Page 5 of The Love Penalty

I leave Saturday morning, but I plan on stopping by the bagel place near the hotel before heading to the bus station. It seemed pretty fancy, they even had gluten free bagels and vegan cream cheese, which I don’t think I’ve ever seen in my hometown.

From my seat at the bar, I can see most of the restaurant. There are lots of high top tables and booths, but also a stage for live music and entertainment. I don’t see any instruments, so that’s probably not the reason the place is so busy. The group at the long high–top table next to me is loud as hell. I can’t help but look over to see what all the fuss is about. After all, people watching is a favorite pastime of mine.

There are ten of them, all laughing and having a good time. They look like one big happy family. The bartender breaks me out of my perusal as he places a delicious looking burger with fries in front of me. I’ve never had a peanut butter and jelly burger, but I’m nothing if not adventurous. I take the first bite and my eyes immediately roll back in pleasure. The combination of sweet, savory, and a hint of spiciness from the fresh jalapenos and chipotle sauce hits the right spot.

After another couple bites, my attention is once again drawn to the group next to me. There’s an older couple sitting next to each other. The man is at the end of the table, leaning in to the woman on his left and whispering something in her ear. They seem so happy.

Everyone is wearing business casual clothes, and it makes me feel underdressed. I look down at my sweatshirt and I see I’ve spilled ketchup on it. I sigh and rub at it with a napkin.

I take a sip of my IPA and let my eyes wander to the table again. There’s a second couple, and they look to be younger, probably in their mid-thirties. She’s wearing a beautiful darkyellow dress with a burgundy cardigan that compliments her dark brown skin and brown eyes.

A very tall, very blond guy that looks about my age and with an incredibly athletic build catches my eye. He’s handsome in a very Nordic way. I notice him talking and gesturing to another guy that sits at the other end of the table. This one has a similar build, but darker skin and hair. Next to him, her back to me, is a much shorter blonde girl. She’s leaning on the table, pointing fingers at the viking. To her left are two more guys, both with tall and imposing figures. The one farthest to the left turns around and catches my stare.

I quickly look back down to my food and hope he didn’t think I was a creep. I peek another glimpse at them, and he’s still watching me. I expect him to frown and tell me to mind my own business but he grins and winks at me.

Oh.

Oh no.

I finish my beer and try to flag the bartender down, but he’s busy. Before I can start waving around at him, I sense someone stepping up next to me at the bar. I turn around, and it’s him. The guy from the table. He’s taller than I initially thought and looks to be about 6’2”. His eyes are dark blue and his face is speckled with so many freckles I can’t even count. He looks very handsome with his sharp jaw and dark red hair, and that grin is dangerous.

“Hey, I’m Ashton,” he says, extending his hand.

I take it so I’m not rude, but don’t smile back. “Olivia.”

“Can I buy you a drink?” he says, unphased.

“I was just about to leave, actually.”

“Ah, that’s too bad. I would have liked to get to know you better,” he says, and if I was interested, I would admit that was pretty smooth.

“That’s okay, I’m not from around here, so it’s not like you’d have made a lasting friendship anyway,” I say bluntly.

I can tell I caught him by surprise by the way his eyebrows raise and he gives me a crooked smile. “You are something else, aren’t you?”

“Suppose so,” I say, not breaking eye contact.

He raises his hand and for a second I’m confused, but then I realize he’s signaling for my check. “Well, it was nice to meet you, Olivia.”

“You too, I guess,” I say and furrow my brows.

He laughs and gives me a lingering look before turning to leave. As I watch him go, I realize the whole party at the table has paid and is ready to leave. As he approaches them, I see the last guy in their group, the one whose back was to me and I couldn’t make out his features. He’s as tall as Ashton, but his shoulders are a bit broader, his waist narrower. His dark blond hair is wavy and long enough that strands fall in his eyes as he looks down. He and Ashton are talking and Ashton nods toward me before leaving through the door. I’m not fast enough to look away, because when he lifts his head, our eyes lock.

His are light blue and sparkling with mischief. I wonder what he sees in mine. Whatever it is, it has him staring at me for a beat, lips parted, and I am frozen. Because right there by that door is the most gorgeous guy I have ever seen.

FIVE

Robbie

The energyin the locker room during the home opener is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. Everyone is pumped and ready to get on the ice and start the season off strong. Our team hasn’t made it to the playoffs since 2017, the year before I was made captain. While we’ve been doing our best since, we’ve had a long streak of bad luck. Every time we come near the playoffs, we get tons of injuries or our best players get called up, and we are left to struggle.

This year though, we are desperate to make it. I know I am, at least. Especially if I’m seriously considering retiring next season and pursuing other opportunities.

We’re all geared up and ready to go and we saw how pumped up the crowd was during our warm-ups. Everybody is excited to see us win tonight on our own ice. Most fans are here to see Elias and some of the newer prospects from Sweden, which is understandable. These kids are the future.

“Ready to crush this?” I ask Elias. He’s quiet for a beat, his head is back against the locker, his eyes are closed, and he’staking controlled breaths. It’s part of his ritual, I suppose, helps keep him focused. Elias has always been the quiet type. At first we thought he was too shy, especially coming to a new country and experiencing what I’m sure must be some culture shock, but he proved us wrong. As soon as we got to know him better and he let us in, he showed us exactly how excited, fun, and caring he can be. He’d do anything for his friends, and we’d do the same for him.

“I was born ready,” he replies with a grin, puts on his mask and stands up. It’s time to get ready for the “high five alley.” Before every game, the starting line and goalie go out an entrance separate from the player tunnel where there are fans to high-five us as we enter the ice. Today though, since it’s the season opener, we have the entire team lining up by jersey number to be introduced on the ice.

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