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Page 44 of Call the Shots (For The Arena #1)

BEAR

LIKE BEER ON A WHITE RUG

Before my shift at the Colo ended, I was called into Vernon’s office—which was stupid.

I was supposed to be supervising today’s renovations.

That meant yelling at my teammates not to stick their fingers in light sockets and yanking drills away from the guys who drilled too close to their dick for laughs.

Muttering under my breath, I knocked, preparing myself for whatever ridiculous bullshit my coach had prepared for me.

I opened the door to… Vernon’s office?

I stared into the nicest room in the Colo.

What the hell was he doing with a mini bar while our hockey arena was a do-it-yourself project?

I thought Elijah said this place was terrible?

I drank in the room, thinking of details I’d tell June later, when I spotted Vernon.

He sat behind his desk, a look of disinterest, while Riley smirked from the leather club chair.

Ah. Shit.

This didn’t feel good.

I didn’t notice Denali sitting on the couch. He had a hand curled over his face, like he found out we had to start making the pucks ourselves. “Bear? Can you take a seat?”

“What’s going on?” I frowned. “Is this about the checks?”

“It’s come to my attention that you’re encouraging your teammates to disregard the rules,” Vernon announced.

I didn’t know what to say. Uh, the bullshit rules? No frat parties, no disparaging the coach, no Kokomo, and the latest one, no nicknames. No fucking nicknames. I burst into laughter when I saw the poster. What the fuck was hockey without nicknames?

But how did Vernon know I didn’t care about the rules? He wasn’t around enough for that.

Ah.

The smug asshole in the leather armchair was.

“This isn’t my decision, Bear,” Denali interjected.

My frown deepened. “What decision?”

“If you won’t follow the basic expectations of college hockey, you don’t deserve the role of alternate captain,” Vernon announced.

I froze. “What?”

“You’re dismissed.”

“But, I—” I fumbled with my words, shocked. “Mom—Cleo—already ordered my gear for the season. I run practices twice a week?—”

His eyes dropped to his phone, checked out of the conversation. “Beau, you said you didn’t want the badge?—”

“When I got the badge! Shit’s changed!”

I couldn’t believe it. When I was voted in as alternate captain, I could’ve told them to suck my dick if they wanted me to do the extra work.

I could’ve! Instead, I kept track of gym slots, I did inventory checks, and I attended meetings with Denali, Cleo, and June.

I didn’t have to do any of that shit but I did!

“Riley Townsend will be taking your role.”

I swiveled over to stare at my replacement. A freshman who’d been part of college hockey for the summer was taking my role? A captain role? Riley’s lips curled for a deeper smirk, watching me flounder.

“This—I?—”

“Bear?” Denali said, his voice low. “Vernon’s agreed to release the checks if Riley’s appointed without issue.”

The fucking injustice astounded me. I was so close to unleashing on Vernon and Riley.

Calling them every name in the book, telling them to fuck off.

Anger burned hot in my chest, but the reality of the situation kept me rooted in place.

I thought about Montoya carefully counting his dollar bills at Gianna’s and Sully cancelling the trip to see his family because he couldn’t afford it.

Fuck.

There was anger—yeah—but even bigger than that were the swells of disappointment, welling up inside. Without another word, I stormed out of the office.

Fine. I never wanted the stupid captain role anyway.

“Bear?” Buttons called. “Where are you going?”

Montoya was next. “Bear?”

More and more of my teammates tried to get my attention on my way out of the Colo. My shift wasn’t done but I could only lie to myself for so long. The truth was, I worked fucking hard and maybe…

Maybe I wanted to be a good captain.

“ Fuck! ” ricocheted out of me. I slammed the front doors open, leaving my team behind.

My notebook had been specifically for captain duties, but it morphed into something else.

I hauled myself into bed with my pen in hand and wrote in loopy, illegible writing, scratching down everything I wanted to say to Coach and Riley until the words blurred together.

Swearing under my breath, I grabbed my phone, pulling up June’s contact before I thought it through.

I hesitated. My thumb hovered over the button to call.

