Part 11 (1/2)
He leaned his head back into the couch cus.h.i.+ons.
What the f.u.c.k had he been thinking? Nope, not thinking at all, just letting Mr. Happy lead him along. She just got to him, dammit, like Cecilia got to Jaivon by beating him on that math test and challenging his masculine superiority. He grinned. Good for Cecilia.
Katelyn. First she hated him, then she wanted to be friends, then when he was friendly she got all p.i.s.sed off.
Women.
He sighed. He loved women. And he'd loved Katelyn.
For a while there that night, he'd thought maybe they could be friends. Now he was pretty sure they couldn't. But that was just fine, because he sure as h.e.l.l wasn't looking for love or marriage or long-term. He knew better than anyone that happily ever after didn't exist. So it was better that they weren't friends. It was better that they weren't anything.
Chapter 9.
”How do the trade rumors affect your play? It must be difficult to stay focused on your game with all the talk that's out there.”
Poker face. Poker face. Tanner smiled at the woman from CBC Sports, a former Olympic hockey player who was interviewing him after Thursday's game, and gave a casual shrug. ”Nah, I pay no attention to the rumors. There's gonna be all kinds of talk and that's got nothing to do with me. I've got a job to do and that's what I'm focused on.”
He was lying. He knew what all the rumors were, and the knot in his belly was growing every day that went by with no resolution to things. But he also knew what he had to say in public. h.e.l.l, he couldn't even speak to most of the guys about this s.h.i.+t because of the talk that the team was going to have to decide between him and Boosh.
But he wasn't going to let it affect his play. He was a professional and when he stepped on the ice, all the s.h.i.+t was blanked out and he was focused on the game. He'd played all out tonight, blocking two shots that he was still feeling and would for a while, and scoring a nice one timer from the blue line to win the game against his former teammates, three-two.
After his usual cooldown, stretch, and shower, he headed out. In the tunnel, the Islanders were loading up their bus to take them to the airport. He spotted his buddy Rich Koslowsky. ”Richie!”
Rich turned and grinned. They greeted each other with a bro handshake and hug. ”Hey, man, how the h.e.l.l are you?”
”Good! Other than a f.u.c.king sore foot from that shot you took at me.”
”a.s.shole.” Rich shook his head. ”Never saw anyone as fearless as you in front of the net. Fearless or f.u.c.king stupid.”
Tanner grinned. ”No need to be afraid of your p.u.s.s.y slap shot. How's Lindsay?”
”Good, she's good. Getting huge.”
”When's the baby due?”
”End of March.”
”c.r.a.ppy timing. Making a playoff run...”
”Yeah, but we're not alone. You know how many babies are conceived in June after the playoffs end?”
”Ha! You're telling me you go all season without s.e.x?”
Rich snorted. ”Yeah, right.”
”Get on the bus, Richie!”
They both turned at the good-natured shout from the guy standing at the door of the bus now all loaded up with players.
”Better go,” Rich said. He clapped a hand on Tanner's shoulder. ”Go ice that foot. Next time we play, get the h.e.l.l out of my way.”
”As if.” He grinned as his friend boarded the bus, then headed out of the arena to his car. On the way he ran into Lovey and Duper leaving. Duper was always one of the last to leave after he did his thing in his suite with the kids he'd invited from one of the local children's hospitals. They walked together.
”Good game, Tanner,” Lovey said.
”Thanks.”
”So we'll see you tomorrow night for dinner, right?”
”Right.” This was the dinner Lovey'd planned for her wedding party. Her cousin and friend were coming in for the weekend. The team had a couple of days between games after tonight, the next game was Sunday night at home, so she'd planned the party for Friday night.
”We're all meeting at Jack's at seven. Take a taxi.”
He grinned. ”Yes, ma'am.”
”So how are those trade rumors affecting your game?” Duper asked with a smirk.
”f.u.c.k off.”
”That's not what you told Samantha.”
”Yeah, that response would go over well.”
”I don't like the trade rumors,” Lovey fretted.
”Part of the game, babe,” Duper said.
”I know. It could mess up our wedding, though.”
”That's what you're worried about?” Duper gaped at her.
She rolled her eyes. ”I'm kidding. The wedding's not until June. You'll still show up if you get traded to Anaheim, right, Tanner?”
He caught the teasing glint in her eye. ”I don't know, Anaheim's far away. I might be too busy going to Disneyland and lying on the beach.”
She gave him a punch in the shoulder that was more affectionate than punis.h.i.+ng. ”See you tomorrow.”
- Tanner didn't bother with a taxi, since the restaurant was within walking distance of his condo. It was definitely a crisp February evening, but not unbearable. His condo was near the river, so he took the River Esplanade, illuminated buildings towering above him and across the river, the lights reflected in the glimmering dark water. His breath puffed out in frosty gusts as he walked. A few blocks north on Michigan, then down Grand Avenue, and he was there.
He pulled off his knit cap and ran a hand over his hair as he entered the restaurant. The place had an old-world elegance, with lots of dark wood and leather and muted lighting. The servers even wore tuxedos. The hostess directed him up the stairs at the far side of the lounge, and he climbed to a mezzanine that had been set up with one long table.
Another hostess took his coat from him, and he unwrapped his scarf and handed his outerwear to her with a smile, then turned to the guests already there-Lovey and Duper, of course; Amber and Army; Lovey's cousin Kendra and friend Randi...and Katelyn.
He hadn't seen her since that kiss last week after the baby shower, but he'd sure as h.e.l.l been thinking about her. She gave him a chilly smile when he said h.e.l.lo.
She was p.i.s.sed. Great.