Page 12 of The Game She Hates

His smile falters for a moment, but he quickly recovers. “I just wanted to ask about my referral. Maybe we can talk about it later over dinner?” he suggests too casually.

The audacity of this guy! He’s clearly not used to being told no, but I refuse to be another notch on his belt.

“I’ll let you know as soon as I find you someone,” I say through pursed lips. “I’ll need you to trust me on this.”

“I trust you, Sweet P. I just need you to trust me too and let me take you to dinner.” He flashes me with his charming smile that leaves me breathless for a moment.

Wait what. “How do you know my nickname? Did Robs talk to you?”

“Your nickname is Sweet P?” He facepalms himself. “And I thought I coined a unique name for you. Who is Robs? Your boyfriend?”

I roll my eyes, growing tired of his games, and grab my order and stride past him, ignoring his pleas to meet for coffee tomorrow. As I walk to the door, I can feel his eyes boring into my back, but I refuse to let him see how much he’s rattled me.

Back in my office, I sink onto the couch, replaying the awkward encounter in my mind. I can’t understand why he’s so fixated on me when there’s a queue of girls obsessed with him. It frustrates me how he revels in making me squirm, but I won’t give him the satisfaction of seeing me crack. He’ll tire of this game long before I do.

10

Zane Ortiz

“Earth to Ortiz!” Carson’s voice breaks through my haze, snapping me back to reality. I blink and quickly realize that my hands have been absentmindedly sharpening my skates for tomorrow’s game, but my thoughts could not be further away.

“You’ve been off today, man. Everything okay?”

The whole team sensed something off about my performance on the ice. Usually, I glide effortlessly, but my mind wasn’t in practice today. Every stride felt forced, every move unnatural. It’s not like me to struggle with feeling sluggish while skating.

“Everything’s fine. Just got a few things on my mind,” I reply, brushing off his concern. I don’t want to burden him with my thoughts, especially about a girl.

“Missing that many shots ain’t like you, Ortiz,” Carson says with a frown. He’s right. Losing focus on the ice isn’t me. And getting distracted by a woman who doesn’t seem interested?

Definitely not me.

“It won’t happen again,” I assure him with a tight-lipped smile.

“It better not. We need you back on your A-game tomorrow.” He taps my shoulder, jolting me back to the present once again.

Tyler calls us in for a team huddle, discussing game strategy against tomorrow’s opponent. Yet, my mind is stuck replaying my encounters with Pearl. It’s getting ridiculous how much space she occupies in my thoughts, especially when she seems to want nothing to do with me.

I can’t wrap my head around why she’s keeping me at arm’s length. Randy mentioned she’s a regular during lunchtime, so I broke my rule and waited for her, risking being noticed for over an hour, just for her to dismiss me. It’s frustrating to put in that effort only to be met with indifference. All I wanted was a chance to get to know her. She’s been intriguing from the moment I laid eyes on her. How is showing interest not a compliment to a woman?

I initially thought her hesitance was because of our professional relationship, but now that there’s none, I’m just confused.

She’s definitely a tough nut to crack—every interaction feels like a puzzle I can’t solve. There’s this inviting aura about her, and she seems to want to help me and is committed to finding the right therapist for me. That level of dedication is something I can’t help but admire. That’s why I mentioned the referral today, even though I’m not exactly enthusiastic about counseling. But if it means she’ll think about me, even just a little, I’ll keep that thread going.

For the first time in my life, my interest in a woman has been genuinely piqued, and I don’t know how to pull back.

There’s something about her that makes every stumble worth it. If she’s playing hard to get, count me in. I’ll match her move for move and I’ll enjoy every minute of the chase. And if she’s guarding her heart from another potential heartbreak, I’ll be right there to prove that I’m not like those other guys. I’ll be the one who brings a smile, not tears.

What I know for sure now is that she’s definitely not a fan of mine, or even of the Glaciers for that matter. But strangely, none of that seems to faze me. I’m more than willing to seek her out, even if she’s cheering in an opposing team’s jersey. Although I’d like nothing more than to see her in my jersey, even just for a moment, to experience the rush it would bring.

“Are you with me, man?” Tyler’s concern pierces through his eyes as he turns to me. I nod, though inwardly I’m anything but.

I join the chant as we pump ourselves up and get fired up for tomorrow’s game.

Coach pulls me aside and asks in a low voice. “Wanna tell me what’s going on in that head of yours?”

“Nothing, Coach. Just a rough day. I’m all focused for tomorrow’s game,” I reply loudly, trying to dispel any doubts anyone might have. I’d never let my crazy thoughts cost us a game. It’s frustrating, though, to realize that a woman has this much power over me.

No one has ever had this effect on me.

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