He’s quiet for a beat. “I was happy on the team, but I needed a fresh start some place far from L.A. Bad breakup.”
I grimace. “Yeah, that always sucks.”
He shrugs. “Eh, I’m over it.”
The look on his face tells me he’s not but we’re not close enough for me to comment. However, this is the perfect opening to segue into something else.
“Speaking of women—I met someone yesterday. Get this, we got stuck in an elevator at the DDS.”
“What?” He stares. “For real?”
I tell him the basics.
“You gonna take her out?”
“She’s nice.” I shrug playfully. “I told her I’d call her. Besides, it can’t hurt to get a library card.”
He chuckles. “I guess not.”
“You could come with me—maybe she has hot coworkers.”
“Hot librarians?” He grimaces. “I don’t think so, but I’ll be your wingman.”
“Excellent.” I clap him on the shoulder. “So—who else is moving in?”
“I’m not sure. Simon Lacroix is interested, he’s in the middle of a divorce, so he needs to take care of things before he makes solo arrangements.” He pauses. “And if he doesn’t take it, Coach Morrison mentioned us taking in the rookie.”
I groan.
Rookies tend to be anywhere from eighteen to twenty, and for their first season in the big leagues, the coaches like to have them live with older guys on the team. Usually veterans who are married, guys who can show them the ropes and help them settle in without excessive partying or other distractions. There’s a lot of money, pressure, and notoriety that can be overwhelming to a teenager, no matter how talented he is on the ice, so it’s a good thing.
But living with a group of seasoned bachelors might not be the best place for a kid like that.
“Coach realizes we’re single and probably going to be…living it up, right?” I ask.
“I mentioned that but he didn’t seem concerned. So far, none of the married guys are settled here, and a lot of them aren’t moving their families yet. He thinks we’re his best shot at taking someone in.”
“What do you think?”
He shrugs. “I think I’m too old to be a babysitter and too young to be a good influence on anyone.”
Our eyes meet and we both chuckle.
“But Coach was insistent. Luckily, I’d already talked to Simon so I told Coach I’d keep him posted.”
“We have a fifth bedroom,” I suggest mildly.
“I’m trying to leave one room as a guest room. My family likes to fly out for games. And as long as we communicate who’s going to be here when, you’re all welcome to invite family as well.”
“Good to know,” I say, nodding.
“All right, I’m going to start setting up the kitchen.”
“The kitchen?” I ask, following him curiously.
He glances over his shoulder. “I forget you don’t know me that well, and I like to cook. I do it often so be prepared.”
“You cook?” I gape at him. “You sure you don’t want more rent?”
