Page 22 of No Shot (The Toronto Tundra #2)
Penn
Never in my life has a single moment consumed my waking thoughts—until last night.
It was different, I felt it.
Seeing her come undone for me was next-level erotic. I ’ ve been replaying her every moan, every gasp, every sigh, constantly. Last night when I couldn ’ t sleep, this morning in the shower, even now, sitting in my stall in this empty locker room.
I can ’ t escape it, and I don ’ t want to. I needed to clear my head for a little bit. I thought a distraction might do me some good, instead of wasting the rest of my morning daydreaming about my neighbor. Hence, why I ’ m at the rink forty minutes before I have to be.
Theo steps into the room, drenched in sweat. Does this guy have a home? I swear, if I hadn ’ t been to his place, I ’ d firmly believe he lives here. “ Bro, what are you doing here this early?”
He shakes his head, smiling to himself. “ Could say the same for you, Brooksy. I wanted to get a quick workout in before practice.”
“ Define quick workout, Benson. You ’ re fucking drenched right now.”
“ Strength training and shuttle runs,” he admits, grabbing a towel and wiping his forehead. Damn, this kid is a machine.
“ Aren ’ t you tired?” He shrugs.
“ Tired is a state of mind. It ’ s just a lack of willpower. Training your brain to push past exhaustion—that ’ s 90% of the battle.” Yep, that ’ s Theo for you. Hockey prodigy Yoda.
“ You ’ re a legend. I ’ ve been trying to keep up with all the mental stuff, too. Ya know, visualizing and shit, trying to keep all my attention on my game, but I uh, got a little distracted last night.”
Theo, the monk, doesn ’ t seem to have the same distraction problems. Yet, he still let me bitch about how hard it was for me to give up my favorite pastime—women. He ’ s a supportive friend and an even better teammate.
“ Ohh.” Understanding finally dawns on him. “ Well, do you feel like it ’ s broken your focus?”
“ If anything, I ’ m hyper-focused.” On her that is…
“ That ’ s good.” He nods, shooting water into his mouth from his water bottle. “ Progress isn ’ t always linear, and everyone ’ s path to success is different. What works for me might not work for you. You ’ ve got to find your own way—push yourself, dig deep, and own your journey.”
Damn it, how do I get this guy to be my life coach? I swear he ’ s in the wrong profession. Mind you, I bet he ’ d crush it no matter what he does. I just need to find my own path and figure out what works for me.
Bri Campbell most definitely works for me.
She had to have noticed it too. The spark.
The connection. I wanted to spend the rest of the night with my arms wrapped around her.
Fall asleep with her hair in my face, hearing her steady breaths on my pillow.
I ’ ve never wanted that… ever. I can ’ t wait to see her again.
By the time the rest of the boys shuffle in, thirty minutes have passed.
Theo, like usual, has been walking me through new focus techniques.
It ’ s just the kind of guy he is, always helping.
Jack marches in, slumps into his stall next to me, and offers a fist bump, which I return before starting to get dressed for practice.
“ So…” Scott ’ s booming voice bounces off the walls of the circular locker room. I ’ m pretty sure Captains always have commanding voices. It ’ s like a job requirement or something…
“ I hear congratulations may be in order.” He looks over expectantly at Jack. Jack, on the other hand, blinks rapidly like Scott just asked him to explain quantum physics.
“ Uhh… what for, Cap?”
Scott looks flustered, brows pulling together. “ I heard Mia and Cami talking this morning. Mia said she told you she was ready for the next step. Did she not mention that to you?”
“ Oh yeah, she said that to me a few days ago.” Jack continues on his skates. Scanning the room, I ’ m relieved to see everyone else having the same reaction. I look at him slack-jawed.
“ What?” he mouths to me, before taking in all the attention around the room. Oh, this poor, clueless oaf…
I take pity on him. “ That means she wants to get engaged.”
Jack ’ s face transforms to one of disbelief. “ To be wed?”
“ Obviously…” He swallows hard, looking to me for reassurance.
“ To me ?” Oh god, this guy is hopeless.
“ No, to me, you idiot. Surprise! I ’ m running off with the love of your life. I ’ ve built Bean a nice cat tree in my apartment, and he ’ s going to call me step-daddy Penn.” I shove his shoulder, trying to knock some sense into him. “ Yes to you.”
He looks down at his hands, rubbing them on his legs. “ She, she wants to marry me ?”
“ Yes,” the group of us sing-song. Damn it, man, keep up.
“ I need to get a ring.” He pulls up his phone, searching for the nearest jewelry stores. “ Today.” Atta boy, the guy ’ s not wasting any time.
He pauses for a beat, lifting his head to look at me. “ She ’ s going to be my wife, man.” I swear I see a faintest glisten of a tear in his eyes. The guy who ’ s broken more bones than I can count without so much as an ‘ ouch ’ , getting emotional over his girl.
“ I ’ m so happy for you.” I pull him into a hug. He and Mia, they ’ re something special. Never in my life have I seen Jack as happy as he has been the past year. Everything changed for him the moment they met. I could always tell they were going to be endgame. He deserves this.
“ Help me pick out the ring?”
“ Course, Brody.”
