Page 23

Chapter 23

Jessie

It turned out that being Ben’s fake girlfriend wasn’t as hard as I imagined it might be. Thursday morning, he drove me to work. We sang and laughed, drinking coffee. He really was doing everything he could to cheer me up about the Cole situation. For brief periods, I’d forget how much I was betrayed. It was nice.

Thursday night, Mikey had a game and I was in bed when he got home. I briefly woke up as he thumped into bed, groaning so loud it could shake the earth. Sweet as he can be, he’s still the loudest man in the world.

“Tired?” I asked, rolling over to look at him.

“Wiped,” he moaned, then wiggled his eyebrows. “Can I score a snuggle, girlfriend?”

I laughed, worming my way over to him. I supposed we were just accepting that physical part of our relationship. Friendship. Whatever it was. “Sure.” But when I got close, I got a whiff of him. “Ugh, you smell like a bar.”

“We went out after the game,” he said. “Mom and Aunt Lori are bad influences. I left my car at the arena.”

“I should have known you three couldn’t be trusted. Your shoulder do okay in the game?”

“Sore, but okay. Look at you asking questions like a real girlfriend,” he joked, jostling me gently.

“I think we’re actually friends now. I’m comfortable calling it that.”

“Really, Jessie?”

“Really. Now shut up and go to sleep.”

When my alarm went off a mere three hours later, I had to pry Ben’s heavy arm off my middle. As I scooted to the edge of the bed, he tried to pull me back.

“Tell them you’re sick,” he mumbled.

“No. I’ll see you tonight. Be careful out there,” I said. He was already knocked out again by the time I got out of the bathroom. I had to smile at his form in the bed: one arm dramatically draped over his eyes and the other stretched out to the side. Who was this loud, snuggly, big-living creature that had blown up my life?

I got home from work on Friday to find a big black box with a shiny purple ribbon on the counter with my name on it. I couldn’t go to his Thursday game, but I had no excuse for Friday. I’d be going to the game with Mikey’s mom, Aunt Lori, and Kitty. He’d been so sweet about everything that I felt like I owed him the favor. And professional hockey is supposed to be fun, right?

“We can skip the WAG suite. I had Guy get us some seats down low,” Kitty said. “It’s hard enough that you have to pretend to be his girlfriend while his mom is there. No sense subjecting yourself to WAG scrutiny.”

Opening the box he’d left for me on the counter, I found an explosion of Princes gear: his jersey, 27 with MIKNEVICIUS across the back, a Princes pajama set, and a round neck long-sleeved tee, plus a big water tumbler thing. He left a little note inside on Princes’ stationery.

You’ll look great in these. You can’t wear the jammies to the game, though. Your legs’ll get cold. Anybody hates on you, they answer to me. See you tonight, Sweet Cheeks. -Jockey

The note was Mikey in a nutshell: protective, thoughtful, silly, sweet, and somewhere in there, thuggy.

* * *

Debbie, Lori, and I met Kitty outside the arena. Debbie and Lori wore Mikey’s jersey, and I had on the Princes long-sleeved tee he’d gotten me with some jeans. It was a hair too tight, but Kitty told me it would be a faux pas to wear Mikey’s jersey as his girlfriend. Thank God for Kitty Gatto.

“It’s so nice to finally meet you! Ben’s said so much about you over the years. I’m a little starstruck,” Debbie gushed to Kitty as she hugged her.

“And how wild that you and Jessie work together!” Lori said after introductions were made.

“Shall we go in? I could use a Friday night beer,” Kitty said.

We fought through the crowd, and someone from the Princes’ staff stopped by our seats to get our drink orders. I’d never been to a hockey game, much less with VIP treatment. I could get used to that. He returned with a tray of drinks, one of which had a lime in it. I scrunched my nose in confusion when it was handed to me.

“Miknevicius specifically requested that you get Bud Light Lime, which we don’t have, so you get a Bud Light with lime,” he explained. My stomach jumped and my ears grew hot. Mikey had thought of me enough that he wanted me to have my drink of choice.

We thanked the man and cheers’ed our drinks. “Don’t you think we should do a shot?” Debbie asked.

“I heard y’all went out last night and got a little wild,” I said skeptically. “Mikey smelled like booze when he came in.”

“That was yesterday. This is today!” Lori said.

“Alright, then,” Kitty said, going along with it. “When they come back around, I’ll have them bring the WAG intermission shot early.”

I widened my eyes at her and she just patted my leg. I squeezed my lime into my beer as Kitty perked up. “Here they come!”

