Page 61 of Hockey Halloween
Teddy
In oversized sweats, Teddy curled on her sofa, hair piled into a high, messy ponytail, a blue mud mask on her face.
She sipped a Diet Coke through a straw and checked the team’s TikTok account for the thousandth time since she’d posted the “Thriller” video.
The video itself had skyrocketed, especially during the game, and it continued to climb.
Better? The team Tok account had gotten thousands of new follows, and they kept coming.
Post game chatter played low in the background from the TV.
The Sinners had won in Los Angeles after a less-than-stellar game in San Jose on Wednesday.
She’d talked Archer through the loss, pointed out that his own performance had been on point.
Reese just had a bad night. It must have helped, because Archer had been on fire tonight, lighting the lamp twice.
For sure he’d be out celebrating with the guys, so she’d decided to indulge in some self-care and online boutique browsing.
It was an add-to-cart kinda night. As she was scrolling fall sweaters, Archer’s picture popped up on her screen along with a video chat request.
She gasped and threw her phone down, her hands flying to her face and the blue mud caked all over it.
It was Halloween, but he didn’t need this kind of scare.
Not yet anyway. They’d just barely started fake dating.
She grabbed the folded paper towel she’d been using as a coaster for her Diet Coke and clawed the mask off as fast as she could.
With her fingertips, she checked all over for any she’d missed, but her skin felt smooth.
With a sigh, she accepted the request on her phone.
Archer’s stomach dropped as the video request rang and rang while he sat on the edge of the bed in his hotel room.
They’d kept it to texts since he’d been gone, but he’d dialed her up on a whim.
She wouldn’t be sleeping yet…he didn’t think.
Just as he was about to cancel the request, she picked up.
At least, he thought it was her. Without makeup, she looked less runway and more like the girl next door.
Pink in her cheeks, freckles, natural dark lashes that weren’t quite as long as usual.
The ponytail really sealed the innocence.
Or it would have if not for the trademark teasing spark in her light eyes.
He cleared his throat. “I didn’t wake you, did I?”
She grinned. “It’s only eleven. Congrats on the game! I thought you’d be out with the team.”
His cheeks warmed, and it spread down his chest. Compliments from Teddy hit differently.
She hit differently. He shoved a hand back through his hair, still a little damp from the post-game shower.
“Yeah, they asked me, but we have an early morning flight to Seattle, and I’m apparently the only one who can’t sleep on planes. ”
Teddy tsked and shook her head, ponytail swinging from shoulder to shoulder behind her. “The goal is to assimilate, remember?”
“I’m doing better, I think. I tried those tips you gave me in San Jose, and I was the life of the party without actually having to say much.
I promise I’ll go out after tomorrow night’s game.
Besides, when I told them I wanted to come back to the hotel to talk to you, they gave me no grief. Having a girlfriend rocks.”
She laughed then stuck out her tongue. “Happy to be of service. ”
The day’s tension melted from him, replaced by something warm and steady. “And hey, congrats to you too. Cole showed me the video you posted of us. Looks like it really took off.”
She beamed at that, and it lit him up from the inside out. Lines were starting to blur, but he wasn’t about to point that out. He didn’t mind it. He smiled. “I guess we don’t make such a bad team.”
Teddy turned her head to one side, cheek to her shoulder, eyes closed in a teasing, shy, “aww shucks” gesture.
Archer leaned closer to his phone and squinted. “Did you…have a Smurf for dinner?”
Her eyes flew open, and she felt around her mouth, brushing off something blue, but the rest of her turned red. She groaned and covered the rest of her face with that hand. “I didn’t think I’d be seeing anyone, so I had a mud mask on. You’re not supposed to witness this.”
He grinned. “Like you could ever be anything but breathtakingly beautiful.” Shit . He really just said that. Thinking was one thing. He’d been thinking it since she rescued him on the Vegas Strip. He froze. “I mean…”
As she lowered her hand, her eyes widened, and then her features softened before the edge of her mouth curved up in a small smile. “Archer.”
He swallowed. “Yeah?”
“Thank you.” She said it with a sincerity that hinted she could tell how much he meant it.
Feeling exposed and a little terrified but oddly okay with it because of how she was looking at him, he nodded.
He didn’t want to hang up, but it was getting late, and he needed to be rested for one more chance to prove himself before they got back to Vegas.
“I should go. I just…wanted to check in with you.” Wanted to see her, hear her voice.
In a short time, she was starting to mean a lot.
Only she didn’t know how real it was for him.
She studied him quietly, her gaze gentle and searching. Then she nodded and smiled. “Get some sleep, Reid.”
“See you when I get back?” He would, undoubtedly, but couldn’t resist making sure .
“Oh, I guess, but now you’ve seen behind my curtain of mystery, and there’s no magic anymore,” She teased, waving a hand up and down herself from bare face to faded sweatshirt that hung off her shoulder. If only she knew how sexy that was.
“Sure there is.” Where was his filter tonight? Definitely not between his brain and his mouth.
She paused like he’d caught her off-guard then smiled and shook her head. “All right, off with you before my ego outgrows my apartment.”
He chuckled. “Goodnight, Teddy.”
“Goodnight, Archer.”
He pressed the end call button then fell back against the mattress and sighed, sliding a hand over his face. Good thing he had game on the ice, because off? Zero. Something else he’d have to work on.