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Definitely never inviting Rowan to this kind of outing.
Seriously, why am I thinking about her?
Beckett grabs a bottle of water from the cooler and hands it to me. As luck would have it, it’s a bottle of Mason Raker smart water. Can’t say it’s ever worked, but maybe tonight I’ll chug it and it will chase all thoughts of Rowan from my head.
“He doesn’t drink alcohol,” Beckett tells Andy.
He instantly looks contrite. “Oh, I’m sorry. My bad, man.”
“No worries; you didn’t know. It’s all good. I’m kind of a dick when I drink. So I’m told. Find it better if I just don’t.”
Beckett arches an eyebrow. “Just when you drink?”
I grin, shoot him a middle finger, and go to sit down on the sofa between Leo Voss, a defenseman, and Logan.
The game’s starting in five minutes. I lean forward and grab a slice of pizza. My phone buzzes and I grab it, worried that something’s happened to my puppy. Damn it, this was a new sitter recommended by Ruby, and I shouldn’t have—
Oh. My sitter just sent a picture of Puck reclining on the dog sofa that I bought him, chewing a stuffed Rovers mascot toy, which is very meta, and looking adorable.
“Mason’s whipped,” Logan yells. “Mason’s old lady is calling him to check on him.”
“Mason has an old lady?” Knox demands, from a couple of seats down. “Do tell.”
“Is she hot?” Noah asks.
“Adorable,” I say, straight-faced. “Irresistible.”
“Blonde, brunette, redhead?” Beckett plops down in a chair, reaches into the cooler, and grabs a beer.
“Definitely one of those.” He mock-glares at me. “Okay, blonde,” I say.
“Is it serious?”
“Very serious.” I nod. “As in permanent. Forever.” I mean, that’s not a lie. I’m keeping Puck until he’s old and... gray? Do dogs go gray? Anyway, he’ll be mine till his last breath.
Everyone’s staring at me. “What the fuck, man?” Beckett demands. “How did I not know this? I thought we were friends.”
He lunges forward and grabs the phone from me. I try to grab it back, and he jumps up from his seat, dodging me and knocking over a bowl of popcorn, which raises shouts of annoyance from the other guys.
“Give it back,” I yell at him. “Or I’ll kick your ass.”
I jump to my feet, but he dodges, leaping over a couple of guys’ outstretched legs. “You can try. I’m going to text this broad and tell her that you still wet the bed and you— Oh.” He sees the picture and breaks out into huge grin. “Wow. Adorable blonde. You weren’t kidding.”
Of course, everyone starts clamoring to see the phone.
“I don’t know, guys. This blonde doesn’t have any clothes on.” He shakes his head, so they start hooting and hollering and yelling at the top of their lungs and grabbing for the phone.
Finally, he holds it up to show everyone. They burst into laughter and disappointed groans, and of course admire my dog, because my dog is such a handsome boy.
“Jeez, you horny bastards,” Beckett scoffs. “You’d think the internet had never been invented. Did you know they have naked women on there? You can look at them for free.”
After that, the match starts and Beckett and I take our seats. Soon we’re yelling, throwing popcorn at the screen, and generally acting like Neanderthals watching men pounding each other’s faces in.
“He’s a pussy,” Logan keeps yelling. “My gramma could kick his ass.”
Leo glances over at me as the fighters stagger off between rounds. “By the way, what’s up with you and costumes, man?”
I should’ve known this would come up. No way would one of these guys find himself in a similar situation without a hefty number of questions from me.
