"The Flames' first game is next week in Grand Oaks—"
"Wait a minute. Isn't that the place where you guys started all this?"
"Uh huh," Levi answers.
"And where you banged for the first time," I add on.
"Mhmm," Alex says, her cheeks growing more pink by the second.
"And where Levi first went allgood gir—"
"Yes!" she yells. Levi rubs his forehead trying to hide his smile, and I snicker.
"Yeah, it probably sounded just like that." I wink in his direction, and Alex groans before dropping her chin into her hand, her elbow resting on the table. "Okay, okay, I'm done. So, the game is in Grand Oaks..."
She huffs out a breath, then sits back up. "The game is in Grand Oaks, and we were thinking maybe we'd go back and try to sneak in some time together to celebrate our—"
"Your one year bangiversary?" I deadpan.
Alex closes her eyes and inhales deeply like she does with Cooper when she's about to lose her patience. She takes a few calming seconds before opening them back up. "Something like that," she answers simply. "But I would need someone to take Coop."
"Oh, I'm surprised he wouldn't go with you. Not for the banging part. But the hockey part."
Levi crosses his arms over his chest and leans his forearms on the table. "That's what I said."
"He'll be bummed to miss the game," Alex explains. "But last time he came because the trip was part of the spotlight. I don't want the guys orcoaches to feel like they have to babysit on their first away trip. They do enough of that at the rink."
I glance around to make sure Trish hasn't sat anyone else in my section, but find nothing but empty tables. Thank God. I'll be cut soon, and I'm ready to hightail it out of here as fast as I can.
"Well, you know I'll take my nephew whenever you need me to, but I gotta say, I'm with Cooper on this one. I'm so jealous. Not because of the game..." Tilting my head toward Levi, I grin. "No offense. I just wish I got to get away with a sexy hockey play—coach. A sexy hockey coach." The words fall out of my mouth before I can catch myself.Dammit.I blame Trish for the idea of Drew now sitting at the front of my mind. And I blame Alex for my sudden desire for a steady man.
If my best friend notices the flush that creeps up my neck, she doesn't say anything. She's too busy looking at Levi with suspicion.
"Wait, what?" I say, feeling like I missed something.
Levi clears his throat. "I said, why don't you join us."
"To which I said… excuse me?" Now Alex is the one who crosses her arms in her usualwhat did you just saypose.
"I didn't mean it like that. You know you're it for me, Bennett." He winks playfully at his wife before continuing. "I was just thinking that instead of Cooper staying home with Brooke and missing the game, what if Brooke came with the three of us to Grand Oaks? I could get the two of them their own room, and they can hang out like they would at home, but Coop wouldn't have to miss the game live."
Alex shrugs her shoulders. "Works for me. I didn't think of that. I was just hoping we'd have ourownroom, that's all. What do you think, Brooke?"
I'm staring at her, but once again, I'm not quite listening. This time it's not the image of Drew in the venue bathroom that's debilitating me. It's the one of him on the ice, his hair dripping with sweat, his body looking even more powerful in full gear. I know from experience what it's like to be in the same space asthatDrew Anderson. Especially after the night that we had.
When I watched him win the Cup last season, just months after our moment together, it took everything in me not to glide over to him onthe ice after we all flooded it to celebrate the win. Just being that close to him with no boards between us made the air feel charged by more than the victory. It's the reason I decided to duck out early—to "let Alex, Coop, and Levi have some time alone to celebrate." I couldn't risk him seeing me and coming over. Or worse—risk him seeing me and ignoring me completely.
For a second, I contemplate saying no to the trip. Apologizing to Alex and Levi and making up some sort of excuse as to why all of a sudden I've changed my tune about taking Cooper. But I can't do that to them, or my nephew, and I damn sure can't tell them the real reason why I'm suddenly sweating through my shirt. I'm not sure either of them would appreciate finding out I slept with Drew, or even worse—that I'm attempting to make some big life changes and being that close to temptation might detour my plans.
So, instead, I paint a smile and channel my inner Ivy—fearless and spontaneous. I slide out of the booth hoping the distance between us will keep them from smelling my hesitation, and I agree to putting myself in the same rink—the same fucking hotel—ashim.
"Sounds great," I say, my voice cracking halfway into the second word. "I'm sure it'll be a kickass time."
2
Drew
"Drew, the first game of the season is just a few days away. How are you feeling?"
