Page 109 of Puck Love

I glance out the window. I know they likely can’t see, but I stare at the women standingcurbside.

“Theballbuster?”

“That’s what you call her?” he asks, raising a brow. He nods. “That’s actually kind offitting.”

“Eli, she’s a fuckingnightmare.”

“Jesus, you’re such a cry baby.” He rolls his eyes. “How is she anightmare?”

“Okay, let’s see, she’d put your balls into a vise and squeeze until they burst. She tried to keep me and Stella apart, and she has a history of dating athletes. From what I hear, it didn’t endwell.”

“She does, eh? And so far, you haven’t mentioned anything that sounds like a deterrent. Well, except maybe my balls in a vise, but I can handle a woman who likes to takecharge.”

“Then it’s your goddamn funeral,” I say, as we pull away from the curb and Stella waves madly. She’s jumping up and down and blowing kisses in that tight little minidress.

Torres whistles. “Damn, she’shot.”

Marc Anderson, our starting goalie, chuckles. “You are one lucky son of a bitch,Ross.”

“Oh, please. She’s a virgin,” Jacob says. “He probably hasn’t even fucked heryet.”

I take several steps forward and punch him in the back of the head. “You don’t talk about my woman, ever. Any of you fucks. You don’t get to talk shit about her. I’m gonna marry that girlsomeday.”

Silence falls over the bus, and even I’m surprised by the words that have just come out of my mouth. Eli looks like I just stabbed him through the heart, and the rest of the boyschuckle.

“That’s sure as shit not what you said on TV an hour ago,” Torressays.

“You sawthat?”

“Yup,” Torres says with a grin. “The whole damn world saw you running like a little girl the second marriage wasmentioned.”

“Alright, shut the fuck up, all of you,” Coach yells. “Ross, get your fucking suit on. If you’re not dressed by the time we pull in I’m slapping you with a five thousand-dollarfine.”

I stand and reach for my suit bag in the overhead compartment above Eli. He just shakes his head at me, and the next twenty minutes are spent getting dressed in a cramped aisle while my teammates shove me, smack me on the ass, and just generally attempt to get me to fall over while I’m pulling on the suit pants andshoes.

When I’m dressed, I sit down. Eli glares at me. “What?” Iask.

“I’m gonna marry thatgirl?”

“Shutup.”

“Are youhigh?”

“No . . . I don’t know. That sweet country lovin’ gets tome.”

“Jesus Christ. How long before you see heragain?”

“I don’tknow.”

He rolls his eyes. “You don’t know? You mean I’m going to have to put up with this shit for weeks, possibly evenmonths?”

I sigh. I know he’s only teasing, but it hits too close to home. I don’t know when I’ll see her next, and I don’t like that one fucking bit. If we get to playoffs—which we will, because we’re fucking awesome, and despite Captain Dickwad leading us, this is our year—it could be three or four months before I get to kiss her lips, especially with Stella starting out on touragain.

“Ah man.” Eli shakes his head. “You got itbad.”

“Shut it,Boucher.”

He’s right. Once again, I’m well and truly fucked by thiswoman.

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