I think one of them swallowed his tongue, and the other two want to swallow hers.
“May I?” She points to loud guy’s lap, and he nods, his tongue literally hanging out of his open mouth.
She drops into his lap and curls a palm over his jaw as she leans in and whispers something in his ear. She looks uncomfortably balanced, and I can’t figure out where her other hand is.
I don’t know what she’s saying, but the guy flinches, grimaces, and nods frantically. She stands up after no longer than a minute, pats down the front of her shirt, and climbs back over the chair. This time none of them ogle her booty.
Savannah is barely containing herself. I’m mostly stunned at how she managed to get the loudest man in Minnesota to stop talking. I lean toward Athena. “What did you say to him?”
“I threatened to burst his balls if he dropped another F-bomb during this game or took another hit from that fucking vape of his.”
“And he believed you?” I believe her, but I know her. She’d mostdefinitelybust his dangly bits without so much as breaking a nail or a sweat.
“Of course he did, since I had them in my hand.”
There isn’t a single peep from loud guy for the rest of the game, and despite our best efforts, UCR fall short, losing five to four. It was almost the greatest comeback ever. I’m glad that Ares didn’t let another goal in. I don’t know how secure those net things are, but if he’d let another one in, I imagine he’d have tried to throw the net like it was somehow to blame.
I’m anxious when the whistle blows. After every game, win or lose, Ares and his backup practically jump on each other for a goalie hug. Considering the news that was announced pre-game, I’m wondering if that dynamic will change now.
My worrying is for nothing. Ares and Hayes bounce into each other for an epic hug. They pat each other on the back, before parting. Hayes says something to Ares, who ruffles Hayes’s hair. They’re going to be just fine.
Ares is the first Raccoon to emerge from the arena, and as his team filters out of the building behind him, he launches himself at me again, picking me up, and spinning me around so fast that his ball cap comes off.
I’m laughing by the time he puts me down and kisses me, hard.“Gracias, tesoro.”He kisses me again.“Gracias.”
“You dropped something.” Scott—I’m trying to learn everyone’s first names, and Ares tells me he’s the twin’s best friend—holds out Ares’s ball cap with a wry grin. When I look down at the hat, I see why.
A pair of lace panties is stitched to the inside.Mylace panties to be exact. The first pair Ares stole from me. The man in question meets my questioning gaze with a boyish grin, sweeps his hair back and replaces the hat, shrugging like it’s no big deal that he has my freakingunderwearon his head.
With a groan, I drop my forehead to his chest, before snapping it back with a gasp. “Ares, please tell me you at least washed them first.”
He pulls me back to his chest, placing his mouth beside my ear. “I could,tesoro. But that would be a lie.”
I can’t help the giggle that bursts from me. “Ares, you are incorrigible.”
Scott doesn’t seem at all fazed at the events unfolding. Maybe it’s not as weird as I think it is, when your boyfriend steals your worn underwear and sews it into his baseball cap.
“We’re ordering pizza for the hotel. Are you girls staying locally?” Scott addresses me directly. A couple of months ago this might have intimidated me, or made me self-conscious, yet right now, I’m part of the group, and it does things inside my chest I can’t explain.
“Athena booked us in the same hotel.” I have no idea how she figured it out, but I’m learning that with Athena, fewer questions is probably best.
“Pizza?” Scott points his finger at me, and I nod. Enthusiastically. I’m famished.
“Allergies? Dislikes?”
“No Hawaiian for me, otherwise it’s all fair game.” The unloved stepchild of pizza, but it was Mom’s favorite. I still can’t figure out how.
“No deliciously juicy pineapple on your pie, got it.” He grabs Ares’s shoulder and leans in to speak quietly. “Great recovery out there.”
Ares doesn’t say anything, but he nods. I guess there’s nothing really to say. Ares blames himself for the loss and nothing anyone says, and no recovery, no matter how great, will convince him otherwise.
“See you at the hotel.” Scott follows the rest of the Raccoons to the bus.
“Aren’t you going with him?”
Athena rented an SUV, but it’s not big enough for her three hockey brothers and the three of us. “I had a car brought over during the period break.”
As though waiting to be summoned, a guy appears and hands him keys.
