25. Sophie
“This isn’t Spanky’s,” I say when Xander pulls his car into a parking spot in front of a pub I’ve never been to.
He turns and grins at me. “I know. Thought we’d do something different tonight.”
He hops out and rounds the front of the car to open my door. I swoon. He always makes it a point to get the door for me. He’s such a gentleman.
Or he knows he’s in public and is putting on a convincing act. You’re pretending to be boyfriend and girlfriend, remember?
The sting of that reminder hits hard. It’s only been a few weeks of us being together as a fake couple and already I’m forgetting that we’re not real.
That’s probably not a good sign.
That probably means I’ll be devastated when we put an end to our fake setup in a couple of short months.
Dread starts to creep in, but I shove it aside. I’m not going to think about that tonight. Instead, I’m going to enjoy the moment and have a good time, just like Xander is.
“I thought it was kind of a tradition for you guys, hanging out at Spanky’s after a game,” I say as he grabs my hand and helps me out of the car.
The Bashers’ winning streak is still going strong. They won against the Phoenix Fireballs tonight, and Xander was a huge part of that. He scored an impressive three goals.
He shuts the door, a knowing smile playing across those sexy thick lips of his. “Yeah, I guess that’s become a thing for us,” he says. “But it’s fun to change things up every once in a while.”
With my hand in his, he leads me to the entrance of the pub. I savor the feel of his warm, massive hand. I feel so delicate and tiny whenever I’m with Xander, and I freaking love it.
When he opens the door for me, I step inside and see Xander’s teammates Theo and Blomdahl sitting at a long table near the far wall. Sam McKesson, a defender for Seattle, is there too along with Maya. They wave to us. When we walk over, they all say hi.
I notice a beautiful blonde woman sitting next to Maya who looks kind of familiar.
Maya stands up and hugs me, then introduces us. “Sophie, this is my best friend, Ingrid.”
Ingrid smiles and hugs me. I’m taken aback by how tall she is. She’s a little taller than Maya, probably 5’9” or 5’10”. We all sit down. Theo pours Xander a beer and slides me a glass of water.
“Don’t worry, no drinking games tonight,” Theo says as he smiles at me.
I chuckle and tell him thanks.
Sam turns to me and asks how work is going. I tell him it’s been busy but great.
“Is Dakota coming tonight?” he asks.
I shake my head. “No, she’s busy. There’s a carnival for the kids at her school tonight.”
“Ah, okay.”
I notice his shoulders slump the slightest bit. He’s clearly bummed that she won’t be here.
I guess that makes sense. He’s friends with her brother Del and he’s become friends with Dakota too over the past few years.
Sam clears his throat and tugs at his dark blond hair. “So, um, do you know if Dakota is seeing anyone?” he asks, his voice low, probably so no one else can hear.
I pause for a second and smile at him. “I don’t think so. Why? Are you interested in asking her out?”
His cheeks, which are covered in a thick sheet of gold-blonde stubble, start to redden. He lets out a shy chuckle as he fiddles with his empty beer glass. “Yeah. I am.”
I hold back the “Aww!” I’m aching to let out at just how cute Sam is in this moment. He’s a tall, hulking hockey player who looks like a cross between a hot surfer and a Viking. I’ve seen him play and he’s fierce on the ice. He’s not a dirty fighter like Del, but he’s a tough defender. He’s someone who players think twice about messing with because as nice and soft-spoken as he is, he doesn’t take shit. I’ve seen him throttle players who made the mistake of targeting him for a cheap shot.
So to see him all flustered and shy over sweet Dakota is adorable.
He lets out a shy laugh and clears his throat again. “Sorry, I’m making this awkward, aren’t I?”
I shake my head. “Not at all. I think it’s sweet that you like her. You should ask her out.”
“Yeah, maybe. As long as Del never finds out. He’d murder me if he knew I wanted to ask out his little sister.”
I wince. “Yeah, I guess he’s pretty protective of Dakota.”
“To say the least,” Sam says before sipping his beer.
I never noticed that he had a crush on Dakota until now. Maybe he hid it well. Or maybe it’s something that didn’t develop until recently.
I try to think of something comforting and encouraging to say to Sam, but I come up with nothing. Because the truth is that Sam is right. Del is fiercely protective of Dakota. He always has been. And I’d bet a million bucks he would be pissed if he found out that Sam wanted to ask out Dakota.
