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Chapter Two

THE WINGWOMAN

~~Juniper~~

What sucks about being a wingman, or wingwoman, is that you often get left out in the cold. Not intentionally, but it’s still hard all the same. My life plan didn’t include being alone at twenty-eight, yet here I am, just that.

It’s been four years since I dropped everything and moved away from the only life I’ve ever known to follow my bestie, Caroline Black, to Seattle. Now she’s married, and I’m without my partner in crime.

I have a long track record of picking the wrong guys, ranging from abusive assholes, drug addicts, con artists, criminals, and outlaw bikers, to the one I married, who’d been all of the above. Our union only lasted about a year and ended over eight years ago. He’s currently serving time in prison for beating his next wife so badly she almost didn’t live. But the damage he did to my life has been irreparable, including his complete destruction of my relationship with my family. They’ve had nothing to do with me since.

My sour mood is directly related to my dalliance with my on-again-off-again hookup, Levi Widmer, which came to a screeching halt a few days ago. More upset than I should be considering the nature of our relationship, I called in sick to work on Monday and Tuesday, which isn’t exactly a mature thing to do.

To save face, I pretended that I’d been considering breaking it off with him, as we were going nowhere. Truth of the matter is that I’d been toying with suggesting we take our relationship to the next level. Obviously, I wrongly interpreted his actions and assumed he was on the same page. Instead, he dumped me with very little explanation. My faith in my ability to read people has been decimated. When I gazed into Levi’s eyes these past few weeks, I could’ve sworn he was developing the same feelings for me that I was for him. Only he wasn’t.

I have to work today, even if my heart isn’t in it. I go through the motions of getting ready for work and head out the door with fifteen minutes to spare. Being late after missing two days wouldn’t be a wise thing to do.

My phone rings as I pull out of my apartment parking lot. It’s Caro, who also happens to be the wife of Seattle Sockeyes hockey player Easton Black and Levi’s teammate. I’ve been avoiding her since Sunday after Levi and I split. I haven’t been in the mood to discuss how I feel with anyone, even her.

With a resigned sigh, I answer the phone via my hands-free system in my car. “Hey, how are you?” I fake a forced cheerfulness that she’ll immediately see through, but I have to make the effort to sound normal.

“Where the hell have you been? I’ve been worried sick, and you really don’t want to piss off a very cranky, very pregnant woman.”

She’s right about that. “I’ve been licking my wounds and didn’t want to talk about it.”

“What? Why? What’s going on?” she demands.

“My life sucks right now.” I shouldn’t be starting a pity party thirty minutes before work, but I can’t help it.

“Spill, woman, and don’t leave out any details.”

I do just that, giving her the entire rundown of my last Sunday morning with Levi. “I’m humiliated to admit he dumped me, but even worse is when he said I’m too old and boring.”

“You? Old? Boring? What the fuck is wrong with that guy?”

I shrug even though she can’t see the gesture. “Yeah, what the fuck?” Sure, there’s a six-year age gap between us, but that’d never bothered him before.

“Did Celeste put those ideas in his head? She’s been vying for his attention since he made the team out of training camp.”

“I don’t think so, but who knows? I did shoot back by claiming he’s too young and immature, which is a tragically hilarious accusation considering the source.” Most people consider me immature for my age. I’ve yet to outgrow the partying lifestyle of my early twenties. But maybe this is just the thing I need to grow up. After all, I didn’t go out and hook up with a random after he dumped me.

“Well, at least you gave him a little of his own medicine. You’re better off without him, Junie. You deserve so much, and Levi can’t give you what you need.”

“I know.” I’m very aware that Caro didn’t approve of my relationship with Levi, or whatever it was we had. But then, she hasn’t approved of any of the guys I’ve dated, probably for good reason.

“Well, good riddance. Next time, let me pick the guy.”

“You?” I laugh because Caro and I have completely different taste in men. She prefers the stable, homebody type, and I prefer the irresponsible, go-out-and-party-all-night type. Now that I think about it, maybe I should let her choose. I’m not getting any younger.

