Chapter 13
13
CHUCK
My head is spinning faster than a puck in a shootout. What the hell am I supposed to do now? I'm at a couples retreat with my teammate's little sister. This has disaster written all over it in big, flashing neon letters. I still can’t shake the feeling that someone, somewhere is punking me. This shit is too weird to be true.
And it’s nobody’s fault, really—not mine and not Ruby’s. It’s a misunderstanding of massive proportion, no doubt. But nothing about it was intentional.
It just happened.
Things sometimes just get fucked up.
It was only right to offer to share the room, not that Ruby had anywhere else to go, anyway. Not only was she upset and crying, but she’s happens to be Tyler’s sister. I would expect my friend and fellow teammate to take care of my sister in a similar situation, so I’m going to do the same for Ruby. I barely know her and am pretty sure she can’t stand my ass, but still.
I hear the shower stop and, a few minutes later, a hair dryer starts up. I hope she’s feeling better.
When she emerges, she’s wearing one of the resort’s too-big robes and her bare feet, tipped with red polish, peek out from the bottom. Why that sight makes my stomach quiver, I don’t know, and I don’t want to examine it right now. To give her a little privacy, I figure I’ll take another shower, hopefully one that will cool me off, so I duck into the bathroom.
Once I’m under the cool spray, I let out a sigh of bliss. God, the water feels fantastic. Say what you want about this place, but their shower has bad-ass water pressure. I brace my hands on the tile wall and let it pound at my back, washing away my sweat, if only for a moment. As I do, my mind wanders back to Ruby… those surprisingly sexy toes and her gorgeous fall of red hair.
And my johnson twitches.
Down, boy. Ruby Brooks may be sexy in a hot librarian sort of way, but she’s not for me. Instead, I tell myself to treat her with respect and kindness and this whole mess will be straightened out tomorrow.
Finished, I grab the other robe and return to the room where I find Ruby standing at the balcony door, her forehead pressed against the glass.
“We should step out there, see what it’s like from that side,” I say.
At the sound of my voice, she jumps. “Yeah, maybe.”
Her voice is sad and hollow, and my heart goes out to her. “Hey, we will get this sorted out tomorrow, okay? For now, let’s just sit on the balcony for a bit,” I suggest.
I cross to her side, open the door. She hesitantly follows me, settling into one of the chairs.
One glance tells me she’s inches away from a total meltdown. Okay, Newcomb , I think. Time to put on your big boy pants and handle this like an adult. Sure, I barely know her beyond the occasional team barbecue and checking out her cute ass, but she's Tyler's sister. And if there's one commitment we make in hockey, it's looking out for our teammates—on and off the ice. That extends to family members, too, of course.
The view from here is spectacular, no doubt about it. The rainforest stretches out before us, a sea of green punctuated by colorful bursts of tropical flowers. In any other circumstance, it would be breathtaking. Right now, it just feels like a hot, verdant prison.
"Look," I start, then realize Ruby looks like she might pass out from a combination of heat, stress, and probably hunger. "Let me get you your water."
I run back inside, looking for the bottles the front desk guy gave us. That's when I spot it—a gift basket that would make Cupid himself blush. There's chilled champagne, a bouquet of roses that could double as a small shrub, chocolates that probably cost more than my first car, and strawberries so red and perfect they look like a painting.
I pluck the card out of the envelope and read it loudly enough for Ruby to hear out on the balcony.
Welcome to Pura Vida. We are delighted you chose to spend a week here with us in beautiful Costa Rica. Enjoy these complimentary treats, and don’t forget to keep your strawberries in the fridge so you don’t attract bugs.
"Mmmm. Appetizing. Anyhoo, they're really pushing the romance thing, huh?" I say, trying for a light tone as I grab the champagne.
Ruby makes a sound that's half-laugh, half-sob. Great job, Newcomb. Really nailing this whole comforting thing.
I pour us each a glass of champagne, because if there was ever a situation that called for bubbles, it's this one. I consider handing her the roses from the basket, but don’t want to go too far, nor give her the wrong impression. So I return to the balcony, two glasses in hand, trying not to feel like I'm at the world's most awkward job interview.
"So," I say, taking a sip of champagne. Damn, it's good. Pura Vida does not skimp on alcohol. "I know this isn't ideal, but maybe we can make the most of a bad situation?"
Ruby looks at me over the rim of her glass, her eyes narrowing. Then, in a move that both impresses and scares me, she throws back the entire glass of champagne in one bubbly gulp.
"Not interested," she says flatly, setting the glass down with a little more force than necessary. "I'm just gonna go back home."
