Page 19 of A Vegas Crush Collection #2

a terrible wingman

Boris

Thankfully, we’ve moved on from the start-series drills Coach had us doing for team building. I think they’ve helped, though, because the guys now joke and talk with me like anyone else. I’m finally beginning to feel like I’m part of the team.

I try to think back on my time with other teams in my career and I realize that this is the first team I’ve played on with so many superstars.

Max Terry has assembled a motley crew of ultra-talented players.

They’ve had their issues, though. Evan was a womanizer.

Georg had his demons with alcohol. Viktor had major anger issues.

But they’ve all settled down and found support and stability.

They were already playing well together and I’m the interloper.

I’m the one coming in with something to prove, even though I carried my team as far as we could go in Austin.

The Comets were in the process of a rebuild so it made sense to trade me for more talent they could spread out across the team, which hopefully will help them down the line for making the playoffs.

I have to keep reminding myself the Crush is a winning team, a team that’s gone through its own storms in order to become what it is today.

I’m a disrupter where I want nothing more than to be another weapon in an already strong arsenal.

It’s important to me to gain the team’s trust, to learn to play with them, to play on their strengths.

I just want to play and be a strong contributor.

As we shower and change from the day’s grueling practice, Viktor Demoskev approaches me. He’s scowling, so I’m not sure what to expect.

“Viktor.”

His eyes narrow as he looks down at me. Yes, he is a big man. I’m a big man and he’s several inches bigger. It’s not intimidating, though he tries to make it so.

“My Scarlett has insisted I apologize to you,” he says, shoving his hand out for me to shake.

“Oh, she insisted?” I can’t resist chuckling as I take his hand in a firm grip. “Well, I accept the apology, regardless of where it came from. And I hope you know I truly meant no harm, only compliment. Sorry I upset you.”

“I am a bit of an ass, she tells me. Too hot-headed. I am trying to get much better because we have a child on the way.”

“You will.”

“It is Friday. Several of us are headed out to get beer,” Viktor answers. “Would you like to join?”

I can’t help but grin. “Sure, I’m in. Thanks.”

He claps me on the back and heads off to finish changing.

We all head down the street to a small bar, sort of off the tourist path.

Georg tells me the guys used to all go to big clubs, full of women.

He laughs and shakes his head as Tyler jumps in and adds, “These bunch of old farts are all tied up over their women. How’s a sexy athlete supposed to get laid hanging out with a bunch of dads?

” Please, God, tell me I was not like that at his age. An arrogant fetus...

We all grab our beers—apart from Georg, who orders a soda—and find seats around a table.

There are several televisions around, each with different sporting events playing.

I nurse my single beer while the other guys down theirs with ease.

No one seems to mind that I’m not keeping up, and I’m content to just sit and watch sports while Evan, Georg, and Viktor all talk about their women.

I tune in, mainly because I like the idea of having what they have someday—one true love to make a life with.

Tyler, blond and rowdy, bangs his fist on the table and says, “Stop mooning over these women. What the hell happened to you fuckers?” He pretends to give himself a hand job and rolls his eyes.

“You’re like a bunch of old fucking men.

This is no fun at all. We used to have women lined up to sit on our laps.

Now we’re in here drinking, like, light beer and talking about our home improvement projects. ”

Mikhail, also single, laughs and nearly spits out his beer.

“Well, there’s the door, asshole,” Georg says, gesturing to the exit. “Get gone. You know where to go if you need to get your rocks off.”

I sense that this is all normal for this group. Viktor, by all accounts Tyler’s best friend, grins and smacks his buddy on the back of the head. “Don’t come out with us if you are going to complain the whole time.”

“I’m just saying, can a brother get a break every once in a while? One night out to pick up a hot chick in a short skirt?”

Mikhail, generally pretty quiet, says, “I’m with you. Let’s leave these old men and make some noise.”

“Fuck yeah!” Tyler hoots. He points in Viktor’s face. “You’re being replaced as wingman.”

“I was terrible wingman to begin with.”

“That’s a fuckin’ truth if ever I heard one.”

They bump fists before Tyler and Mikhail start toward the door. Tyler stops, though, and turns to me. “You got an old lady?”

“No.” I shake my head.

“Then you’re with us. Don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re eye candy. Chicks will talk to us because of you.”

This makes me laugh. I start to say no. I should stay and hang out with the power players, right? Still, it might be fun to go out for once.

I stand and the guys give me fist bumps before telling me not to do anything they wouldn’t do. I am not sure how far that goes, but I’m positive they have no clue just how boring a guy I am. I don’t think I could match them, even now they are all in solid relationships.

