Chapter Six
JENNA
“Kendra, if you want the burger, have the goddamn burger.”
My best friend eyes me over her menu, brown eyes dancing with excitement. “I guess I could ask them to hold the cheese and add an extra slice of fresh tomato.”
I drop my shoulders as the server approaches us in the hotel restaurant we’ve dined at more times than I can count when we play away in Boston. Each time, we have the same conversation.
“I’ll take the surf ’n’ turf with everything,” I quickly tell the server. “And my friend here will take the cheeseburger, fully loaded.”
“You got it!” the server replies, taking our menus and heading straight off to key in our order.
Kendra’s mouth hangs open, and I pick up my Diet Coke, taking a sip through the straw.
“Are you kidding me?” she squawks. “I’m already battling with my nutritional plan. Just because you can eat and not pile on the pounds doesn’t mean I can.”
I lift a shoulder and continue to sip on my drink. “Okay, I’ll eat yours too then.”
She raises an unimpressed brow. “No way. I have postgame hunger pains. I’m nailing that burger, along with the fries. Just don’t tell anyone.” She sits up in our corner booth, checking to ensure no one we know is around to witness her nutritional treachery.
Life has gotten busy for us both, especially since Kendra met Jack, so it’s been a while since we talked like this, one-on-one. It’s one of the reasons why I’ve always loved an away series—it gives me a chance to share a room and hoard my best friend’s attention.
“What’s the score with … you know …” I drop my eyes to her stomach.
Jack and Kendra started trying for a baby a while back, but with no luck so far.
I know she’s getting anxious as more time passes without her getting pregnant.
She doesn’t talk much about it and I sense that’s more because the topic is so painful for her, and it breaks my fucking heart to think of her hurting.
I think that she can also sense my growing anxiety over still being single, and why I’m the only one in our group who still hasn’t found someone.
I just wish she wouldn’t avoid the subjects with me; I want my friend to know that we can talk about anything. Nothing is off-limits between us. Just because our journeys look very different doesn’t mean our individual path is any easier than the other one’s.
Kendra releases a long, forlorn sigh, and my heart drops a little.
“Talk to me,” I say softly.
She pushes away her water, eyes glued to the table in front of us. “It doesn’t matter how hard we try or how many times we do it, nothing seems to work.”
Finally, when she looks at me, I see the tears threatening to break free, and I reach across and interlace our fingers.
“I feel like I’m letting him down because I know how desperate Jack is to start a family.” Her words are more of a sniffle.
“You’re aware that’s bullshit, right?” My voice is a touch incredulous, although I don’t mean it to sound harsh; the last thing I want is for Kendra to start blaming herself.
She nods slowly. “I know, but it doesn’t make the feelings any easier.
Take last weekend—Archer and Darcy brought Emily to see us, and Jack spent the entire afternoon playing with her, whizzing about the place with her on his shoulders.
His face was a picture of happiness, and I want to give him a baby so badly. ”
“Kendra …” I attempt to soothe.
“And then last night, while you were sleeping, I was lying awake, tracking my ovulation cycle for the hundredth time. Yesterday was my most fertile day of the month, and we were apart, so now I’m feeling guilty because of my career.”
The bullshit spewing from this girl’s mouth is only getting worse.
“Do you really believe that?” I say, rubbing my thumb across the top of her hand.
One tear escapes her lashes, running a track down her cheek. “No, not really. I’m just an expert at beating myself up.”
I chew on the corner of my lip, desperate to find ways to help. Anything I say will feel empty because, realistically, all I can do is remind her I’m here, and she already knows that.
“What about if we break a few more rules beyond ordering a cheeseburger and fries?” I suggest.
She snorts a wet laugh. “What do you mean?”
I click my tongue, dropping my voice a little lower. “So, I know, technically, we shouldn’t start shifting rooms, but what if I make myself scarce tonight and Jack stays with you? The boys arrive later, don’t they?”
Kendra might try to hide it, but I see the way her face lights up at my proposal. “You know Jack is sharing a room with Tommy, don’t you?”
That’s the last person I’d have expected him to be rooming with.
