But I never date the same guy more than once, and I never give out my real name. Even though I have PCOS, I’m on the pill, and insist he wears protection. His toy soldier can’t come anywhere near my vagina if it ain’t gloved.
Lightning won’t strike twice in this one night stand space. It’s highly unlikely to conceive while having PCOS and on the pill, but it’s not impossible. It’s a freak occurrence that’s already shifted the trajectory of my life once before.
I also don’t have time to devote to a man-child, or an asshole, or worse, a man I might fall in love with.
I have a man in my life. He’s a two-and-a-half year old tornado who loves cars, trucks, andPaw Patrol. That littlefucker Ryder gets on my nerves every damn day of the week. But Wyatt adores him and his pack of dogs.
“Why are we staring at Ares de la Peña like he hung the moon?” I manage not to spill hot cocoa over the sides of the ginormous mugs as I place them on the table.
Eloise doesn’t answer.
“I can see you behind that shield of pink hair. I know exactly who you’re staring at.” I’m trying not to judge. Just because I had a shitty experience with my hockey-playing, asshole ex doesn’t mean everyone else in the world will too.
I’m sure there are some half-decent hockey players out there. Heck, maybe even mostly decent. Loki wasn’t a hockey player, and he still turned out to be a ghosting prick.
Flicking a glance toward Ares—who’s leaning so far back on his chair I hope gravity comes for him so I can get a good laugh at him falling on his ass—I question whether he’s an asshole or not.
I’ve heard stories. And if he fell on his butt I wouldn’t be mad. Not like, hurt himself fall. But just a small fall, like, enough to take some of the ego out of his sails.
I’m sure he’s a great athlete, worthy of all the accolades and countless articles and brouhaha. But he’s just so…ugh. Arrogant. It makes me want to twist his ear and kick his feet off the fucking table.
“I can see it. You’d be cute together.” They’d make the most beautiful babies the world has ever seen.
She visibly flinches. “I couldn’t ever be with him.”
There’s tea there. And while I don’t like hockey players, I love how this woman’s face has turned as pink as her hair. I poke just a bit harder. I want her to spill the tea.
“But you want to be.”
No matter what she says, she definitely wants to be with him. She’s practically salivating as she watches him lob his dumbassness around the coffee shop with his frat boyfriends.
“He’s the youngest. The bad boy.” When the only response I get is a frown, I know my new bestie’s in trouble.
Oooooh boy. She has no idea who she’s dealing with. Her eyes flicker with something that could be judgment or caution as she pulls out her phone. Probably to google him. How she has a crush on him when she doesn’t know his name would be curious to me if I didn’t have a similar history. I still remember the taste of Loki’s kisses, three years later. And it all started with a stupid fucking crush in a fake prison cell.
“I can see your screen.”
Her face is on fire as she slaps her phone against her body.
“You should totally shoot your shot with him.”
She’s probably going to pitch the damn phone at my face. “But he’s gay.”
“I can see why you’d think that, but click the photos tab. You’ll see him with both men and women. He’s bi.” Hot chocolate tastes even better when it’s drunk over girl talk.
Would I rather she had a crush on someone whoisn’ta hockey player? Absolutely. But I’ve missed this. And I like this chick. So I’ll pretend Ares de la Peña is some rockstar or a famous chess player instead of a hockey player.
Something shifts on Eloise’s face. Suspicion replaces the concern sitting heavily on her brow. Her eyes narrow, crinkling her face.
Ah. She thinks I fucked him. Ha. Hell no. “Don’t look at me like that. I have a kid at home. I don’t want any part of your nasty boy. I mean, he’s a fantasy come to life. Athlete who moonlights as a stripper. Bad boy who takes gender studies. He’s a walking contradiction.”
After a few more clicks on her phone, she puts it face down on the table while we finish our drinks in silence. Have I steamrolled this new friendship before it’s even gotten off the ground?
Huh. It’s not me, it’s him. Her furtive glancesacross the coffee shop aren’t fooling anyone, Ares included. He clocks her watching him. For sure. I can’t help the smirk that spreads across my face. She’s got it bad.
“No.” She folds her arms.
Rolling my lips barely stops the brewing laugh from escaping. “If you say so.”
