Chapter 2
TWO
I Want to Ask Her Out
LOGAN
Hayes fumes as the redhead wanders away. I, on the other hand, hold back a laugh. He’s my best friend, but he deserved to be put in his place after the disrespect he showed her. Her conversation with Roman was none of his business.
Though I can’t say I’m not curious about her.
I eye Roman. “Who was that?”
He puts his device down and meets my gaze. “A friend.”
“You don’t recognize her?” Colton Thompson, the team’s center and our captain, asks. His knowing smile tells me I’m missing something, but I’ve genuinely never seen that woman before.
“No. Should I?”
Drake Benson, our right winger, laughs. “Guy clearly knows nothing about tennis.”
I assess each of the guys, frowning. “She’s…a tennis player?”
“Yup.” Roman nods. “One of the best. She’s ranked in the top ten of the Women’s Tennis Association.”
“Wow. I had no clue.” I tilt my head to the side. “How do you know her?”
Roman scratches his brow. “I met Yana when she moved to Santa Clara, four years ago, maybe? She’s from Belarus, like me, and we hit it off quickly.
Being so far from home, it’s good to have a friend from a similar background.
We can reminisce about the places we loved to visit when we were younger. That kind of thing.”
“I get it.” I drape my arm around Hayes’s shoulder, startling him. “Camden and I have been best friends since preschool. Even the years we spent apart in college, and later in the NHL, didn’t dampen our friendship.”
“You’re such a sap,” Camden grunts. He pushes me away and zeroes in on Roman. “And I’m sorry for what I said. I didn’t mean to offend you. All I wanted was to rile that girl up a little.”
“Forget about it. We’re cool.” Roman smirks. “Yana taught you a good lesson.”
From there, the conversation turns to other topics. At first, I try to listen, but I quickly find myself staring at the woman—Yana—again. She’s sitting at a table not far from ours, with a brunette across from her. The joy radiating from her as they talk and laugh only makes me smile wider.
Damn, she’s stunning.
Her face is the kind a man doesn’t forget.
Big round eyes framed by long dark lashes.
The light in the restaurant is dim, but her eyes look like they are a unique gray-green color.
Her high cheekbones sharpen her beauty, though they’re in juxtaposition to the light dusting of freckles across the bridge of her nose and the fullness of her lips.
Her nearly porcelain skin only makes her freckles stand out more.
She’s warm and magnetic, making it nearly impossible to take my eyes off her.
I want to ask her out.
“Are you talking to yourself?” Camden asks, breaking the spell I’ve been under.
Confused, I peer over at him. “What?”
“You just said, ‘I want to ask her out.’”
My jaw unhinges. I did?
Brows pulled together, he studies me. “Were you talking about that redhead?”
“Technically, I’ve been thinking about her.” I flash him a smile.
He rolls his eyes. “You’re fucking weird. She’s so full of herself.”
My smile drops, and an unfamiliar protectiveness flares to life in my veins. “What makes you say that?”
“Didn’t you see how she snapped at me? Attitude for days.”
I hold his gaze, leaning forward. “It’s not an attitude.
It’s her protecting her boundaries and putting you in your place.
And saying she’s so full of herself? There’s no need for that kind of shit.
You shouldn’t be talking about women like that, especially around me.
You may be my best friend, but I won’t put up with it. ”
“Whatever.” He picks up his glass of whiskey and downs it in one go. “I’m ready to leave.”
I take a sip of my own drink and set the glass down easily. “Bored already?”
He grimaces. “When Jones invited us out for his birthday, I expected a club or a private party. Not this dinner at a fancy steakhouse.”
“It’s only a surprise for you since this is your first season on the team. Now you know Jones hates clubs and parties. The fact that he even organized a dinner is surprising, really.”
“Okay.” He roughs a hand down his face. “Think I pissed off Pashkevich? I like the guy, and I don’t want to fuck up the team’s vibe.”
“Relax. If Roman says you’re good, he means it. He’s always honest, even when it makes you uncomfortable.”
“As if replacing Clay Rodgers isn’t stressful enough.” He looks up at the ceiling. “Trying to live up to his legacy while being surrounded by his best friends keeps me constantly on edge.”
“You need to get laid.”
Glaring, he pushes himself away from the table. “What fucking wonderful advice from my best friend.”
Hands deep in his pockets and shoulders tense, he strides toward the restroom. Shit. I should’ve kept my mouth shut. Next week is the second anniversary of his granny’s death, and since she raised him after his parents died, it’s gotta be hard on him. And I just acted like a total douche.
Wanting to help him but unsure how, I turn to where he stormed off. Should I go after him?
