I’m a bit mesmerized by the fact that he just admitted to being a celebrity, but even if he wasn’t, I really like him.
And he seems to like me too.
“Yes,” I whisper. “Deal.”
Chapter
Seven
Bodi
“So, let me get this straight.” West takes a bite of his burger before continuing. “She wouldn’t tell you anything about her life because her dad is famous and she has to be careful?”
“Pretty much,” I respond.
We’re sitting at a sports bar a couple miles from West’s house, watching the Falcons get trampled by the Dolphins in a preseason game.
“Did you tell her you play pro hockey?”
“Nope.” I shake my head.
“I do not understand,” Vik says, squinting.
“Apparently, her dad is famous,” I explain patiently. “So, she has to be careful for safety reasons, which I totally get. That’s why I haven’t told her who I am either.”
“Are you sure she hasn’t already figured out whoyouare?” West asks suspiciously.
He’s my friend so I get that he’s being protective. I also understand being careful, especially for a young woman who just moved to a new city. If her dad is some big-time Hollywooddirector or something, it’s probably tricky for her to meet men that are interested in her for who she is instead of who her father is. Kind of the way women are interested in the hockey player instead of the man inside.
“I’ve been in Georgia three weeks and there’s no way she knew I was going to be at the DDS the day we met,” I respond. “Or that the elevator would get stuck.”
“No, but what if she recognized you and it was just a bit of good luck that she wound up on that elevator with you?”
“She’d have to be a pretty hardcore hockey fan to recognize a player like me,” I say, shrugging. “Technically, I’ve only been in the NHL one season.”
“One season?” Vik asks in confusion.
Obviously, he hasn’t done his homework on his new teammates.
“I spent my entire career in the minors,” I tell him. “Until the playoffs in the season before last when the Phantoms had that bus accident. That’s when I got called up and Ms. Barrowman gave me a shot.” Harper Barrowman is the owner of the Phantoms.
“This I remember,” Vik says, nodding. “I did not know you played only in the minors.”
“Yeah, so Jayne would have to be a serious fan to recognize me, and I don’t get that vibe from her.”
“Seems like an awful lot of work for questionable reward,” West muses. “Unless the goal is sex.”
“No. I mean, yes,” I add quickly, chuckling. “Sex is always one of the goals, but it’s not the main goal. I’m open to…anything.”
West’s brows inch up slightly. “What about the chick online?”
“I’m keeping my options open. I’ve had one lunch with Jayne and a handful of text conversations with Jeannie—I think it’s a little soon to choose.”
West nods. “Then I guess I’ll withhold judgment until I have a chance to meet one or both of them. Just be careful. It sounds like her life is complicated and we’ve got a lot of our own shit to deal with being on this expansion team.”
“Other than the two of you, I don’t know a soul in Georgia,” I say. “I could use some more friends.”
“Yeah, but that’ll change as soon as the rest of the team gets here.”
