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Okay, we were going to ignore what happened last week. That was fine with me. I’d rather pretend he didn’t exist instead of fighting all the time.
I told Keith I would meet him at the restaurant because I didn’t like getting into cars with strange men. I had even insisted we have dinner at Eileen’s since it was one of the few places in the city I knew. I felt safe there, especially since the owners were ex-hockey players. Hal, one of the owners, was old friends with my dad, and he already told me the other night that he’d look out for me. I didn’t tell him I wasn’t on speaking terms with my dad, but I didn’t think that mattered. It made me feel safe at his bar.
I was a little paranoid because Natalie made me promise to text her my date’s address if I went home with him. I didn’t think I was gonna go home with him, but I was keeping the option open. Since that kiss with Benny, I found myself sexually frustrated. Like killing my vibrator daily type of sexually frustrated.
Keith was seated at a booth when I got to the bar. I slid into the seat across from him and gave him a smile. It puzzled me when I noticed there was a bottle of wine on the table and no menus.
Who ordered wine at a sports bar? And didn’t I tell him I didn’t like wine?
As soon as he opened his mouth, I realized it had been a mistake to even shave my legs tonight.
Chapter Eight
BENNY
I hadn’t planned on coming back to Philly until training camp. The further I stayed away from Rox, the better. However, my family was nosy busybodies who kept razzing me about her. I loved my family, but they had boundary issues.
I wasn’t sure what my play was with Rox, but I knew I should apologize. When I walked into the condo and saw her getting ready for a date, I swallowed that apology. Maybe it was best to pretend it never happened. I didn’t even say goodbye when she left wearing the red dress I recommended. Red really was her color. That dress was bad news for me—that was the one she had been wearing when we first met, and it looked amazing on her.
I sighed and pulled up Riley’s contact on my phone. Riley was one of our top defensemen on the team and my best friend. I shot off a quick text to him.
ME: Just got back in town. You want to grab a drink?
RILEY: Yes! Fi shoved me out the door.
ME: Why?
RILEY: Too distracting when she has to write.
I laughed at that.
Riley was the last person I’d thought would settle down. When I met Fi, it explained a lot about him. Like why he never got serious with anyone and why he hooked up a lot. They seemed pretty happy together now that they’d figured everything out.
A part of me, deep down, wanted that. Maybe not the marriage part, but finding a person to spend my life with. It was hard to find a partner who didn’t want marriage, kids, and the white picket fence, though. Especially when you were a monogamous guy.
I took a quick shower and met Riley for drinks at Eileen’s. The team hung there since it was a hockey bar. Riley wanted to sit at the bar and watch the playoffs because, of course, he did. Dude was a stats fiend.
“How’s the family?” he asked.
I shrugged. “Okay, I guess. You ever thought about asking for a trade to Minnesota?”
He narrowed his eyes at me. “Nah, but it’s on my list if they ask me if I have any place I want to go. What’s up, man? I thought you liked it here.”
“I do. But I feel guilty being so far away from my family.”
I took a swig of my beer and glanced up at the game on the TV above the bar. I winced when I saw the replay of a blatant headshot that didn’t get called. “That looked rough.”
I didn’t pay attention to his next sentence because my phone vibrated in my pocket and distracted me. I saw a text message notification pop up from an unknown number.
UNKNOWN: Can you be my emergency call?
I furrowed my brow in confusion at the message. Riley gave me a questioning look, but I ignored it when I saw a second text come through.
UNKNOWN: Tristan gave me your number for emergencies. It’s Roxanne.
Riley nudged me. “What’s up?”
I stared down at my phone as the dots moved across the screen, showing her typing.
