Page 8 of Scoring Slater
They’d never been single at the same time, until he’d moved to Buffalo. Living with Slater had shown him every side, every mood, and every trait. Every day together left him wanting more.
He took a deep breath, steeled himself, and mentally recited the list of all the reasons why starting something between them was a bad idea.
CHAPTER THREE
The ping of the message notification on Slater’s phone was like a siren's call. Even though he knew it, he still couldn't resist. He paused in unloading bags of takeout onto the kitchen island and dug his phone from his coat pocket.
The message from the bachelor auction's coordinator was a bright and cheerful reminder of the event the following week, with an itinerary for the auction and pre-auction rehearsal, and a request to help spread the word. He read through the message again, downloaded the promotional attachment, and then uploaded it to his social media accounts. He had no problem promoting the auction. Stark competitiveness demanded that he come out on top and get the highest bid. He debated messaging a few of the other players participating in the auction to see if they wanted to get a little side bet going, but knowing Kyle Pressgrove, Layne Coleman, and Garrett Walker, if he lost, he'd never hear the end of it.
Competing scents drifting from the island pulled his attention. Maybe he'd gone a little overboard in his preparation for hosting book club. He lined up the Mexican, Thai, Italian, and Indian dishes, hoping the guys would be pleased he'd included everyone's favorites.
They needed something to take the sting out of losing to Pittsburgh 5-4 in overtime. A lot of things had gone right in that afternoon's game, but they'd made some sloppy mistakes too. He'd taken a stupid penalty in the third period that led to the other team scoring the game-tying goal during the power play. Tempers flaring during a hard fought game were one thing, but he was kicking himself for not being more disciplined.
Noah strolled in wearing one of Slater's hooded sweatshirts and a pair of worn jeans. His eyes lit up as he took in the spread. "Are those the lemon scones from the tea shop near the library?"
"Yeah." Damn, Noah looked good in his clothes. His gaze skated over the dark hair due for a cut, the baggy gray shirt, and faded jeans. The socks, black with a cartoon version of the solar system, purchased during their last visit to the science museum, made Slater smile. That had been a fun day, with Noah practically glowing with enthusiasm as they wandered through exhibits and ended the outing with a show at the planetarium.
Noah's wide smile, as bright as sunlight, lightened his mood. "Thanks for picking them up. They're my favorite."
"I know." He tucked the bags into the recycle bin, then pulled his phone from his pocket and took a photo of the food. "The guys should be here any minute."
Frowning, Noah backed away from the island. "Are you taking any more pictures or doing a video right now?"
Exasperation flared and Slater held back a sigh and set his phone on the counter. "No. And that one was only of the food, not you. I'll upload it later."
"Need me to help with anything?"
"Grab plates and forks?" He pulled a few glasses from the cabinet then double-checked that the beer, water, and soda he'd stocked in the fridge had chilled.
Noah moved around the kitchen behind him. The buzzer for the intercom rang, and he left to answer it, taking Slater's coat with him. "I'll hang this up for you."
The sound of the front door opening carried through. Then voices, loud and spilling on top of each other, and so many pairs of footsteps.
His teammates trooped into the kitchen, all calling out greetings. Between Noah, Leo, Celek, Rod, and Vince and his fiancé Joseph, the din of deep voices bounced off the walls.
Cracking open a beer, he jerked his head toward the island. "Yo, guys! Come on in. The food's ready."
"I'm starving." Leo hugged him, then grabbed a plate. "Whoa, you got a little of everything."
"Just trying to be a good host."
Joseph heaped lasagna next to the salad on his plate. "This is great, Slater."
Slater handed Noah a plate, then grabbed the last one. He slid onto the open barstool next to Leo, which put him across the island from Noah, Vince, and Joseph. Celek, in true team captain style, sat at the head of the island, like theteam dadSlater tagged him as in posts. Rod flanked the other end, defending his choice of coffee as an appropriate beverage in response to Vince's gentle teasing.
While they ate, they chatted about the game, commiserating over the botched plays and missed calls. Then Joseph launched into a difficult situation he was having with an employee at the coffee shop he managed.
Vince stopped eating and laid his hand on Joseph's shoulder. Something deep in Slater's soul yearned at the easy way that Vince and Joseph leaned into each other, the casual touch of a hand on a hip or a shoulder. The look of love in their eyes. He wanted that. So much.
After everyone had given Joseph advice and opinions, and the conversation had turned to silly banter, riding each other about everything under the sun, Celek dropped his wadded up napkin on the plate and leaned forward, elbows on the island. "So, we should talk about the book."
Slater steeled himself. It was just a book, his reaction shouldn't be so extreme, but to him, it wasn't just a book. It was sharing a piece of himself. "What did you all think?"
"I liked it." Leo clapped him on the shoulder, and Slater relaxed. His stand-in big brother always had his back. The team's other enforcer had been traded to Buffalo mid-way through Slater's rookie season. They hadn't hit it off at first, thanks to his temper, but over the years, he'd grown super close to the man and his family.
One down. He swung his gaze toward Celek. The veteran player had taken him under his wing during that first year, supporting and advising and calling him out when he needed it. He respected the hell out of the man. The first player of color to wear the C on his chest for the Bedlam, he possessed an inner strength of steel and was one of the wisest men Slater had ever known. "I hadn't read a comic book before that one. The plot was more interesting and developed than I’d expected."
"Yeah, and I liked that the villain was sympathetic, too." Vince speared a piece of tomato from his salad.
