Page 15 of Secret Puck
Rauthruss wins, like he always does, and Mav looks to me. “I’m done getting my ass kicked. Do you want to play?”
Nodding, I hold a hand up and he tosses the controller to me. I nudge Ginny. “What do you say?”
Rauthruss holds his out to her and she takes it.
“Have you played before?”
“I grew up with Adam. What do you think?” She sits forward and places her beer on the coffee table and straightens her shoulders. She’s taking this seriously, looking determined and sexy as hell.
I set out with the goal of taking it easy on her, but Ginny doesn’t need it. A few of the guys on the team crowd around to cheer her on and voice their hope of me getting my ass kicked. I win, just barely, and everyone boos.
“Thanks a lot, guys. Real team spirit.”
“Do over,” she demands.
I’m not confident I can pull off a victory twice, so I hesitate. We lean forward and grab our beers at the same time. I take a long drink while she sips and then grimaces.
“What was that face?” I stare at her cute little mouth and pink lips wet from the beer.
“Do you actually like the taste of beer?” she asks.
“I wouldn’t drink it otherwise. Why didn’t you say something?”
“I’m trying to learn to like it. It seems to be what everyone drinks here.” She takes a longer drink as if to prove her point.
“Be right back.”
I find Jordan and trade a twenty-dollar gift card for a twelve-pack of his hard seltzers. Two more people have taken over the game, so I motion for Ginny to follow me and lead her out to the deck.
“Try this.”
“Thank you.” She takes it and I lean back against the railing. There are a lot of people out here, but no one is paying us any attention except her brother. Big brother radar, I guess. Dude needs to chill.
I turn so his big-headed scowl isn’t in my peripheral. There’s no pleasing the guy. He wanted me to look out for her. I am, yet he still seems displeased. “I don’t remember seeing you last year. You were really at our games?”
“A few of them.” This time when she takes a drink, she smiles. “Much better.” She plays with the end of her braid. “I was at the Colorado game and Arizona State and whoever you guys played for Parent’s Night.”
I think back to that game for a second. “Western Michigan.”
“Right.” Her smile lifts higher.
“I can’t believe I didn’t see you.” Her phone is stuck in the front pocket of her jeans and I nod toward it. “Let me see your phone.”
She hands it over without question and I program my number in it and send myself a text so I have hers.
“A lot of people come to the games. Plus, it wasn’t like I was sitting on the bench with the team. Do you guys notice anyone in the crowd?”
“We notice hot girls.” Maverick butts into the conversation and puts an arm around her shoulders. “You’re hot, Little Scott.”
She blushes and I hand her phone back.
Mav holds on to her and takes a step away from me. “I’m stealing her. Ginny here has a lot of people dying to meet her and you’re hogging her, Payne.”
“I do?” Ginny asks, sounding a little hopeful.
“Oh yeah.” Mav nods. “Come on. You need a tour guide.”
“Okay, yeah, that’d be great.” She glances at me. “You probably want to hang out with your friends anyway.” She lifts her seltzer. “Thanks for this.”
