Chapter 18
Eighteen
KAI
I’ll admit that I can be a bit judgmental. It’s not one of my finer traits. It’s probably why I never pledged a sorority, why Sue is my only friend, and why I’ve barely given girls like Gia (puck bunnies) a second glance.
That is, until this very moment.
Now she’s on my radar big time because of the rumors I’ve heard about her.
Evidently, she’s not as dumb as I’d like to pretend she is.
In fact, she has an agenda, and at the top of it is to “bag” a hockey player and live a rich housewife life.
It’s no secret that on the current VCU team, the three players who will most likely end up in the pros are Neo, Shane, and Bass–and only one of them is currently single.
I try not to be too obvious about it, but I can’t help but watch her.
She's wearing a red crop top that shows off her toned stomach and mid-rise jeans that look painted on and flatter her small waistline. Her makeup is understated but flawless, and her hair is up in a tight top-knot with a few curls falling along the curve of her neck. She moves through the room like she owns it, or at least as if she’s been here many times before, and heads straight for Bass.
"Bass!" she squeals, throwing her arms around his neck. The house is small enough that I can hear their entire conversation from my seat, although I’m not sure that’s a good thing. “I missed you at my party last weekend."
My stomach clenches as I watch her hug him longer than necessary, her body pressed against his like they're intimate or like she has every right to touch him that way.
"Yeah, sorry about that. I had other plans," Bass says, gently extricating himself from her embrace.
"You always have other plans lately." She pouts, trailing her finger down his chest. "I'm starting to think you're avoiding me."
What in the actual hell is going on right now?
"Just been busy."
"With hockey stuff?" Gia glances around the room, and her eyes land on me. "Oh. The social media girl is here."
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” I say out loud, although I didn’t mean to.
“Girl, if you’re going to hang in this circle, you’re going to have to ignore the puck bunnies,” Kennedy says. “That’s what the girlfriends do. Right, Violet?”
“Uh, I’m not a girlfriend,” I tell them.
“Right,” Violet raises an eyebrow in amusement, and it's almost as if they already know about me and Bass. “But girlfriend or not, the strategy works the same. Ignore them enough, and eventually they become distracted by something or someone else and then flit away.”
I know I have no right to be jealous. Bass and I aren't together, not really. We're just... whatever this is we’re doing. But watching Gia bounce in here and make a beeline for him like he belongs to her makes me want to throw something at her.
Or maybe throw her completely out of the house.
"I'm gonna grab a beer," Bass announces. "Anyone need anything?"
A chorus of drink orders follows him to the kitchen, and Gia takes the opportunity to plop down next to me on the couch.
“Hey, girls.” She speaks to the three of us.
“Hey,” Kennedy and Violet give her a half-assed hello in unison.
I say nothing.
“Hi, I’m Gia,” she turns to me, her voice dripping with fake sweetness. “So, how long have you been working with the ice mafia?”
“I’m working for one person,” I make clear, suddenly feeling very territorial. “Not the whole team.”
“Oh, so just Bass?”
“That’s right.”
“A class assignment?”
“It’s a little more than that.”
“Kai is a brand strategist,” Kennedy jumps in. “And she’s doing great things for our boy.”
“Oh, well, that's nice. It must be hard, being around all these hot players and having to stay professional."
Violet and Kennedy shoot each other a knowing look, then Violet says, “Hard for some. Not for most.”
"It's fine," I say quickly, not wanting to get into some sort of passive-aggressive verbal ping-pong game with this girl. "I'm here to complete a project, not husband hunt.”
Kennedy giggles at that comment, probably knowing exactly why I said that.
"Of course you are." Gia's smile is sharp. "Though I have to say, out of all the boys, you picked a good one to work with. Bass is... special."
The way she says it implies there's a story there. History. And if she’s trying to get under my skin or get inside my head, it’s working.
"Here we go," Bass reappears with drinks, handing Gia a beer before giving me a red plastic cup of ice water I didn't ask for. “I know you have your water bottle here, but I thought you’d like a fresh cup,” he says to me.
