Chapter 4 #3
“Okay.” I dropped into a chair next to his and eyed the frosty beer resting on the table in front of him. Damn, it looked refreshing after running around on the court today.
“All the guys are picking up their husbands and boyfriends.” With a tsk, he hung his head. “I’d been hoping to bond with the team, but I can’t blame them.” He sipped his beer. “They’ll be traveling soon and won’t see as much of their other halves.”
“Yeah.” I placed my forearm on the table and scanned the area for a server. “What’s it like being on the road?” Surely, we had top-notch accommodations, being an NHL team. I knew we had our own charter jet.
“Oh, there’s a lot of waiting, meetings, eating, hydrating, and then there are the games.” He chuckled. “The games are the best. The rest of it can be draining.” He flashed a smile at me. “We play Call of Duty a lot.”
“Not NHL?” I spied a server as she entered the area and flagged her down. When she stopped at the table, I ordered a beer.
“Nope. I don’t know why. It’s been a team game for a long time. It started before I came here.” He rolled his lips.
I should let him know I’d kept my end of our bargain. “I, uh, I started studying…a lot. I’ve found some videos on YouTube about hockey theory and strategic positioning. It’ll be interesting for me to see it in action when the games start.”
The server set my beer down.
I rubbed my fingers across the condensation on the glass and then picked it up. “Do you influence the coaching strategy?” I drank my beer, letting the cool bubbles wash down my throat.
“Sure, I give input to Coach Lambert.” He bit his lower lip. “Tell me more about Ian and how it ended.”
With a scoff, I rolled my eyes. “Why do you want to know? We were together for three years, and it ended the summer before my junior year.” And it had been my longest and only relationship.
“Oh, so you’ve been apart for what, four years? And it still upsets you to see him with someone else?” He shifted in his chair, planting his elbow on the table.
“What is this? A psychological evaluation?” I eyed him. Why did he care?
“Maybe.” He gave me a smirk as his eyes twinkled.
“If you’re the next in line to own the franchise, I want to know what makes you tick.
” He raked his teeth across his lower lip.
“I’m twenty-eight. I probably have a couple of good years left in me, and I enjoy this franchise.
So maybe…” He tilted his head. “If I play my cards right, I can get in tight with the new owner and work out a position with the team when I retire.”
I raised my brows. He only had a few years left? “So, does this mean you’ve changed your mind and won’t abuse me anymore? Now you’d rather butter me up?” I gave him a wicked grin. “I may be easy, but I’m not that easy.”
“Oh, really.” He snickered. “That’s not what they say at the gay bar.”
My jaw dropped. “How would you know what’s said at the gay bar? Ever been inside one?” I arched a brow. But if he had, he might give himself away. Was he queer, damn it?
“Nope. I’m a gay bar virgin.” With a slow shake of his head, he drank his beer. “Believe me, the guys have tried. There’s some bar down on Mill Avenue that Mason, Ace, and Archer used to frequent when they attended college.”
“There’s one close to here, too.” I twisted my beer on the table. I’d been avoiding that bar so I wouldn’t run into the last dude I’d—holy fuck. I hadn’t had a hookup since I’d started this damn job.
“What happened? You look like you saw a ghost in your beer.” He shifted his chair closer to mine and leaned in. “What?”
“Nothing.” I shook my head. “It’s nothing…just, haven’t been with a guy for a while.” I’d put my toys to good use, though.
“Yeah?” He narrowed his eyes and swept his tongue across his lips. “You must feel pretty frustrated right now.”
My gaze cut to his. Why was he so close and looking at me like a piece of meat? But if he wanted to devour me, I’d let him. “It’s not like I haven’t had an orgasm.” My damn mouth. Where had my filters gone? I shouldn’t be discussing sex with my team captain.
His breath caught, and he adjusted himself. “It’s been a while since I’ve been with someone, too.” He backed off and drank his beer.
“When is your ex moving in?” I’d look up her photos tonight on his Instagram feed. I bet she wasn’t very special.
“Monday.” His lips pressed into a thin line. “She can be a lot, but she’s a nice person.”
“Maybe you can coax some benefits out of her and end your dry spell.” A flash of heat flickered through my chest. What would his response be?
“No, that won’t happen. Our sex life was never great. It’s not something I’d like to return to.” As his gaze trailed across me, he scraped his teeth across his lip.
“Oh.” I didn’t know how to respond, but part of me was happy to hear it. After drinking my beer, I said, “So, who was the last person you—”
“Hey, guys.” Archer walked toward us with a dark-haired man. “Glad you found a large table.” He introduced me to his husband, Leo, and then sat beside Alex.
Our conversation was over. Now all the talk would be about hockey.