A minute later, Ingrid pulls me into a conversation.
“Which of these do you like better?” She shows me two different photos of earrings on her phone.
Both are dangly emerald earrings, but one pair looks like cheap costume jewelry while the other looks delicate and beautiful.
“Definitely those,” I say, pointing to her phone screen.
Ingrid turns and winks at Maya. “Told you the ones you designed are better.”
I look at Maya, in awe. “Wait, you design earrings?”
Her tan skin flushes as she bites back a smile and nods at me. “I do.”
Ingrid starts gushing about her best friend’s earring line called Maya Babes.
“That’s such a cute name,” I say.
Maya pulls Ingrid into a side hug. “That name was Ingrid’s idea.”
Ingrid beams before telling me how Maya just rented out a new workspace to hold all of her inventory because demand for her earrings has been booming.
“You played a huge role in that,” she says to Ingrid. “Every time you post about my earrings on your social media, I always sell out.”
Theo twists around, aiming a smug grin at Ingrid. He wraps his arm around her shoulders and hugs her.
“Gotta love us Thompsons,” he says. “We’ve got the golden touch for sure.”
Ingrid rolls her eyes and chuckles right as a light bulb goes off in my head.
She’s Ingrid Thompson, the lifestyle influencer. She’s got millions of followers on social media. Hers and Theo’s family—the Thompson family—is mega wealthy. They own a ton of luxury hotels and properties all over the world. On social media, she travels all over promoting her family’s luxury properties and other high-end brands.
My jaw is hanging open as I look between Theo and Ingrid. “You two are related?”
They nod. “We’re cousins,” Theo says.
“You’re the Thompson Industries Thompsons?” I ask.
They chuckle. “Yup,” they both say.
“I had no idea,” I say, mystified.
Theo shrugs like it’s no big deal. Ingrid pats her cousin’s shoulder.
“Everyone forgets Theo is part of the family since he’s a famous hockey player,” Ingrid teases.
He laughs and shakes his head.
“This is so cool to meet you in person,” I say to Ingrid. “I follow you on social media.”
I instantly feel like a dork at how I’m gushing to her, but she smiles like she’s heartened at what I’ve said.
“I’m nowhere near as cool as you. You’re twenty-four and a freaking doctor!” Ingrid says.
I blush at someone as famous as her being impressed by me.
Just then, gameshow music blares through the bar.
“Everyone! It’s time for pub trivia!” the bartender, who’s standing behind the bar, hollers.
A server drops off a white sheet of paper and a couple of pens.
I turn to Xander. “What’s going on?”
He smiles at me. “You’ll see.”
The music fades and the bartender grabs a mic. “Okay, folks! If you’ve played before, you know the drill. If you haven’t, listen up. You can play in teams or solo, if you’re brave. I’ll ask twenty random questions from all sorts of topics. Write down your answers on the sheet. Whatever team or person with the most correct answers gets their tab paid for.”
Everyone cheers.
I look at Xander. “I’ve never played pub trivia before.”
He winks at me. “It’s okay. I have a feeling you’ll kick ass at this.”
Theo scribbles something at the top of the sheet. Xander leans over and grabs it from him.
“Hey.” Theo frowns at Xander.
“No way you’re writing the answers down,” Xander says.
Theo leans back, clearly offended. “Why not?”
Xander aims a deadpan look at him. “Because when I asked you what the capitol of Vermont was, you said Ben Jerry’s.”
I cup a hand over my mouth to hold in my laugh.
Theo rolls his eyes. “I was drunk when you asked me that.”
Xander looks at him. “Really? What’s the capital of Vermont then?”
Theo opens his mouth but quickly closes it. “Okay, point taken.”
I can’t help but laugh.
Xander squints at the paper. “Our team name is The Puckers?”
I laugh even harder.
Theo grins. “Yeah. Clever, right?”
Maya chuckles and kisses his cheek.
“I like it,” I say to Theo.
He beams at me. “Thank you.” He looks at Xander. “At least your girlfriend has good taste.”
Xander shakes his head and hands me the paper right as Theo reaches over and knocks Xander’s baseball cap off his head. Xander laughs and rolls his eyes before he grabs it and it puts it back on. I take a second to admire just how hot he looks in a backward baseball cap.
