Page 36 of Rebound
“We’re definitely over-dressed for the game,” I say, as I grab my car keys from the key bowl. I’m pretty sure it’s a decorative bowl that we couldn’t figure out what to do with, so we use it to put our keys in.
“Not if you consider that there are a lot of single guys on the team,” Jules points out.
“Ew! They’re like my brothers!”
I can’t even think about dating one of those guys. They’re practically family and I know too much about their dating lives to ever become a part of it.
“They’re not my brothers.” Jules shrugs as I lock the door and follow her to the elevator.
“You want to date an athlete?”
Jules hasn’t been in a relationship in five years. Every few months, she’ll join a dating app, talk to a couple of men, go on dates with them, and then turn to me and say, “See, this is why I prefer fictional men.”
Jules makes a face as we get on the elevator. “On second thought, I’m better off single.”
Boston traffic is Boston traffic and it’s even worse getting to Parker Caine Arena, home of the Boston Titans. Jules and I are listening to the audiobook of her latest release, a ritual we’ve had since she published her first book. Her publisher sends her the audiobook before the release so she can test it, and we do it either at home or on a long drive.
“I do like this audiobook narrator better than the last one, the girl, I mean,” I say.
“Savannah Smith.” Jules nods in agreement. “She’s also going to be recording book two, the contract has already been signed.”
We crawl along slowly behind a Mazda. I’m a safe driver so once I get on a lane, I don’t tend to change, especially not in traffic like this. I had a close call in college where I tried to change lanes while in rush hour traffic and the car behind me nearly rear-ended me because they sped up at the last minute. Never again.
“There’s a book convention in Las Vegas next week. Do you want to come with me? I bought the tickets like last year.” Jules pauses the audiobook and looks at me. “It overlaps with the Titans game there.”
I look at her briefly as I take the exit ramp off the freeway.
“Did you look up the Titans schedule to entice me?”
Jules blinks at me innocently. “Is it working?”
“While I’m impressed you went so far as to look up their schedule, I’m not some groupie who’s going to follow them around.”
“Come to the convention because you’re a romance reader.” Jules shrugs.
Even though my best friend is a best-selling author, the only people who know her secret identity are me and my family. No one else knows that Juliet Love is actually Gemma St. James. Gemma was her aunt’s name and since she’s the one who got us into romance books, Jules wanted to honor her.
I like to tease Jules that she has the perfect name for a romance author, and she chose something completely common. To which she always replies that Juliet Love sounds like a porn actor’s name. It’s definitely not a name people forget quickly.
I know why she’s insisting I come with her. Contrary to what people think, Jules is not an introvert. She can hold her own among her people, and by that, I mean romance readers andauthors. She’s asking me to come because she’s worried about me.
“Remember when we were kids, and we used to dream about being famous?” I ask.
“We are famous,” Jules says. “You have millions of followers on your social media and I’m a bestselling author.”
I sigh deeply. Sometimes I wish I hadn’t chosen fame. Plenty of Olympic medalists disappear into the wind and live happily. But I got told repeatedly that no one watched women’s sports, and no one wanted to see women play and that shit buried so deep into my psyche, all I wanted was to prove people wrong. More than that, I wanted to and still want to tell women and girls everywhere that we do belong in sports, that we can be strong and beautiful.
“Do you think that choosing hockey with a single-minded focus is what fucked up my relationships?”
“No, babe, I think choosing assholes for partners is what fucked up your relationships,” Jules says, not even needing a second to think about it. “To be clear, I don’t think you chose them despite seeing them as assholes. I think they’re assholes because they were good at fooling all of us and making us think they were good guys when they’re really not.”
This is why we’re best friends. Jules says things I don’t want to admit to myself, and I love her for it.
“Well, there’s nothing to be done, then. Guess I’m staying single for the rest of my life.”
Jules gives me a horrified look. “Why would you put that into the universe? Now, it’s going to work harder to get you hooked up.”
The universe can try all it wants. I’m not going to budge from my decision to stay single forever.
