I end up playing pool with Stone while the others play darts.
Stone breaks and gets solids.
“There isn’t really a quiz, you know,” he says.
I smirk as I line up my shot.“I didn’t think so.But I didn’t want to hurt his feelings.Lindy seems very young.”
“He is,” Stone confirms.“He has a crush on Phoebe.But he has crushes on everyone.How about you?”
I sink my ball and line up the next.“How about me, what?”
“Do you have a crush on Phoebe?”
I consider my answer as I draw back my cue.What I feel for Phoebe is so much deeper than a crush, but if I say I don’t have a crush on her, it’ll be interpreted as not being interested, and I don’t want anyone to think there’s a clean sheet of ice to her.I’m on that ice in full gear and will body check anyone who tries to keep me from her.
“More than a crush?”Stone presses.I hit the cue ball and watch the next ball sink in the side pocket.
I line up my next shot and sigh when I miss.
“It’s complicated,” I say.
His laugh is a combination of compassionate and cynical.“Everything is complicated.It’s the human condition.”
Now I know who the team philosopher is.
We finish our game—I win—and then play a few rounds of darts.Lindy is surprisingly good at them and beats us all.I make a note not to bet against him.
It’s pushing midnight when we part ways.Turns out the team will provide rooms to players if they’re hanging out at Devil’s Den after games or drinking, so everyone has rooms and isn’t driving home.That’s a relief.No one’s drunk—we’re all shifters and metabolize a couple of glasses of beer quickly.But it’s another sign of the care and respect the team has for the players.They’re so functional, it makes me suspicious, but I’m enjoying it while it lasts.
The last game of the regular season is tomorrow night—I guess tonight now—against the Sasquatch.We’ve secured our place in the first round of the playoffs.We’re playing against the New York team in a best-of-five wild-card game series.The winner of that series advances to the next round of the playoffs and so on to the Dickinson Cup Finals.The Sasquatch are on the bubble, so with a win, we’d end their season.I’m totally okay with that.
* * *
Revenge is sweet.So is scoring a hat trick against the team that threw me away.Add in the fact I set a PHL record by being the first player to have hat tricks in back-to-back games, and life is good.The only thing that would’ve made it better was if Phoebe was in the stands again, but she works early in the morning, and two late nights in a row isn’t great for her.
I accept the back slaps and the fact that I need to face the media.I hate this part.No longer being captain of the Sasquatch should’ve gotten me out of dealing with the media, but I had to show off and be awesome.I’m such a dumbass sometimes.I’m named first star of the game and am tapped to give a postgame interview.At least it’s with a single reporter and from the bench right after the game, so I don’t have to face a gaggle of phones in my face, recording every word I say while my teammates are coming and going from the showers and in various states of undress.
“Welcome to the Devil Birds, Ollie,” Chuck Branson, the middle-aged commentator for the team says.“Looks like you’ve been part of the team forever with the way everything is gelling.What’s the secret?”
Taking a deep breath to calm my racing heart, I try to give a natural-looking smile.
“Thanks, Chuck, it’s great to be here.No secret.Obviously, the team is a cohesive unit, and I’m familiar with their style from playing against them through the season.Our styles mesh.Everyone has been extremely welcoming.”
Chuck nods.“The win tonight sealed the Sasquatch’s fate, and they aren’t making the playoffs.How do you feel about that?”
Shrugging and hoping I can walk that fine line between being honest and being an absolute asshole, I say, “I’m a Devil Bird now.I’m concerned with their standing, not any other team’s.”
The stands erupt in applause at that.With a slight smirk, I lift my chin in acknowledgment.Our interview wraps up after that, and I go back to the locker room to shower and change.I grab my phone and wallet and see that Phoebe texted me.
Phoebe: Helloooooo, Mr.Hat Trick!OMG!I saw the goals on social media.You’re incredible!:star eyes emoji:
Me: Hey!I figured you’d be sound asleep.Maybe you are.Thank you!I hope you sleep well.:kissy face emoji:
Oh, fucking fat fingers.I meant to hit the zzz face and hit the kiss face and sent without realizing.
“You okay, King?”Alvarez asks, and that’s when I realize I groaned aloud, not only in my head.
Looking up from my phone, I roll my eyes.“Typo in a text.Nothing major.”