When he catches me staring, he winks at me. My stomach flutters. God, he’s sexy.
The bartender announces the first question.
“Okay guys, tonight’s questions are gonna be tough, so get ready. First question: who wrote the literary masterpiece The Unbearable Lightness of Being?”
The bar is quiet as everyone writes down their answers. When I look up from our paper after scribbling Milan Kundera, the entire table is looking at me.
Blomdahl blinks at me. “You know the answer?”
I nod, feeling self-conscious. “Yeah. I read that book when I was a kid.”
He reaches over and high-fives me. I laugh.
“Question two: Where is the pituitary gland located?”
I write down the answer.
“Question three: What year was the Spanish Armada?”
I start to write the answer but then stop myself. This is a team activity. I should consult with them first.
I look up and see everyone staring at me again with wide eyes. I hold out the pen. “If any of you want to take a turn and write the answer…”
Everyone laughs and shakes their heads. A few of them say, “No way.”
Blomdahl grins at me. “You’re the MVP, doc. Thank fuck you’re on our team. We’re dumb as shit. We don’t know any of these.”
They all laugh and nod in agreement.
I look at Xander. He winks at me. “You’re on a roll, gorgeous.”
“Question four: Who was the first American astronaut to travel to space? Bonus point if you correctly guess the year he went into space.”
I write down both answers.
“Question five: What is the capital of Saudi Arabia?”
Smiling, I scribble, “Riyadh.”
“Question six: Actor Danny Devito and former US Secretary of Labor Robert Reich both have this genetic disorder that affects bone growth. Bonus point if you write down the medical name in addition to its more common name.”
Theo cackles as I scribble both answers. “Oh, yeah. We got this in the bag,” he gloats.
I chuckle quietly to myself. I jot down the answers to the next few questions.
“And the final question of the night: Who won the 1986 Stanley Cup finals?”
I set the pen on the table. “You guys take this one,” I say, chuckling as Xander, Theo, Sam, and Blomdahl scramble to grab it.
Trivia ends and the server comes to collect the sheet. Ten minutes later, the bartender hollers for our attention.
“Congratulations to The Puckers. You won! And you got a perfect score!”
Our whole table jumps up and cheers. The guys are fist-pumping and high-fiving like they just won a championship. The entire bar gawks at us. I burst out laughing.
They start chanting my name as they high-five me. I’m giggling, my face hot at how endearingly obnoxious they’re being. I shush them and they finally quiet down.
Sam shrugs at me. “We’re pro athletes. It’s in our blood to be competitive about everything.”
I laugh even harder. Then I notice Maya and Ingrid looking at me, blinking like they’re in disbelief.
“I know you’re a genius so this stuff is easy for you, but that was seriously badass,” Ingrid says.
I start to say it was nothing, but Maya stops me.
“Seriously, Sophie!” Maya says. “We’re in awe of you. We need to make this a thing, coming to trivia with you.”
The server stops by and drops off congratulations shots of tequila. Xander asks for two empty shot glasses and fills them with water.
My heart flutters at the gesture. I realize now that he planned this whole night for me so that I wouldn’t feel like the odd one out in his group of friends and teammates while they all drank and I sipped water. He chose a bar with pub trivia because he knew I would enjoy it and be good at it.
Warmth blooms through my chest. He went out of his way to make me feel included, to make me feel like I was important and special.
He hands one of the water shots to me and holds up the one in his hand. “To Sophie, our MVP!” he says.
Everyone cheers. I drink my water, set the glass on the table, grab his face, and kiss him.
“You’re amazing, you know that?” I say to him.
His hazel eyes glitter with want as he gazes at me. “You’re the amazing one. You won the game for us.”
I give him another quick kiss even though I want to get filthy with him right now.
The server stops by and says our tab’s been taken care of since we won trivia. We thank him, and then the guys all fish out twenties from their wallets to leave as a tip. Ingrid leaves a hundred-dollar bill. The server gawks with wide eyes before thanking them and scooping up the cash.
I rest my hand on top of Xander’s thigh and slide it slowly up. His gaze drops to his lap and he swallows hard as I stop right before I get to his cock.
“This was fun, but I want to head to your place now and have our own private celebration,” I whisper in his ear.
His grin turns wicked. “Let’s go, gorgeous.”