Our fingers brush when I take it, and for just a second, his thumb traces across my knuckles. It's brief, subtle, but Gia notices. Her eyes narrow slightly as she watches the interaction.
"Thanks, baby," she purrs, taking a long sip of her beer and making sure Bass has a clear view of her lips wrapped around the bottle. “Mmm, that’s good.”
I want to leave.
I want to get out of here before I do something stupid like tell Gia to kick rocks. But I also don't want to give her the satisfaction of running me off.
So I stay.
Maybe I’m a glutton for punishment, but I can play the passive-aggressive game too.
So I smile politely when she talks. I nod along when she tells stories about parties I wasn't invited to and people I don't know.
I pretend it doesn't bother me when she touches Bass's arm or laughs too loudly at his jokes.
“Hey, Bass, I think there’s still some of that pasta salad I made the other day in the fridge if you want some,” she tells him, and a pit forms in the middle of my stomach.
“Is there?” he smiles and walks straight to the fridge. “I am a little hungry.”
Wait, is this 1955?
Does this puck bunny cook for him?
After he sleeps with me, does he come back here to find her waiting inside with a home-cooked meal like a good little housewife?
I'm seething.
This is torture. Sitting here watching another woman act like she has claims on the man I'm sleeping with, while I have to pretend I don't care. While I have to maintain a professional distance and act like Bass is just a class project instead of the guy who is giving me some of the best sex I’ve ever had in my life.
When Gia finally excuses herself to the bathroom, which she probably has a damn toothbrush in, Kennedy leans over.
"She's marking her territory," she whispers.
"What?"
"Gia. She's trying to make you uncomfortable so you'll leave,” Violet adds.
"Why would she want me to leave?" I feign ignorance.
Kennedy gives me a look like I'm being deliberately dense. "Because she wants Bass, and she sees you as competition."
"I'm just here for work—"
"Kai." Kennedy's voice is gentle but firm. “You think Bass asked you to stay and hang with the girlfriends of his teammates for work reasons?”
“We’re not blind,” Violet adds. “The way he looks at you? The way you look at him? That's not work. That’s definitely something more. And if it isn’t already happening, it’s going to happen soon.”
My chest tightens. "It's complicated."
"It always is with these damn hockey players," Violet says with a small smile. “A guy on the tennis team would be so much easier. But for what it's worth, I think you two would be good together.”
“Hell, y’all are already good together,” Kennedy adds.
Before I can respond, both Gia and Bass return and immediately reclaim their spots on the couch. Bass is next to me, and she’s sitting on the other side of Bass–this time sitting close enough that their thighs are touching.
I watch her whisper something in his ear that makes him laugh, and something inside me snaps.
I can't do this anymore. I’m better than this. I can't sit here pretending I don't want to tell her to get her hands off him.
"I should head out," I announce, standing abruptly.
"Already?" Bass's voice is careful, but I catch the disappointment underneath.
“I’ve got that thing with Sue, remember?"
"Right."
I gather my things quickly, aware that everyone is watching this awkward goodbye. Bass walks me to the door, and for a moment, we stand there in the entryway, so much unsaid hanging between us.
"Thanks for staying," he says quietly.
"Thanks for inviting me."
"Kai—"
"I'll talk to you tomorrow for our check-in," I cut him off before he can say whatever it is that might make this more complicated. I leave without looking back, but I can feel his eyes on me as I walk to my car.
Driving away from the Ice House, I realize something that scares the hell out of me. This arrangement we made? This careful balance of professional and personal?
It's not working.
At least not for me.
Because watching Gia with Bass tonight made one thing crystal clear: I don't want to be his secret anymore.
I want to be the girl who gets to touch him in public.
Who gets to laugh at his jokes without worrying about who's watching.
Who gets to tell girls like Gia to move on to someone else and leave my man alone.
But wanting that means risking everything I've worked for.
And that’s not smart.
I was raised to believe that education was the key to a solid future — not a man. And in this situation, I feel certain that I'd have to make a choice. I can hear my disappointed professor's voice now. "You can't just go around dating all your clients, Miss Vega."
Which is why I'm not sure I'm brave enough to take that leap.
Even if staying in the shadows is slowly killing me.