Page 47 of The Fake Play

“Jealous much?”

He scowls, muttering something under his breath, then shakes his head as he walks toward the showers.

“Don't rub it in his face too much.” Seb says as he enters the room with an amused smirk on his face. “He's really not happy about it, and a few of the other guys were grumbling, too. Don’t push them, or you might have a mutiny on your hands.”

“Yeah, well, I can't help it if he's being an asshole. It's just an auction. They’ll get over it. Besides, I figured they’d like competing against each other to see who makes the most money. We compete over everything else.”

“There's a fine line between friendly competition and pushing someone too hard. You don't want to make him a worse enemy.”

Maybe Sebastian is right. After all, Keke does want me to get along with the kid, maybe even mentor his sorry ass, but it’s hard. He’s such a dick.

“I’ll try but no promises.”

“It’s all I ask.”

Just then Coach enters, his demeanor serious as he surveys the room. “All right, gentlemen, as all of you are already aware, management is on board with this bachelor auction, and we’re making this a team building exercise for charity. They see it as a good way to engage with the community. On another note, if you can't get your scores up, it's a last-ditch effort that won’t do any good for some of you. You’ve all heard the trade rumors. So, do your best on the ice, do your best at the auction.”

Murmurs move through the locker room. I know exactly who he’s referring to as the last-ditch effort. I’m pretty sure everybody does, but I’m still going to rally my team together. “We can do both, Coach,” I assure him. “We will raise money for the shelter and improve our game. We need to step up on the ice, but we can also show the community we care. It doesn't have to be either-or. We can do this. Right, guys?”

Seb gives an enthusiastic, “Yeah!” which encourages a few others to join him. But it wasn’t the resounding cheer I had hoped for.

Coach nods firmly all the same. “That’s what I like to hear. Now, get out there.”

The rest of practice goes smoothly. My mind keeps drifting back to the auction and the chance we have to raise money for the animal shelter I care so much about. Happy Harbor is a tiny, very underfunded cat and dog shelter in a bad neighborhood. They need all the help they can get, so I really hope the guys get into the spirit of things.

After I get out of the showers, I text Keke a quick message. “Can't wait for the auction. Let's show them what we're made of.”

Her reply comes almost instantly, brightening my mood. “We've got this. Meet later for details?”

I respond affirmatively, feeling like the rest of the day has a new sense of purpose to it. I do laundry, change my sheets, and clean the kitchen. I want my place to feel more like a home for Keke. She deserves to come home to a tidy space, and I hope that cleaning up will impress her.

I want to help her make this charity auction a monumental success, not just for the shelter, but to show everyone we’re in this together, side by side. And to show Keke what a good team she and I can be.

Everything seems to hang on the auction’s success. Somehow, this bachelor auction is starting to feel as important as a run at the Stanley Cup.

I run out for cleaning supplies and coffee, and when I arrive home, I catch her in between making decorations and making phone calls.

“I thought we were going out for dinner?”

“I know,” she replies, dragging her fingers through her hair. They get tangled in it, and she attempts to work them out while explaining, “There’s just too much left to do. I’m sorry.”

“No worries. Let me help.” I untangle her fingers from her hair. Turns out, there was a small amount of glue on them. After a few swipes of peanut butter, they come right out.

“How did you know to do that?”

“The pitfalls of Hollywood.”

“I’m gonna need more details than that.”

I chuckle and sit next to her on the couch, caught up in the feeling of just being near her. “Well, my mom had lost a bet, and took a role in this sci-fi pic?—”

“She lost a bet to be inBeyond the Signs?”

I grin and nod.

“Didn’t you think it was weird someone of her caliber would do a cheesy B-movie?” I ask.

“I think everybody did.”

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