5. Jake
A sharp smack to his bare ass had Jake jumping and spinning around, coming face to face with a grinning Riley.
“What?”
Riley, ever the asshole, chuckled and lifted his chin in a cocky manner. “Are you taking your boy out tonight?”
Ted and Craig, two of the oldest guys on the team, snickered quietly from the next two showerheads over. They kept it up until Jake glanced their way; then they tried to straighten, but their shoulders still shook with suppressed laughter.
“He’s not my boy,” Jake said, returning his irritated stare on his best friend.
“You’re right,” said Riley. “He’s technically my boy since he’s wearing my sweater.”
If Riley was waiting for him to have a dramatic reaction, he would have to stand there for a long damn time. Jake didn’t do jealousy, especially not between him and Riley, who he had been sharing toys with since they were kids.
Granted, Allen wasn’t a damn toy, but since he was 99% sure that Riley was into girls, he assumed he had nothing to worry about.
Besides, Jake could barely get Allen to like him. There was no way he would pick his annoying friend when Jake was struggling to get him to accept a proper date.
“You think I care?” Jake asked, responding to Riley’s remark.
“I fucking would,” said Reed, another one of the older members of their team. “I don’t swing that way, but damn, your guy is pretty. Be careful, or Evans might swoop him up.”
“It’s scoop them up, dumbass,” Riley snapped back. He hit Jake with his towel again before taking the showerhead beside him. “Hurry before Sloan pisses Allen off and he asks to go home.”
That wasn’t going to happen. Jake had plans that involved steak and lobster, and if Riley’s rival became his problem, he was going to find a way to bribe someone on the Citadels team with enough money to make them trade Sloan to an American team.
Jake rushed through his shower and headed back to the locker room to get dressed, Riley trailing not far behind. He brushed off the playful, encouraging smacks from his teammates and ignored their offers of condoms, lube, and advice that didn’t even apply since Allen was a man.
“I’m going to Uber home,” said Riley, pausing to roughly dry his hair and spraying Jake with water droplets in the process. “You go woo your man and then tell me all about it tomorrow.”
Jake nodded, feeling thankful that Riley was so eager about this newly developing relationship. Not that he hadn’t been supportive about Jake’s past girlfriends, but it made him happy to know that Riley and Allen were getting along seamlessly.
Daydreams of future hangouts at his place began taking shape in his mind. Jake knew Allen was hesitant about liking hockey—for reasons he was determined to find out during their date—but the thought of the three of them watching the playoffs together…
Yeah. That was nice.
And maybe Riley would get called up to a line on the Citadel team, and he and Allen could watch and cheer him on.
Baby steps. He had to calm down and take things slow, but it would be a difficult task to achieve if Allen kept making comments about stickhandling while staring at his dick.
Jake didn’t have any experience with guys, but he was well aware that he was attracted to them. And Allen wasn’t just attractive. He had a hidden vulnerability that was screaming at Jake to love him, and the fact that he would have to work hard to get to that point?
Fuck, he loved a challenge.
Jake said goodbye to the guys and Riley before he left, stopping to check his hair in the mirror on his way out of the locker room. His heavy equipment bag slowed him down, but he sprinted for the front doors, heart hammering with excitement, knowing Allen was waiting for him.
Thankfully, Sloan was nowhere to be seen. The jackass must have gotten bored and gone home—and hopefully wouldn’t run into Riley in the damn parking lot.
Allen’s expression brightened when he spotted him, and Jake felt his mouth tug into an easy smile in response.
God, he was so cute. And gorgeous. And—
“Good game,” Allen said, showing him the flirty smile that had nearly made Jake late for the puck drop. “I hope you don’t take offence when I say this, but you are fucking scary on the ice. I’m surprised you don’t play professionally.”
That made two of them.
“Dinner?” Jake asked instead of commenting on Allen’s observation. “It’s late, but I’m starving.”
Allen was still wearing Riley’s jersey under his winter coat, and seeing it had heat pooling in his stomach. He could smell his friend’s cologne mingled with whatever delicious scent Allen was wearing, and it was doing…things to him.
It was giving him a weird sense of newness mixed with comfort, which was helping to calm the nervous flutters in his pulse.
“I could go for food,” said Allen. “It’s not a super fancy place, is it? I’m not very dressed up.”
Jesus. Allen could be wearing a paper bag, and Jake would still think he was cute.
He started to shrug, but froze when Allen narrowed his eyes.
