Page 18 of The Goalie

“This is my last song,” she says and the crowd groans in disappointment. “So, let’s make it a good one. I want to see everyone dancing!”

The song kicks off and the crowd pushes in tight as everyone dances. I spin Grace around and hold her protectively in my arms.

She smiles as she looks up at me. She’s so perfect.

My eyes drop to her soft cherry lips.

I have to do it… I don’t care if her father is watching us right now…

I have to kiss her.

I wet my lips and lean down. She tilts her head up as her eyes drift closed.

Every cell in my body comes alive as I’m about to kiss this beautiful woman for the first time.

But my lips never get there. Thatcher, one of our big defenders, bumps into me and it ruins the moment.

“Sorry, Barlowe,” he says, slapping his big hand on my back. “Can you believe this shit? Gemini-X, right there! My little sister is going to freak out when I tell her!”

“Yeah,” I say, trying to move away from the brute, but the crowd is so packed, there’s nowhere to go.

“Look at Edvard,” he says, pointing at the Swede and laughing. “He thinks he has a shot.”

All I can think about is tasting my girl’s sweet lips, but the song ends and my shot is over. Grace releases me, turns around, and claps as Gemini-X waves to the crowd.

Everyone gasps and turns as the helicopter bursts to life on the tall platform behind us.

“Look at him go!” Thatcher says with a laugh as Edvard chases Gemini-X up the stairs to the roaring helicopter. He grabs a bouquet of flowers out of a vase and leaps over a railing to catch up to her.

“Wait!” he shouts as the security guard holds the door open for her and her crew. He climbs over another railing and pulls himself up onto the platform.

Gemini-X stops halfway in the helicopter and looks down at him. He drops to his knees, holding the flowers up as the whole crowd watches from below with their breaths held.

She grins, takes the flowers, and gives him a quick kiss on the lips.

The whole crowd erupts in cheers around me.

Gemini-X waves to us one last time, gets into the helicopter with her people and they fly away, leaving Edvard on his knees, clutching his heart as he watches it disappearing into the night sky.

“I guess he did have a shot after all,” Thatcher says with a chuckle. “We’ll never hear the end of it.”

“Nope,” I say with a heavy breath. “He’s going to be rambling on about that kiss in the locker room for years.”

“Good for him,” Grace says, looking up at him with a smile. “Isn’t it so nice when two strangers come together?”

“Where can I get a hot stranger to come together with?” Thatcher says, looking around.

“Okay,” I say, grabbing Grace’s hand and pulling her away from the hairy Neanderthal. I’m done with him intruding on our special moment.

I guide Grace off the dance floor to the front of the yacht where it’s dark and quiet.

We find a secluded spot on a rarely-used hallway and I lean on the railing as I stare at her in wonder.

“Don’t fall off,” she says as she grabs my hand and holds it.

My heart picks up a beat as I gently squeeze her hand back.

The moment is right. I lean in to kiss her.

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