Page 65 of Holiday Hostilities

AARON

One week into living with her, and it’s like Olivia Griswold has infiltrated all areas of my life.

Not that I’m complaining.

It’s just… surreal to go from not seeing her for years, to waking up every day and finding hereverywhere. Her shoes in the entryway, her coffee cups in the dishwasher, the smell of her shampoo on the couch pillows. Diet Coke cans are stacked neatly in the recycling, and there’s a cardigan draped over a barstool in the kitchen.

Yesterday, I found a pink hair tie in my hockey bag. No idea how it got there, but it sure ain’t mine.

It made me smile, though, because I like to see that she’s making herself at home. I want her to feel comfortable at my place, treat it like it’s hers for the next two and a half weeks until the new year rolls around and she moves into a new apartment. Although, as much as she’s been looking, I’m not sure if she’s found anything she likes yet.

"Get your head out of your ass, Marino!” Coach Torres hollers at me as I miss an easy pass from Perez who plays left wing. He used to be on a line with Slater and Holmes, but whenMal retired, I moved into his old position playing right wing on the first line.

“Sorry Coach,” I call as I skate over to scoop up the puck from where it’s settled against the boards and continue on with the drill we’re running. Forcing my head back onto the ice and into this practice, I snap the puck to Seb, who’s skating up ahead.

We’re practicing our tails off today after a rough loss to Toronto last night. But for some reason, I’m not feeling quite as anxious about it as I usually would, the negative words in my mind about my performance not as loud and consuming as normal.

Maybe it’s because we’ve also had a few wins recently, and our current standing in our conference is better than it’s been all season.

Or maybe it’s because Olivia was in Atlanta last night and came to the game. I gave her a ride home afterwards and we watched the fifthSawmovie together.

Well,shewatched it, while I watched her watching the movie.

Seriously, the sight of her enthralled face as people got sawed up on-screen was way more entertaining than the movie. And the fact that she happily scarfed down popcorn while watching was downright impressive—all that gore makes me lose my appetite.

But strange snacking habits aside, I like Olivia’s company. She’s just as witty and funny as I remember. Snarky, with her sweeter side rippling just below the surface. And knowing what I do now about her family situation, it explains so much of the harder exterior she presents when she’s feeling vulnerable.

I don’t know if it’s the holidays coming up or what, but I have to say, after living alone for years, it feels pretty cozy to have someone to sit with in the evenings by the flickering light of the Christmas tree.

Frick. Maybe I need to get a dog or something when she moves out.

A big, goofy golden retriever, perhaps.

Or a cat. One of those fluffy ginger ones. I’d be a great cat daddy, I am sure.

“All right, bring it in!” The blast of Coach’s whistle shakes me from my feline train of thought, and as we all skate to the edge of the ice, Triple J comes up alongside me.

“Hey, Cap. What color is your tux for the gala?”

Right.The gala is tomorrow, and it’s been the talk of the locker room all day. Reagan’s been hyping it up on the Cyclones’ social media pages, and everyone’s pretty excited for an excuse to get all dressed up and dapper-looking.

“You mean my bowtie?” I frown at my teammate. “I’m going with classic black.”

He shakes his head like I’m being really, really slow. “No. Yourtux.”

“Um, also black, J. Like most tuxedos.” I narrow my eyes at him. “You going powder blue? Or orange, like inDumb and Dumber?”

I’m obviously joking, so I’m a little startled when he nods. “Bluewasmy top choice, but I also have green, and I thought that might be more festive. I just wanted to double check that nobody else is wearing a green tux.” Triple J chuckles. “That would be so embarrassing if two of us showed up wearing the same color.”

“Yeah.That’swhat would be embarrassing,” Dallas says from my other side. Jimmy gives him the middle finger, and Dallas smirks and adds, “Maybe I’ll have to dig my green tux out of my closet so we can match after all.”

Triple J looks appalled. “You wouldn’t dare!”

“I think you’ll be fine in green, J,” I cut in. “Very… unique.” I mean it, too. I’m one hundred percent sure that Dallas is way too vain to turn up to a black-tie gala in a comedy tuxedo.

“I rented one with those penguin coat tails,” Colton jumps into the conversation. “Think I might get a top hat to go with it.”

“Get a monocle, too, and people will think you’re the monopoly man,” Seb tells him with a cheeky wink.

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