Page 104 of The Rebound Plan

Max: What’s up, fuckers? Anyone going out tonight?

Fuck me.

Marsh: not me, sorry bud

Jenson: I’m chilling in my backyard if anyone wants to come over for a beer

Despite my growling chant ofNo, no no noooo, the next response is from Zondi.

Malik: A few of us are at this steakhouse in Burlington.

He drops a pin.

I pull up to a red light and consider pulling a U-turn and heading home again. Making some kind of excuse.

But there are cars on either side of me, so I have to advance when the light turns green. I’m two blocks away now.

Max: Sounds good. How long will you be there? Might join you in an hour or two.

Malik: Yeah, probably two hours at least.

The good news is that Tiller never shows up early to anything, so if he says one to two hours, he means two. I have to chuckle at Zondi already clocking that.

No dessert for me, no real hardship, and I should be able to be out of there before he arrives.

I pull into the parking lot at the same time as Watanabe.

“This might turn into a party,” he says with a laugh as he checks his messages.

“Sounds like.” As we head inside, I schedule a text to myself to send in seventy-five minutes, a trick one of last year’s prospects taught me. No hockey player is ever going to ask twice if you get a text from a supposed booty call.

It’s handy if you find yourself stuck with a chatty teammate and you just really want to have a nap.

And also, apparently, if you can’t stomach the thought of socializing with your team captain.

Great way to start the season, Armstrong.

So much for the hype. Here’s hoping the steak is good so I can salvage something from the evening.

It’s not really a lie that I’ll have a date, though. It might be a date with my right hand and the promise of Shannon wearing my jersey this winter, but it’s the best date I’ll have had all year.

CHAPTER 39

SHANNON

The reply from Francois arrives at five in the morning, and when my phone vibrates, I sit straight up in bed, heart pounding.

The email is short and to the point.

From: Francois Dumas

To: Shannon Barker

Subject: RE: I’m in NYC for a few days and I’d love to catch up

My beautiful Shannon, of course I have time for you. Would you like to come to a dinner with me tomorrow at the New Museum? Or were you thinking something more private?

F

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