Page 7 of Puck it Off

"I don't know. It's a lot for some people to be in a relationship with one guy. We're asking her to be in a relationship with three guys." Reece says joining the conversation.

"What about those players from Minnesota? Don't you know them? Can't you ask how to handle a situation like this?" I feel the panic rise inside of me that I haven't felt since I was in high school, before I learned how to control my anxiety with meditation.

"I could call Colt Hayes one of the owners, he's a friend of the family. I hear him and the other two co-owners of the team all share one of the ice girls. I'll call him first thing in the morning." Owen says.

"Now that's settled, what are we going to do about tomorrow night's game with the Kraken. They're on a three-game winning streak. We can't afford to lose to them." Reece changes the subject, and I feel my anxiety lessen with each deep breath I take now that we have a plan for Maggie.

Owen and Reece continue to discuss the game tomorrow, but my mind is still on Maggie. I wonder if she would want to come home with us tonight. We'd have to stay at Owen's house, his is the biggest. We should probably start looking for a bigger house for the four of us, and of course for all the kids were going to have. And pets—I wonder if Maggie is a dog or a cat person?

Feeling more relaxed than ever, I continue to let my mind wander to a future with the four of us. Maggie sitting in the wives' and girlfriends' section at every home and away game. Because of course she will be at every home and away game.

The anxiety begins to flare inside of me again at the thought of not being near Maggie everyday now that we've found her. I'm not willing to be separated from her.

"So as long as we beat the Kraken tomorrow night, we're golden for a few more weeks." Reece points out bring my attention back to the conversation. "It's only one game, so we need to hold it together so we can concentrate on Maggie."

"Like I always say, one and done, baby. That's the key." We all laugh at my joke, but little did I know not everyone would think it was funny.

six

Maggie

"LikeIalwayssay,one and done, baby. That's the key." I heard Reece say my name as I got just outside of the massage room. Added with Zander's awful words, and then to top it all off, they laughed like it was some big joke—like I'm a joke.

My heart drops as I come to an abrupt halt just outside the massage room. My hands shake, and I almost drop the water bottles I so foolishly grabbed for them.

You need to stay hydrated.

I teased, with a flick of my hair as I ran naked out of the room, actually thinking tonight meant more to them than one night only or, as Zander put it, one and done.

The thought of them high fiving each other at how easy it was to score with the flakey yoga girl has me pushing forward to kick them out before I'm humiliated anymore by the three of them.

Thankfully I had the foresight to slip into one of the silk robes that's part of the auction basket, or I would be feeling more vulnerable than I am right now after finding out I'm only a one and done, hit it an forget it kind of girl to them.

Okay, so technically no one said, hit it and forget it, but they might as well have for how dirty Zander's words make me feel.

Assholes. I'll show them the true meaning of one and done.

Strutting into the room I begin throwing the water bottles at them, secretly hoping to hit them with the full plastic bottles. "Here, your massages are complete. Take your complimentary water and leave." I cringe, knowing they didn't exactly get the massages they were expecting.

"Maggie, what's wrong?" Reece steps toward me, but Owen stops him with a shake of his head.

"Nothing's wrong. I provided a service. It's done. Now, it's time for the three of you to leave."

"But we still owe you three thousand dollars." Zander takes a step toward me, ignoring Owen's earlier warning.

I thought Zander's words before were hurtful. These take the cake. What do they think I am? Some whore who has sex for money.

"Out! Get out of my studio!"

Surprisingly, they don't put up a fight. Instead, they back out of the massage room, all but Owen. He's taking the trash bag full of used condoms out of the wastebasket, tying it shut, and holding it in his hand.

Realizing what he's doing hits me square in the face, "Oh—my—God! You're taking the used condoms with you because you're afraid I'm going to suck up your baby batter with a turkey baster and inseminate myself to trap you into paying child support for the next eighteen years." A vision of three little boys pops into my head, one with blond hair, one with dark hair, and one with brownish-red hair calling me mommy.

Fighting back the tears, I hold my ground. I cross my arms over my chest, waiting for a denial, even though I know there's no denying the truth.

"Maggie May, it's not like that." Owen reaches for me but thinks better of it as he pulls his hand back. "It's a force of habit. Women will do almost anything to bag themselves a pro athlete. It's hard to trust people in our line of work."

Hearing him call me, Maggie May almost breaks me. He doesn't have the right to call me that anymore. He lost that right when I became a joke to them. "Maybe if you would stop sticking your dicks into people you don't trust, you wouldn't have to steal the garbage like a thief in the night." I push past Zander and Reece, who have returned to the doorway to observe our heated conversation, and stomp to the front of my studio, unlocking the door and holding it open. "Out." As each file passed me, a little piece of my heart breaks.

---