Aubrey and another one of our teammates, Jordyn, nod in agreement.
“You guys are so lucky that you get to work with him,” Aubrey pouts. “Maybe I should give goalie a shot.”
Grace laughs while I shake my head at her. “He hasn’t even worked with us, though. Besides the introduction Coach gave us that first day of practice, he hasn’t said a single word to me.” I turn to Grace. “He talk to you at all?”
“No, thank God,” she says into her drink and takes a healthy swig. “He intimidates the hell out of me.”
“Ungrateful,” Austen chides. Grace flips her off.
“How do you think he ended up here?” Jordyn asks. “I mean out of all the schools, or hell, professional teams he could’ve worked at, why ours?”
“That’s assuming he had other offers,” I say.
“Who the hell wouldn’t want him? He was one of the best.”
“Their loss is our gain,” Aubrey says, flipping her dark hair over her shoulder. “At least we get to see him everyday. Makes practice a little more exciting, does it not?”
I disguise my groan with a cough and take a sip of my drink. Yes, Luke Holloway is objectively attractive. Anyone can see that. But after watching him this week and seeing his utter lack of interest and respect for our team and his new position…it takes it all away.
At least for me. Clearly not for the rest of the team.
A few guys from the hockey team approach our circle, and suddenly it’s like Coach Holloway never existed as Aubrey and Jordyn both bat their lashes at two of the players. Bryant comes between me and Grace, and he throws an arm around her shoulders. She immediately leans into him, cheeks turning red, and I stifle a grin.
“What are you ladies talking about over here?” Bryant asks in that easy, smooth tone of his.
“None of your business,” Grace teases. He looks down at her with a glint in his eye, and I have a feeling the two of them aren’t going home alone tonight.
He brushes his fingers over her shoulder. “I’d like to make it my business.”
Grace almost melts into him, her small frame getting swallowed up by his larger one.
“Should I leave you two alone or…” I jerk a thumb over my shoulder.
“No, you can’t leave me!” Grace holds out a hand, and I playfully bat it away.
“Where’s Mason?” Bryant asks me.
I glance around, coming up short, and shrug. “Haven’t seen him for a while.”
He frowns slightly at that.
“What?”
“Just surprised he’s not over here with you.”
Should I also be surprised by that? I mean, yeah, we’re friends. But we don’t need to be glued to each other’s sides at every party. I’m sure we’ll find each other by the end of the night and eventually find ourselves in one of our beds.
I finish the last of my drink and toss the cup in an overflowing trash can next to the kitchen counter. As much as I’d like to have another drink, I have to work in the morning and don’t particularly feel like battling a hangover tomorrow.
“You don’t want another drink?” Bryant asks. “One of the guys has a bottle of whiskey if you want that instead?”
My face twists at the thought. “I’ll pass. Thanks, though. I have to work in the morning, so I’m capping myself for the night.”
“What?” Grace exclaims. “It’s the first party of the year!”
“Exactly.” I laugh. “I have the rest of the year for more.”
“You could call in.”
