Page 4 of The Love You Win

Besides, I haven’t had sex since Alex. I need someone who’s the sexual equivalent of a bike with training wheels. Average, unassuming, and reliable enough to get me across the finish line. Even if the ride isn’t exciting. Some hot jock with a string of sated women in his rearview mirror is more like a motorcycle. Sure, it could be the best ride of your life, but you could also end up going too fast, falling, and finding yourself covered in road-rash for your troubles.

Road rash being an STI.

“Then you don’t know what you’re missing,” she replies. “Big, strong hands, nimble fingers, and muscles that you’ll want to li—” She falls silent when I step out of the changing room. She and Jess stare at me as I do a little spin—because I’m feeling myself in this dress—before turning to each other with matching mischievous grins.

“Oh, that’s the one. That dress will bring monsoon season to your Sahara.” Jess waves vaguely toward my crotch. “Now we really need to get her an appointment with Louise.”

“Seriously, you guys, I do not need an appointment to get waxed. I don’t even have any dating prospects, let alone professional athlete prospects.” I pull a face. Besides, aren’t all athletes notorious for sleeping with anything with boobs? The last thing I need is chlamydia.

Jessica shrugs. “But if you had a potential date, you’d go?”

“I guess so.”

“And if you happened to land a date with a sports star, you’d go to that too?”

That makes me laugh. And maybe tomorrow, pigs will gain the ability to fly. “Sure. If I landed a date with some famous jock, I’d go on that too.”

Easy enough to agree to. It’ll never happen.

Jessica’s beautiful face breaks into a smile I don’t like. It’s her I’m up to no good smile that reminds me of the Grinch when he’s about to steal Christmas, and I feel like I’m about to wake up to a tree without presents. “Nevaeh, make that appointment with Louise.”

“Um, no, do not.” I point to myself. “Dateless, remember?”

“Actually,” Jess exchanges a look with Nevaeh, “you have a date this Saturday night. With Maddox Graves.”

Maddox Graves. I know that name. How do I know that name?

I stare out the window of the dress shop, my mind trying to place where I’ve heard of him. A bus idles at the stoplight with a massive photo of one of the Minnesota Rogues players on the side. He’s ridiculously hot with his tousled black hair and five-o’clock shadow that accentuates his sharply-cut jaw. The color of his eyes is warm brown, flecked with amber, but his expression is hard and sexy, and he holds his hockey stick like he’s ready for a fight.

Okay, I wouldn’t mind going out with a guy that hot, even if he was a cocky athlete. “Who in the hell is Maddox Graves?”

Jess laughs. “You seriously don’t know?”

“No,” I reply, irritated. “I seriously don’t know.”

Jessica leans forward, lifting her arm and pointing at the idling bus before it pulls forward. “That, my sweet Isla, is Maddox Graves. And come Saturday evening, He will be your date.”

My eyes must be round as saucers as I turn to her and splutter, “Bullshit!”

Anticipating my response, Nevaeh holds up her phone, the screen confirming what Jess just told me. “Not bullshit, babes. And there’s no getting out of this because you swore.”

I stare at the larger-than-life photo of Maddox Graves as the bus drives away. His piercing gaze seems to linger on me. As if making a silent promise to upend my life in the most catastrophic way.

But maybe my life could do with some upending. Maybe Jess and Nev are right. It’s time to get over Alex. To focus on my students and get ready to start the new school year off with a bang. I will walk into Center High with my chin up and a renewed determination to be the best damned teacher I can be.

And if my best friends think going on a date with a broody hockey player might help me get my groove back, I guess that’s what I’ll do.

two

ONE WEEK PRIOR

MADDOX

“Settle down, assholes,” Coach Cross shouts over the din of the locker room. We’ve all changed out of our workout gear and have been waiting impatiently for this meeting to start. It’s Friday night, and everyone has plans. Griffin Wright, Sebastian Navarro, Logan Byrne, and I are going to our favorite bar. Beer, hot women, and live music that never disappoints. Wright and Byrne go for the women, Navarro for the music, and I go for the beer.

“As all of you know, the off-season is the time of year when the Rogues do our annual charity event.” Some guys grumble, others are excited, but Coach ignores them all. “We’ve had some great successes over the past few years, so our marketing and community outreach teams have gotten creative this year to top our past events.”

“Please don’t be some exhausting meet and greet,” Navarro murmurs from my left. He runs a tan hand through his jet-black hair, mussing it up.

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