Chapter 2 #2
I nod my head with no hesitation. “How else am I going to get my point across?”
“What point?”
“It’s a hockey game,” I explain. “People are here to have fun, not be looked down on by grown ass men who take the game way too seriously.”
Sarah snorts and Bethany throws her hands up, knowing there’s no use in arguing with me.
I lean back in my seat, a triumphant smile quickly taking over.
Bethany, not wanting to break up any more potential fights, suggests that we wait for the majority of people to file out of the arena. Once she decides we’re “safe” to go, I slip my purse onto my shoulder, nudging Sarah and Bethany to follow me away from the exit.
“Where are we going?” Bethany asks when the realization hits.
I shrug my shoulders. “I always go see my dad after a game.”
Usually that involves Amiyah, but she decided that studying for her chemistry exam was more important than coming to the game tonight.
As we finish walking down the stairs, Josh, the assistant coach, is quick to spot us. He doesn’t move from his place on the players’ bench where he’s gathering up extra equipment, but he does smile and wave.
“Hey, Joshey.” I lean against the plexiglass, standing near the entryway of the bench. “I see you’re still doing the job of two people.”
We both look over to where the team manager, Steven, is talking to a few girls who clearly don’t want to be talking to him. They try to inch toward the exit but Steven is quick to invite them to an afterparty and when that doesn’t work, he flat-out offers them weed.
Despite this, Josh has the nerve to say, “He’s not a bad kid.”
He says it in a way that makes me believe he’s trying to convince himself more than me.
“No,” I laugh. “But I think he’s high ninety-nine percent of the time. I’m surprised my dad has kept him around this long.”
Josh snorts, dropping a bag of pucks into a canvas bag, the Griffins logo on the front. “You and I both know that your dad doesn’t concern himself with anything other than coaching those boys. I don’t even think he knows Steven’s name.”
Josh is on the younger side, mid-thirties I believe he told me once, so it’s easier for my dad to get him to do the things he doesn’t want to do, which right now looks like doing Steven’s job.
“Sounds about right.” I smile. “Where is the old man anyways?” I look around, realizing I don’t see him on the ice or on the bench.
Besides Josh in the players’ bench, school journalists interviewing a few of the players off to the side, and a few students still lingering, the rink arena is empty.
“Pretty sure he’s in the locker room chewing some asses.”
I nod my head and push off the board. “Thanks. See ya, Joshey.”
“Later, D.”
I guide Bethany and Sarah toward the hallway that leads to the locker rooms, having to squeeze past a few players who have yet to hit the showers.
Some of the guys wave at me but they don’t try to start a conversation.
My dad made sure that the second Amiyah and I started showing up to practices and games, that the guys knew we were his daughters.
He said it was so none of the players “tried anything.”
My dad’s words, not mine.
“We’re going in?” Bethany asks in disbelief.
Sarah and I both snort. “You’d love that, wouldn’t you?”
Bethany smacks my arm but doesn’t do anything to deny it. I swat her hands away, laughing. “No, we’re just going to wait in my dad’s office.”
The further we walk down the hallway, the more I’m able to make out a few voices coming from the end of it. I stop in my tracks when I see Lucas in front of a camera, alongside who I’m guessing to be one of the school’s journalists.
Lucas says something into the microphone and the brunette journalist laughs. Even the guy behind the camera smiles.
Jesus Christ, you would think this guy was a messiah or something. He moves around a rink and shoots goals. He’s not out saving lives.
But Sarah nudges me along and I realize that even I was just caught in the haze of Lucas’s charming nature.
Like he can feel the daggers I’m shooting in his direction, Lucas’s head turns, doing a double take. He says something to the journalist and now they’re both looking at me.
My skin now has this weird tingling feeling and my body wants to remain right where it’s standing, like I’m afraid that Lucas will disappear from my sight.
As if that could possibly be a bad thing but that thought is ridiculous so I rip the door to my father’s office open and usher Bethany and Sarah inside.
Before I can make it past the door, Lucas is calling out to me and my body has the audacity to betray me and stop so that now he’s standing in front of me. He’s still in his uniform and his skates make him taller than usual, forcing me to look up at him.
A shiver runs down my spine that I’m chalking up to the chill in the building. It has nothing to do with how close Lucas is standing or how he, for some reason unbeknownst to me, looks actually happy to see me.
