Page 57 of Penalty Shot

We get it. You’re happily married, found your soul mate, blah, blah, blah.

“No one needs to hear about opera, man,” Lance says for all of us.

“We’re talking about Randi’s girl,” Sean offers from behind me.

“She’s not my girl. We’re friends.”

“Yeah, right,” Gordon snickers. “Tell your dick that.”

I open my mouth to object, but what’s the point? I have no control over my body’s reaction to Elise.

“She’s directing a play in Cleveland that I’m planning to watch this summer.”

“Exactly!” Logan pipes out of nowhere, apparently having his own internal conversation. I’m about to shut my e-reader and pretend to sleep so everyone will leave me alone, but Logan keeps going.

“Opera is like theater. Shakespearean with all the big emotions and stuff.”

“There’s one major difference,” I say. “Beatrice is a fan, while Elise is a freaking director. What if I don’t understand anything?”

Logan shrugs. “I never said I understood opera. Only that we listen to it together.”

Everyone rolls their eyes and starts dispersing because Logan is not going to shut up.

I, however, would like to demand a freaking explanation.

“For fuck’s sake, Logan, if you’ve got a point, make it already!”

“You don’t need to be an expert on the shit she’s into. What matters is you’rethere. The stage is a major aphrodisiac for some women. We watchedLa bohème,and there’s this duet that got Bea so hot and bothered…” He pauses. A grin spreads over Logan’s face that I am tempted to punch.

“Let thingsplay outand reap the benefits after. Pun intended, by the way,” he concludes.

While everyone within hearing distance cringes at this nonsense talk, the plane makes an unsteady lurch. It is divine intervention from Logan’s unwanted advice. The seatbelt sign lights up and everyone settles back into their seats.

Gordon, however, refuses to let the topic rest.

“That play in Cleveland isn’t going to last forever. She’ll be back. What’s the plan?”

Honestly, if you asked me that question when she first left, my answer would have beenpick up where we left off.Elise would call when she’s horny, and I’d be around, ready and willing to oblige. Fun times and casual sex, just the way we like it.

But now, I’m not so sure.

Because now, I know what her vintage posters look like and how damn hard she works.

I’ve heard the sound of her voice when she’s nervous and when she’s excited.

She’s given me a glimpse of that mind of hers, filled with creativity and brilliance.

And we’ve talked about things I’ve never shared before, not even with teammates who I basically spend most of my time with.

“I don’t have a plan. I’m not worrying about anything except winning the next game,” I declare, steering this conversation back to the hockey playoffs.

“You’re not worried she’s dating other guys?”

“What?”

He taunts me with his phone’s screen. “Guess you don’t care that she’s on Bumble.”

The benefit of being a goaltender is my reflexes are way faster than even the world-class athletes on this plane. His phone is in my grasp before he takes his next breath.