Chapter Thirteen
Scott and Kip woke up together the morning after the trade deadline.
They’d had the television on all day, turned to a sports channel that was devoted to the trade activity. At times Scott had given it his undivided attention, and Kip had known to give him space. Most of the day, though, he had been happy to let Kip take his mind off everything.
And Kip had been happy to do that.
He had also been happy to distract himself from the stress of waiting to hear back from the museum.
The interview had gone surprisingly well.
Both of the interviewers had seemed to really like him.
By the end of it, everyone had been talking like he’d already got the job. He had left on a real high.
But he still hadn’t told Scott about it. Maybe he didn’t want to jinx it, or maybe he was just embarrassed about his pathetic attempt to improve himself. Scott’s level of success made everything Kip did seem kind of ridiculous.
Scott had lost some teammates in a trade the anchors on television had called “huge.” A guy named Burke and another forward had been traded to Tampa Bay in exchange for an enormous Finnish defenseman.
“Matti Jalo,” Scott had said when he’d heard the news. “Wow.”
“He’s good?” Kip had asked.
“Yeah, he’s… I didn’t think we’d get somebody like that. He’s probably the best defenseman in the league right now.”
“Hey, that’s great then!”
“It is,” Scott had agreed. “Shows the management has confidence in us. They just bought us a really nice present.”
“But, uh, the guys who are leaving… Burke, was it? And, um…”
“MacDow, yeah. Good guys. Sucks, but I figured Burke would go. It will be better for him, honestly. He’s not getting time to shine here.”
“So you’re good?”
Scott had smiled at him. “I’m good.”
“Feel like celebrating?”
“Absolutely.”
Now it was just after five in the morning and Kip needed to go to work, but Scott’s hands were on him, and his mouth was nipping along his jawline.
“Call in sick,” Scott murmured against his skin.
“I can’t! And you have a game tonight. You’ll be busy.”
“Go in late. I’ll write you a note.”
Kip laughed. “What would it say?”
“‘Sorry Kip is late, but Scott Hunter was riding his dick.’”
Kip moaned. “God, we haven’t done that. I… Fuck, I want that.”
“Me too,” Scott said, and moved Kip’s hand to his solid cock to illustrate his point.
“Fuck,” Kip breathed. Then, “No. No. I have to go. Not fair, Hunter.”
He got up and got dressed before Scott could convince him to do something stupid like not show up for work.
“I’m not gonna see you until the gala tomorrow night,” Scott sighed. “And even then it will be agony, not touching you.”
“Sexy, though, right? Kinda?”
“Kinda.”
Scott made coffee, as was their tradition, and they drank it together in the kitchen.
“You know it will be agony for me too, right?” Kip said.
Scott smiled sadly. “I’m going to want to leave early. I’ll be making my excuses as soon as I get there.”
“No you won’t. We’ll both have a wonderful time, and then we’ll get back here and take each other apart.”
Scott kissed him, and it was full of promise. When it was over, Kip shivered.
“I’ve gotta go,” he said weakly.
“I’ll see you tomorrow night.”
* * *
Scott arrived at the restaurant early and ordered a coffee. He was meeting his agent for lunch, and coffee was important.
He liked Todd Wheeler—he wouldn’t let him represent him if he didn’t—but he truly hated talking about contracts and endorsements. He knew he was lucky to have so many opportunities to make so much money, but it wasn’t why he played hockey.
Todd arrived just as Scott was draining the last of the French press the server had brought him. “So that was some shit with Zullo, huh?” he said, almost as soon as he’d sat down.
“Yeah.” Scott nodded. “You could say that.”
“It’s over now, though. That’s gotta feel good, right? I know you hated that guy.”
“Hate is a strong word,” Scott said. “A strong, accurate word.”
Todd laughed. “And Matti Jalo’s an Admiral now! Looks like a cup-winning team to me!”
“Absolutely,” Scott agreed. “Jalo is going to be a huge asset.”
“Huge is right. Jalo is a fucking monster. Good-looking too. New York is gonna love that guy.”
“I hope so.”
“Hopefully not too much, though! We’ve gotta make sure you’re still number one in this town.”
“Sure.”
The server came and took their orders. Todd ordered a spinach salad without looking at the menu. Scott ordered a club sandwich, and then Todd abruptly said, “You know what? Fuck it. I’ll get the club too.”
After the server left, Todd said, “You bringing anyone to that Equinox Gala?”
“Why? You wanna be my date?”
“No, fuck you. I just thought you might be seeing someone. I’m praying every night that you’ll start dating some actress. Maybe a model. Something that gets you in the papers, y’know?”
