Chapter Nineteen
“If either of you fuckers opts out of the All-Star game I will personally kill you,” Carter said. They were in the locker room, getting dressed for their first home game in two weeks.
“Why?” Scott asked.
“Because Gloria and I booked a week in Grand Cayman, and if one of you bails, they are going to replace you with me.”
“Carter,” Eric said calmly. “I’m a goalie.”
“Right. Okay, well, Scotty has to go then.”
“I am going,” Scott said. “I love the All-Star game.”
“You’re the only one,” Carter grumbled. “I have a long list of things I’d rather do during my week off than play a shitshow of a game in fucking Buffalo.”
“Hey,” Scott said. “I’m from near Buffalo.”
“And I’m from North Dakota, but I don’t want to spend my vacation time there either,” Carter quipped.
Eric had no plans to skip the All-Star game.
The line-up had been announced yesterday, and he’d been surprised and touched to be named to the team this year, since there were some really excellent younger goaltenders who deserved the spot as much as he did.
He appreciated having one last opportunity to show off in the skills competition, and to secretly say goodbye to his colleagues.
Christmas had come and gone and Eric still hadn’t told anyone that he was retiring at the end of this season.
He just couldn’t bring himself to say the words.
Every week he’d have a new reason to justify waiting.
He’d now decided to wait until February, after the All-Star game.
He didn’t want the attention that he’d get from the media, and the other players, if they knew it was definitely his last All-Star appearance.
He hadn’t seen or spoken to Kyle in two weeks either. He’d taken the back-to-back road trips as an opportunity to clear his head and maybe allow himself to think reasonably about what he was doing with Kyle. He’d thought some distance would relieve his cravings for the man.
It hadn’t worked.
Eric still felt heated every time he thought of their last time together.
Which was often. In fact most of his thoughts had been dominated by Kyle.
He’d thought about him when he was on the road—in planes, on buses, working out, and definitely in his hotel rooms. He’d thought about him while he’d been at home with his family.
He’d thought about him a surprising amount on Christmas morning, even wishing that Kyle was there with him, meeting his parents and siblings, which was a little alarming.
Eric had wanted to text him yesterday when he’d gotten back into town.
Maybe see if he wanted to come over. But he didn’t want to seem too eager, and he also didn’t like how unmanageable his feelings had become.
Kyle was forcing his way into Eric’s heart like a puck sailing into the top corner of the net while Eric was sprawled helplessly on the ice.
He couldn’t control what was happening, and he hated things he couldn’t control.
Usually.
“You guys enjoy hanging out with Dallas Kent in the snow,” Carter teased. “I’m going to be on a beach with the love of my life.”
“Rum?” Scott asked dryly.
Carter threw a roll of tape at him.
Eric: What are you up to?
Kyle did not appreciate the way his heart lurched when he saw Eric’s text. It was a completely inappropriate and disproportionate response.
Kyle: Just leaving campus.
He watched the three dots blink on his screen for what felt like an eternity as Eric typed. Kyle couldn’t imagine what this was going to be about. He hadn’t heard from Eric in two weeks. He’d almost given up hope.
Eric: I was wondering if you might like to get coffee.
Well, that was adorable.
Kyle: Sure. Where?
They agreed to meet at a café near Columbia that Kyle liked.
He ducked into a bathroom before leaving campus.
After a three-hour seminar, he doubted he looked his freshest. He examined himself in the mirror and finger-combed the front of his hair so it wasn’t falling into his face.
He finally decided it was a lost cause and pulled a black winter hat out of his backpack.
He had his favorite glasses on today, at least.
Maybe it was sad that he was so excited about a coffee with a friend, but he’d been having a hard time not obsessing over Eric Bennett lately.
Every shift he worked at the Kingfisher he hoped Eric would walk through the doors, even when Kyle knew he was out of town.
He’d watched most of the Admirals’ road games, some on the televisions at work, and some at home.
His heart had fluttered every time the broadcasts showed Eric’s face, even if it was behind a mask.
Kyle could have texted him. He knew this, and had been tempted to do it several times.
On Christmas morning he’d had a message all typed out—just a simple Merry Christmas—but he’d deleted it.
For whatever reason, he’d made a deal with himself that he would let Eric make contact next.
And if Eric never did, well. That was that, then.
It wasn’t like Kyle had never been ghosted before.
