Page 2 of Puck U Been Gone
A sheepish grin spreads across her face, and I’m not sure I’m going to like her answer. “It’s not exactly a traditional double date.”
“Blair, you have five seconds to explain yourself.”
“I know you really liked dating Kai and Hudson at the same time. Well, Felix and Ryker are both really into you. They’ve been hounding me at work to set them up with you.”
Blair is the social media manager for the Iowa Poseidon pro hockey team. I moved in with her after Hudson and Kai ended their relationship with me six months ago. I’ve been working as a referee at pro hockey games in the Midwest, carefully avoiding any games that Kai and Hudson are participating in.
In a moment of weakness, I revealed all the sordid details of my relationship with Kai and Hudson, right down to the very last little detail. I’m starting to regret it now. Blair might be three years younger than me, at twenty-four, but sometimes she acts like a mother hen toward me.
“I told you I only agreed to this double date to help you out, and now you’re not even going on it.”
“Don’t be mad, Ollie. I’m tired of seeing you so sad all the time. And since the last blind date I tried to set you up on was a totaldisaster with only one guy, I thought maybe dating two guys might be better.”
I wish I could take back everything I told her about Kai and Hudson and how it felt to be loved and cherished by two guys at the same time. The thought of only having sex with one guy at a time doesn’t appeal to me, making me feel like the whore Kai hinted I was.
How am I ever going to have a normal sex life again?
“I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but I’m finished with that part of my life.” The lie tastes bitter on my tongue as the image of Ryker and Felix pleasuring pops into my head.
Ryker and Felix are two of the hottest pro hockey players I’ve ever met. And the sweetest. During one of my first games, some players on the Indiana Freeze team gave me a hard time for being a female referee. Ryker and Felix stepped in, even fighting a few of the Freeze players, which got them some time in the penalty box by yours truly.
While I appreciated their help, I couldn’t let it seem like I was favoring them just because they came to my rescue. I had no choice but to call them out for fighting. The craziest part was that they weren’t even mad that I sent them to the penalty box. If anything, they enjoyed it, each giving me a sexy wink before skating away to serve their time.
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t affected by their actions. It was actually the first time in a long while I felt like my old self again—the person I was before Hudson and Kai—sexy, desirable, and not ashamed of my desires.
“Come on, Ollie. Do this for me," she bats her long, completely real eyelashes—lucky bitch—giving me her best puppy dog eyes. “I’ve been invited to the Commissioner’s Ball. You know how long I’ve been dying to go to the Commissioner’s Ball."
Speaking of sharing secrets, Blair is hopelessly in love with Brant Manning, the newest and youngest hockey commissioner. He might be twelve years older than Blair, but that hasn’t stopped her from throwing herself in his path every chance she gets, which is surprisingly often, considering the commissioner’s headquarters aren’t in Iowa but in Canada.
Logic suggests he’s been in Iowa more recently because of the NHL draft hosted by the Poseidon this coming summer. The romantic part of me believes he has feelings for my sister, but he's either unable or unwilling to act on them.
Knowing I can never say no to Blair, I reluctantly agree to go on a double date without her. “Fine, I’ll go out with Felix and Ryker, but at least do me a favor and say more than two words to Mr. Manning. Maybe have a wardrobe malfunction and let him see some boob action.”
“That’s not a bad idea.”
“Blair, I was only kidding. Don’t risk getting yourself fired over some random cock.”
“He’s not just some random guy, Ollie. I’ve never felt this way about anyone before. Tonight's the night I make my move. If he turns me down, maybe I’ll go out with Felix and Ryker and see what it’s like to have sex with two guys at the same time. Besides, it’s a masked ball, so if I totally embarrass myself, he’ll never know it was me.”
“Over my dead body.” I slap a hand over my mouth. Where in the world did that thought come from?
“Oh, I see how it is. You act like you're not interested, but the truth is you want them to rock your world.”
“Rock my world? Who talks like that?”
Blair’s laugh fills my bedroom, easing some of my nervous energy. “Come on, the guys will be here any minute.” She loops her arm through mine and guides me to the living room just as the doorbell rings. “Perfect timing.” She unlatches her arm from mine, giving me a little shove toward the door. “Go on. Have a little fun tonight.”
With a scowl, I stomp toward the front door and jerk it open a little harder than I meant, only to find Felix and Ryker standing on the other side, each holding a bouquet, their eyes never leaving mine. A flicker of desire and desperation shows in both of them as they stare back at me.
Interesting. What could these two sexy men feel desperate about?
“Hi. These are for you.” Felix says as they both hand me their bouquets.
“Thank you. They’re beautiful.” I take the bouquets, smelling each one before passing them off to Blair to put in vases.
“Hey, Blair,” Ryker says as they both nod to my sister without a hint of interest, even though she looks like every man’s fantasy with her big, bouncy, long brown hair and curvy body, only accented more in that silky gold dress.
No, these two only have eyes for me, which makes me smile, easing the rest of my nervous energy. “Where are we heading?” I ask, grabbing my purse from the entryway stand.
