Page 34 of Pucking Around

I groan as Caleb gives me another shove. He’s right. It’s the polite thing to do. I wander towards the bar. “Hey, man,” I call out, patting his shoulder.

Mars stiffens under my hand. He’s got an awesome full-back tattoo that creeps up the back of his neck. I can see the ink peeking out the top of his t-shirt. I know from seeing it in the locker room that they’re the feathered tips of a raven’s spread wings.

Slowly, he turns to face me. I’m 6’3”, but even sitting on the stool he’s taller than me. “What?” he mutters.

“Saw you over here,” I call over the music. “Just wanted to say hi.”

He just blinks at me.

Great. This is already going so awesome.

“Umm…so how do you like the food?”

He glances down at his half-eaten salmon and baked potato. “It’s terrible.”

I huff a laugh. “Yeah, wings are pretty bad too.”

He waits for me to keep speaking.

My courage is starting to falter. “So uhh…what brings you here?”

“I was hungry.”

Fuck, this is painful. Abort mission.

I rub the back of my neck. “Great, yeah…well, me and some of the guys are over there,” I say, pointing out our ocean view table.

Novy and Morrow wave like a pair of idiots.

Mars gives them a curt nod.

“Wanna join us?”

He glances back at me. “No.”

Mayday. Mayday. Prepare to crash and burn.

I shift my weight, hands tucked in my pockets. “Cool, umm…well—”

You know what? Fuck it. I’m trying to be nice, and he’s being a total dick right now. I’m not gonna tiptoe around his ass all season.

“Can I ask why you won’t come sit with us?”

He just looks at me with that expressionless gaze. “I’m on the last chapter of my book,” he explains, tapping his phone screen. It lights up to display his e-book. “It would be rude to read at a shared table. I don’t want to be rude.”

I blink at him, mouth slightly open in surprise.

Well, now I’m the asshole.

I can’t help but laugh. I thought this guy was being a dick, but really, he’s just trying tonotbe a dick. Go figure. Finns are so weird.

“Sure, umm…well, okay then,” I say, backing away. “Have a good night, Kinnunen.”

He gives me a nod of dismissal, turning back to his phone.

I wander back to the table. Why do I feel like I just tried to hit on a girl and got shot down?

“No dice?” calls Caleb.

---