Suraj scanned the room. "I came here once trying to impress a girl."
"Did it work?" Ryan asked.
Suraj shook his head. "Turns out, getting welted by paintballs isn’t a panty dropper."
They paid their fees and moved to the equipment area where they were handed overalls, masks, and guns. Ryan started suiting up, pulling the camo jumpsuit over his jeans.
They split into two teams. Ryan was with Brett, Fly, Suraj, Mike, and André. The other team consisted of Sean, Tyler, Country, Gary, Boyd, and Jack. Fly strapped on a cup citing old age and a desire to keep his balls unpainted.
They tromped outside and entered the paintball arena, a sprawling field with barricades, barrels, and a wooden fort. In the distance, the Calgary Tower pierced the sky.
The whistle blew, and they scattered. Ryan ducked behind a plywood barrier, peeking out to see Tyler making a break for the fort. He raised his gun and aimed, but a splatter of blue paint exploded inches from his mask.
"Shit!" Ryan ducked back, his heart pounding. He heard aguffaw and turned to run but got nailed in the back by a splat of yellow. He launched himself into a stack of tires.
After righting himself, Ryan fought his way out of the rubber and found Sean and Tyler huddled behind a stack of barrels. He raised his gun and fired, then bolted for better cover with his teammates.
They moved deeper into the arena, dodging paintballs and trying to outflank the other team. He peeked out and saw Mike sprinting across the field. Suraj was hunkered down behind a barrier, his gun aimed and ready. André was nowhere to be seen, probably taking a smoke break, the bastard.
Ryan got a point blank shot on Country, then took two stingers in the thigh. André finally appeared near the fort and Ryan played wingman for an assault on Fly.
When the game finally ended, they were all covered in paint and grinning like idiots. Ryan pulled off his mask, his hair damp with sweat.
Tyler was holding court, showing off a particularly nasty welt on his bicep.
André pulled down his jeans and showed a bruise blooming on his right ass cheek. “Do you think Emma will kiss this better, too?” He laughed, then dodged both Country and Sean.
They piled back into the bus, exhausted and starving.
Brett groaned from the seat behind him. "I think I need to add 'Fly playing paintball' to my hate list."
Fly laughed out loud. “Can’t beat you on the ice. I have to take the wins where I can.”
Ryan chuckled and pulled out his phone. He didn’t know why he kept torturing himself, expecting Aelin’s name to pop up on the screen. He put it away and stared out the window.
Twenty minutes later, they pulled up to their destination, a food truck parked in a lot that was bustling with people even though it was after eight o’clock. The smell of fried chicken and spices wafted through the air, making Ryan's stomach growl. He'd been looking forward to this all day.
The team filed out of the bus, jostling and joking as they made their way to the truck. The menu board boasted Nashville hot chicken sandwiches in varying levels of spice, from "Mild Mannered" to "Hellfire."
Tyler stepped up first. "I'm going Hellfire."
Suraj shook his head. "Mmm. Mild Mannered for me. I need my taste buds intact for date night."
Ryan laughed. “You’re not coming to the party?"
Suraj shook his head. “Rashi had a rough week. I need to be home.”
Ryan ordered a "Hotter Than Hell" sandwich, figuring he'd go for the middle ground since he was suddenly thinking so hard about Aelin, he felt sick.
They found a spot at a picnic table and dug in. Sean took a bite of his "Blazing Inferno" and immediately turned red. "Holy shit, that's hot."
Ryan laughed. "What did you think it was going to be?"
Sean grabbed his water bottle and took a swig. "I was hoping for a leisurely stroll, not a sprint through Satan's living room."
Brett took a bite of his own sandwich and nodded appreciatively. "This is damn good. Almost makes up for the paintball to the face."
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