“Yes, me.”

“You’ll probably do a better job at it.”

“You’re damn right.”

“Hey, I need to wrap up this convo. I’m almost to work.”

“Speaking of work, how’s it going?”

Caro’s fully aware I’m having issues at my dead-end job I’ve held at a car dealership since I came to Seattle four years ago. The manager is a pig who disrespects women. I’m one of the few women who works there, and the only one under fifty. He’s been sexually harassing me. Finally, last week I went over his head to a member of the ownership group. Their response encouraged me, and I’m hoping for good news when I show up this morning at work. Caro’s aware of all this.

“I’m embarrassed to admit that I called in sick the last two days.”

“Junie—” I hear the chastisement in her voice, and I deserve it.

“You know the situation. And with the Levi thing, I couldn’t face going into that crappy place.”

“You’re pretty upset about Levi, aren’t you?”

“I guess. He did me a favor. I was getting too attached, and you know disaster strikes whenever I do that.”

“Only because you don’t pick the right guys.”

“I know, you don’t need to remind me. I have to go. I’m here.”

“I love you, my friend. Let me know how it goes. I’ll see you tonight?”

“You will. I promise.”

I park my ancient car in the back lot and hurry into the office. I do the grunt work here—whatever the guys don’t want to do or consider beneath them. I stay because the benefits are good compared to other jobs I’m qualified for such as waitress and bartender. In other words, I’ve spent the majority of my adult life enjoying myself rather than getting an education to further my nonexistent career.

My butt is barely in my chair when my boss calls me into his office. His expression is grim, and I know I’m in deep shit. Perhaps going over his head to the owner wasn’t such a good idea after all.

“After careful consideration and discussion with the owner, we believe it’s best you seek employment elsewhere.”

“But I’ve been here four years and never had a bad review.”

“Pack your things, and I’ll have Ron escort you out.”

“But—”

“Your employment here is at will. We aren’t obligated to provide a reason. That’s all.”

It’s not in my nature to take unfair treatment sitting down, but I’m still recovering from the Levi shock and don’t have it in me to fight. He stands, and Ron, the security guard, appears in the doorway. I shoot one defiant glare in his direction before stomping off. Ron follows me as if he thinks I’m going to steal everything that’s not nailed down. As he hovers over me, I throw my belongings into a car part box.

The other employees avoid me as if I’m contagious, but I feel their judgmental eyes on me. I didn’t particularly like this job. It wasn’t rewarding or challenging, but it was a steady paycheck with steady hours and weekends off. That’s hard to find with my limited qualifications.

Shit. And I’m down a roommate, which means the rent is 100 percent my responsibility, though Inga did insist on paying half of next month’s rent. I argued against it, but now I’m grateful I lost that argument.

Tonight, the Sockeyes play their next playoff game, and I’m supposed to attend with Caro and sit in the WAGs suite. I’m not in the mood, especially if Celeste and her band of bitches are there. If she knows about Levi and me, she’ll be sure to rub it in.

There’s nothing like playoff hockey, and I need to go no matter what disasters life throws at me. If we win tonight, we advance to the second round. If we lose, our season is over.

I won’t let Levi and Celeste keep me from the sport I love. Damn it.

I’m going. I’ll have fun, and I’ll worry about how to pay my bills tomorrow.

Besides, Levi truly should mean nothing to me. He’s a good fuck, and that’s it. We didn’t have a future, and we both knew it. I’m the one who walks away from guys without a backward glance, and I’ll do that with him. I’m not sure why I’m dwelling on him. There’re tons of other hot guys in the sea, or in this case, on the team. I’ve never been a one-guy woman, except for my defunct and dysfunctional marriage. Why start now and with someone as immature and irresponsible as Levi?

I’m better off without him. Hell, I’m probably better off without any man in my life. All the males of the species have ever done is cause me grief. Getting two cats is looking better every day once I can afford cat food.

For now, I need to work on me. Two doors might’ve closed, but the window of opportunity is still open.