Page 19 of Pucking Matt
Crew whistles low. “Damn, Grind Stone girl cleans up nice. Think Harvey's gonna seal the deal tonight?”
I watch as Harvey awkwardly tries to talk with Amber, who looks about as comfortable as a cat in a bathtub.
“Not a chance in hell,” I smirk. “Ten bucks says she bails within the hour.”
Crew considers this, then shakes his head. “Nah, I'm not taking that bet. It's too easy.”
I laugh, but I can't take my eyes off Amber. Have the last few beers made everyone good looking? I glance around to scope out who’s here. Is this brunette pretty? I stare for a little too long. Yeah, I guess she is. See, it’s the alcohol.
“You found yours?” Crew asks, looking in my line of sight.
I shrug because why the hell not. “Yeah.”
The brunette looks our way.
“Jackpot,” Crew grins, nodding in their direction. “Let's go work some magic, Pearson.”
I follow his lead, putting on my bestI don’t think every woman is beautiful right nowface. As we approach, I recognize one of the girls from my sports psychology class. Sarah, I think her name is. The other is definitely on the soccer team – I've seen her around the athletic center.
I sidle up to the girls, offering a friendly smile. “Hey there. You ladies looked like you could use a breather from all this craziness.”
Sarah, from my sports psych class, raises an eyebrow. “Oh? And you're here to rescue us?”
“We come bearing gifts,” Crew chimes in, holding up the water bottles.
Kate, the soccer player, looks amused. “Wow, hockey players offering water instead of beer? That's a new one.”
I shrug, handing them each a bottle. “We're all about hydration. Gotta keep you in top form for all the dancing we’ll be doing.”
Sarah takes a sip, eyeing me curiously. “Dancing, huh? That sounds suspiciously like you're angling for something.”
I hold up my hands. “Hey, no ulterior motives here. Just looking out for my fellow athletes. Though if you happened to save a dance for me, I wouldn't complain.”
Kate laughs, nudging Sarah. “He's smooth, I'll give him that.”
Crew chuckles, shaking his head. “Don't let him fool you. He's not nearly this smooth off the ice.”
“Crew, buddy, you're killing me here. I'm trying to work my magic.”
Sarah raises an eyebrow, a smile playing on her lips. “Oh? Is that what this is? And here I thought you were just being friendly.”
I offer my hand to either one of them. “Well, I was thinking we could start with some dancing. That is if you think you can keep up.”
They exchange amused glances. “I’m up for dancing. You?” Kate asks.
Sarah nods.
Crew takes Sarah’s hand and then we’re off.
As the night wears on, we end up dancing for a while. I'm not the world's greatest dancer, but what I lack in skill I make up for in enthusiasm. Plus, it's hard to look bad when you're riding the high of a big win and several beers.
Crew's got some moves, though. He's spinning Sarah around like they're on Dancing with the Stars or something. Kate and I exchange amused glances.
“Your friend's got game,” she shouts over the music.
I look over. They’re having a good time, so I nod, twirling Kate dramatically. “For a soccer player, I thought you’d be better on your feet.”
She laughs, her head falling back. “Oh, I'm not the one who invited me here. I never said I was good at dancing.”