“And you know I’m not insinuating a room swap. I’ll ask the hotel if they have a vacant room and come up with an excuse for Coach. Like you snore really badly and I can’t get the rest I need for games.”
Her face changes to unamused.
“You do actually snore, Kendra.”
She looks like she wants to argue just as our food is set down in front of us. “I know I do. Jack once recorded it to prove I did.”
Leaning across, I steal a fry from her plate even though I have a ton with my surf ’n’ turf. “That boy loves you immensely, and you need him tonight, not just his dick.”
“Who needs dick?”
I immediately halt chewing at the one voice I never want to hear again.
“I thought you had strict instructions to leave us alone?” Kendra snaps at Tommy as he pulls up a spare chair from the empty table next to us and steals a fry from my plate, smiling at me around his mouthful.
“I did, but I also have the right to eat where I want. I just got off the flight, and I’m hungry.”
He flexes his biceps in the black Dri-FIT top he’s wearing, and my mouth waters for a whole different reason than the surf ’n’ turf in front of me.
“This body needs feeding,” he finishes.
Kendra doesn’t even look at Tommy, picking up her burger and taking a huge bite.
His eyes cast down to my plate. “Not hungry, Jenna?”
“Someone arrived, and I lost my appetite,” I reply with a sweet smile.
Clasping his hands under his chin, he runs his tongue across his bottom lip, not caring who witnesses the act. “I thought you loved meat?”
Shock paints my face.
“Don’t go all coy on me,” he goads, and I know exactly what’s coming next. “I thought a good porking meant you lost your inhibitions?”
My cheeks flame as my stomach twists, and Kendra shakes her head at the Blades defenseman.
“That terminology hasn’t been used since the ’80s. You’re so fucking strange.” I sound disgusted.
My best friend slides out of the booth and eyes me carefully. “Are you going to be okay if I use the restroom, or do you want me to have him thrown out?”
Tommy doesn’t even react as he pins me in place with a stare.
I look up at Kendra, desperate for Tommy to leave but more determined to show him he doesn’t bother me. “Go ahead. I heard the hotel takes the trash out at this time anyway.”
His face doesn’t flinch when he rises from his stool and sits in Kendra’s place opposite me, sliding her food away and pulling mine toward him. “Look at us two, getting all cozy on a date.”
I pull my plate back. “Fuck off, Tommy.”
He just chuckles, picking up a shrimp and devouring it in a couple of bites.
“I watched the highlights of your game today on YouTube.” He swallows his mouthful and winces.
“Well, I did until I got bored. Christ, you played like shit. That one-timer from their center forward … she scuffed the shot, and it was like watching the goal in slow motion as it trickled underneath you. I had to double-check I hadn’t switched the play back to slow motion. ”
Mary Rosen’s finish was unstoppable, and he knows it.
I pick up my Diet Coke and take a careful sip before calmly setting the glass back down.
“You know, when you started playing, I had to check that you were, in fact, Alex Schneider’s son since aside from looking similar, I could hardly believe you’d inherited his hockey DNA.” I lean forward as his lips start to tremble. “You’re like Bambi on ice.”
Maybe now he regrets disturbing our dinner. I hope so. Nothing hurts this guy more than a blow to his precious ego.
I decide to go in for the kill, picking up a fry and chewing it slowly.
“Tell me, since my brother plays rugby in Europe and I didn’t get to feel the full benefit of my family giving me a head start, what’s it like, launching your career off the back of Daddy’s and still failing to make waves in the sport? ”
I’ve seen many different smiles from the boy sitting in front of me, but never this particular one. It’s marred with anger—rage, in fact.
“I told you not to play this game with me, Jenna.”
I shrug. “I’m not the one who interrupted your dinner and proceeded to insult your latest performance. I’m not playing any game, merely defending myself. I don’t take well to being bullied.”
Tommy looks off to the side, his same smile still evident as he runs a hand across his jaw and releases a slow, insidious laugh.
He stands from the booth and moves the chair back to the table next to us. “Enjoy your dinner, Hellion.”
As he walks past and slides my surf ’n’ turf straight off the table, warmth lands in my lap—fries, steak, and shrimp all soaking into my light-gray leggings.
Okay, now I’m fucking playing.