Page 30 of Puck Me Back to Life

“I don't know.”

Hayes takes another sip. “I just didn't know.”

Fair enough. For some reason, that answer makes me absurdly happy.

“So?” I lean forward. “Boyfriend?”

He shakes his head. “No.”

“Neither?”

“No, I haven't really dated.”

Something about the answer catches my attention. I study him.

Then realization hits. “Wait.”

Hayes immediately looks uncomfortable. A dangerous sign.

“Wait.” A smile grows on my mouth.

He groans. “No.”

“Hayes.”

“Grant, please.”

I point dramatically. “Are you a virgin?”

His expression tells me everything. I nearly inhale my drink. The resulting cough is violent enough that Hayes punches my shoulder.

“Don't tell anyone.” The demand arrives immediately.

I keep coughing. “You're serious?”

He covers his face with his hands. “Yes.”

The poor guy looks horrified.

I somehow manage to recover. “Nobody is going to believe me anyway.”

“Good.”

The conversation pauses briefly.

Unfortunately, my imagination does not. Hayes is twenty-five. Handsome. Smart. Funny. And apparently completely inexperienced. The thought should not affect me. It absolutely does.

I force myself to focus. “What happened?”

Hayes shrugs. The movement looks oddly vulnerable. “I just didn't have the time.”

“Not even in college?”

He shakes his head. “Hockey.”

The conversation drifts naturally toward dating. Not my favorite topic. Not because I'm shy about it. Mostly because hockey players tend to have the emotional depth of a teaspoon when discussing relationships. Hayes is different. He's listening. Every answer I give gets considered before he asks the next question. It's refreshing.

Eventually I mention, almost casually, that my interests tend to be a little unconventional.