Page 16 of Hockey Player Seeking Fan (Billionaires Seeking Wives Club #2)

I stare at him for a couple of seconds, and I realize that he's one of the good ones. He's one of the guys who would make me believe that my hypothesis—that true soulmates exist—was true. It was just that he wasn't my soulmate.

"You should call her. Call her right now," I say.

"I can't. She's at work."

"Well, why don't you go and order something and leave a really big tip?"

He throws his head back in laughter. "I don't have the money to do that," he says. "I wish."

"I mean, we could go and then I could leave a big tip on my credit card," I say.

"That's really nice of you, Erica, but there's just no way. I mean, I don't want her to know that I'm on a date." He wrinkles his nose. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything. I've made this awkward."

"You haven't. I guess what you want is cash, huh?"

"Yeah. I wish I had a stack of cash to put on the table." He shrugs. "Maybe one day she'll see me as something more than her friend."

"She's probably just overwhelmed with life," I say. "If she's got a kid and is working, and she's helping at the animal shelter and feeding the homeless...” I pause. “I mean, maybe I can think of a way to get some cash.”

“Oh, no. Oh my gosh, Erica, we are on a date. I'm sorry. I don't want you to think?—"

"No, hold on." I grab my phone. I consider calling Wes or Miles, but I know they'll think I'm a light touch, especially if I tell them I'm on a date.

But for some reason, I really want to help.

I don't even know Louise, but from having gotten to know John just a little bit, he seems like a really great guy.

He seems like a guy who would be a stand-up man. "Give me a second, okay?"

He stares at me and nods. I head out of the bar and place a call.

Tyler answers it within ten seconds. "Hey, how's it going? Date already over?"

"Well, not yet. I'm actually still with him, but?—"

"Oh, shit. Do you need me to come and save you again? It's not with Elliott again, is it? If it's with Elliott, I am going to lock you up and throw away the key."

"Tyler, you're not the boss of me. So if I wanted to date Elliott, I would. Number two, you don't own the jail system. And number three, if you try to lock me up and throw away the key, I would sue your ass for everything you have."

"Okay, then. May I ask why you're calling me on this lovely evening if you're on a date with someone who's not Elliott?"

"I'm calling because I'm on a date with this guy, John, and he is absolutely lovely."

"He's so lovely that you're calling me."

"Shut up, Tyler. Listen?—"

"Ooh, someone's a bossy boots now."

"I'm not. It's just—he's in love with someone else.

This girl Louise, and she's like a saint on earth.

She has a kid and is working at some restaurant, but she also helps animals and feeds homeless people…

Anyway, he's in love with her and wants to help make her life better.

And I thought maybe as a romantic gesture, he could go into the restaurant, order something, and leave her a huge tip and be like, 'I love you, would you like to go on a date? '"

"I mean, that sounds like a good idea. Why are you calling to tell me this?"

"Because he's a broke grad student, and I don't really have access to cash right now. And... well, I know you do. As a hockey player—I mean, you're the most famous hockey player in the world, right?"

"Oh, now you know that," he says, chuckling. “So are you asking me for a favor here?”

“I mean... maybe. Yes. Kind of. If you want to see true love prevail.”

“Why would I want to see true love prevail for a man you’re on a date with? Some random?”

“I don’t know. Because I want to think that you’re a good guy at the heart of it.”

“And how much money?”

“Maybe a thousand dollars.”

“A thousand dollars?” he yells.

“What? I mean—isn’t it enough that she sits up and thinks, wow, this guy is really trying to impact my life in a positive way ?"

"I mean, wouldn't that just mean she's a gold digger?"

"No. I mean, if you don't want to do it, it's fine. It's not like he's the one who had the idea. Just?—"

He lets out a deep sigh. "I'll be there in twenty minutes. Just let me know where you are."

"Oh my gosh. You're going to help?"

"Yeah, of course."

"Wow. Thank you, Tyler."

"It's fine. If you really think this is something that will positively impact their lives, then I'm more than happy to help. But you do know one thing."

"What?" I say.

"It means—it sounds like you're really and truly losing this bet."

"Why would you say that?"

"Maybe because you’re about to send the man you're on a date with into the arms of another woman."

I burst out laughing then. "So he's not the one for me. But you know what, Tyler?"

"No, Erica, what?"

"He does make me believe that the perfect man is out there for me.

Because he's on a date with me, and I'm kind of fabulous, and he's talking about her and how he wants to change her life.

I can see the love radiating in his eyes.

So maybe one day there's going to be a guy out there for me who thinks about me no matter who he's with. "

"Yeah, maybe. I mean, hopefully you meet him before time runs out."

"Don't worry, Tyler. I will. And then you'll be eating crow."

"I mean, I'd rather eat something else."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean something that ends in -ssy and doesn't go meow."

"Oh my gosh. You're disgusting."

"Well, I'm just being honest." He laughs. "Text me the details of where you are, and I'll be there soon, okay?"

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now go in and make that guy's night—even if it's not being with you."

"Yeah. Thanks."

I hang up, text him the details of the bar, and head back inside. John is sitting there, typing something on his phone. He looks up guiltily, his face red.

"Hey. I just wanted to apologize," he says in his polite Scottish accent. "I know this was meant to be a date between the two of us, and this was the first time you met me. You got so dressed up, and you look so pretty. And here I am like a prat, talking about?—"

"It's okay," I say. "She's the one for you. She's the love of your life. And lucky for you, I believe in soulmates. I've put in a word to a friend of mine, and we're going to see if we can help you out."

"What do you mean?"

"You'll see," I say, leaning back and smiling. "Why don't you order us two more drinks while we wait for Tyler to show up? And hopefully, that will give you some liquid courage to change your life tonight."

He stares at me for a couple of seconds and shakes his head. "I don't know how I got to match with someone like you. And I'm sorry that we weren't it for each other, but you're a really cool girl, Erica."

"You know what? Thank you."

"Why are you thanking me?" he asks.

"Because you've given me faith that I'm not living a pipe dream. You've given me faith that maybe somewhere out there, there's a man who's willing to do anything for me."