“I…” Jake bit his lip, unsure of how to phrase his answer without sounding like a privileged ass. “I’ve never paid attention to how fancy it is. I always eat in their private rooms, and I booked us a reservation, so we could talk and eat without being disturbed.”
Allen’s smile fell. “Oh god. You’re not…in the closet, are you?”
Jake…didn’t know what that meant.
“I’m standing beside you in an open lobby, so no.”
Allen blinked rapidly, like he’d just gotten something in his eyes. “No—I’m not being literal. I’m asking you if you’re not openly gay, because I’m too old to be sneaking around.”
Sneaking around? That sounded like a very backward way of thinking.
They weren’t alone in the lobby; there were plenty of people meandering out the doors to their cars, so Jake decided to prove his point by taking Allen’s hand and holding it tightly.
“Does this answer your question?” Jake asked, smirking.
A lovely blush appeared on Allen’s cheeks, and he quickly looked away. Jake was pleased to note that he didn’t ask for his hand back.
They left the arena, holding hands until they arrived at Jake’s car, only letting go when he had to throw his bag in the trunk so Allen wouldn’t complain about the smell.
“Just so you know,” Allen said the second Jake was sitting and turning the engine over. “I’m not calling this a date. You don’t have to treat me like I’m your boyfriend.”
Jake crinkled his nose and put the car in drive. “Impossible. I want you to be my boyfriend.”
Allen began sputtering, so Jake gave him a minute to relax before he restarted the conversation.
“Are you okay with me pursuing you?” Jake asked. “I don’t want to push if it makes you uncomfortable.”
At this rate, he was going to have to change his nickname because he was talking a lot lately.
Jake knew he was a quiet person, and previous relationships had ended because he sucked at communicating, but that’s why he was trying so hard with Allen.
Allen, who was refusing to look at him, and whose ears remained a bright red whenever Jake glanced at him.
They were almost to their destination when Allen finally answered him, and Jake hadn’t known that ten minutes could feel so long.
“You can try.”
They stopped at a red light, giving Jake a few seconds to observe him. Allen was doing his best impression of a possum that was playing dead, but when he realized he was being watched, he straightened and scowled.
“You can give it your best shot, but just so you know, I’m un-wooable.”
Allen had regained enough confidence to cross his arms and give Jake a look that said he wasn’t willing to back down.
“Also, flashing your money at me won’t work. Been there, done that. So be original, Mousey.”
Heat surged to Jake’s cheeks as the light turned green, giving him an excuse to look away. “I don’t need money. You would be mine even if I were surviving off pennies.”
Allen’s scoff was loud, and Jake was beginning to see some of the hockey attitude bleed through his guarded exterior.
“Sure, buddy,” said Allen, waving his hand dismissively. “Whatever helps you sleep at night.”
Jake’s smile lingered for the rest of the drive through the city. He had been briefly worried that Allen would reject him and insist they stay friends, but he was relieved to know that there was a mutual interest between them.
When he pulled up to the restaurant, Jake made sure to jump out of the car and open Allen’s door for him, smirking when he received a grumpy frown for his efforts.
Allen shrugged off his jacket and removed Riley’s jersey, leaving them in the front seat of the car before they went inside.
“Can you tell Riley that if he ever puts his sweaty clothes on me in a cold rink again, I’ll rescind my offer of friendship,” said Allen, brushing his hand through his slightly messy hair.
“Tell him yourself,” said Jake. “I’ll give you his number.”
Allen huffed a sigh and allowed Jake to lead him to the restaurant doors. The main dining room was mostly hidden, so Allen wouldn’t have to worry about what he was wearing since no one could see him.
The clink of silverware and rumble of conversation were loud despite it being so late in the evening. The host immediately brought them to their room, smiling cheerfully at Jake and his date, and passing them their menus once they were seated.
Allen didn’t speak until the host was gone, but Jake knew it was coming because he was watching Allen’s eyebrows raise in slow motion.
“If having a private room with a window practically hanging over the Halifax harbour didn’t tell me this place is expensive, the menu with no prices certainly would.”
Jake cringed. It hadn’t been his intention to flaunt his money, but he liked this place; the food, the privacy, and the way the noise stayed at a low, steady murmur instead of bouncing off the walls.
He never did well in noisy, crowded spaces. There were too many voices and clashing sounds that didn’t belong together. The lights, the movement—it all piled up until his skin felt too tight for him to fit into.