Page 25 of Against The Boards

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.