Scott grimaced. He definitely would be “in the papers” if anyone found out who he was dating. But probably not in the way his agent was hoping for. “Sorry to disappoint you.”
“I could find you a date, if you want,” Todd mused. “A New York–based ingénue who wants to boost her profile…”
“No thanks, Todd.”
Todd shook his head. “I don’t understand you, Scott. You look like that—” he waved his hands to indicate Scott’s entire body “—and you don’t seem to be sharing it with anyone. Man, if I looked like you…”
Scott snorted. Todd had been an athlete, once, but the years away from competition had given him a bit of a gut. He was far from unattractive, though.
“I should have gotten the damn salad,” Todd muttered to himself. “Not all of us are burning a million calories a day.”
“You look fine,” Scott assured him.
“We’re not talking about me, Scott. We’re talking about you and why you’re not dating the gorgeous women of New York.”
“I’m busy,” Scott mumbled.
“We’re all busy! I’ve got a wife and three kids and fourteen clients!”
“Why are we talking about this?”
“I want you to be happy, Scott. I’ve been representing you since you were seventeen and I’ve never known you to even go on a date with anyone. I’ve gone to a lot of my clients’ weddings—you’re all like family to me. You know that. Especially you, because…you know.”
“Because I’m an orphan?” Scott asked flatly.
“I just want you to know I’m looking out for you, and I care about your happiness. That’s all.”
“Well, thank you. But I’m perfectly happy. Really.”
“So…if my friend who represents a certain New York–based actress asked me if you might be looking for a date for the gala…”
“You should tell your friend that I’m not.”
Todd sighed. “Fine. Don’t you even want to know who she is?”
“Nope.”
“Because if you’re a leg man at all—”
“Oh, good! Our food is coming!”
Scott started asking about talk show bookings to keep the conversation away from his love life for the rest of the meal. Todd seemed to take the hint because he didn’t bring it up again.
But less than half an hour after they parted ways, Scott received a text from him. It was just a red-carpet photo of a beautiful young woman followed by You sure?
Scott: I’m sure.
Jesus. He really did not need the whole world to be interested in his love life right now.
* * *
Kip left work on Thursday and went straight to Elena’s. He had brought his tuxedo there days ago after he’d picked it up at the tailor.
She answered the door with wet hair and a bathrobe on.
“Awesome,” Kip said. “You’ve showered already. Can I take one?”
“Yeah, sure. We gotta be out the door in, like, two hours, okay? The limo will be here.”
“Limo?”
“Equinox is sending one. They like me.”
He showered, and then left the bathroom wearing a towel. Elena was in her room with the door ajar. He knocked lightly. “Can I come in? Is my suit in there?”
“Yes. Come in.”
He opened the door and found her sitting in front of a mirror putting hot rollers in her hair. Pop music was playing from a little speaker next to her.
“I’m putting on my underwear,” Kip said. “Don’t peek.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.”
“I can see you looking in the mirror, Elena!” He pulled on his nicest black briefs as quickly as he could. He could see Elena’s reflection smirking.
“So what’s the plan tonight? You and Scott pretend you don’t know each other and then you go back to his place and—”
“Go to town on each other? Yeah. That’s the plan.”
“Kinky.”
“A little.”
“You sure you’re okay with this weird relationship?” Elena asked as she put the last roller in her hair.
“Yeah, it’s fine.” Kip frowned. “I mean, obviously it would be nice to—”
“Go somewhere other than his apartment?”
“It’s a nice apartment, but yeah. It would be great to actually go somewhere together.”
“Do you think you ever will?”
“I don’t know! I mean, it hasn’t even been a month.”
“That’s a month longer than I’ve seen you date anyone else.”
“Exactly! That’s why it feels so serious. I’ve never—”
“Felt this way?”
Kip blushed because it sounded so sappy. “I like him a lot,” he mumbled.
Elena stood and crossed the room. “I can’t wait to meet him,” she said, and kissed Kip’s cheek.
“You’re not going to give him one of your scary talks, are you?”
“Of course not. I just think it’s fair to warn him that if he hurts you, it will be detrimental to his career. Because he’ll be dead.”
“Elena!”
“I’m kidding. Mostly. Listen, I have to paint my nails. Let’s open some wine, crank some Rihanna, and get beautiful.”
“God, yes.”
* * *
Kip got out of the limo to a wall of bulbs flashing. They abruptly stopped when the photographers seemed to realize that he and Elena were nobody.
They quickly crossed the red carpet. “You look incredible,” Kip said, offering Elena his arm so she could balance on him as she made her way up the short staircase to the entrance. “I know I keep saying that, but really. A lot of guys are going to be jealous of me.”
She smiled at him. “I think a lot of guys are going to be jealous of me.”