6. Enamored
Chapter Six
ENAMORED
~~Camden~~
The guys dress and leave the room, but I don’t move. Instead, I relish the silence and wallow in my self-pity like a pig in mud on a warm summer’s day.
I’m in my street clothes but not ready to face the world outside this door. If I wait long enough, the reporters will have left, especially Aria. She’s someone I choose to avoid. With my fragile confidence, I don’t need toxic negativity.
Most of all, I don’t want to face Inez. I feel as if I’ve let her down. I can only imagine the pressure she’s under as a new assistant GM and as a woman. While her gender shouldn’t matter, I’m not na?ve enough to think it doesn’t play into people’s opinions. The good ol’ boy network is still alive and well in the league, though headway has been made.
I’m a coward for hiding out, but sometimes a person has to do what’s needed for their own sake. I check my phone. The game’s been over for close to ninety minutes. The coast should be clear.
I open the locker room door a couple inches and peer out into the corridor. At one end, a woman with her back to me is having a private conversation with a man I don’t recognize. I know who the woman is, though. I’d know her anywhere, which is weird considering I’ve only been around her a few times, but those brief moments are etched into my memory and saved as favorites.
Inez Lewis has too often been the subject of my thoughts since I first met her. I don’t know why I’m drawn to her. She’s not my type, though I’m not sure what my type is. Regardless, she’s too pushy and cold as ice. Yet in my gut, I’m positive what you see isn’t what you get.
My game had been less than impressive. I’d prefer to avoid having a chat with her tonight. I consider ducking down the hall in the opposite direction, but the only way to the elevator and the parking garage is past her.
I’m not in the mood to have my game picked apart. I do a good enough job of that by myself. I’ll go home and replay the game a dozen times, studying every move I made. She doesn’t need to be the one to tell me I’m a mediocre player at best. I already know.
Damn, but I’m down on myself. I try not to go to that dark place of self-flagellation, but I’m heading there fast. Thank heavens Drakos is a major partier, and I’ll have the condo to myself.
I slink down the hall like a thief in the night and slip past them. The janitorial staff has dimmed the lights, which gives the area an ominous feel. The elevator is only steps away.
The male voice behind me sounds more threatening, and I freeze, listening carefully.
“Listen, bitch, don’t butt into personal business that’s none of your affair, or you’ll regret it.”
“I’ll regret nothing. I like Shelby. You, not so much. Maybe you’re the one who should watch your back.”
Shelby? The man talking to Inez must be Shelby’s husband. I alter course. In stealth mode, I move closer. I’m certain strong-willed Inez won’t appreciate my interference, but I can’t in good conscience abandon her alone with this asshole. I’ve heard bits and pieces about him, and he’s a first-class douche.
The hall is shrouded in shadows, and neither of them notice as I inch closer.
“Shelby will never leave me. You might as well give it up. She loves me, but you wouldn’t understand that. You probably haven’t had a man in so long that it’s grown shut.”
Inez raises her hand to slap him, but he grabs her wrist and twists her arm behind her back until she’s pressed against him.
I lunge into action. He doesn’t even see me coming. I grab him and spin him around, shoving him hard. The back of his head hits the concrete wall with a resounding crack. He goes limp and slides to the floor. His head lolls around, but he hasn’t lost consciousness.
Better late than never, a security guard exits the elevator. He glances down the hall toward us and does a double take. The guard hurries toward us, followed by another security guy who emerges from the darkness at the far end of the hall. The first guard stops and surveys the situation before turning to Inez.
“Are you okay, ma’am?”
“I’m fine. Take Mr. Harrison to his car in the parking garage. He’s not allowed back in this building. Ever .”
The guards nod and yank the asshole to his feet.
Shelby’s husband calls over his shoulder, “You’re going to be sorry.”
Inez flips him off before he disappears into the elevator.
“That wasn’t very professional of me, was it?” Her sheepish smile does weird things to me and sets my heart thumping. For a moment that lasted forever and didn’t last a second, our eyes lock together. A silent message passes between us, a message of longing, of wanting what we can’t have. Then it’s gone as quickly as it came. Inez’s face turns into the icy professional once again.
I give her the once-over and determine she’s not physically harmed.
“Who cares? Was that Shelby’s husband?”
“Yeah, that was him. Nice piece of work.”
“Are you really okay?”