Turns out I don’t need to. He’s still in the dining area, and he’s staring at Yana.
And fuck. She’s staring right back at him, and I swear I can almost see sparks flying between them.
Hell no.
I have to ask her out first.
Yana and the brunette wander over to our table a while later, both wearing winter coats. She puts her hand on Roman’s shoulder, snagging his attention.
“We’re leaving. Just wanted to say bye.”
Roman stands and wraps her in a quick side hug. “It was nice to see you. You should stop by next week. Nev will be ecstatic, and so will Diana.”
“I just might do that. I haven’t seen your girls in a while. I miss them.” She smiles up at him. The expression drops quickly, though, and she slaps her forehead. “Bozhe1, where are my manners? Roman, this is Chloe.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Chloe.” Roman gives her a hug as well and turns back to the table. “I apparently lack manners too. Guys, this is my friend Yana.” He points at her. “And this is her friend Chloe.”
The guys all greet them politely, a chorus of hellos.
Yana nods, but Chloe breaks into a dazzling smile. “I’m so happy to meet y’all. The Thunders are my favorite team, and it’s such a pleasure to watch you play.”
The group breaks into a round of thank-yous, and the table falls into silence.
Yana peeks over at her friend, who’s wearing a frown, probably surprised by such an unenthusiastic response.
Chloe is gorgeous, after all—though not nearly as beautiful as Yana.
Our ambivalence isn’t personal. We came straight from practice, and we’ve been here for a few hours.
What we all want is to go home, no matter how tempting the girl is.
“We better go.” Yana loops her arm through her friend’s. “Poka2, Roma.” She surveys the table, her attention lingering on Camden and then landing on me. “Bye, boys.”
“Bye.”
As the girls walk away, I tap my fingers on the table, considering my next move. Beside me, Camden shifts. The subtle move sends me into action.
It’s probably shitty of me, but I really want a chance with Yana. And after their argument, I don’t think my best friend will ask her out anyway. Hell, he probably isn’t even into her. Even so…
“I’ll be back,” I mutter, jumping to my feet.
I weave through the crowd and hurry out of the restaurant. On the sidewalk, it takes a moment to find the women, but when I do, I jog toward them.
Make it or break it, Logan.
“Yana!” I call.
She glances over her shoulder, her brows knit. Then she stops.
Her friend turns too, wearing a look of curiosity.
Dammit. I didn’t really think this through, I guess. I would’ve preferred to do it without an audience, but fuck it. I’m an adult, and I want to get to know this girl.
“Hey, I’m sorry for bothering you.” I stop in front of her, thankful I’m not winded. “I didn’t really introduce myself back there. I’m Logan. Logan Reid.”
She breaks into a small smile. “Hi, Logan.”
This close, I realize how tall she is. She’s got to be five nine, though I still have a good six inches on her.
“This is kind of bold, and you can totally send me packing, but…can I get your number?”
Chloe squeals, though she quickly snaps her mouth shut and mumbles, “Sorry.”
I don’t pay her any mind. Yana doesn’t either. Her eyes are locked on mine.
She chews on her bottom lip, scanning my face like she’s assessing me. For a second, I’m sure she’ll shoot me down. But then she nods, and my whole world explodes.
Fuck yes!
We exchange numbers, and I wander back into the restaurant. I feel smug as I weave between tables. My steps are light, and my skin is buzzing. The moment I meet Camden’s striking blue eyes, though, the sensation dies.
The expression on his face is unreadable.
And no matter how much I want to believe that he’s annoyed because of their argument, I know better. I just swooped in and made a move on the girl my best friend very well may have noticed first.
I hope this doesn’t bite me in the ass.
Me:
Hi it’s Logan, from the other night at the restaurant
I sit on the bench in the locker room fully dressed, a towel still hanging around my neck, eyes fixed on the screen as I wait for Yana’s reply. It took me two days to work up the nerve to text her. Fingers crossed, she’ll reply a little more quickly.
Within a minute, my phone dings.
Yana :
I remember
I chuckle. Maybe it should, but the dry response doesn’t surprise me. I looked her up after we met and discovered that some people call her the Snow Queen because of her calm demeanor on the court and during interviews.
Me:
Good. Wasn’t sure I made enough of an impression
When she doesn’t reply, I click my tongue and type out another message. I need action, and I need to show that I’m interested. My radio silence after I asked for her number showed her the opposite, so it’s time to remedy that.
Me:
The team is traveling in 2 days, but I don’t want to wait until after to see you
Me:
How about a movie tonight? You choose
Yana :