Chapter 16 #2
Kai grinned. “Right. Your sport has a naughty corner for when players misbehave.” That grin turned to a frown. “Do you ever get hurt in these fights?”
“Sometimes. I try not to get hurt, suspended, or fined. I’m just doing my job protecting my team. If you hurt one of my teammates, I’m going to go after you,” Steven explained.
“Protecting your teammates is important.” Kai took another bite.
“Hey, we got tickets for you and the aunties,” Steven added as he stole a bite of my steak.
“Thank you, I'm so excited.” Kai gave a happy bounce.
“I’m excited for you to see us play,” I replied.
“The Puck Panthers are good. We’re the underdog. As much as we’d like to win it, it’ll be tough. Usually we don’t get this far, but we’re going to try.” Steven shot me a look.
Oh, we were all going to try.
“I think it’s amazing that you’ve had such a great season. Is there some factor that made it such a better season than the others?” Kai asked, taking another bite.
“Marilyn thought that if she started getting everybody matched up with omegas it might make us play better, and so far it’s working,” Steven explained.
Kai started laughing. “Yes, you told me that. I love it. It sounds like a movie.”
“Whatever works right?” He laughed.
“I’m glad you went out with me, took a risk on me. I’m not out to use you, like that other omega did,” Kai said.
I met their gaze. “We know.”
“I… I think I want that entrée tonight.” Kai bit their lower lip and gave us a smoldering look.
Oh yes. Last night was dessert. Tonight was the entrée… with a side of knots.
I reached over and squeezed Kai’s hand. “If you’d like that, we can make that happen. If you don’t, it’s perfectly fine. We had an amazing time pleasing you last night.”
Last night was incredible.
“My boyfriend is so fucking hot. He’s the full package. Why wouldn’t you want some of that?” Steven grinned at me.
Kai laughed. “You are also a fine specimen of the alpha persuasion.”
“Oh, we are,” I teased back, my inner alpha preening at Kai’s praise, at them wanting us. With each moment, I had a growing desire to please them and make them happy.
“No pressure. Right now, we're still enjoying our lovely meal,” Steven added.
“I know you were hurt by an omega previously, but do you want one at some point?” Kai asked as they dunked their lobster in butter.
“That would be nice. Not sure about a whole pack. I don’t really like a lot of people around. But we’ve always planned on having an omega,” I replied, having a bite of steak.
“That's fair.” Kai dabbed their lips with the napkin.
“There’s a little potato.” I reached out to wipe off the bit of mashed potato on their lip. The contact sent little shivers down my hand. Her skin was smooth and soft.
Kai ducked their head. “Thanks. I’m a messy eater.”
“You enjoy your food,” Steven replied. “Ashton’s right. We’d like someone eventually. The right someone.”
“I’m sure you’ll find them,” Kai assured.
I wished it was Kai.
“Do you think you’ll want to date again?” Steven asked. “Or are you just regretting everything?”
“While I thought I liked him, I think that maybe I was dating Logan because it was expected of me. Omegas mate alphas. It’s what we do.
He showed interest. He supported my life choices.
We had a lot of friends in common. We liked hanging out.
We started dating. We became exclusive. We moved in together.
We followed all the steps. We didn’t go too fast, because we were just in college.
I thought there were sparks. Then it all fell apart… ” Kai frowned.
“None of that is your fault.” I reached over and pulled them to me.
“The pressures to pack up can be a lot. I think we felt some of that, too. Oh, you have a career now, maybe it’s time.
So many professional hockey players’ success is built on their packs supporting them, because somebody has to handle all the logistics and do all the things. ”
“Your ex sounds like trash anyway. He stopped calling you, right?” Steven added.
“I’ve had him blocked from the beginning and blocked him from everything else, along with everyone else on the trip.
His mom keeps finding new numbers to message me from.
” Her eyes rolled. “Okay, I get it. I was the practice omega. The mistake. Staying in Hawai’i for his doctoral program wasn’t part of the plan and neither was long distance.
But I broke up with him. Why won’t she leave me alone? ”
“Because she’s an asshole?” Steven finished his wine. “Would you do long distance? Not with him, but in general. You have how many years of school left?”
“For my PhD? About two years of classes, then a couple years of research. I might be able to do long distance. I never really thought about it. After? I’ll go where the work takes me.
It’s pretty magical in Hawai’i, but there are only so many jobs in my field.
I didn’t get into it because of the pay, I got into it because I like it,” Kai said passionately.
“I understand. Hockey could pay minimum wage and I’d still want to do it for a living,” I confessed. “Until, of course, my body can’t play anymore then, I’ll go work for my family.”
“That’s a good plan. I’m glad your family’s close,” she replied.
“You have a brother right? Are you close to him?” Steven asked.
“Max. He’s older than me. We don’t text or talk every day, but I know he loves me.
I know me being in Hawai'i makes him feel better, because he knows somebody’s looking after me.
When our parents died, I was already in Hawai'i, and he was still in college in LA,” Kai explained.
“He comes to visit me for holidays. Sometimes we go on trips together.”
“I get that. I’m pretty close to my siblings, but we don’t really text a lot. Just send memes back-and-forth and such,” I replied.
