Chapter 15 Mickey #2
Dime rolls his eyes and smacks Ollie’s hand away. “We fucking killed at Regionals, dude. There’s no way we’re not gonna w—”
Ollie covers Dime’s mouth so fast the kid’s eyes bug out of his head. “We do not speak those words,” Ollie warns, his tone lethal. “We do not tempt fate. We do not fuck with the forces of nature. Do you understand?”
When Dime nods, Ollie peels his hand away, but he doesn’t put it back down at his side.
And when Dime opens his mouth, Ollie’s eyes narrow in warning.
One thing is true: hockey players are superstitious as hell, and I’m not just talking about Jenksy’s stinky socks.
There are some things you just don’t fuck with.
And the prospect of winning a second national title is at the top of the list.
“I’m just saying,” Dime continues, treading lightly, “that your schedule is gonna ease up soon, so even though you’re too busy for a relationship now, you won’t be in a couple weeks.”
“It’s not like that, ” I say, even though I wish it was exactly like that.
I wish I was the guy apologizing to my girlfriend for my hectic schedule.
But in a way, I’m lucky. Viv was a collegiate athlete for five years so she understands the demands and just goes with the flow.
Part of that is that we’re just hooking up, but part of it is that she knows firsthand what it feels like when your time isn’t your own and you’ve got a whole team counting on you to give everything you’ve got.
“We’re not together,” I tell the guys. “We’re besties with bennies.
How many times do I have to explain it before it penetrates your thick skulls? ”
“You sure about that?” Ollie asks.
“Uh, yeah,” I say, turning toward my captain and my friend. “The fuck, man? You’re married and now you’re against hookups? Holy fucking hypocrisy.”
My buddy laughs and he flips me off. “You know I’m not against hookups.
Do what feels good, always. I don’t actually give a shit what you do with your body, and who else is involved.
What I’m worried about is your heart. You’re ass over tits for this girl.
Deny it all you want, but it’s plain as fucking day. ”
“Thanks, Olls,” I scoff as I lace up my sneakers. “It’s good to know you think I’m just a sad fucking sack being led around by my dick.”
“Dude, that’s not what I’m saying at all. I—”
“She looks at you the same way you look at her.”
We all turn our heads toward Leo who’s still sitting by his cubby dispensing sage wisdom like he’s not a fucking freshman.
“Look,” he says, running a hand through his curly hair.
“I’m no expert on social cues. And I’m sure as fuck not one to give advice about relationships, but I’m a born observer.
I notice shit other people don’t. And I’m telling you that Viv looks at you with the same goofy expression on her face that you’re always wearing on yours.
And she’s always touching you. Like, even just casually.
If you two are in the same room, your hands are all over each other. ”
“Uh, what the fuck?” Dime says, clearly pissed. “I said the same thing and nearly got my head ripped off. But it’s okay for Leo to talk about you and Viv practically fucking on every available surface?”
I hear myself growl. “I’ve already punched one teammate this season. I don’t mind making it two.”
I can’t help it. I chuckle as Dime grabs Ollie’s hand and covers his own mouth with it.
“Besides,” Leo says, chiming in. “I’m not just talking about sex.
You’re always touching her back. She’s always touching your arm.
You guys were making breakfast the other morning, and you brushed up against each other the whole time.
It’s like you’re magnets. And I can’t speak to her feelings.
I know fuckall about what she wants. That’s a conversation you two need to have.
But for what it’s worth, I think you should have it. ”
And then, like he hasn’t just dropped a fucking truth bomb, the guy strips down and heads for the damn showers.
“He’s right, you know,” Blue says, shaking his head. “You guys—both of you—act like a couple. I can tell you from experience that you can call it whatever you want, but this thing between you and Viv? It’s not fucking casual. You have sleepovers for fuck’s sake.”
I want to believe what they’re saying, but I’m afraid to take that leap. “We’re on a college campus, dumbass. Viv and I are not the only people having sleepovers.”
