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Penn knew how she felt about him, but for her best friend to call her an honorary WAG? It set off a chain reaction of panic as all eyes landed on her.
"Don't try to tell me you don't have something going on with Eli, Holly," Nic told her. "Sparks fly between the two of you every time you're together. You'd have to be stupid not to notice."
"Agreed. And Eli hasn't exactly kept it a secret from anyone that he wants you," Hannah murmured, picking up a hockey stick patch.
"No kidding." Holly took another sip of wine. "However, that still doesn't make me a WAG."
"He really likes you; he just needs to be nudged in the right direction. And pushed away from those bitches at the clubs. Can't you just bang his brains out for a little while?" Nic asked. "You never know what might happen. He might see the light and make things exclusive."
Holly paled, thinking about Eli's passionate declaration at the hotel. How he was done with other women and only wanted her. But no way was she ready to share any of that with her friends.
Penn stared at Nicole. "Jesus, Nic. Really? Bang his brains out?"
"What?" Nic asked, waving a hand. "Listen, West wasn't exactly a choir boy when you guys met, Penn. He was just as active as Eli on the puck bunny scene. Guys can change. I speak from experience. Hell, Fally was no saint."
Penn made a face. "Ugh, I don't want to think about West like that. I know he was a player, but..."
"But he's not like that anymore. You guys are headed for the altar," Zoe chimed in.
"Altar? He hasn't asked me to marry him," Penn countered, tying her curly blonde hair back into a ponytail. "Not yet, anyway."
"It's only a matter of time," Zoe assured her. "I bet before the year is out, he'll ask."
Penn shrugged. "Maybe. Hey, how did this conversation get steered in my direction?"
"Better toward you than me." Holly held up her wine glass with a grin. "Sorry, Curly Cue."
Bella glanced over at Holly and nodded, dunking a chocolate chip cookie into her wine glass of milk. "True. Better than me, too."
Hannah let out a snort of laughter. "I can't picture you with a hockey player, Bells. You hate hockey."
"I don't hate it. I'm just tired of it. I lived at hockey rinks as a kid. I got dragged to every practice, every game of Brandon's..." Bella took a bite of her cookie. "I used to do my homework at hockey rinks. But you're right about me not going out with a guy on the team. Brandon would flip his shit."
"He would," Hannah agreed. "I don't think he could handle you dating one of his teammates. I don't think I could handle it either because he'd drive me insane."
"Anyway." Nic leaned back in her chair. "All of our guys were bedding bunnies before they met us. But when they meet the one, everything changes." She pointed at Holly. "Don't rule anything out with Eli, is all I'm saying.”
"Can we please stop talking about Eli Donnelley?" Holly asked, glaring at Nic. "I'm living with him. I have to write a feature about him. My research is about him. I could use an Eli-free night. Thanks."
"Uh huh. You doth protest too much," Nic teased.
Holly tipped her head back and groaned. "Hello, God? If there's a lightning bolt with my name on it, now is the time. Thanks. Sincerely, Holly Wilkes."
Zoe snickered into the back of her hand. "So dramatic. But Nic does have a point."
"Come on, Holly. Can you blame us for wanting you to be part of our crowd in an official capacity? You're a fucking cool chick," Nic said, elbowing her. "How many gossip reporters would ever be invited into the inner circle? We like you, and we trust you."
"I'm honored, but you'll just have to enjoy my sparkling conversation, endless sarcasm, and quick wit for what it is," she said wryly. "And that's an Eli-free zone, okay?"
"We'll see," Nic handed her jacket and numbers to Hannah so she could press them. "I've got a feeling. I had a feeling about all of you guys, and here you sit. I'm never wrong."
"Fally might disagree," Holly joked.
Nic tossed one of the patches at her, and she laughed, ducking out of the way.
"You're still going to sit with us at the games though, right, Holly?" Zoe asked.
"You know, despite being a hockey gossip reporter, Holly doesn't go to many games. The first game she'd been to in ages was the one she dragged me to when I reunited with West," Penn told the group.
