Page 69 of Wilder Puck
“Baddie Addie,” Colton shouts. “What do you have going on, girl?”
“Oh my god,” Emma says once she realizes who’s next to her. She glances at me as Ryan looks over his shoulder. “Hi.” Her face lights up.
Someone down the bar is hollering at me, but I need to stay to watch this.
“My name’s Emma,” she says with a blush.
“Hi, Emma,” Ryan says, treating her like he does with any hockey fan. He clearly doesn’t recognize her name from the business card.
Colton says to me, “Two beers.”
Emma says, “You never called.”
Ryan chuckles. “What?”
“Yeah, I had Addison give you my business card.”
He nods. “Oh, right. Yes, I did not call. Are you like an agent or something because I––”
“No, no,” she laughs. “No, it’s not business. I just think you’re cute.”
Ryan is smooth like he gets this compliment all the time. Nothing about his reaction seems flattered or shocked, he is cool, completely normal. Colton is staring at the TV, pretending not to hear the conversation, which is the ultimate giveaway that he knows about me and Ryan.
“I’ll get the two beers,” I say awkwardly as all four of them look over at me. Now Ryan’s face changes, but I have to get back to work.
I do my absolute hardest to move around the bar without glancing at Ryan and Emma. Whenever I’m behind them, I see that she is talking his ear off. Leaning a bit too close, ignoring her friend, and Colton is quiet too. He normally isn’t quiet.
“Baddie,” Ryan says as I walk by. “I’m going to head out.”
I nod. “Okay.”
“Do you wanna come hang out when you get off?”
The term hangout sounds casual, but I’m happy he put it that way. I need to talk to him about the eviction.
“Yeah.”
“Yeah?” he asks, standing up with a hint of excitement in his eyes. He and Colton leave cash on the bar.
Emma stands to hug him bye and then asks him for a picture. Ryan smiles big for the photo, then glances at me.
She says, “Come to the party tomorrow, Ryan. It’ll be fun.”
He shrugs. “Sorry, I can’t, but it was nice meeting you, Emma.”
As he walks away, Emma and her friend are reiterating their entire interaction. Emma is blushing, and I start to blush with her because I understand. I’ve been on that side of the fence before, and I know the exact feeling bubbling inside of her. Ryan is naturally warmhearted and a sweet man. He has no disrespect or an ounce of a confident prick like most athletes. Though, I’m surprised he wasn’t screaming yes to the party invitation tomorrow. He must have work.
“He is the definition of a cinnamon roll,” her friend says as I am walking back to the bar. It makes me smile because she’s right.
“Hey, girls. Do you need anything else?” I ask, tapping the bar as I come around the corner.
“Yes, I need your number. If he can’t come tomorrow, we can do something another night.”
I tell her my phone number as the feeling of annoyance leaves my attitude. Now that I’m looking at Emma and can see past her beauty, I think she’s a lot younger than I thought. A girl will shoot her shot––and I give her that.
“Does he come here often?” she asks, almost whispering.
I chuckle. “Actually, no. But you might catch him at my coffee shop in the mornings.”
