Page 31 of Lucky Sucker

Watching the players out there, I wondered if there were others who were gay, or questioning their sexualities. I had my guess based on the fanfiction I’d written, but that was between me and my computer, nobody was ever getting their hands on that. Ever. “It’s still new,” I said. “I’m only nineteen, and he’s going to graduate next year, so I wouldn’t be sad if it didn’t last.”

Coach scoffed. “Damn. Don’t let anyone hear you say that. If anyone hears you think the two of you could break up, they’ll think they can steal him. I’m just hoping it stops people asking for his number.”

I’d really underestimated how desired Luke was, he was hot, talented, and he kept his relationships quiet—or what I now knew as he’d never been in a relationship, and he was also a virgin. Two pieces of information that didn’t seem to coincide with just how hot he was. Maybe he didn’t know his own attractiveness, but the way he showed off on the ice said otherwise. He absolutely knew what he was doing, like a male bird in the wild, putting on a show to attract potential mates. That was exactly who Luke was, and my god, I was sucked right in.

“I’m going to keep to myself if anyone asks,” I mumbled. “It could all end before it even begins.” I continued to stare at Luke as he engaged with his teammates. I loved watching teams as giant friendship groups, I didn’t want to think anyone of them had it in for Luke.

“And I can trust you not to be a distraction,” Coach said. “We’ve got a good team on our hands.”

I didn’t know if he had to worry about me, but they would be the ones as the distractions and not me. “I’m just looking forward to the first game of the season.” I was also looking forward to picking my fantasy league draft as well, but it was all too much for my brain to organize. And when that happened, I was ready to shut down for a little while. That meant I’d need to take an extended vacation into my little space and since school started back, I hadn’t been given much chance to really settle in there.

Luke came over to the barrier again, everyone was watching him.

“Can I have a kiss?” he asked.

If I thought long and hard about it, I could still taste his tongue from last night. I knew he was putting on a show right now, and I didn’t want to disappoint them all. I leaned in, my head over the barrier to touch his cold nose against mine. His lips were still so warm, I’d closed my eyes and was ready to pop a leg like some dame in an old movie.

“I believe you,” Coach said with a chuckle. “You don’t have to put on a show.”

Luke rubbed his nose against mine as he stared into my eyes. “I do need to put on a show,” he whispered. “I have to lead by example, Coach, and they all need to know that I play offense in my romantic life as well.”

Now my knees were really buckling under his words. I was glad I was clinging to the barrier, otherwise I would’ve swooned and fallen to a heap where Luke could once more show off his strong and powerful physique by carrying me into the seats and bringing me back to life with another kiss, or just a splash of water.

“You’re all red,” he whispered.

“It’s hot in here,” I said in a gasp, fanning a hand at my face.

“Hardly,” Coach chuckled. “Come on, I told you not to be a distraction.” He cleared his throat. “Ok, Orcas! I wanna see teams. I wanna see a friendly game, and remember, no body checking, no fighting, and if I see any of it, it won’t just be the penalty box. It’ll be an ice bath. That’s right. I’m bringing that back.”

I looked around, the terror on their face across the rink, even on Luke’s. I knew what an ice bath was, but I was sure I didn’t know what their interpretation of an ice bath was, clearly.

Once Luke skated off, Coach continued to laugh.

“What’s so scary about an ice bath?” I asked, knowing full well I would never do one. “I thought sports people did them all the time.”

“Yeah, some of them do, but nobody wants to do them,” he said. “Especially after being on the ice. And they’ll usually get a bucket of ice poured over their head as well.”

“Wow.” I shivered thinking about it. “That’s definitely an incentive.”

“Although it’s under the watch of the physio and the rest of the support team because it’s considered a treatment,” he said. “I remember the last time I had to do a cold plunge, I thought my outie would turn into an innie.” He snort-laughed at his joke.

I got the joke, but I didn’t want to picture him undressed where I could see his outie in any shape or form. I forced a laugh along with him, it was all I could do as I stared at the Orcas be divided into two teams on the ice.

14. LUKE

Practicing in front of Wren meant more now than it did when he was a stranger in the stands, just watching, and distracting me. He was still a distraction, but in the best possible way. My brain had yet to quiet itself with thought about him, I knew there was something happening within me I hadn’t told myself about before. Once more, my mind was beating itself up because it couldn’t articulate itself. It was beginning to stress me out, but every time I found myself on the edge of smashing something from frustration, I saw or pictured Wren and his orca teddy. It was an immediate calm.

After coming out, I assumed the team would’ve been trying to paint me as some predator and not want to shower with me. It was the opposite. They were now more pissed that I’d never tried to hit on any of them, some of them seemed to be genuinely hurt that I hadn’t hit on them. It was almost like they’d asked me to describe my type, and I didn’t know how to say, I didn’t have a type, a preference, the only thing I had was a feeling in my stomach that operated like a blender with blades, and Wren turned them on.

Trying to spend more time with Wren was difficult when he was quoting Coach on not being a distraction, and for him to call me just as much of a distraction from getting a good start on the school semester.

There was, however, one thing that he was willing to spend time with me about.

In my room at the Icehouse, late on Thursday evening, Wren was laid on my bed, scribbling into his notepad as I sat on the floor in front of his with my laptop. We were filling in the details for his fantasy league.

“What are you calling your team?” I asked him.

He lifted his notepad up. “I wanted it to be something punny, or something that fits me.”

---