Page 28 of Trade Deadline

“What?” He laughs between munching on some nachos. “I mean it. I could get used to this life. Hot sex, hot hockey player, free tickets.” He shrugs. “Seems like a good time. Maybe that cute goalie would be down for some fun. Is there such a thing as a male puck bunny? Would they be like…” He waves his hand around, searching for the word.

“A buck?” I supply.

He hoots. “A puck buck.”

I shake my head with a laugh. “You’re ridiculous.”

He blows me a kiss. “You know it, boo.”

As the Zamboni leaves the ice, my phone vibrates in my pocket, and immediately my mind races to my brother. I left him to deliver the custom orders with that shitty spare tire that Nate has promised his friend will come and look at tomorrow, but the worry in my chest is replaced with surprise when Blaine’s name appears on the screen.

Blaine

Meet me outside the locker room after the game.

“He askedto meet after the game,” I say quietly.

This feels like a wild dream, and I’m going to wake up soon.

“If he asks you on a date again, what are you gonna say?”

I chew on the skin around my thumb. “I don’t know.”

Nate angles his body toward mine, his usually playful tone suddenly turning serious. “It doesn’t have to be something more. You can control it. Lay down the law and say you only want to go for dinner. If he’s genuine about taking you out, he’ll agree to just that.” He muses for a bit. “It’s kinda insane for a guy like him to be so persistent, considering his MO is fuck and chuck.”

I’ve been thinking about it a lot because Blaine seems to have taken up permanent residence in my brain since the night at Gino’s. I’d be an idiot to pass up dinner with him, right?

Can I protect my heart, knowing that whatever this is will probably be short lived, though?

Possibly?

But despite the heartache I’ve been through, I’m still in love with theideaof love, so it’s hard for me to go into something without hoping it ends up in forever.

“Maybe,” I say as the lights go down and the smoke machines start up. Red lights flash against the pristine white ice to match the beat of Thunder’s signature entry song “Burn it to the Ground”, and fans sing at the top of their lungs. I settle back in my seat, excitement thrumming through my veins for the game ahead.

* * *

The buzzer sounds,ending the game 5-0 to Chicago Thunder. The team swarms onto the ice to celebrate their win, bumping helmets with Elliot.

My throat is hoarse from cheering and my hands sting from clapping, and when the crowd disperses up the stairs toward the atrium, I turn to Nate.

“I have no idea how we get to the locker room.”

He chuckles. “Maybe Blaine will find us with the little Alex-radar thing he’s got going on.”

Luckily, we’re saved by a blond lady in a baby-blue tailored suit.

“Hey, Alex?” She looks between me and Nate.

Nate points to me as I say, “Hey, yeah, that’s me.”

Her face lights up with a smile. “Great! If you could both just follow me.”

She begins to climb the stairs in her spiked stilettos at such speed that Nate and I have to jog to keep up with her. She leads us down some corridors, flashing a badge at the security guards as we go.

“Blaine was worried you wouldn’t know where to go, so he asked me to come find you.”

I swallow the lump in my throat. My palms are sweaty with nerves, and I subtly wipe them on the side of my jeans.

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