Chapter 5
Going out with the guys after a game is usually hit or miss for me these days. If I had a nanny for Sophia I might go out a little more often, but I hate being out all night, away from her. Besides, she needs at least one stable and reliable parent in her life.
But I am so glad I came out tonight. Not only did I get to watch two of my favorite knuckleheads make fools of themselves on stage singing karaoke, but I also got to see Sadie laugh like nobody was watching during their performance.
Except I was definitely watching.
I find my eyes wandering every couple of minutes to where she sits with my coaches.
I am so damn intrigued by her. Sadie is a beautiful woman and the air around her is intoxicating.
It’s as if everyone in her orbit lights up in her presence.
But it’s not just that. It’s the way I felt watching her with Sophia that keeps me so curious.
I wonder if she has a history of working with kids?
Hell, maybe she even has one. I don’t know enough about her yet but I’d love to know more.
There’s just something about her. I’m drawn to her.
But I don’t have the time or energy to lust after anyone right now.
Mack’s in the middle of telling a story about the prank he pulled on our Russian defenseman when I see Ellie and Lincoln stand from their table and head toward the exit. My gaze immediately moves back to their table, scanning to see if Sadie is going to follow them.
Connor kicks me under the high-top table we’re sitting at and nails me in the shin.
“Ow! What was that for, dick?” I take a sip of my beer but keep one eye across the room.
Connor glances behind him then back to me. “It’s getting kinda creepy. The staring.”
This asshole has barely said two words tonight, and now he decides to talk? I wind up and kick him in the shin, much harder than what he did to me. I think I’m more pissed at myself for getting caught staring after a woman I barely know, but he doesn’t need to know that.
He cusses under his breath and starts talking shit, but I’m not listening anymore. Sadie and Hunter have made their way to the dance floor, and my eyes are glued to the tiny brunette who moves her hips with the beat. I can’t take my eyes off her.
Jefferson walks over to me and wraps his arm around my shoulders. “You know, Cap. You could just ask her to dance.”
For fuck’s sake. Even the rookie has something to say now? I pretend I have no idea what he’s talking about.
“Who?”
Everyone around me, including my asshole best friend, snickers. Like they’re all in on some fucking joke.
The rookie tips his glass of water to the dance floor where Sadie is singing along unabashedly to a Kesha song. “The girl you’ve been staring at since she got here. Short, pretty, purple streaks in her hair, extremely bendy.”
His last comment makes me whip my head toward him, my nostrils flaring.
He pats me on the back. “Yeah. Thought so.”
As soon as Jefferson walks away, I’m on my feet. I need another drink.
“Anyone need anything?”
Connor starts talking, saying he’d love another beer, but I don’t stick around to get his order. He can get his own drink.
The bar is packed but I’m able to squeeze in to order my beer pretty quickly after a couple heads to the dance floor. I’m waiting for my drink, people watching, when I see Mack and Jefferson make their way to where Hunter and Sadie are dancing.
What the fuck are they up to now?
I watch as Mack leans in close to Sadie’s ear and says something that makes her laugh.
It’s her first night out after being hired, and I’m afraid I may know what Mack is up to.
Mack is your typical hockey dude. He’s young, single, and the ladies love him.
Which is why, as soon as the bartender hands me my drink, I’m beelining it to the dance floor.
Jefferson elbows Mack, who’s still chatting with Sadie, and when he turns to look at me, he has a shit-eating grin on his face.
Assholes. They’re all assholes.
“Cap! I didn’t know you were a dancer,” Mack screams to be heard over the music.
I flip him off and ignore him, nodding at Hunter. The five of us stand awkwardly, not knowing what to do next. There are four of us dudes all surrounding Sadie, and she looks more than amused to be put into this predicament.
“Are you boys just going to stand there all night, or are we gonna dance?”
Hunter is approached by a pretty blonde and it takes all of two seconds for him to follow her across the dance floor. The moment he’s gone, Mack and Jefferson turn their backs and chat up a group of girls who appear to be out celebrating someone’s birthday. Which leaves me alone with Sadie.
If I didn’t know any better, this is exactly what those two bozos had planned.
The song switches and “Feel So Close” by Calvin Harris starts blaring through the speakers. I hate that the guys set this up, and the last thing I want is to make Sadie feel uncomfortable. I’m about to politely make my exit when she screams over the song.
“What do you say, Cap? Wanna dance?” Sadie’s hand is on her hip, and maybe I imagined it, but I think she might be flirting with me. Her question comes out like a challenge, and I’m not one to back down from things. Especially when I’ve been dancing nearly my entire life.
Besides, only an idiot would tell her no.
I take a sip of my beer and then put it on a random table next to us. I reach my hand out, and the second she takes it I’m spinning her around so her back is to my front.
We move together to the beat of the song and I get lost in the music. I’m not even sure the guys on the team know how much I love to dance. I took classes when I was younger and I have no problem shaking my ass with the best of them.
Speaking of asses, Sadie’s is rubbing up against me and it’s almost too much to handle.
Not wanting to teeter on the edge of inappropriate, I take this moment to lift her hand in the air and step away from her.