“Of course I am. But thank you for coming to my rescue. There’re no limits to what he might do. I appreciate the help.” Her expression softens briefly, and her red lips part ever so slightly. Desire stirs deep inside me and brings an ache of longing I haven’t felt in forever.
“You’re welcome.” Her words make my day, and I grin like the fool I seem to be around her.
“Could I buy you a drink to thank you? I’d love to talk about how you felt the game went.” If Inez instantly regrets her hasty invitation, she doesn’t show it.
“Yeah. I’d like that.” I know getting a drink with Inez is a bad idea, especially if a gossip like Aria, or even my teammates, sees us together.
“Let’s find a place the team doesn’t hang out. We don’t need people talking.” She’s reading my mind, and I nod my agreement.
“I can drive if you want.”
“I’ll drive myself. Since you’re new to town, and I’m not, why don’t you follow me? Are you parked in the players’ area?”
“Yes, just down one level.”
“Me, too. I drive a blue Honda.”
“I have a silver Chevy Blazer.” If my choice of vehicles surprises her, she doesn’t show it.
“Okay, let’s do it.”
I follow her through the city streets to an area a few blocks from my condo. Since several players live in that building, I’m not sure this is such a good choice. I find an empty spot a block down from Inez’s car and walk toward her. She’s waiting at the curb when I approach.
“Are you sure this is a good location?”
“It’s the best. The owner is a Pittsburgh fan, and he rubs it in the guys’ faces every chance he gets. They avoid this place.”
“Probably a good way to stay out of trouble, especially for hotheaded rookies.”
“And Drakos.”
I laugh heartily. “Definitely Drakos.”
I hold open the door, and Inez skirts me to walk inside. Her hip rubs against my side, and I suck a breath through my teeth. Desire slams through my body like a runaway horse. I bite my lip to stop the groan. What in the fuck is going on? This isn’t like me.
Inez strides toward an empty table near the back, unaware of my extreme discomfort. I shake off my sexual fog and hurry after her. My gaze darts around the crowded room. No one pays attention to us, for which I’m glad. Not that I ever get recognized.
We sit down, and a waiter hurries over to take our drink order. There’s an awkward moment of silence before Inez decides to fill it.
“What’re your plans for the All-Star Break?” Inez asks in a stiff, unemotional voice most people reserve for strangers. The All-Star Break happens every year during this time frame. We’re not scheduled to play another game for a week. Most of my teammates are heading somewhere warm unless they’re involved in the festivities.
“I’m just hanging around Portland. I’m going to enjoy having the condo to myself. And you?” I live on a league minimum salary. While it’s still good money, I’m thrifty with my finances. I don’t drive an expensive sports car. I don’t own a mansion on a hill. I don’t take expensive vacations. I don’t know how long this career will last, and I haven’t developed any viable plans for a future after hockey. The money I make now may have to tide me over for a long while once I hang up my skates.
“Staff don’t get time off. Besides, I’m still learning this job. I wouldn’t take vacation even if I could.”
I nod and try to think of something more to say, but she beats me to it.
“You missed Aria and Drakos’s performance tonight.” She allows herself a wry grin.
I frowned and furrowed my brow in confusion. “Aria and Drakos?” I’m missing something.
“They were in each other’s faces after the game in the hallway with tons of witnesses. Not a good look for the team or Drakos.”
“She does get under his skin.” I’ve heard him complain about Aria on multiple occasions. She knows how to push his buttons and exploits every opportunity to do so. He plays right into it. If he’d learn to ignore her, she’d probably find another victim.
“She gets under everyone’s skin, but he reacts instead of ignoring, which escalates her behavior as she’s getting the reaction she wants.”
“Yeah, I’ve noticed. I’ll have a talk with him. See if I can get through his thick skull.”
“Good luck with that.” Her brown eyes sparkle with mirth, and her lips spread into a broad smile. She looks younger when she smiles. Her smile softens her usually frigid expression and warms my heart. Stern Inez is sexy, but friendly Inez is irresistible. I wonder what’s in her background that causes her to be cold and professional. A person can be professional without the freeze factor.
A stray lock of hair falls across her face, making her appear more vulnerable than usual. Without thinking, I reach out to tuck it behind her ear. The second my fingers touch her, a surge of lust overpowers me. I freeze, and our gazes meet. Inez’s lips part slightly, and she sucks in a breath and holds it. I’m doing the same. An undeniable spark of desire arcs between us. I can’t look away, and neither can she. I know in that moment she feels the chemistry between us as much as I do.