It wasn’t like Eric had ever promised him anything.
So getting a text—an invitation—from Eric now, after a long and particularly tedious seminar class, was extremely welcome.
When Eric entered the café, Kyle’s stomach flipped. Somehow he’d forgotten how gorgeous the man was in person: tall and elegantly dressed in a long wool coat that was dusted in snowflakes. When he spotted Kyle, he smiled warmly, and Kyle silently commanded himself to be cool.
“Hi,” Eric said.
“Hi.” They stood near the counter, facing each other. Kyle’s hand twitched with the desire to touch him, but he didn’t. From here he could see the snowflakes that were melting into Eric’s hair, making it glisten.
“It’s, um, nice to see you,” Eric said. “It’s been a while.”
Had it seemed like a long time to Eric? Had he missed Kyle? “It has. Did you have a nice Christmas?”
“It was short, but good. It’s always nice to go home.” Eric’s smile fell. “I mean—”
“It’s fine,” Kyle said quickly. “Mom called me on Christmas. We talked for ten whole minutes. It was very festive. Apparently my older brothers are both doing wonderful things and my parents are very proud of them.”
God, why had he just said all of that? He saw unwanted sympathy in Eric’s eyes, so he changed the subject, “Let’s order. I need caffeine after that class.”
A few minutes later they brought their coffees to a small table in one corner.
“I heard that you made the All-Star team. Congratulations.”
“Thank you. It was a bit of a surprise, to be honest.”
“Why? You’ve been playing well this season, haven’t you?”
Eric gently removed the lid to his coffee cup and set it on the table. “Other goalies have been better. Younger goalies.”
Ah. This.
“Eric,” Kyle said carefully, “did you text me because you’re feeling old?”
Eric’s eyes went wide. “What? No, of course not.” But his brow furrowed in a way that suggested he was considering the possibility.
“I’ve enjoyed everything we’ve done together, and, honestly, all of the time we’ve spent together. But if you’re here because I make you feel young or something...”
“It’s not that,” Eric said quickly. “You are young, but when we’re together I—” He cut himself off. Kyle needed him to finish that sentence.
“You what?”
“I don’t think about our age difference. I think about it when we’re apart sometimes, but whenever I’m with you I just...forget.”
There was definitely something romantic about that admission, but Kyle did his best to ignore it. It was probably unintentional. “I must not be doing as good a job moisturizing as I thought,” he said dryly.
Eric chuckled. “That’s not what I meant. And I’m not here to feed off your youth. I’m around plenty of young men when I’m at work.”
“That makes two of us.” Kyle sipped his latte. “Is something on your mind, though?”
Eric fiddled with his coffee cup. “I still haven’t told anyone I’m retiring.
And the road trips were...hard, I guess.
Every arena we played in, I thought about how it might be the last time I ever play there.
This might be the last time I’m flying from San Jose to Colorado with my teammates.
” He shook his head. “I don’t know why those thoughts bothered me so much. It’s silly.”
“It’s not. You’re about to end an enormous chapter of your life.”
“I know.” Eric blew out a breath and said, “Anyway. I didn’t invite you here to unload on you.”
Kyle waggled his eyebrows suggestively. When Eric noticed, he ducked his head to hide his embarrassed smile.
“Why did you invite me?” Kyle asked.
Eric glanced up. “I found myself...missing you.”
Kyle’s mouth fell open, then curved up in a giddy smile that he tried, but failed, to get under control. “I may have missed you too.” He lowered his voice. “I’ve thought a lot about our last night together.”
Eric held his gaze, and Kyle saw the heat that ignited in them. “Me too.”
He bit his lip, considering whether what he was about to propose was a good idea. It probably wasn’t, but, “Maria just started her evening shift at Starbucks.”
It took Eric a second. “So your apartment is empty, you’re saying?”
“I have it all to myself. If you’re not busy...”
“I’m not.” Eric was already putting the lid back on his coffee, getting ready to leave. “Let’s go.”
Kyle laughed at his eagerness. “You know, if you wanted a booty call, you could have just said. You didn’t have to meet me for coffee.”
“I wanted to see you, not just... I mean, I like talking to you.”
Ugh. Eric had to stop. Kyle was going to get all sorts of wrong ideas if he didn’t stop. He decided to keep it sexy. “How about we talk after I show you what I’ve been dreaming of doing to you for two weeks?”