Total pages in book: 53
Estimated words: 51902 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 260(@200wpm)___ 208(@250wpm)___ 173(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 51902 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 260(@200wpm)___ 208(@250wpm)___ 173(@300wpm)
No, I’m going to my friend’s place to watch the game, I replied, adding, Bruins are playing the Penguins. Are you recording it?
I could imagine Malcolm squinting as he read my text twice, his nose scrunched and brow furrowed, and…fine—the physics geek was cute as fuck. That didn’t mean anything except he was a nice diversion from real-life stress.
Yeah, this was the kind of diversion I needed.
Three dots appeared and disappeared. No message.
I locked up and took the stairs to the main floor of my building, checking my cell once more before heading across campus to my friend’s apartment complex. I paused on the steps outside Langley’s brick-and-ivy three story building to greet someone I recognized from the gym and glanced at my cell again.
No. That’s the short answer. A longer response involves admitting that I’ve never watched a hockey game in my life. I understand the objective, but I don’t know the rules. It’s Greek to me.
I’ll teach you.
No thank you.
I sent a hockey stick emoji and a winky face. It’s on.
I turned my cell off so I wouldn’t be tempted to keep this up. My smile was already stupid big.
So what? That didn’t mean anything.
I pushed open the door to Langley’s place and was instantly assaulted by the smell of stale beer, pot, and pizza. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t a raging party, but it was more than a few teammates hanging out. The group on the sofa screamed at the action on the television while another group gathered in the kitchen, hovering around a stack of pizza boxes. And a few hung in the space in between, red cups in hand.
A girl I’d hooked up with last year shot a flirty look my way as she leaned against Regan’s arm. He was one our defensive players—a sweet guy with outrageous dimples and curly brown hair who morphed into a beast on the ice. Most of the time, anyway. He hadn’t been playing well lately, but let’s be honest, this midweek impromptu party stuff wasn’t a good idea for any of us.
Gus Langley was a great guy and a decent scorer, but a terrible captain. His best intentions always lacked forethought. The guy couldn’t just invite a few teammates over to watch the game. No, he had to make it extra fun—invite pretty girls and buy weed and enough pizza to feed a small army.
Maybe that was me being a stick-in-the-mud, though. We didn’t have a game tomorrow, and a little bonding time was always positive. My teammates were good people. The problem here was me. I was too serious, aggravated with my agent, my dad, and all kinds of shit I couldn’t control. I needed to chill out.
So I fist-bumped Ty and Langley, thanked whoever handed me a beer, and let myself slide into an old habit like a warm glove on a cold winter night.
Another beer later, I was beginning to hit my stride. Three or four beers later, I was the most popular guy in the room. My voice was louder than usual, my stories each more outrageous than the last, and there were at least three very hot girls hanging on my every word. I was totally getting laid tonight.
This was good, right? I liked sex, and the brunet with red lips and olive skin dragging her nails along my chest was my type. And best of all, she wasn’t clingy. I’d bet she’d be down for something quick and dirty.
She slipped her hand around my neck and pulled my mouth close to hers. “Let’s get out of here.”
I nodded and started to follow her, pausing in the doorway. “I need my jacket. Be right back.”
I found it lying over a sofa arm and slipped it on. And out of sheer habit, I checked to make sure my phone was still in my pocket. Yep…but it was off. I couldn’t remember why I’d turned it off until a new message lit up my screen.
Please don’t be offended. I don’t object to hockey, per se. I’m uninterested in all sports. Explaining the rules wouldn’t work. I’m unteachable.
Malcolm.
Not untable. Do u know skate? I typed, bleary-eyed and unsteady on my feet.
My phone buzzed immediately.
I think you’re asking if I can skate. If so, the answer is not well.
I reread my text, wincing at the missing words. Sorry. Too many beers.
Thumbs-up emoji. I’ll see you tomorrow?
I nodded as if he could see me. Yep. I have a lot to teach you. Later, Malonie.
I don’t think so. Also, you spelled my surname incorrectly.
How u speel it?
Maloney. You seem to be having trouble spelling in general.
Beer, I typed.
I’ll let you get back to it. Three dancing dots popped up. They were blurry as fuck, though. No more beer for me. No more…anything. It was time to go.
And with that, I brushed past my teammates and friends to the sultry babe waiting for me at the door.