The waiter delivers two beers to our table, yanking us both from our stupor. The waiter smiles knowingly, and Inez cringes at our obvious display of what he interprets as affection. I drop my hand to the table, and she tucks that strand behind her ear. In another situation, I’d acknowledge our undeniable chemistry and ask her out. This is not one of those moments. We both know the bitter truth. We cannot act on our chemistry. It’d destroy both our futures.
Inez regains her wits before I do. She holds her beer bottle up in the air. I do the same.
“To making the playoffs.” She follows up her smile with her all-too-familiar frosty expression. She’s regretting her momentary lapse.
We clink glasses and each take a long pull while our eyes meet over the rim of our glasses. She looks away immediately.
I order a plate of nachos because I’m hungry and always eat after a game. Inez, who’s thin as a board, digs in with gusto. I’d expected her to pick at her food or refuse it, assuming she’s probably a health nut or something. Inez catches me watching her but says nothing.
“I appreciate a woman who actually eats rather than starves herself, but you don’t look like someone who has a big appetite.”
“I’m gifted with high metabolism. I can eat whatever I want and never gain a pound.”
“Lucky you.”
“I know hockey players. You burn off everything you eat.”
“Yeah, and a lot of us get fat after we retire.” I chuckle, but she only nods.
We order another round and talk about hockey for close to an hour. She grills me on my first weeks with the team, how I’m acclimating, and offers her assistance to help me fit in. Every word she says stays within the boundaries of a boss attempting to facilitate an employee’s success. Tired of being the subject of this conversation, I switch to a topic that has nothing to do with her or me.
“What’s the story with Shelby?” I truly am curious, though it’s not the top thing on my mind right now. Talking about Shelby is a good distraction.
“I only wish I knew. Her husband is controlling to the extreme. She doesn’t drive that I’m aware of. He drops her off and picks her up from work. Anytime she’s working after hours, he’s lurking in the shadows, including charity events and now games.”
“Judging by the remnants of a black eye when I first met her, I’m guessing he’s abusive.”
“He is, emotionally and physically. I’ve seen the signs of physical abuse escalate in the time she’s been working for the Icehawks. Of course, she won’t admit to any abuse, and our hands are tied as far as doing anything to help her when she doesn’t want to be helped.”
“I know how that works. I had an older brother who was with an emotionally abusive, manipulative, and controlling girlfriend. He finally broke up with her after several failed attempts. She stalked him and threatened him. Less than a month later, he disappeared. That was five years ago, and we haven’t heard a peep from him. I know she’s involved, but I can’t do a damn thing about it. I warned him she was dangerous, but he never listened.”
“They never do. I’m so sorry, Camden. That’s got to be tough.”
“My brother’s disappearance destroyed our family. Mom retreated into alcohol. My dad never recovered from the loss and died two years later of a heart attack. I think he actually died of a broken heart. My mom took her life a year ago.”
“Oh, Camden. I’m so very sorry.” She reaches across the table and clasps her hands around mine briefly before placing them primly back in her lap.
“It’s okay. I’m a survivor.” I study her for a moment. Something about this subject troubles her, and I suspect it goes beyond her worries over Shelby. “And you? What are you surviving?”
One brow shoots up. I’ve caught her off guard. She takes a long moment before she answers.
“I’m not usually this transparent. I guess I feel a margin of safety around you.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment. I get the feeling you don’t reveal much of yourself that often.”
“I don’t. I have two close friends who know almost everything, and that’s it.”
“Everly and Michella?”
“You’re observant.”
I lean forward, elbows on the table and chin resting on my clasped hands. “Tell me. I’m a good listener. You heard my personal tragedy. Do you have one?”
She contemplates for so long I’m not expecting her to respond. When she does, I’m surprised.
