Page 69 of Date with a Devil
He added, “The funny thing is, I don’t even enjoy hooking up anymore.”
She wondered if he hadn’t enjoyed last night with her. “What don’t you enjoy?”
“Everything. From the pursuit to the sex itself. There’s no fun in any of it. All these girls wanna bang me just because I’m a hockey player. It’s all so fake. When I’m trying to pick up a girl, I’ll say thedumbest,meanest thing I can, just to see if she cares, to see if what I say even matters. But it doesn’t matter. It never does. They want to fuck me no matter what—why? Because I’m sort of famous, I guess. I really don’t know. It’s like we’re both using each other. It gets so old, I can’t even tell you.” He frowned as he stared at the road ahead. “The only problem is, that’s the only type of girl I know how to find.”
“Well, let’s start there. Where are you looking to meet women?” she asked.
He gave her a sheepish glance. “Uh—the club, usually. Sometimes I cruise Tinder.”
She giggled. “C’mon, Dane. You can’t be surprised that you’re not having any luck there.”
“Okay, so tell me, where wouldyoufind a good guy?”
“Um.” She snagged her bottom lip between her teeth. “Actually, I’ve got the same problem as you.”
“Girls only wanna bang you because you’re a famous hockey player?”
She slapped at his round, meaty shoulder. “No, dummy. The only guys who show any interest in me are after one thing. Tinder is a complete joke.”
Dane laughed. “We’re screwed, aren’t we?”
“I hope not …”
While the cabin grew silent, Austen worked up the courage to ask a question that was bothering her.
“I’m curious,” she began. “Did you feel that way with me? That it wasn’t fun, that we were just using each other?”
“Yeah, right!” He laughed. “You don’t take any of my bullshit. In fact, I’m pretty sure you hate my guts. It’s nice to be toldnofor once, actually. I guess that makes me kinda fucked up, huh?”
“Not at all. I get it, Dane.” She paused. “I don’t hate your guts, by the way. But I do wish you were nicer and not so pushy. Sometimes you seem like a sweet guy, and other times you’ll say or do something that makes it seem like you only want to get laid. It really fucks with my head.”
“Man.” He grinned. “See? That’s what I’m talking about. Girls are never honest with me like that.”
Austen wasn’t going to let him off the hook that easily. “So? Which one are you, the sweet guy, or the guy who wants to get laid?”
“I don’t even know,” he said. “Maybe that’s my problem.” They both stared out the windshield, at the road ahead. Dane let out a contemplative sigh.“Maybe I’ll have better luck in whatever city the Devils trade me to.”
“A big move like that can help break old habits. Why don’t you treat it like a new beginning?” She touched her hand to his shoulder. “Don’t do hookups anymore. Just look for a down-to-earth girl to date. If that’s what you’re looking for, you’ll find it. A handsome guy like you? You’reboundto find it. You’ve just been looking in all the wrong places.”
“Yeah,” he said, his voice gritty and thick. She could tell he doubted himself.
They drove on in silence.
“So where are you taking me, anyway?” she asked.
“You’ll see. We’re almost there.”
A few minutes later, he pulled off the highway. They arrived at the arena where the Dallas Devils played.
“The arena? Why are we here?” she asked, pulling the brim of her hat lower. This was probably thelastplace in Dallas she wanted to go. Someone could easily recognize her.
“You ever been in the locker room?”
“Yeah, that’s where we met.”
“No, we met at the locker room at our practice facility. I mean thereallocker room, here, at the arena.”
She had to stop and think. “Hm, no, I haven’t.”
