Page 11 of Forecasting the Forward

“Nothing major,” I start, and Grant rolls his eyes.

“Famous last words.”

“No, really. I just accidentally made a girl feel threatened. Like she wasn’t safe. With me. I don’t think she exactly felt threatened by me, but she definitely didn’t feel safe with me.”

“That really doesn’t make much sense,” Gabe says.

I let out a loud exhale, looking up to the ceiling. “There’s this girl.”

“Obviously,” Grant says dryly.

“And we’ve had a couple of run-ins.”

“Is that code for you’ve fucked her a couple of times?” Levi asks.

“No, I literally mean run-ins. She actually ran into me once, and the other time I was on a run when we crossed paths.”

“Okay? So what’s the issue?” Gabe asks.

I squeeze my eyes closed and blurt out, “I recognized her, and so I asked a friend of a friend who works with her to give me her address. I showed up there this morning, because I knew what time she had to be at work, and all I wanted to do was offer to walk with her, but it freaked her out, because she’d had a stalker in the past. And now I feel like such a fucking dumbass.”

Silence.

Opening my eyes, I see all three of my friends staring at me in disbelief.

Levi’s mouth opens and closes multiple times before he shakes his head. Grant reaches up to rub the bridge of his nose, and Gabe finally lets out a loud guffaw of laughter.

“This is so fucking perfect. Oh my God, just perfect. Jax, the one who doesn’t even have to lift a finger to get a groupof women falling at his feet, has made a fool out of himself in front of a woman who has no interest in him. Jesus. I can’t wait to tell Cassie,” he says, laughing. Gabe’s wife, Cassie, also happens to be Grant’s sister, and originally signed on to nanny Gabe’s daughter. Unbeknownst to everyone, Gabe and Cassie had already met. They couldn’t fight their connection for too much longer, and now they’re a happy little family of three.

I don’t respond to Gabe, because he’s not wrong. Frankly, no professional hockey player has to try to score a woman. Hell, puck bunnies are everywhere. I know some players have a rotation of women in every city that they go through while we’re playing away games. What’s even more fucked up is that the women are okay with it. I’ve overheard bunnies talking about who gets what guy from the team that night.

I’m not like that, exactly. I don’t do repeat performances at away games. Frankly, I rarely hook up out of town, because I have a pretty specific routine that I need to keep. I’m not about to screw up my game by fucking some random woman. If we have a full day off between games, I’ll download a dating app and make it clear it’s a one-time thing.

“In his defense, none of us ever have to lift a finger,” Grant points out.

“He gets more attention, and you know it. Don’t even lie,” Gabe says with a laugh. “It’s the fucking curls. Women are nuts for curly hair.”

I pull my hat down further onto my head. I hated my hair growing up. My mom never knew how to care for it, so a lot of the time I looked like I’d stuck my finger into an electrical outlet. Once I was old enough to access the internet, a whole world opened up to me about styling products, sulfates, and the ‘curly girl’ routine. Once I’d figured out the hair, my confidence grew.

“I think it’s because he rarely talks to women. You ever notice that? As outgoing as he is, he’s mute with the ladies,” Levi says.

Gabe snorts. “I’ve never heard any complaints from women who have been with Jax, so clearly he makes up for it when he gets them alone.”

“Am I even here?” I wonder aloud, waving my hand in front of Gabe’s face. “Y’all are talking about me like I’ve left the gym.”

“Do you talk when you get a woman alone?” Levi asks.

I pause to think. “Actually … no.”

Grant lets out a loud bark of laughter. “I don’t know why I’m surprised. The curls with those baby blues? All you need to do is smile, and the panties drop.”

“So literally, no talking? At all?” Gabe asks. I raise an eyebrow at him, and he shrugs. “What? I’m intrigued by this. You never shut up with us. Not even a little dirty talk?”

“No need for that. My mouth is usually busy.”

“Damn. Cassie loves when I start talking. Last night she did this backbend on the bed, and then I told her all the things I was gonna do in return, and she —” Grant’s hand slams over Gabe’s mouth.

“Sister, Gabe. For fuck’s sake. That’s my fucking sister,” Grant growls. “Talk like that again, and I guarantee you won’t be doing any talking whatsoever for the foreseeable future.”

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