Page 144 of The New Guy
I’mat the hotel bar with my new teammates.
It wasn’t really a choice. They’re so busy buying me drinks and snacks that I can’t sneak away to decompress.
I’m grateful, though, and a little drunk. So I’ve kept my smile intact. Bess is standing at my side, too, quietly shoring me up with glasses of seltzer water and her calm demeanor.
“We needed that overtime win, amirite?” Stoney asks before downing another shot of tequila. “Good pass, New Guy,” he says.
“Hey,” I sputter. “Knock it off with that nickname. I’ve known you foryears.”
He shrugs. “It’s kinda the obvious choice. Although maybe I could do better.” He puts a hand to his chin, and adopts a thoughtful pose. Then his eyes light up. “I got it! You should be Noogie!”
“Wait, what?”
But it’s too late. Stoney steps in and grinds his knuckles into my scalp, for a classic noogie.
“That is not a nickname,” I growl.
“Be careful what you wish for,” Bess snickers.
“Hey, Noogie?” Kapski says. “Want one of these potato skins?”
It takes great self-control to ignore the nickname. That won’t stick, right? I glance at the platter. Fried carbs with cheese. But it smells so good. And I’ve already broken so many traditions today, what’s one more? I pick up a crispy, oozing potato skin and eat it in two bites.
Bess passes me a napkin. “Hey, don’t look now. But a certain hunky Brooklyn athletic trainer just came in the front door. Could that be your guy?”
My gaze leaps to the lobby area where I see Gavin standing there looking devastating in tight jeans and a leather jacket. “How’d you know that’s my guy?”
“Prolly from the pissed-off look on his face,” Stoney snickers. “How badly did you fuck up this relationship?”
“He’s here though, right?” Cockrell points out.
“Cute, too,” grunts DiCosta. At least Ithinkthat’s what he said, but I can barely believe that big, burly DiCosta would call another man cute. Then he gives me a shove. “Don’t just stand here, dumbass.”
Right. I take a step forward.
“Good luck,” Bess says. “I’m rooting for you.”
I hurry toward Gavin, about twenty long paces away. For a second he doesn’t spot me. But then those gray eyes lift to mine. His face is a stone, though.
Mine isn’t. Everything inside me relaxes, because Gavin is right here in front of me. I just want to drink him in.
Instead, I lean in and kiss him on the cheekbone. Then I start to say hi, but the bar behind me erupts in cheers.
Fuck.
He takes a step back and folds his arms across his chest. “Can we go somewhere and talk?”
“Yeah, of course. But curfew is in twenty minutes, so do you mind going upstairs with me?”
He lifts an eyebrow, as if considering. But then he crosses to the elevators and presses the button.
The bar erupts in hoots and catcalls.
Without even turning to look at my teammates, I lift my middle finger and flip them all off.
“Ignore them,” I beg.
They’re still laughing as the doors open and we step in.
