3. Octavia
OCTAVIA
“Still nothing?” her coworker Amanda echoed from her door. “It better not be about the Piper case.” She huffed, making her way into the office and slumping into a chair across from Octavia.
“No, my date from the other night.”
“Wait, the guy you’d been revealing your entire life story to for the last month? He seemed like a catch. Sorry, babe.”
“You know what they say about things seeming too good to be true,” Octavia sang, locking her phone and slipping it into the drawer. “What’s up?”
“Oh nothing. I was just wondering if you wanted to go to the game tonight.”
“What game?”
“The hockey game,” Amanda said as if she was reminding Octavia of previously arranged plans.
“Why?” Octavia asked.
“Because it’s fun, because you may meet a cute guy. Guys like women into hockey.”
Octavia looked at her closed drawer. Blaze94 said he loved that she didn’t care about the sport even though his job depended on it. Blaze94 also stood her up, so maybe guys who preferred women who didn’t like hockey weren’t her demographic either.
“What time?” she inquired as if it was a burden.
“Seven.” She smiled her big Amanda smile. “And wear something sexy.”
“It’s already four thirty. I will barely have time to get home, change, and make it back for seven. And why would I wear something sexy to a hockey game?”
Amanda rolled her eyes. “Vee, you’re not going to the game for the sport on the ice. You’re hunting for eager dick.”
“Eager dick?” Octavia said slowly, her eyebrows raising into her hairline.
“There will be a whole plethora of guys looking to get laid either because they’re over the moon the team won or wanting to drown their sorrows in some beer and pussy.”
“Amanda, you’re a fucking HR lawyer, you can’t be saying that kind of shit at work,” Octavia scolded.
“It’s fine, I know people.” She jumped up and headed for the door. “I’ll see you at gate thirteen at seven. Remember, look hot.”
Octavia had looked hot three nights ago—she’d gotten hot too. Nathan had set her on fire and, unfortunately, hadn’t let the fire burn long enough. She’d felt him through his pants and she’d been thinking about what he was packing ever since.
She squirmed in her seat, trying to refocus on the rest of the day instead of on the cock of a man she’d never see again.
Nathan had been a lapse in judgement because she was upset.
A right place, wrong guy scenario she’d let play out despite all her misgivings about hockey players.
She used him the same way nearly every one of her friends had been used by a guy with dreams of NHL glory.
After trying and failing to read over the brief for a new client, she shut down her computer and pulled her phone out of the desk. Maybe the message just didn’t go through. Sure it said delivered but tech wasn’t totally infallible.
LawGirl
Haven’t heard from you and I’m a bit nervous. At least let me know you’re alright.
There was still no response when she got home, and she wondered what had happened between finally deciding to meet up and that night. Sure, she’d ended up having a very good night, but she’d hoped for more than a night. She had hoped, goddammit.
Amanda said sexy, but Octavia didn’t know what that meant in the context of a sporting event. She looked longingly at the dress she’d worn to meet Blaze94. It lay over the back of the armchair in the corner of the room, a reminder of what had happened.
She walked over to the dress and picked it up.
The feel of the fabric moving over her skin took her back.
His mouth on her, his fingers deep, the sound he made, like he’d been dehydrated and she was a fucking fountain.
She threw the dress down and backed away, suddenly disgusted with herself for letting things get that far.
What if something had happened to Blaze94, and now she was fantasizing about Nathan instead of worrying about the guy she’d been hoping to meet?
She’d had a connection with him. Of course, Nathan had been nice and he knew what he was doing with his hands and tongue, but one encounter shouldn’t erase weeks of actually getting to know someone.
“Fuck.” She groaned, sitting down heavily on the end of the bed and flopping back. “Fuck!” she shouted, beating her fists against the mattress.
When she was done throwing her little tantrum, she got up and threw together an outfit.
Jeans and a flowy button-up that she left unbuttoned at the top so it showed off her cleavage.
To finish it off she reluctantly slipped her sister’s shoes on.
She’d told Nathan she wasn’t used to heels, but she really had been feeling the wine a bit too much that night.
She had been aware of everything, but her equilibrium had been a tad off.
“Fuck yes!” Amanda shouted when she saw Octavia strutting toward her. “You may win the lotto in that get up.”
“I don’t play the lotto,” Octavia said cluelessly.
“Get noticed by a hockey player, become a future WAG.” She rolled her eyes before turning and presenting the gate agent with her phone to scan the tickets.
“Amanda, I have no interest in hockey players.” Alright, lie, she had interest in one but it was more curiosity based. One night and then she could get it out of her system. Although that ship had sailed.
Octavia didn’t know what to expect, but she didn’t expect to be down by the glass or sitting right next to the penalty boxes for that matter.
“Don’t people pay a fortune for these seats?” She leaned in and asked Amanda.
“I guess so.” She shrugged. “Dad always gets them from clients and when he doesn’t care about the other team, gives them to me or my brother.
” Amanda looked around. “If you don’t want one of those.
” She smirked, pointing as a stream of players stormed onto the ice.
“There are probably some very eligible options in this section.”
High energy music vibrated her seat and drowned out whatever Amanda was still saying as the players began warming up. Octavia jumped every time the puck hit the boards or the glass and felt ridiculous. She understood the game, yet she imagined she looked completely out of place as her body jolted.
“I’m going to get a drink. Do you want anything?” Amanda yelled.
“Water, please.”
Amanda stared down at her. “Seriously?”
She nodded. “Seriously.”
When she was gone, Octavia took her phone out again.
Still nothing from Blaze94. He probably was never going to reply, or he was going to surprise her with dick pics.
A body crashed into the boards, and Octavia fumbled her phone, catching it right before it hit the concrete floor.
When she looked up, she recognized the face looking back at her, his shock mirrored her own before he smiled a big, toothless grin at her. Nathan.