“I’m really sorry about your underwear, Taz, and I guess about the harassment of your players, and your goalie dropping out, too,” Riley said sarcastically, teasing her for lumping those three problems together.
“Is there anything we can do to save your clothes? I think we have a stain remover if you want to try that,” Josh said seriously, and Riley smirked at his inability to ignore a person’s struggle no matter how insignificant it may have been.
“Thanks, Josh,” she said, grabbing the glass of wine they’d placed on the table for her and taking a sip. “If only you would have been my brother instead of this meanie.”
“Hey, was it mean of me to cook you dinner tonight? Because I could put all of this away,” Riley said as he picked up a platter, acting as if he was going to throw it in the fridge.
“Nooooo! You’re the best brother ever and I love you. Please, let me eat!”
They all chuckled as they took their seats around the big coffee table and Sophie tried to catch them up on everything. Despite her frenzied personality, her appearancewas spotless. She had honey brown hair, like Riley’s, but they had nothing else in common. She had a button nose while his was slightly pointy, and her dark brown eyes matched their mom’s, while Riley got his dad’s hazel ones.
“I still can’t believe my assistant. She sent sexts to multiple players on our roster. Even somemarriedplayers. She used an internet voice number to try to hide her identity, but she forgot to hide her easily recognizable tattoo in a bunch of the pics. We were able to figure out who she was pretty easily once players came forward. The bitch threatened their careers, saying she worked for management and could get them in trouble if they didn’t send her some dick pics.”
Sophie worked in the public relations department for the Philadelphia Inferno, the city’s pro hockey team.
“Those must have been fun conversations for your players to have with management,” Riley said.
“Yeah, it was such a mess. I got reamed out a bit about securing the info better and we increased the password protection on our computers because of it. Probably for the best, anyway.”
Maybe Riley would see if he could hack into the system to make sure it was at least safe from outsiders. He’d hate for something worse to happen and for it to fall on his sister. He’d do that as soon as he was back in front of his laptop.
“That’s taken care of at least, but I still need to replace this player,” Sophie huffed.
“Wait, did you say it was the goalie who backed out of the alumni game?” Josh asked.
“Yeah, why?”
Josh’s gaze darted to Riley before snapping to Sophie. “Why not ask Tobias Moyer? He runs the gym we go to and we see him all the time.”
Oh shit.
Tobias would hate that.
Once he’d retired after his injury, he'd worked hard to be out of the public eye, and he also had a disdain for talking to people. It didn’t make him popular with the media, but the fans respected him because he’d been a hell of a goalie for Philly.
“Tobias Moyer? Do you think he’d play? He hasn’t had a public appearance since he retired three years ago. That would make me look so good with the team and might get me that promotion to PR director,” Sophie said, her voice growing in volume and excitement as she spoke. “Could you guys talk to him for me?”
“Josh, did you forget how hard Tobias is to talk to? How much he hates people? Or things? Or activities?”
“Maybe he needs something to look forward to! I bet he misses playing.”
“I dunno, man, he’s not usually up for… anything.”
“We can ask him, right, Riley?” Joshsaid, throwing his puppy dog eyes at him.
Ugh. He could never say no to that look.
“Uh, yeah, sure, we can ask him,” he said, prompting delighted clapping from Sophie and Josh.
He would likely have to find a new gym after Tobias canceled his membership for even suggesting he play.
Either that, or he’d make them do burpees until they died.
But he would ask anyway. For Sophie. And for Josh.
3
“HEY RI, WOULD YOU do me in this outfit?”
