just need a break from socializing.”

“Where’s Olivia?” I ask.

“My bedroom, waiting for me,” he says, smirking.

Ugh. I give him a shake of the head and a fake scowl. “Seriously, you want me to entertain your guests while you entertain your girlfriend?”

“What can I say, I’m fucking whipped.”

At least he can admit it.

“Okay, fine. You owe me, though.”

Robbie smiles and hugs me. “I know. Thanks man.” He starts walking away but then turns back, “Oh, can you also keep an eye on Ash? He’s been a bit off since yesterday.”

“Yeah, sure,” I say, mentally preparing myself to go talk to people. Once that is taken care of, I need to talk to Ash and figure out exactly what his message meant.