I blink, taken back by her vehemence. "Whoa, hold on. You can't just leave. I mean, you can, but... don't you think that's a bit drastic?"
Holy shit. Why am I talking her into staying? If she wants to bail, what do I care?
She glares at me, and I'm reminded why I always found her a little intimidating at team events. For someone so small, she's got a glare that could melt steel.
"Drastic?" she repeats. "Chuck, we're at a couples retreat. A very... specific kind of couples retreat. And we're not a couple. We're barely even friends!"
"Ouch," I say, clutching my chest in mock pain. "And here I thought we were really bonding."
She rolls her eyes, but I swear I see the ghost of a smile tugging at her lips. Progress.
"Besides," I continue, "think about how much this place must have cost. Seems a shame to waste it, even if it's not exactly what we signed up for."
Ruby's quiet for a moment, and I can practically see the gears turning in her head. Then she looks at me, curiosity replacing some of the anger in her eyes.
"How did you end up here, anyway?" she asks. "I mean, I know my idiot brother is involved somehow, but..."
I sigh, running a hand through my hair. "Honestly? I'm still trying to figure that out myself. Tyler suggested a little getaway like the one you were going on when he found out I was in hot water with the team.” I trail off, not really wanting to get into the whole 'management thinks I need to get my act together' thing. “So, basically, I said give me the phone number of the place because it seemed like the easiest thing to do at the time.”
Her eyebrows rise, but I continue anyway.
“Look, I’ll level with you. I kind of had to come here. Team management is holding my job over my head.”
She rolls her eyes and shrugs, and I’ll bet she knows all about my latest night in lockup. Damn that Tyler. He’s a nice guy but has a big fucking mouth.
"Anyway," I continue, "Tyler gave me the number, and I called to book. Here we are."
Ruby's looking at me with an expression I can't quite read. It's softer than her usual 'you're an idiot' look, but not quite friendly either.
"You didn't know it was a couples thing?" she asks.
I snort. "Trust me, if I had known, I would've run screaming in the other direction. No offense," I add quickly.
To my surprise, she laughs. It's a nice sound, too. Warm and genuine, not like the fake, tinkly laughs I'm used to hearing from the puck bunnies trying to impress me.
"None taken," she says, her voice lightening. "I'm not exactly your type anyway, am I?"
I open my mouth to respond, then close it again. Because, the thing is, I'm not entirely sure what my 'type' is anymore. Sure, I've dated my fair share of model-esque women who were more interested in being seen with a hockey player than actually getting to know me. Who were happy to spend the evening with a ‘walking wallet’ who pays for everything. But lately, I've been feeling... I don't know. Like maybe there's something more out there?
I go for a joking tone, my usual default. "Maybe my type is brilliant, snarky librarians with a vendetta against sports."
Okay, she’s definitely smiling now. "Keep dreaming, Newcomb. Flirting will get you nowhere."
We lapse into silence, sipping our champagne and gazing out at the rainforest, each probably wondering which wrong turn ended us up here. The sun is starting to set, painting the sky in shades of pink and orange that reflect off the champagne flutes, casting little rainbows oh our hands.
That should make her happy. She seems like the rainbow type.
"You know," I say after a while, "this doesn't have to be a total disaster. Just sayin’."
Ruby smirks. "Oh? And how do you figure?"
I shrug. "Well, we're in a beautiful place, with free food and booze, and a whole week away from our regular lives. Sure, we might have to sit through some awkward yoga crap or whatever, but who says we have to take it seriously? We could treat it like... I don't know, an undercover mission or something."
"An undercover mission…" she repeats without sounding entirely dismissive.
"You know?" I say, warming to the idea. "We'll be like spies, infiltrating the world of... whatever the hell this place is. Gathering intel, maybe having a few laughs along the way. And hey, if we have some fun while we’re at it, what’s the harm?"
Ruby's quiet, and I start to wonder if I've said something wrong. But then she looks at me, a mischievous glint in her eye that I've never seen before.
"Okay, Newcomb," she says, holding out her glass for a toast. "I gotta hand it to you for trying."
I clink my glass against hers, grinning. "Trying. It’s one of my best qualities.”
“But I’m still gonna leave. In fact, I should go see what the options are right now. As soon as I finish my champers."
As we drink, I can't help but feel like maybe, just maybe, this week won't be the disaster I thought it would be. Sure, it's not going to be the relaxing getaway I had in mind. And yeah, sharing a room with Ruby is going to be... interesting, to say the least. Unless she takes off and leaves me on my own. Which would still be fine.
But looking at her now, a smile on her face and the sunset reflecting in her eyes, I realize something. I'm actually curious to see how this all plays out.