Chapter 3
. . .
Vesper
“Note to self.” June, Will’s twin sister, spins around from the players’ bar, holding two glasses of Pinot Grigio. “Remember not to schedule big interviews with hot hockey players while on your period.”
She sets one glass of wine in front of me and keeps the other for herself as she takes a seat next to Drew on the opposite side of the table.
“Have you seen this zit?” She points to her chin, and I have to squint my eyes because, honestly, I can’t see anything, other than how beautiful she is.
June Jones has sleek, dark hair that reaches her lower back. She’s athletic, super smart, and an incredibly successful sports journalist, having set up her own blog on social media last year, which has already accumulated in excess of a million subscribers across multiple platforms.
“I really cannot see a thing, June,” Drew answers on behalf of us both.
Soon-to-be sisters-in-law, my two friends couldn’t be more different in personality, even if they have known each other since birth. Both of them are from hockey-mad families and have enjoyed privileged upbringings, unlike me.
I’m slowly getting to know June better since she’s spending more time in Seattle now that her brother lives and plays here.
That and the media contract she recently signed with the Rogues, allowing her exclusive access to players postgame, where she can grill them on their performance.
Over the past few months, I’ve been attending more hockey games with Drew, and my friendship with June has definitely grown.
And, boy, do I need friends in this city.
My sister, Naomi, lives all the way in Cincinnati, and my parents have basically been absent from my life since I was eighteen and moved to Seattle for a job in the corporate world that didn’t work out before I took a bartender job and met Kane.
When I was a kid, Mom moved from boyfriend to boyfriend after Dad left, leaving my sister and me responsible for our own upbringing.
I never got the big, happy family I yearned for when I was a child.
In fact, I haven’t had the easiest start in life, and when you’re younger, many opportunities are dependent on your parents actually giving a shit about your future.
Mine prioritized their dating lives, and all we get is the odd phone call here and there.
I don’t think I’ve seen my dad for at least five years, and neither parent met Kane.
“And don’t think I missed your reference to hot hockey players.” I wink at June. “Who did you have the pleasure of getting up close and personal with?”
She flicks her hair over one shoulder. “Mason James. He’s a nice guy, really warm and friendly too. So much better than the previous Rogues player I interviewed last season.”
“Tristan Vaughn?” I ask, fully aware of who she’s talking about.
June scoffs and takes a sip of wine, blue eyes darting around the players’ bar to make sure the guys haven’t started filing in from the locker rooms.
Tonight, they got the win over the Colorado Kings, which usually means they take longer with press responsibilities.
“All cards on the table? Tristan is kind of a dick, although I wouldn’t tell Will that because it’d just make their rivalry worse.”
Drew cocks her head to one side, turning her water glass around slowly on the dark wooden table. “How so?”
June shrugs. “He has a chip on his shoulder. The interview was a total flop, and I wonder if it was because my last name is Jones. Most of the questions I asked he refused to answer, and they were just standard questions I’d ask any other athlete. It was so boring; I couldn’t justify uploading it.”
I screw my face up. “What an asshole.”
“Who’s being an asshole?” a deep, almost-gravelly voice echoes from behind me.
Every single hair on my arms stands on end. Not in the bad way either.
If there’s one thing I know for sure about Silas Stanton, it’s that he has the kind of voice that would be perfect for narrating audiobooks. Not that I’ve listened to his voicemails on repeat or anything weird like that …
Fresh pine cologne wafts over me as he takes a seat next to me at the table and runs a hand through his towel-dried hair.
“You weren’t referring to me as an asshole, now were you, Ves?”
I allow my gaze to stray for a second as I take in Silas’s white button-down shirt, which is open at the collar. A dusting of light-brown chest hair peeks beneath his shirt, daring me to stare a few seconds longer at his body.
I’m a woman with eyes. The fact that he’s my ex-boyfriend’s brother has no bearing on how hot he is, even if I’d never go there.
“That all depends if you plan on leaving me any more interfering voicemails,” I reply just loud enough for only Silas to hear.
Drew and June are now deep in conversation about women working in sports.
He shifts in his seat, and I feel a little guilty for being kind of a bitch to him.
Five days ago, Silas left me a worried voicemail when he found out about my final split from Kane, and the only response I gave him was an I’m okay; don’t worry text reply.
The truth is, I am okay, although I could probably be friendlier to Silas about it.
“Kane told me today that he hasn’t tried to call you. He says that you guys are really over now.”
I nod and take a sip of wine. “We are, although I wouldn’t know whether he’s tried to get in touch. I blocked his number for good this time.”
Silas reaches behind him for a pint of beer from Will, who takes a seat next to him.
Slowly, the table is filling up with players, which usually signals it’s time for me to leave.
I’ve never been good in social surroundings.
Give me a full bar and a Boston shaker, and I’m in my element, too involved in my job to feel uneasy.
But sit me with a whole hockey team and a hot-as-hell captain, whom I shouldn’t find attractive, and I’m ready to fly out the door.
“That makes me happier than you could know, Ves,” Silas says with a smile.