That’d be ridiculous.
He’s a guy, I have to remind myself. He’s simply checking the packaging before he attempts to open the goods.
I mentally facepalm at my own analogy, wondering when any guy has ever had this effect on me.
“Didn’t know you were here.” Lucas smiles. “You weren’t in your usual spot with Amiyah.”
I cross my arms, trying to create some sort of barrier between us. “Like you know where we sit.”
“’Course I do. You’re impossible to miss.”
Bethany and Sarah both come up to the doorway and I can already feel the teasing radiating off them before I even turn to look at them.
“He did good out there.” Sarah nudges my shoulder with hers. “Don’t you think, D?”
Lucas shakes his head, gently laughing. “Thanks for the ego boost ladies but Denise here avoids complimenting me like the plague.”
“Only because your head is big enough as it is.”
“Don’t take it personally.” Bethany smiles, deciding to join in. “That’s just Denise’s way of—”
“Will you two go sit the fuck down?”
The two of them snort into their hands, not even bothering to hide their amusement as they walk back into my dad’s office, leaving me and Lucas partially in the hallway.
I lean my back against the doorframe, trying not to notice that his curls are slightly damp and frizzy from his now discarded helmet. Because paying close attention to his hair makes me want to do something stupid like curl the ringlets around my own fingers.
Maybe even tug a little.
“What do you want, Callahan? I’m sure there’s other girls you can find on campus willing to stroke your ego.”
He shrugs. “Probably, but I’d really prefer if it was you. Actually, I’d prefer you did lots of things to me—”
“Lucas,” I warn.
I hate the way my throat tightens and my body wants to shift closer to him. I hate that the only reason I even reach out to hit his shoulder is because I want to feel the warmth of him underneath the palm of my hand.
Physical attraction, I remind myself.
That’s what’s happening and it’s only intensified with Lucas because the man follows me around like he doesn’t quite know what to do with himself, otherwise.
Lucas gently tugs at the hem of my Juicy Couture jacket underneath my puffer vest. The gesture makes me want to say “fuck it” and rip his clothes off right here in the hallway, but I don’t. I behave myself.
Yay-fucking-me.
“You know…” Lucas pulls his hand away but doesn’t step back. “You’re always welcome to wear my number, Stryker.”
I scoff. “In your dreams, Callahan.”
“Who told you?” He grins like he knows damn well what he’s doing.
I watch the way he so casually chews on his bottom lip, as if this amuses him. Like he’s got me hooked, line, and sinker. But obviously he doesn’t know me as well as he thinks he does because instead of taking a step back, I move forward, our chests just a brush away from touching.
His breath hitches in the back of his throat and his eyes widen, surprised that I didn’t do whatever it was he expected me to do.
And I’m about to ask him about it too but my dad decides at this very moment to turn the corner and start heading toward us. My grin grows wider and I do Lucas a favor by taking a step back but because he’s unaware of my dad walking this way, he steps toward me.
“Careful,” I say, barely above a whisper. “Coach might just bench you next season.”
Lucas’s brows draw together, head tilting to the side before darting around like he’s trying to find the answer to why I said what I said. And he finds it rather quickly because the second he spots my dad, his whole body jerks away from mine.
To make sure he knows that I’m fully aware of just how much of an effect I have on him as well, I lightly run the tip of my finger over the inside of his wrist.
I hold back my laughter when Lucas is about to lean into the touch, but my father’s looming presence is too close by so he pulls away, now standing a safe distance from me.
“Hey, Coach.” Lucas clears his throat, my dad now standing in front of us.
Even though he’s taller than my dad in his skates, all that bravado is replaced by the reminder of my father’s rule and the consequences that would ensue if he was ever caught trying to shoot his shot.
Lucas continues, hand going to scratch the back of his neck. “I was just telling Denise and her friends how much we appreciate their support.”
Dad stops right in front of us, his eyes quickly looking over me as if I could’ve possibly received damage from standing next to Lucas. When he apparently has successfully concluded that I haven’t imploded, he looks at Lucas, unimpressed.
“Support my ass,” Dad gruffs. “Why don’t you go find Nole? I need to talk to him.”
Dad leaves no room for questions or discussion and because Lucas has been on the team since freshman year, he’s very much aware of this. But he wouldn’t be Lucas if he didn’t test a little bit of everyone’s patience.