Page 30 of Enticing the Elf
I shrug. “No, I’ve never met him before. I remember his name because his nervous babbling about the meeting was so sweet.”
He stiffens slightly against me, but not in the good way. “Sweet, huh?”
“Sure.” I’m ignoring the implied jealousy. We have enough going on in our relationship without adding that to the mix, and he’s got nothing to be jealous about anyway. “So… what was the meeting about?”
It takes another three seconds for him to relax, and then he says, “Hockey. The team reached out to us last season—ironically, right before the king met Jared. An elf—that’s your friend Erik—was their new head of marketing, and he thought having the king attend some games might interest more elves in the sport. We hadn’t gotten any further than me setting up a meeting with the league’s security people when that night at the hockey game happened, and obviously it became a low priority after that.”
Since the king was busy having his whole relationship with Jared derailed, yeah, his priorities definitely got shaken up. Andthen I guess the season ended, since ice hockey is a winter sport… right? Or do they play year-round, since the games are inside?
“When does the new season start?” I ask. Eoin said the team got in contactlastseason, so that would mean they’re either currently playing a season or one will start soon. His answer to my question should tell me which it is.
“October, according to Erik.” There’s a thread of laughter in his voice that tells me he’s not fooled by my genius. “The players start training camp next month, and Erik wants the king and Jared to visit for a photo opportunity.”
“Really?” That doesn’t seem like a productive use of training time. “What did the king say?”
Eoin laughs. “That Jared thinks the Glaives are a better team.”
I sit up, ignoring his “Ouch!” as my knee jabs him in the thigh. “Shut up! He didn’t say that.”
Hoisting himself upright more carefully than I did, he says, “He did. There are pictures from that game with Jared wearing a Glaives jersey, so it wasn’t a surprise. But apparently Jared somehow met one of the Warhammers’ players, so he’s fine with showing support for the team anyway.”
Clearly Jared and I need to have lunch again. Just because I’m not interested in a sport doesn’t mean I’m not interested in gossip surrounding that sport. When did he meet a Community Hockey League player?
“That’s all? Just a photo during training?” I’m so let down.
Leaning sideways and propping his elbow on the back of the couch, Eoin says, “No, they’re going to attend some games as well. Jared really does like hockey.Erikwas thrilled with the commitment they made—four games during the regular season, then every local game during the playoffs.”
“If the team—Warhammers, right?”
“Yes.”
“If the Warhammers even make the playoffs.”
Absently—his attention on… my ear? My hair?—he replies, “No, they will. The league’s only got four teams—the Warhammers are based here, the Glaives are headquartered in the South, and the Morningstars and Battleaxes are out west. All four teams play the regular season and then the playoffs.”
Laughter spills from me. “Seriously? What’s the point of even having playoffs if it’s the same teams? Just base the season’s winner on the total points or something.”
He’s smiling, but it still seems like he’s not paying attention, and that’s confirmed when he reaches out and brushes his thumb against my earlobe. “Your skin is so soft here,” he murmurs when I shiver. “So sensitive.”
I snap my fingers in front of his face, and his attention is immediately on me.
“Rude,” he chides, but that smile widens.
“So is zoning out during a conversation. Sex later—talk now.” But I lean in and press a kiss to the hinge of his jaw, just so he knows sex is definitely happening later.
“Fine. There’s not much else to say, though. Erik’s assured me that a private suite will be made available for the king, even though you and I both know Raðulfr will go wandering through the crowd if he gets a chance, anyway.”
“Heh. Yeah. Especially if there are elves in it.”
Eoin shrugs. “Exactly. The only other thing that concerns me is the training camp, since he’ll potentially be up close with anyone who’s there. I’ve asked Erik for a list of everyone scheduled to attend, including support staff, and I’ll get someone to check them all for prior incidents or affiliations that might concern us—the usual procedure.”
I’ve heard everyone on Eoin’s team—including him—complain about having to run background checks often enoughto know they all think it’s boring. He usually assigns it to whoever’s pissed him off the most that week. “Are you going to get Niamh to do it?”
“No,” he says, surprising me. “I thought I’d give it to Ari.”
“Ari?” His second-in-command and the closest friend he has on the team? I sense an interesting tidbit of gossip. “Why?”
“I’m not sure, honestly. Instinct. I just feel like it’s something I should get Ari to do.” He screws up his face. “He’ll make my life hell for it.”
