AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I’m halfway back to our group of tables the restaurant sets up for us after each home game when I’m stopped for an autograph. That turns into some pictures and a few more signatures on jerseys with the perpetual Sharpie that always seems to be floating around. I take another picture and give my regrets. “Sorry, guys… got to get back to my friends.”
I extricate myself, only to be brought up short by a woman who steps in my path. She’s statuesque with honey-blond hair in long waves that hang over the front of her shoulders, tight jeans with high-heeled boots, and a low-cut purple sweater. “Hendrix… hi… how are you?”
That’s a weird greeting. Normally, fans don’t use my name. It’s just, Can I get an autograph?
They definitely don’t ask how I’m doing, which implies a level of familiarity.
“I’m good,” I reply with a tentative smile. She acts like she might know me, but I have absolutely no recollection of her.
“Um,” she looks over her shoulder, and I follow her line of sight to a woman sitting at a table. “I was just wondering if you’d like to join me and my friend for a drink.”
When I turn my attention back to her, she’s smiling seductively, and it irritates me. If it had just been an honest invitation for a drink, I wouldn’t be pissed at the intrusion. But the look in her eyes is calculated, and I don’t have patience for it tonight.
Not when I have absolutely no interest in her or her friend.
“Actually, I’m just on my way—”
The woman moves fast, steps in so close, I can feel her breath on my face. Her hand presses to my chest and she murmurs, “Let me be blunt. My friend and I are wondering if you’d be interested in a threesome with us. We don’t even have to do the drink… we can leave right now.”
I’m not a prude by any stretch of the imagination, and in another time or life I’d say yes. But I’m a little put off by the speed of her come-on. Usually an offer like that happens after a drink, shared conversation, and a bit of time invested in seeing if there’s true mutual interest.
I step back to put some room between us, but her hand stays on my chest. I remove it with my own. “I’m not interested.”
She pouts. “Just one drink.”
“I’m here with my girlfriend.”
“Yes, I saw you with her.” Her hand comes back to my chest. “Not exactly who I would have matched you with. Come on, ditch the little Joan Jett wannabe, and you can have two women tonight—”
“What is wrong with you?” I growl, pushing her hand off me and taking a huge step back. I come up against someone, but I don’t look. I’m too pissed this woman just looked down her nose at Stevie because of how she dresses. “Why do some women have to do that shit and put other women down? Does it make you feel better about yourself? Does it validate you in some way?”
The lady’s mouth opens slightly in shock.
“For your future information, my girlfriend is a million times hotter than you could ever hope to be with your skanky offer of a threesome right off the bat, but mostly because she’s genuine and nice. Granted, she’ll jump into a barroom brawl to stop it, so she’d surely stomp your ass if she knew what you just offered, but her heart is made of gold.”
Her mouth drops open further. “You could’ve just said no. You didn’t have be an asshole.”
“No, I guess I didn’t have to be, but it was fun.”
The woman pivots on her heel and marches away. I turn around to apologize to whoever is behind me for stepping on him, only to find it’s Bear, and he just witnessed the entire exchange.
“Propositions like that happen often?” he asks.
My gaze slides over to the table where the woman returned to her friend, and they’re both glaring at me. “Not as often as you might think being a professional hockey player.” A thought strikes me, and my head whips back his way. “You didn’t just set that up, did you? To see what I’d do?”
Bear snorts and claps a large hand on my shoulder. “My daughter doesn’t need me interfering in her love life. She can handle herself. Like you said, she’s tough enough to stop a barroom brawl.”
“So, you just happened to be there?” I’m still suspicious.
“Just happened to be there,” he confirms with a nod. He squeezes my shoulder and turns us back toward our group. “Come on, I’ll buy you a beer.”
I grin as we walk back. I was completely annoyed by the unwanted exchange, but I couldn’t have had better luck that Stevie’s dad watched me put that woman in her place. Him buying me a beer says a lot.