“I don’t really talk to anybody. I discovered that a family doesn’t have to be blood. It can also be made.” Steven shot me a fond look and squeezed my hand.
I squeezed his back.
“The aunties are excited to meet you. I mean, you’re not doctors, lawyers, or investment bankers, but you’re not so bad.” Kai grinned.
“Glad to hear that.” I loved that grin. Sure, I hadn’t known Kai long, but the idea of not seeing that grin anymore when they returned to Hawai'i made me sad.
But the off-season was coming. I’d like to stay in touch with Kai.
Or more.
We finished our meals and the entire bottle of expensive wine.
“How was dinner?” the server asked, as he cleared the table.
“It was delicious.” Kai nodded.
“Excellent. Would anyone like dessert?” The server held out a dessert menu.
Kai gave me an expectant look. “I think there was a promise of gooey butter cake.”
“Yes, there was.” I took the dessert menu.
“I’d like a coffee.” Steven looked around. “Coffee for everyone to go with dessert?”
“Yes, please,” I said.
“Hot green tea, jasmine if you have it. Thank you. We’re going to share the cake?” Kai asked. “I can’t eat a whole one.”
Share a piece of butter cake? I could eat an entire one myself. But Kai had eaten their entire dinner of filet, lobster, and potatoes, some of Steven’s ribs, and a chunk of my steak.
“I’ll share a piece of cake with you, if you’d like.” I looked at the server. “We’ll share a piece of gooey butter cake, warm, with extra caramel sauce.”
“I’ll get the chocolate cake, extra hot fudge,” Steven said. “I’ll give you some of that too. It’s delicious.”
The server brought us dessert and our drinks. Kai kept checking their phone.
“What would you like to do now?” I asked as I took a fork full of cake. I held it up to Kai for a bite.
“You’re going to feed me?” Kai asked.
“I don’t have to,” I said quickly, not wanting to overstep.
“It’s fine. It just makes me think of last night.” Kai’s head ducked in adorable embarrassment.
“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. I mean, you did like it, right?” Steven asked, a little self-conscious.
“I thoroughly enjoyed myself last night. It was beyond expectations. A+, would recommend.” Kai opened their mouth and took a bite. Delight crossed their face. “That’s tasty. Love the caramel sauce. I like that it’s warm, though last night’s cake was excellent as well.”
“It really was. We’ll have to remember that place. I might want that for my birthday cake.” I’d saved the label on the box, because it was easier than going back to the farmer’s market, wandering around, and hoping they were there that day.
“Here, try a bite of mine.” Steven held out a forkful of chocolate cake and Kai tried it.
“Oh, that’s delicious. Very rich and decadent.” Kai took a sip of tea. “It’s a nice contrast between the two cakes.”
“Is it?” Steven took a bite of his cake, swallowed it, then turned expectantly to me and opened his mouth.
I fed him a bite of my cake.
Steven chewed and swallowed it, then nodded. “Oh, it is. Especially the caramel sauce versus the hot fudge.”
“Back to what we do after this?” I asked. “It’s early yet, we have plenty of time to go to a dive bar if you want.”
“Yeah, there’s some fun, iconic ones that we go to that are more local spots than tourist places. We’ll still have plenty of time if you want to come home with us and if you don’t, it’s fine. Whatever you want to do,” Steven blurted.
I smiled inwardly at his blustering. Same, Steven, same.
Kai checked their phone again.
“Do the aunties need you? I can take you back to the hotel if something’s happened,” I said, concern rising inside of me.
Kai shook their head. “Funny story. Remember how I was sitting with another omega in the bar, then she left? She’s staying at my hotel, and I was talking to her yesterday. Well, she found my socials and has been messaging me.”
“Oh, the one with Jackson.” I nodded, remembering that first night we met Kai.
“Yes. Anyhow she wanted to know if I was with you two tonight and if we wanted to meet up with her and Jackson someplace for a drink. I guess Jackson knows of a fun place that we can go to?” Kai showed me the name of the place.
“Jackson wants to meet us there?” I showed it to Steven. He was the one that knew the clubs and social scene.
“That would be really fun,” Steven agreed,
This wasn’t a dive bar, it was an exclusive club. At this time of night, it shouldn’t be too busy. It was definitely a see and be seen place–not really of my interest, but Kai might like it. There is a bit of exclusivity to it. That could be fun for them.
“If you want to, we can. It's supposed to be a nice place,” I said.
“We don’t have to stay long, maybe one drink. She seems to really want us to come out,” Kai added.
“It’s really nice of her,” Steven said.
I fed Kai another bite of cake. “We can do that. Let her know that we’re finishing up here if they’re ready to meet now. If they want to meet later, I guess we could do something first.”
Kai was worth staying up late for.
They typed on their phone. “She said they could meet us after we finish here. I guess they have some other things to do tonight too, so one drink now would probably be perfect.” Kai's eyes met mine. “If the offer for that entrée still stands, I think I’d like to order it and give it a try.” Her gaze trailed over to Steven’s.
Warmth spread through me. “I think we could arrange that.”
Yes, I liked that idea very much.