Chapter 55
55
RONAN
T he arena is buzzing. The crowd is going wild. Two teams hit the rink. But my ass is in the stands tonight.
It’s kind of nice, actually.
The Saints may not be in the championship finals this year, but I’m watching the match in person. After being so damn close to making it this season, I felt I had to come to this final game. It stings to not be out there on the ice, but I think it’s the motivation I need to get my ass here next year.
Our time will come. I’m sure of that.
In any case, it’s come down to game seven. The eastern conference finalists versus the western conference finalists. The Saints should have been the team out there playing for the Cup. I know we could have kept up with these teams. But considering my current company, being up here in the nosebleeds with Nicky right now really isn’t so bad.
My Peach and I flew first class to New York to come watch the Cup finals together. It worked out, being a weekend game, and she managed to use one of her vacation days to make this a little three-day getaway.It’s just what we needed as a new couple.
The hockey game is just the cherry on top.
It’s near the end of halftime when I’m dropping back into my seat from hitting the concession stands. I hand Nicky a beer, and before I can set mine in the cup holder, she’s bumping my shoulder.
“Oh my god. Ronan! Look! We’re on the jumbotron!”
My head shoots up. Sure enough, there we are in full color on the thirty-foot screen, our faces encased in a giant heart.
The crowd starts chanting. It’s a combination of “ Brighton! Brighton! Brighton! ” and “ Kiss her! Kiss her! Kiss her! ” It all makes me laugh.
Leaning toward my girl with a devious grin, I cup her cheek. “We’ve got to give the people what they want, right, Peach?” I get closer, more than ready to comply with the crowd’s demands.
Pinkness floods her face as I approach. “Ronan…” she warns. “Don’t go overboard. Don’t go over-the-top.”
I pretend to frown. “Me? I’d never.”
“Oh god…” she mumbles. “Behave yoursel—”
Chuckling, I cover her lips with mine, immediately swallowing her protests. One swipe of my tongue and her reluctance dissolves. Then she’s leaning toward me, too, and kissing me back eagerly. Next thing you know, we’re making out like lunatics.
Cheers go up around the stadium. Would you look at that? I guess the fans approve.
I love that for them, but personally, I don’t care about their opinions. Nicky is mine and that’s all that matters. Bonus points that I get to show her off for all the world to see.
After years of settling for assholes who wanted to hide her away, it’s my absolute greatest hobby to show Nicky off every chance I get. I bet that Simon idiot is in his smelly basement apartment somewhere, watching us smooching on live TV and eating his pathetic heart out. Take that, bitch!
When we pull apart, she smacks me on the shoulder. The people who are seated around us all laugh and give me a hard time.
An easy grin stretches across her face and I beam at my girl. It’s my everyday mission to put that smile on her face.
I lean back in my seat and shout at the top of my lungs. “This is my super hot girlfriend!” I hold my arms up in the air, obnoxiously pointing down at Nicky with both hands. “She’s the hottest, and she’s all mine!”
The game whistle is what eventually brings everyone’s attention back to the ice. Half-time is over, and it’s now the third period of the hockey match.
“You’re totally going to be in the headlines for that one,” Nicky warns, patting her blushing cheeks.
I waggle my brows. “Which means you and your hot lips will be, too.”
“Ronan, we’ve got to keep your reputation in tact in the off-season. I’m sure my bosses would agree.”
I shrug. “Peach, you’re the best thing that ever happened to my reputation. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me .”
She turns all pink and she can’t fight her smile. She whispers by my ear. “I can’t believe I’m getting turned on right now. Keep talking like that and you’re going to get me in so much trouble, Ronan Brighton.”
“Good. We’ll be in trouble together.” I finally take a swig of that beer I bought.
“You’re lucky you’re so handsome. Why can’t you just behave for once?” She pouts.
“Behaving is overrated,” I complain.
Besides, I can be a good boy on the ice, and also be a bad boy in the bed. Or at least, that’s what Nicky was telling me last night in our luxury hotel room when she presented me with a pair of handcuffs.
I won’t tell you which one of us wore them.
“Easy for you to say. I’ll be working late all next week trying to creatively spin this incident back in the team’s favor.”
“What? Why? You’re in PR. Shouldn’t it be a win to get us in the news?”
Nicky leans back, rolling her pretty eyes. “Do you know what PR even is?”
“Nope, I just do whatever you tell me.” I wink at her.
She folds her arms across her pretty chest. “You never do what I tell you to do.”
“Tell me to kiss you.” I grin devilishly.
She grins back, her fake anger melting. “Kiss me.”
So, I do. Happily. Greedily.
I may not have won the Stanley Cup, but this is way fucking better. My new favorite pastime revolves around rubbing everybody’s face in the fact that I’ve got the hottest girlfriend around. Because she is.
I still don’t know what the hell I did to get so lucky.
I’m pretty sure the moral of my story isn’t ‘ get arrested, act like a shithead, and win the girl of your dreams ’, but hey, it’s hard to say that I’d go back and do things any differently if I could.