Page 66 of Holiday Hostilities

“The pants are too tight on mine,” Jake grouches, his bearded face screwed up in horror. “I finally picked one up and thought I was done worrying about it, but like Marino warned me, the woman at the store insisted I had to get mine taken in. She was wrong, though, because now I can hardly walk in those stupid pants.”

Looking at him right now, his face all pouty, I can see the resemblance between him and Olivia, clear as day. They normally look nothing alike—Jake is a beast of a guy, whereas Olivia is strikingly pretty. But this particular facial expression he’s making serves as an excellent reminder that the woman I’m currently enjoying living with is my best buddy’s little sister.

“I’m sorry for your hardship,” Seb tells Jake smugly. “If it helps, I look great in mine.”

“Same,” I add cheerfully.

“Ladies!” Coach thunders, clapping his meaty hands together. “When we’re all done talking about our fashion choices, can we please get back to talking about hockey?!”

“What areyouwearing, Coach?” Jimmy asks innocently, and we all have to cover our laughs with an array of coughs. I swear even Torres’ lips twitch at the corners.

As Coach goes over the next drill, I find my mind drifting again, returning to Olivia. I can’t help but wonder whatshe’llwear to the gala, and I’m intrigued to see what she looks like dressed up. A week or two ago, I would’ve guessed she’d spite-dress in her rattiest sweatpants or something in an effort toprotest Christmas or make me look bad at the gala (joke’s on her, she still looks stupid hot in sweats). I can’t imagine she’ll wear that sexy silver mini-dress she wore at the club a few months ago.

Last time I saw her properly dressed up was at my senior prom. She looked totally stunning in a poofy, frothy-looking thing, or so my teenage self thought. She went to that prom with Daniel Davis from marching band.

And despite repeatedly insisting to myself that I wasn’t, I was jealous as all hell.

This time, she’ll be with me.

Coach blasts his whistle again, and we all skate onto center ice. But Dallas nudges me in the ribs with a knowing smirk I don’t like one bit. “Think your girl will give me a dance at the gala?” he asks under his breath.

“No,” I hiss back, and my neck prickles with embarrassment as his smirk grows. I try to cover and correct myself. “Doubt she’d wanna dance with the likes of you.”

“So, no issues calling her your girl, huh?” Dallas’s smirk is taking up his entire face at this point.

“Not my girl,” I retort hurriedly. “Roommate. Jake’s sister. Plus one.”

He cocks a dark brow. “Keep telling yourself that, bro.”

And with that, he skates off to take his position, leaving me alone with the ever-growing sensation that I’m wading into quicksand. That I’m starting to fall back into those old feelings I had for Olivia…

The ones I never allowed myself to feel, let alone act on.

I unconsciously glance towards the box where she was sitting during last night’s game. Her face fell after the final buzzer, and she looked so cute in that moment that my first thought was not that we’d just lost a game, but that I got to go home with her afterwards.

Yeah, scratch that.

I’m not sure I ever stopped having those feelings for her.

25

OLIVIA

Confession: I have never been much of a girl’s girl.

This is not, in any way, because I don’t want to be.

It’s also not because I don’t enjoy other women’s company. And it’scertainlynot because I like the attention of men so much that I find other women a threat. A pick-me girl, I am not.

Truth is, I often find groups of women intimidating. In London, I had a couple of female friends, but avoided the big flocks of flight attendants who would go out together when we were staying in far-flung destinations.

At my new job, the only person I’ve really clicked with is Jing. And I’m good with that.

So I’m more than a little surprised (pleasantly so) that I’ve fallen in so comfortably with the wives, girlfriends, and female staff for the Cyclones. Sofia is obviously amazing. And from the moment I met Maddie and Reagan at the Thanksgiving game, they’ve made me feel nothing but welcome.

When Sofia invited me to join her “little get-ready get-together” before the Cyclones Christmas gala tonight, I didn’t stress about it or let myself drown in doubts about attending a big group hangout.

I just said yes.

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