When I do, I push her hip, urging her to spin, and then pull her back into me so we’re facing each other.
Sadie’s eyes light up and her smile is so bright, my heart starts pounding even faster in my chest at the sight.
My hand slides to her lower back and I pull her into me. She rests her hand on my chest and we continue to dance together, lost to the beat of the music.
Sadie looks up at me and shouts, “I didn’t know hockey players could dance.”
At her comment, I spin her out away from me once more and then dip her dramatically. I pull her back up to me and Sadie is full-on belly laughing now.
I lean down and talk into her ear so she can hear me. “I’m full of surprises, Sadie.”
She leans back to look me in the eyes, that dazzling smile still on her face. “I’ll say.” Her words come out breathy and her eyes move back and forth between mine.
“I thought hockey players eat, breathe, and live hockey. Who knew they had time for other things?”
I lean back into her ear and I’m not sure where it comes from, but my tone comes out a bit flirtatious when I finally speak. “There’s a lot we don’t know about each other, Sadie.”
Sadie steps away from me and reaches her hand out to me.
“Let’s go fix that problem, shall we?”
I take her hand and follow her to the back of the bar where it’s a bit quieter. Most of my teammates are gone and the table we were sitting at is empty. Sadie takes a seat first and, instead of sitting across from her, I pull a chair up right next to her.
She smiles and starts playing with the necklace she’s wearing. “Where’d you learn to dance like that?”
“I took dance classes when I was a kid.” I can tell Sadie isn’t expecting that answer by the way her mouth drops. “My dad told me it would help me with my hockey.”
“How so?” Sadie puts her elbow on the table and rests her chin in her hand. She leans forward like she wants to know more.
“It helped improve things like my agility, balance, strength, and stamina. Not to mention the concentration and discipline it takes to learn a routine.”
Sadie’s eyes go wide in wonderment and she shakes her head in awe. “That’s amazing.”
I shrug and then do my best to shift the conversation away from me to her. “Tell me about yoga. Have you always known you wanted to be an instructor?”
Sadie looks shy for a moment, looking down at the table. I watch as she takes a breath and turns her attention back to me. “Not really. It wasn’t until college when I really started to get into it. I even went on a retreat where I learned about chakras and cleansing your body. It changed my life.”
The way she talks about yoga is similar to how I talk about hockey, like it runs through her blood and she was born to do it.
“That sounds amazing. I didn’t even know there were retreats like that.”
Sadie nods and scoots closer to me in her chair, seemingly excited to be talking about her favorite thing. “Oh yeah! It’s quite the experience. Ever since then, it’s been my dream to run a place like that of my own.”
She’s leaning in close, and my body does the same, as if being pulled together by some invisible force. Not only did I feel a major connection on the dance floor, but there’s also an energy between us now that’s hard to ignore.
“I bet you’d be amazing at that.”
Sadie inhales sharply. She seems shocked to hear me say something like that, but it’s clear to me she has a passion for what she does. I’m about to ask to tell me more when Mack and Jefferson take a seat at the table.
“Holy shit. I’m dripping in sweat. Who knew dancing could be such a work out?” Jefferson is out of breath and he slumps in the seat across from me.
“Literally everyone, dude.” Mack shakes his head at Jefferson.
The bartender announces last call, and Mack excuses himself to go get one last drink from the bar.
Jefferson perks up as soon as he’s gone, as if he just noticed Sadie sitting at the table with me.
“Sadie! Did you see Cap out there tonight? That pass was the perfect assist.”
Sadie smirks and then looks at me. “What was so perfect about it?”
Jefferson’s about to explain, but I glare at him before turning to Sadie.
“Everyone always talks about the pretty goals or outstanding saves a goalie makes. No one ever talks about the assists. It’s a shame really.
They’re called ‘helpers’ for a reason. They help us get the win.
Tonight’s assist was particularly perfect because not only was it the game-winning goal, but it was also perfect timing and placement.
Without that assist, we would’ve never gotten the goal. It was the perfect assist.”
The bar lights up and the music stops, signaling the end of our night.
Hunter finds his way to the back of the bar where we’re all sitting. “You ready to go, Sadie? I booked us an Uber. It should be here any minute.”
She’s about to slip off her chair when I wrap my hand around her wrist. As soon as my fingers touch her skin, a spark shoots through my arm. Sadie’s eyes widen, almost as if she felt it too.
“Let me put my number in your phone.”
She raises her eyebrow at me. I can feel my teammates looking on from behind me, and I’m afraid to look at my assistant coach to see his reaction. It’s too late to take it back so I push on.
“So you can text me and let me know you made it home okay. You know, captain duties.”
It’s true. I make all the guys on the team text me when they get home after a night out together. Maybe it’s the dad and captain in me, but I like to know when my people get home safe.
Sadie hands me her phone and I plug my number in before shooting myself a text so I can program her number in as soon as she leaves.
“Text me when you get home.” I hand back her phone and she nods at me.
She takes off with Hunter out the door, but not without one last glance over her shoulder. Our eyes meet for the briefest moment, and my heart thumps in my chest anticipating her message later tonight.