We get a ride service that takes us up to the Strip and I realize I’ve never really gone out and explored the single most iconic section of Las Vegas before, even though I’ve been in town for weeks now.

The lights and people are overwhelming in comparison to laid-back Austin.

Tyler picks out a nightclub for us to try but when we head inside, it’s fairly empty for a Friday night.

“It’s still kind of early.” Tyler checks his phone as he picks a booth near the bar. “We’ll get some food. People will start coming soon.”

We order and then eat, and Tyler’s prediction becomes a reality.

I think it’s safe to say he’s done this a time or two…

or ten. An hour later, and a crowd has filled the place.

The music starts thumping and the lights are turned down.

A couple of women make a beeline for our table, asking if we have a light for their cigarettes.

Tyler shakes his head and they walk away.

“Not interested?” I ask.

“Smokers? Nah.”

I nod and take a sip of the beer I ordered with dinner.

“What’s your type?” he asks.

I shrug.

“Wow. You’re killing me with charisma, dude.”

“This is not really my scene. I don’t go out often.”

“Surely you stepped out after games in Austin? Got your noodle wet?”

“Well yeah, of course, sometimes, but one-night-stands aren’t really—“

Tyler and Mikhail’s laughter cuts me off. I must look confused because they just laugh harder. Mikhail says, “Brother, this is Las Vegas. Easy sex is part of the perks.”

“Have you even had sex?” Tyler asks. “You’re not some forty-year-old virgin are you?”

My brows furrow. “I am not forty.”

“You know what I mean. You’ve been laid, right?”

“Of course. But I am picky.”

“Picky is one thing,” Tyler says. “Picky I can deal with. You have a pair of balls and a working pecker, right?”

“Yeeees?” Where is he going with this?

“Good. Then it’s time you got christened. Welcome to Sin City.”

He stands and both Mikhail and I follow him toward the dance floor. We stand at the edge, Tyler making eyes at nearly every pretty girl in the place.

“How about her?” he asks, pointing to a buxom woman with curly hair. “Her tits are about to pop out of that dress. She’s looking for a hookup.”

I shake my head. “Not my style.”

He keeps doing this, pointing out women he assumes are up for an easy pickup.

I keep responding the same way, with total disinterest, until he finally shrugs and heads out on the dance floor with Mikhail and two young women looking to party.

I stand at the railing, watching the crowd and nursing the same beer I started with.

I wonder how many minutes I should stand here before I can go because I probably look creepy as fuck hanging out, staring into the crowd.

I shouldn’t have ever come with them tonight. This totally isn’t my thing.

I head to the upper deck, hopefully where I won’t look so awkward. There are several people up there, some already hot and heavy in the booths along the wall. I stand along the edge, watching the crowd below, when a blonde captures my attention.

I think that’s—could it be Talia? Damn. Yes, she’s totally Talia Wentworth.

She stands at the edge of the dance floor, much like I did just moments ago. In skinny, leather pants and a sleeveless, flowy top showing off her creamy skin, she looks really hot. Exactly my type if anyone’s asking.

Her thick glasses rest on her face, which is probably the only reason I recognize her, because she isn’t in her stiff work-wear. Her hair flows long and wavy around her shoulders, bright in the flashing club lights.

Wow, Talia is incredibly gorgeous tonight. I don’t like the thought of feeling attracted to someone I need to have a professional relationship with, but I can’t help it. And I can’t look away.

She stands alone, gripping a beer bottle and swaying to the music as she watches someone on the dance floor. I follow her gaze to see a young woman gyrating against some random guy, trying to wave her out to the floor to join them. Talia just laughs and shakes her head.

I watch her for the length of two songs, trying to decide if I should go down and talk to her.

I mean, this is a club. It’s outside the boundary of our professional relationship.

She’s probably out to have a good time or hook up or whatever.

Another song and at least two guys try to talk to her.

Her posture is awkward, and I can tell she’s either embarrassed or shy or not interested.

Both guys walk away empty-handed, a fact which makes me irrationally happy.

Since I’ve now been staring at her for four songs, I decide I should just go down and say hello, rather than looking like a serial killer up in the balcony.

I head back down the stairs, running into Tyler at the edge of the dance floor near where I last saw him.

He’s got a woman on each arm and Mikhail trails closely behind with another.

“One for each of us,” Tyler says proudly.

My gaze is still focused on Talia across the room. Tyler’s eyes narrow and he nods. “Okay. More for me, then. Quit being a fuckin’ creeper and go talk to her.”

Tyler’s got a point.

So as their little group wanders off to do whatever they can get away with in a public club, I decide to take the long walk over to talk to my sexy obsession.