My buddy strokes his mustache. “True, but she buys you matching pajamas. And when you wake up, you make breakfast together. Sounds pretty couple-y to me.”
“You guys don’t get it,” I say, settling my ass onto the wooden bench in front of our row of lockers.
“It’s not that simple. I don’t care what kind of faces you think Viv’s making at me or how fucking cute we look in the St. Patty’s Day pj’s she found online.
And the ones she found for Earth Day are fire, by the way.
But none of that matters. Viv doesn’t do relationships.
She just doesn’t. I knew that when we started hooking up.
I’m not gonna bait and switch on her now. That’s a dick fucking move.”
Ollie is quiet for a minute, and that makes me nervous. He’s almost as unpredictable as I am, so if he’s being silent, there’s a solid chance he’s hatching some crazy scheme.
“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Blue asks him, wearing a matching expression. Holy fuckballs. With these two teaming up, I’m either the luckiest guy alive or my ass is about to be cooked.
“Damn right I am,” Ollie says, like reading Blue’s mind is something he does regularly. “In fact, I can’t believe we didn’t think of it earlier.”
“I know, right?” Blue agrees, nodding as he fiddles with that damn mustache. “Honestly, it’s probably my fault. I’ve been distracted. Liza and I just got these—”
“Can you fucking focus?” I ask, and honestly, if JT were here, he’d be laughing his ass off.
The idea of me trying to rein anybody in is comical.
It’s so funny, in fact, that Ollie and Blue are busting up.
“I’m serious,” I say,rubbing my temples.
“You two are on the verge of a damn epiphany about my love life one second, and now you wanna take a detour to sex toy town. Nope. Do that on your own time. I’m ready for your wisdom. ”
“You need to date Viv.” The guys say it in unison like they’re a dynamic duo or creepy twin dolls in some twisted ass cartoon. And they’re grinning at me like I should thank them for their genius plan.
Too bad it fucking sucks.
I stand up and cross the room because I just need to move. Before I realize it, I’ve lapped the perimeter of our locker room three times.
“Uh, did you not hear us?” Ollie asks, his eyes squinting in disbelief.
“Yeah, but you dumbasses clearly didn’t hear me. I already told you Viv has sworn off relationships. That means dating, you dumb fucks.”
“Woah, language,” Blue scolds, like he doesn’t curse just as much as I do. “We are not dumb fucks. We are smart fucks.”
“The smartest,” Ollie agrees. “Because this plan is foolproof. “There’s no way it won’t work, and I’m not just saying that because I’m the greatest matchmaker to ever walk the hallowed halls of Bainbridge University, even though I clearly am.
I bet you two will be sailing off into the damn sunset before too long.
And if you want proof, look at my track record.
Every happy couple you see has me to thank.
I’m the reason half the guys on the team are blissfully paired up.
Hell, I was even a wingman for Coach Anderson last fall. ”
“I don’t need your resume,” I say, shaking my head. “I need you to listen to me. Viv doesn’t do boyfriends. She thinks she’s allergic to relationships. She thinks men are all cheaters and that eventually I’m going to let her down.”
“Then you need to prove her wrong,” Ollie says.
“Keep doing what you’re doing, but don’t stop there.
You can still do your matching pajama sleepovers, but get out of the house once in a while.
Just do normal, everyday shit together. And the special stuff, too.
You’re not gonna let her down. You know that.
I know that. But she doesn’t believe it.
Not yet, anyway. So keep proving it to her. ”
I stand still, for once, as I let my buddy’s words sink in.
Ever since Viv proposed this arrangement, hell, ever since I saw her sitting in my room wearing nothing but a bra and cupping her perfect breasts—maybe even since I woke up by myself in Van and Josie’s basement—I’ve known that I’m not getting out of this with my heart intact.
And I made my peace with all of that because if my fate is to love Viv McDonald without getting that same love in return? Well, there are definitely worse things I can imagine, like not having Viv in my life at all.
But if my friends are right, if there’s even a chance I can have her—that this thing between us can be real—I have to take it.