Page 51 of Zero Pucks Given
On the video, Grayson stormed out of my apartment. I stood therefor a few confused seconds, then walked over to the camera and stopped recording.
“Huh,” Sharon said thoughtfully.
A horn sounded throughout the arena, signaling the end of the period. Within seconds, there was a line of customers at our stand. We continued our conversation while taking orders and filling beers.
“What does it mean? Why kiss me and then run away?” I asked.
“Sounds like he’s confused. Just like you.”
Thanks to how busy we were, there was a delay in our conversation before I could answer. “I’m not confused. I don’t like this guy. Yes, he’s attractive and rich, but there’s nothing more to like about him.”
“Rich and hot isn’t enough?”
“No, it’s not.”
Sharon made a frustrated noise. “You’re so full of shit, Josie.”
I was so shocked by her comment that I almost dropped the beer I was pouring. “What?”
“You’ve been walking around in a daze since we got here two hours ago. I’ve seen you this way before: when you’ve got a big fat crush on a guy.”
“Are you talking about Grayson Steele?” the customer at the register asked. She raised her eyebrows at me. “You’re that girl, right?”
“Iwish,” I replied. “The beer girl who won the date with Grayson works up in section thirteen.”
As soon as she was gone, I hissed at Sharon, “I don’t have a crush on Grayson. I barely even know him.”
But that wasn’t really true anymore. Grayson had been showing me glimpses of the real man underneath the jersey. A side of him nobody else in the world got to see. I’d done a little bit of stalking on Google this morning, and there was no public information about him growing up poor. That was a piece of information he had shared with me, andonlyme. And I was pretty sure he wasn’t making it up.
Despite the teasing and insults, hetrustedme.
I barely remembered the rest of my shift at the game. The Surge lost the game by one goal—the goal Grayson had allowed the other team to score while he was distracted. I listened to sports radio on the drive home, and the hosts were tearing into Grayson.
“It’s not just about this loss,” one host was saying. “Steele hasn’t had his head in the game throughout this home series.”
“Whatever’s bothering him, he needs to figure it out soon,” the other host agreed. “The team needs their captain if they’re going to have any shot at going deep into the playoffs.”
I edited the makeup video that night, cutting it off at the end when the two of us smiled at each other—before we kissed. But it was an abrupt ending, so I put on the same clothes from that night and recorded a quick conclusion to tack onto the finished product. The lighting in my room was slightly different, but I hoped nobody would notice.
While laying in bed that night, I played the kiss part of the video on my phone. Then I watched it a second time. The chemistry between us was undeniable, and watching the video immediately caused all the sexual desires from the kiss to resurface. The way I straddled him in the chair, his muscular arm wrapping around my body to hold me in place. Possessing me in that moment, claiming me as his…
I wasn’t proud to admit it, but eventually I slid my hand into my pajama bottoms and got myself off while watching the video. That should have helped me blow off some steam, right?
Nope. I was still wide awake.
Sharon was right. I had a big fat crush on this guy. He was a permanent fixture in my mind, always right on the edge of my thoughts.
Eventually, I decided that the only way I was going to fall asleep was if I texted him.
Me: Sorry about the game today. Hope it doesn’t mess up your playoff seeding.
Grayson: Thanks.
Me: I wanted to let you know that I edited the April Fools video. I cut out the kiss, obviously.
Grayson: Okay, cool.
Me: If you have a problem with anything else from the video, let me know. I can send you a copy of what I’m going to post.
