Page 2 of Blind Date with a #HOCKEYBOY (Love Canyon: Blind Date with a #BOOKBOYFRIEND #2)
QUINN
“ I f someone tried to explain to me the appeal of hockey romances before I sat down and read,” Tessa Meredith’s way-too -serious looking friend, introduced me to when we walked into the quaint and adorable bookstore just ten minutes ago, bemoaned, “I would’ve laughed at the absurdity of it.”
I snorted as Meredith raised her glass. “Which was why I sent you all those walk-in videos.”
Tessa grinned. “And the warm-ups.”
“Girls,” Meredith’s nana chastised, only half-serious given the smirk on her face, “let’s not sexualize the poor hockey players too much.”
The room buzzed with conversation as the ten or so women who had gathered for Love Canyon’s Book Club settled in, pouring wine.
At least Meredith was right about one thing—there was plenty of wine and cupcakes.
She refilled the glass I’d downed the second we sat down with a saucy grin.
Between her Nan and Aunt Marie (and she made me call her that, too), older than my great-grandma Clara, loudly proclaiming that the praise kink in our hockey romance selection was “top-tier kinkiness in my day,” I had more than one reason to be embarrassed. .
All the wine in the room might not be enough to hide my coexisting mortification—partly from the book’s content and partly from the unflinching enthusiasm of these older women..
Yes, the hockey romance had all the praise… along with things that made me blush and not know how to look these women in the eye. Until Tessa spoke up, that is.
Maybe it was the wine, or the way the others chimed in with unbridled enthusiasm, but the vibe shifted from crazy “what-the-hell-am-I-doing-here”moment to the kind of girls’ night I’d always dreamt of but kinda never knew.
At least on this level. Not that I grew up hanging out with the mean girls, but you never knew where or when they were going to pop up, and I learned long ago to avoid them at all costs.
“Is it really sexualizing if they’re fictional?” Tessa asked with a thoughtful expression. “Or are we just appreciating the hard work they put into their, um, physical attributes?’
Meredith burst out laughing. “No—and fuck yes.”
“Meredith!” Nan admonished half-heartedly. Meredith shrugged unapologetically and raised her glass before taking a drink.
“Seriously, is it ok to drool over fictional book boyfriends? Because I think that’s absolutely acceptable. It’s not like they exist,” Tessa added, scooting forward and pointing with her glass at Meredith. “Imagine finding a billionaire in Love Canyon?”
“There was at least one,” Nana teased with a wink. “”But I snatched him up.”
Clara snorted from the other side of the room. “You were just lucky I was preoccupied. And that he didn’t make it long enough for me to be single again.”
“He left this plane of existence extremely happy, Clara.”
The room erupted in laughter, and a few of the women started throwing out the ‘book boyfriends’ they had seen around town.
Maybe it was the buzz from the wine or the mental toll of the last few months, but something about the way Tessa sounded so earnest made laughter burst from me.
I grabbed Meredith’s arm and squealed, “Wait, is Love Canyon where all the book boyfriends hang out? Because if it is, I may never leave!”
She rolled her eyes. “We don’t have a hockey team, but we sure do have a few alphaholes.”
Nana’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “Anyone in particular?”
“Oh, no, I’m more of a stalker boy girl. Let him learn all about me, that way I don’t have to do as much work later.”
“Oooh, is there such a thing as an obsessed hockey boy?” I asked with a giggle.
“Because after the non-obsessed fiancé, I feel like that would be something I’d love to try out!
” The wineglass didn’t make it to my lips, and I glared at Meredith, who had her hand on it.
“You’re the one who promised wine, Mere. Don’t go back on your word now.”
My best friend laughed and held her hands up in surrender. “Never let it be said I go back on my word. Obsessed, huh?”
“Are we talking stalker obsessed, because I think that’s Meredith’s choice,” Tessa said, straightening her ponytail, “or like, sweet and semi-obsessed?”
I thought about it for a moment before answering, tapping my chin. “Middle. Too obsessive, and you have to worry if he’s going to chain you up in the basement or some shed somewhere. Too sweet, and it’s clingy.”
“Yessss,” Andrea. “Because then you have to worry if he’s clingy like your three year old who can’t even let you go to the bathroom without trying to get in with you. Trust me, that type of obsession? Not fun.”
Tessa shook her head vehemently. “Definitely agree. On both. Being tied up can be fun, but-”
“Tessa Anne!” Nana admonished as she laughed.
Meredith nudged her Nan. “Told you it’s always the quiet ones.”
“Indeed!” Clara cackled.
“And the hockey boy thing makes you realize he can throw down, hang a suit, and the warm-up routine? There’s a reason I follow a few team’s socials, just saying, especially after realizing how disappointing my ‘relationship’ really was,” I rolled my eyes with a giggle. “Imagine the toss you arou-”
“Quinn!”
“Mere!”
“Ooooh, imagine if it was like those,” I flung my hand in the direction of the colorfully wrapped books below the pink neon sign that said, ‘ Blind Date with a Book Boyfriend’ and grinned. “Just pick your type and voila !”
Nan and Aunt Marie exchanged a look. Meredith whipped her head back and forth, eyeing the two women suspiciously. She pointed her finger at the two of them, “Oh no, you don-”
“Maybe you should try out a hockey boy, then, Quinn.” Nana said as she reached over Meredith who started sputtering and handed me a delicious looking chocolate cupcake,
I snorted and gestured around the room. “No hockey team close by currently.”
“Maybe not a team, but,” Aunt Marie hedged. “I may know of a few players coming to town. This week, in fact. Seems like a shame to waste the opportunity.”
A giddy giggle escaped before I could stop it.
“Waste not want not!” And with much not-so-sober gusto, I shoved half of the cupcake into my mouth.
Out of the corner of my eyes, I noticed Nan lean over and whisper into Meredith’s ear.
Meredith’s eyes widened then she threw her head back with gleeful laughter, nodding at the same time.
“Well,” she drawled and grabbed a strawberry cupcake. It was close to Valentine’s Day after all, so the pink felt oddly cheerful despite the fact I was single. “The best way to get over a douchebag might be to get under a #hockeyboy!”
“Meredith! A blind date is not a hook-up!”
My bestie rolled her eyes. “Sure, Nan. And this book,” she picked up with a grin, “isn’t filled with all the book boyfriend inspiration a bookworm and her book club could ever want. Looks like the Blind Date Book Club is expanding to more than just a book to take home!”
“Wait, what did I just agree to?” I asked, suddenly regretting demanding all that wine.
Aunt Marie patted my hand. “Just leave the details to us, sweetheart. And you just show up for your #hockeyboy.”
Why did I feel like I was going to regret more than just the wine?