Page 83 of Dating Goals
“Goodbye, hockey man,” Colin interrupts, finally shutting the door with a definitive click.
The lock turns, and he returns to the game like nothing happened, but I can feel all three men’s curiosity radiating across the room.
“He looked terrible,” Lars comments, not looking up from his cards. “Like a sad puppy.”
“He’s still out there,” Evan reports, peering through the curtains. “Just…standing in the snow. Looking pathetic.”
“Good,” I mutter, though my stomach twists uncomfortably.
Colin looks up from his cards. “This is getting ridiculous, Anika. Why are you avoiding the boy?”
“I’m not avoiding him,” I lie. “I’m just…busy.”
Lars snorts. “You’re acting like a teenager with her first crush.”
“I am not crushing on Griffin McGregor!” I protest too loudly, making all three men explode into laughter.
“Of course not,” Colin says, exchanging a look with the others. “That’s why you’re hiding behind the wine instead of just telling him to go away like you do with every other man who bothers you.”
I grab a cloth and aggressively wipe down the already clean bar. “It’s complicated.”
“Love always is,” Evan says sagely.
“It’s not love!” I protest too quickly. “It’s…concern for his safety.”
Lars snorts, which makes me want to throw a rag at him.
I sigh because there’s no keeping secrets from these guys. But also because I need to process this whole crazy mess out loud, and I can’t talk to my mom about it.
“Okay, I’ll tell you, but you are sworn to secrecy, got it?”
The three men exchange knowing looks and cross their hearts, each swearing.
“I mean it,” I warn. “This information can’t go past these doors.”
Lars zips his lips with his fingers and twists them at the corner like he’s turning a lock.
“Okay, so there were these people at the gala,” I continue, lowering my voice. “They cornered me in the bathroom and warned me that Griffin is mixed up in something dangerous. That he needs to leave Switzerland while he can.”
“I do not like this,” Evan says tentatively. “What do you mean dangerous?”
“They cornered you in the bathroom?” Lars exclaims. “Did you use your kung fu moves on them?”
“No! Will you let me finish?”
Colin waves his hand. “Carry on.”
I clear my throat, buying some time to think of how much to tell them. “All I know is that there were probably bad people at that party. I think the owner of the Canadian hockey team is in some kind of weird cult, because Griffin said he had to go to a secret meeting.”
“Freemasons?” Colin wonders aloud, then snaps like he’s got the answer. “Illuminati.”
“Could be,” I say, “Or maybe there were drugs involved.”
“Drugs?” Evan’s eyebrows shoot up. “What kind of drugs?”
“I don’t know,” I say. “Pot?”
Lars throws his hands in the air. “Anika! You think your hockey man is a secret pot-smoking cult and THAT’s why he’s in danger and needs to leave?”