My eyes rove around the table before they land back on Silas, who hasn’t looked away from me once. He’s always been intense, but never in the creepy sense. I just struggle to work out what’s going on in his head, and that’s never been an issue for me with most people.
For example, I’ve always been acutely aware of Kane’s assholery, even if I accepted it for way too long.
“You know, you never needed to worry about me cutting you out of my life.” I cast a hand around the table.
Everyone’s talking about the game, aside from Will and Drew, who are busy debating the appropriateness of spending more than $30,000 on a wedding dress.
“Now that I’m compelled to join Drew at hockey games, you’ll be able to hang out with me as much as you want. ”
He grins at that. “Beats watching shitty movies on the couch, eh?”
My cheeks burn at the memories.
I know Silas is referring to the times when he came over for dinner before the three of us sat down in front of the TV, and Kane would fall asleep a half hour later, having drunk way too much during the day.
Every now and then, my eyes would find Silas, and he’d offer me a crooked smile while I tried to pretend like I was happy, being tucked under Kane’s arm as he snored into my hair.
Silas might think they were low points in my relationship with his brother, but he couldn’t be further from the truth.
At least, whenever he was around, Kane was mostly on his best behavior.
It was the time we spent alone that was the worst.
“I dunno,” I say, injecting a lighter tone into my voice. “That time we all went on a double date to the bowling alley was a personal highlight of mine.” I smirk at him. “I was convinced that Stevie was the one for you.”
Silas doesn’t even flinch at my gibe about a girl he once dated. Stevie was most definitely not the one for him, even if she spent the whole night trying to climb him like a tree.
His attention falls down to the green Rogues jersey I’m wearing. “Nice top.”
I do a little shimmy. “Thought I’d get into the spirit of things.”
Silas sits back in his chair. “Did you choose the last name on the back, or did you find it in the bargain bucket?”
My mouth falls open. “What a way to speak about your forward! And this is Drew’s jersey; she let me borrow it.”
He rolls his lips together, but doesn’t speak.
“What?”
Silas shakes his head, fingers gliding through the condensation running down his pint glass. “Nothing.”
“You can’t look like that and then not share with the class.”
He keeps his eyes fixed on the glass. “I was just thinking, if you ever wanted to upgrade to a C on the chest and the captain’s last name across your back …
” Slowly, his eyes find my face again. They’re much darker than before, swimming in an ocean of thoughts.
“I would probably have a spare jersey or two that you could use.”
I roll my eyes, hoping it will get rid of the burn in my cheeks. “I think that’s probably your worst idea to date.” We both know I’m referring to the way Kane would react although I don’t say that out loud. “Your jersey would drown me.”
Silas snorts a laugh, yet we don’t easily fall back into conversation, both of us taking a second to process our thoughts.
For me, I can’t stop thinking about the way Kane would go nuclear if he ever suspected that something was going on between me and his brother, and I wonder if Silas is thinking the same thing.
“We’re allowed to be friends, you know?” Silas says after a beat. “He doesn’t get to dictate who you spend time with. No guy should ever own you in that way.”
I nod once, totally agreeing with him, even if reality couldn’t be any different. Hanging out with Silas is a recipe for disaster. Sometimes, it’s easier to keep certain people at arm’s length, for fear of how easily they could creep beneath your skin or send your toxic ex into a jealous rampage.
Kane always hated me talking to Silas or even laughing at his jokes at the dinner table.
“What do you think, Ves?” Drew’s joyful voice slices through my thoughts.
“Huh?” I ask, picking up my wine and taking another sip.
Her brows pull together, probably because I look miserable.
I’m not, but I’m not happy either. It feels like I’ve been fighting uphill battles for most of my adult life.
Whether that’s personally, professionally, or over where I live.
Nothing has ever been permanent or secure for me, and I envy Drew, who is younger and has everything I want.
Including a devoted future husband. At one time, I was convinced that Kane was my endgame.
All I did was waste two years in a relationship with him and almost another, fooling myself that his empty promises actually stood for something.
“Do you want to hit up a cocktail bar a couple of blocks from here? June, and a few of the other players’ wives and I are going to check it out.” She attempts her best persuasive smile. “It’s supposed to be really great.”
So much of me wants to say yes. Since I moved to Seattle, this is my first real shot at being a part of a friendship group. Another thing I’ve always wanted.
After a moment, I shake my head and hate that I do. “Is it okay if I skip out on this one?” My eyes find my friend, and I see the understanding in her gaze. “Working in a bar twenty-four/seven kind of gets old, and so do cocktails when you look at them all day long.”
June picks up her wine and downs it in one. “Girl, preach. I don’t know how you do it, honestly. Night after night on my feet like that, I’d be looking for the first opportunity to curl up in my bed and relax.”
I throw her an appreciative look, already mentally scrolling through movie options for what I’m going to put on the TV when I get back to my apartment.
“Let me finish this drink, and I’ll give you a ride home,” Will offers straightaway.
“Nah, I got it,” Silas immediately interjects, eyes still as intense as they were a few minutes ago. “I’m gonna head home myself. I can swing by Vesper’s place and drop her on my way.”