I wanted to talk to her but if I did, it’d be me whining for an hour. Oh, boo hoo, I don’t get an A on my hockey gear. Yeah. Not boyfriend material, that’s for damn sure.

With a flick of my wrist, I tossed my phone away and buried myself in the notebook, scribbling the same sentence over and over again.

I want to call you so fucking bad

I could only stay in my dorm for so long before my teammates knocked on my door.

They knew I didn’t want to discuss what happened, but Fridge, Nick, and Montoya held a pizza night in Fridge and Nick’s dorm.

The three of them gamed while I ate a slice of pizza upside down on the chair, my legs looped over the back, head hanging off the cushion.

Watching June’s story on Vanysh.

I took another bite of pizza and clicked June’s story again, the seventieth or eightieth time.

The only good thing about the day.

Sparkly, shimmery silver clung to her hips like liquid heaven, swaying halfway down her thighs. This was what fabric was made for. Her hair was pulled up so only a few strands outlined her face, exposing the curve of her neck, bringing all attention to where the neckline plunged.

Her lips were dark red, and I was a big dumb bull every time I saw that color. And her eyes . Her eyes sparkled just as much as the dress.

It was the best part of my day by far.

Jeez. Round of applause. Encore, encore.

What does that dress look like from the back? I’m a visual learner.

“Can someone see if you replayed their Vanysh story?” I asked, trying to sound casual, because I didn’t know how I would’ve explained it.

“Uh, only the pictures you send to them,” Montoya answered. “Not the story.”

“If they could, June would press charges,” Nick replied. “I know you’re still watching it.”

Shit.

I clicked out of her story but that showed the last message I sent her.

me

great dress looks like a fun night have fun!

Nobody could’ve sent a more embarrassing text. I sounded like a dude fresh out of a bunker who was grateful to talk to a woman for the first time. I internally cringed reading it and cringed for real when I read June’s reply.

killer june

thanks!

Her big plans tonight included a fancy dinner while mine were losing my captain’s badge, pizza, and listening to Nick cuss out Fridge over Noped, a horror video game . My phone buzzed with the timer, and I sighed, motioning to Montoya.

“There’s a gory chimpanzee scene coming up.”

His hands flew to cover his eyes. Montoya was squeamish with the bloody parts, and I had to look up parental ratings to find the scenes he’d gag through.

“This is what we’re doing tonight,” I muttered listlessly, running a hand over my face. “Mom filled up my tank, we could go somewhere.”

“Nothing far,” Fridge warned. “If you’re late to practice, Vernon’s going to make you pay for it.”

Sure. Yeah. I pulled up one of those apps with local events and changed the zip code. There had to be something.

“Hey.” I swung over to sit in the chair properly. “There’s a ping pong tournament, no entry fee, and dollar wells night—that’s cheap liquor. Plus, it’s a tavern and a bar. Everybody can get in.”

“Where at?” Nick asked.

I cleared my throat. “Uh…Round Rock.”

“ What? ” He choked on his soda. “The city thirty minutes above Austin?”

“We’re seeing June?” Montoya asked.

“No,” Fridge said, his voice flat. “Something’s bound to happen and we’ll be late for practice.”

“June won’t wander to another city,” Nick snorted. “Is she supposed to buy this?”

“Why don’t you ask her if you can meet up?” Fridge pressed.

“Because that’s weird.”

“ That’s weird?” Nick demanded. “Not driving three hours for this? That’s not the weirder option? Weirdest option?”

“I had a shit day?—”

“I feel for you, man,” Fridge interjected. “We all do?—”

“I need to see June,” I blurted out.

No one said anything but Nick sighed, pushing his controller away.

“If I go by myself, it’s fucking weird, but if the four of us go…” When nobody argued, I continued. “You can sleep in the car on the way back, I swear you won’t be late for practice.” I raked a hand through my hair. “Montoya?”

“I’m down. I like ping pong. I miss June.”

“Fridge?”

“We have to leave by midnight. That’s where I call it.”

“Nick?”

“This is a terrible idea and whatever happens next will stain your life like beer on a white rug.”

“So you’re coming?”

“Fuck yeah.” He grabbed the last slice of pepperoni and shoved half in his mouth. “Somebody has to film this.”

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