***
Staring down at my phone, I open my messages for what feels like the fiftieth time in twenty-four hours.
My message to Bri is still unanswered. I should have known when I sniped the number off of Scott ’ s phone that she ’ d have read receipts off.
As if showing whether or not she ’ s viewed a message is too personal or something.
Me: Hey, Bridgette. It ’ s Penn.
Damn, reading it back makes me cringe. Why the fuck did I go so formal?
She must have seen it by now… I sent it after practice yesterday .
Yet, radio silence. This has literally never happened to me.
Sure, I ’ ve got quite a few messages stored on my phone that I didn ’ t have time to respond to.
A few girls sending me texts every now and again to hang out, but I ’ ve never been the one left on read. Feels shitty.
She had a good time, too, right? I mean, it sure sounded like it. I feel like I would ’ ve been able to tell if she was faking it… Yet, a twinge of insecurity passes through me.
No, there ’ s simply no way she ’ s that good of an actress. So the question remains, why hasn ’ t she texted back?
That ’ s it, we ’ re getting to the bottom of this once and for all.
I throw on the first clothes I can find and make the five steps to her apartment.
It ’ s early, barely eight, and I feel like she should be home.
I wait, straining my ears to listen for signs of life on the other side of the door.
When I pick up nothing, I pivot, like the professional I am.
The night we bumped into each other at the museum, I overheard her and Cami chatting about her job. She started working as a barista…
I cross my fingers as I stroll over to Java, the coffee shop across the street. The bell above jingles as I step inside.
“ Hi, welcome to Java!” a sunny voice calls out.
I should work for the FBI, honestly, my investigation skills are top-notch.
Despite her disguising her usual spunky voice, there ’ s no doubting the girl in front of me.
Dark, chestnut hair pulled into a ponytail, the fiercest blue eyes you ’ ve ever seen, and a smile that I rarely get to be on the receiving end of.
That ’ s Bri alright. Though a customer service variation.
Her face drops for a split second, looking around, probably to search for an escape.
But that ’ s the best part of my brilliant plan.
She can ’ t dodge me if she ’ s on the clock.
Looks like she realizes too, sending one final dagger with her eyes before she pops her customer service face back on. Mwahahaha, suckah.
“ What can I get for you, sir ?” Oh fuck. She ’ s trying to pretend she doesn ’ t know me, but that name coming out of her mouth? Bliss.
“ Medium coffee, cream and sugar, please.”
“ Coming right up.” I pay, then dottle in place, trying to find my words, but she rises on her tippy toes and leans around me. “ Next!” she shouts way louder than necessary. I ’ m telling you, the pair of lungs on her… oof.
Taking the hint, I move down past the bakery display to stand by the open counter for my order. She seems surprised, but if she thinks I ’ m giving up that easy, she ’ s sorely mistaken.
The guy who was standing behind me looks way too pleased to be ordering a coffee, and it pisses me off.
He eyes Bri. Her black apron tied tight around her waist, her dark blue sweater making her eyes shine brighter than I ’ ve ever seen them.
She ’ s gorgeous, obviously, but I don ’ t want other people noticing that. Let alone doing anything about it.
“ I haven ’ t seen you here before, are you new?” the lawyer-looking-loser asks her.
“ Just started a few weeks ago,” she replies. Her smile doesn ’ t look forced like it was a second ago; it ’ s warm. It ’ s the same one that takes my breath away the few times I ’ ve seen it. She keeps it hidden most of the time, and this guy doesn ’ t deserve it.
I barely register my name being called as I survey the situation unfolding. Thankfully, the dude pays for his drink and moves along, but still. I don ’ t like it. Coffee in hand, I walk back over to her, seizing my opportunity now that the line has completely dispersed.
“ I texted you.” Nice, Penn. No hello? No small talk? Bruh.
“ School ’ s been busy,” she replies. I guess that makes sense, but still, not even a reaction? Shoot me a heart at least. Shit, I ’ ll even take a sarcastic thumbs up.
“ You ’ re avoiding me, huh?” Her eyes shoot up, and I realize, to my relief, I hit the nail on the head.
“ I ’ m not.” She tries to sound firm, but her eyes give her away. She has this uncanny ability to mask with her words, but I ’ m getting better at sussing out her true feelings. She ’ s like the world ’ s most frustrating puzzle.
“ It ’ s 'cus you ’ ve fallen head over heels for me, isn ’ t it?” The eyeroll that gets me is enough to power me through the rest of the day. Ugh, her sass. I thrive on it now. “ Even being in my presence right now makes you burn with desire, doesn ’ t it?”
“ Are you done?” she fires back. “ I have customers to take care of.“ She looks around the room at… the whole four of us still in the shop, all of whom have already been helped.
“ Fine, if you ’ re not avoiding me, I guess that means you ’ ll be at the game tonight, right?”
“ Can ’ t I have an exam on Friday. Need to study.”
“ Alright, nerd . Tomorrow, then, groceries.” It looks like she ’ s about to object. “ I promise to have you home by seven, Grandma.” Ha, try making up an excuse for that.
She sighs, the delightful defeat I love to see in our little sparring matches. “ Fine, tomorrow.”
I ’ m excited to grocery shop. What has my life come to?