“My mom and dad divorced when I was young. Mom remarried a sweet-talking doctor. She was completely taken in by his money and his good looks. At first, everything was wonderful for her and me. She had custody of me, and he played the doting stepfather and adoring husband role quite well. We lived in a big house, and he bought me nice clothes. Sadly, the honeymoon phase only lasted a few months. Then things slowly escalated. It started with verbal abuse, then bruises and black eyes. Every time it happened, she’d make excuses, blame herself, and accept his apologies. He didn’t touch me at first, and I tried to help her, get her to see him as the rest of us saw him. She refused. Eventually, he turned his wrath on me. Initially, he was hypercritical. I could never do anything right. The night he slapped my face for getting a B on a test, I knew I had to save myself. I’d stayed in that house to protect my mother, but she didn’t want protecting. When he slapped me, she defended him. I moved in with my dad, but that situation wasn’t great either. No abuse to speak of, but his new wife hated me. She didn’t want to share him, even with his daughter. I stayed in my room when I was home and avoided her. Our house was on the same block as the Barlowes’ mansion, and I met Everly one Saturday morning while jogging in the neighborhood. After that we started jogging together, and it was the beginning of a long friendship. In order to escape my home life, I spent more and more time at the Barlowes’. They became my second family, and I’m grateful to this day. They were my lifeline. My senior year, I moved into one of the spare bedrooms in their mansion. As soon as we graduated, Michella, Everly, and I rented an apartment together.”
“I had no idea you had such a history with the Barlowes. What happened to your mom?”
“They moved to Florida, and he cut her off from all friends and family. I haven’t heard from her in a few years. My dad is still with Penny. I rarely see him even though he lives an hour away.”
We settle into a comfortable silence as we each process what we’ve discovered about the other. I’ve suspected Inez is complicated, and her childhood only solidifies my suspicions.
It’s time to ask the number one question which has been nagging me. “Why did you claim me off waivers when there were better options?”
“I wanted someone who is as hungry to prove themselves as I am. We’re both fighting for our careers, striving to be better, and show the world we belong here.” Inez pins me with an expression of pure determination, almost as if she’s willing me to be that guy the team needs. I want to be. I really do.
“I am hungry. Without hockey, I have nothing.”
“I hear you. My job is my everything.”
“It’s our identity. Our reason for being.” I completely understand where she’s coming from, as I’m in the same place.
“Does that make us pathetic and not very well-rounded?” She’s half joking, half not. For the moment, she’s dropped the ice princess routine.
“Possibly.” I wave the waiter over for another beer. “My professional years have been lonely. I’ve moved around so much that I haven’t been able to develop any close friendships. Hockey is my entire life. There’s really nothing else.”
“I’m the same, especially with this new position. I’ve always been a workaholic, but it’s gotten worse in the past couple years. I love my friends, but they all have love interests, and I feel as if I’m the odd one out whenever we do stuff together, even if the guys aren’t with us. I know that’s my problem, not theirs. They’d never intentionally make me feel uncomfortable.”
“It hard when your friends are no longer single, and you are. They don’t mean to exclude you, but it happens just the same. It’s a lonely life when all you have is work.”
“I’m here for you, Camden.”
I’m choked up. I swallow hard and clear my throat. “Thanks.”
“As assistant GM, it’s my job to give you all the support necessary to make you successful. You’re one of my top priorities.”
“Thanks. The life of a grinder can be a lonely one.” I conceal my disappointment. She’s just told me that the only reason she’s being friendly is because she’s concerned about my success. After the past hour’s conversation, I’d foolishly assumed we’d moved into the friend zone. Inez has made it clear we haven’t.
“What about your teammates?”
“Drakos is a roommate I rarely see. Most of the single guys are partiers, and I’m not, so like you, I don’t fit anywhere.”
“You’re a good man, Camden Hale. And I think you’re a talented hockey player. You need to believe that too and have more confidence in your game.”
“I try.”
“I know. Easier said than done.” Inez glances down at her phone. “I have to be in the office early tomorrow for a meeting with Brian. I should go.”
We both reach for the bill at the same time, and our hands touch. The shock wave vibrates through me as if I’ve contacted a live electrical wire. By Inez’s astonished expression, she feels it too. She pulls away first and fumbles for her purse. I clutch the tab in my hand.
“I’ll pay this time. You can pick up the next one.” I pull out my debit card and lay it on the table.
“Certainly. I plan on checking in on you often. You’re my project.” She adds that last sentence with a determined smile.
“What if people think there’s more to it than that? I don’t want to compromise your position with the team.” I watch her closely for a reaction. A suppressed part of me demands to be heard and wants our relationship to venture beyond the professional. We can’t go there, and both of us know it.
“You won’t. No one will question my dedication to your success.”
Minutes later, I watch Inez pull away from the curb and drive out of sight.
Her absence leaves me empty, as if the most important piece of my soul is gone. That’s ridiculous thinking. We don’t know each other well enough for me to be this interested, possibly even enamored.
Yet I am.