Pucks were knocked off the wall by the benches and players poured out of the tunnel. I surprised myself with how proud I was when I saw number 27 hit the ice. There was Mikey, as big as I hadn’t expected him to be. I mean, yeah, he’s big anyway, but still, I don’t know what to call it, narrower than I thought hockey players were? And there he was being all broad and padded up and big. Debbie and Lori let out a long yell when he sank his first practice shot into the net.

“It never gets old,” Lori said, grasping my hand. “We watched him grow up and now here he is. It must feel wild for you! You’ve never seen him play.”

“I, just, there he is,” I managed, actually getting kind of emotional seeing him work. What the fuck was that? He was beautiful. And like, really fast? While he waited for his next practice shot at the back of the line, he found me and made a drinking motion. I shot him a thumbs-up. He blew me a kiss and waved at his mom and aunt.

While the rest of the team did various drills, he skated over to the glass. We were a few rows back. Debbie and Lori ran down to him and dragged me with them.

Debbie babbled with him about some technical whatnot about his shots and the game. She was, I assumed, a hockey mom through and through. Mikey listened to her but kept cutting his eyes to me. As soon as he could get a word in edgewise, he turned to me.

“You look nice in the team colors, Sweet Cheeks,” he said, all heart-eyed and simpy. I thought I was immune to his charms, but not so. I got butterflies from the compliment. His expression was so believable.

It was just the beer, right? Sometimes a single beer could make me feel all in love.

“Thanks. You look... big,” I returned. Debbie cackled.

“Told you I would,” he smirked.

“Let me get y’all’s picture!” Debbie crooned. “First hockey game with a hockey boyfriend and all!”

“Oh, okay. Sure.” I handed her my phone.

I put my back to the glass, looking to Mikey through it for guidance. He kept going with his enamored expression, reassuring me with his eyes. Debbie must have snapped one with us like that, because then she said, “Now look at me!”

We posed. “Let me get one of you three!” I said to Debbie.

“Oh no, a selfie with all of us! Laura’s going to love seeing Benny’s girlfriend,” Debbie insisted. “Benny’s sister would love you, Jessie. I hope you get to meet her soon.” Kitty jumped up to take our picture.

Whatever googly-eyed feelings I was getting from the hunk of a man on the other side of the plexiglass were muddled by the inclusion in Mikey’s family. People I didn’t know would think we were together. Ben’s sister would think we were together. Kitty shot me a nervous grimace followed by a big smile, a show that I wasn’t insane and this situation was just insane.

So I went along with it, but also made Debbie, Lori, and Mikey pose solo. That way, when I was out of his life, they’d still have this memory.

Mikey banged on the glass one more time and beckoned me close. I walked down.

“See ya later, darlin’.”

“Have a good game, Jockey,” I said, physically unable to stop smiling when he was being all cute with me.

“Kiss for Daddy?” he asked.

“I am not kissing this nasty glass, Benjamin. But thanks for my beer order.”

“Anything for my woman,” he said with a wink. “Thanks for coming. I’ll see you after.”

Then he pulled off his helmet, gave the glass an exaggerated kiss that left a smear mark, laughed at my horror, and skated off to sign a puck for a kid. My face and ears were on fire.

At that point, there were many, many people I didn’t know who thought we were together.

* * *

My first hockey game was generally a success. Debbie and Kitty went out of their way to tell me what was going on with various plays and calls. I focused on Guy and Mikey when they were in. It was easier to focus on the game through the lens of one or two players. Much less intimidating that way.

“Guy’s a forward, so he’s more of an offensive player. Mikey’s defense, but he can still score goals if the opportunity comes up,” Kitty explained.

I still didn’t understand what icing was, but in general, I knew if there was a whistle, somebody was in at least a little bit of trouble.

In the second period, Mikey got in big enough trouble to go to the penalty box. I thought Debbie would be disappointed in her son for being reprimanded, but she was on her feet letting the officials have a piece of her mind.

Mikey didn’t look sorry in the least, chattering at the player he’d fouled even after the whistle. The next thing I knew, both helmets were off and Mikey was engaging in some sort of wrestling match. Debbie wasn’t alone in unleashing her fury. Half the crowd was cheering Mikey on in his quest for blood. With all their gear, it reminded me of those blow-up sumo suits people wrestle in at team-building events. And the official just let them do it? And his coach was unbothered about it? The sport was so bizarre to me.

By the time Mikey skated off to the penalty box, he was holding a cut on his cheek and still cussing out the player also headed to the other team’s penalty box. Ben spat almost constantly while he served his two minutes, occasionally reigniting the argument with his opponent and yelling across the layers of plexiglass. Between that and the smooch smear he left on the glass by our seats, I had to laugh at the passionate man who did everything big, including fighting. I couldn’t help thinking of him as an overgrown little kid.

The Princes ended up winning 3-1, so Mikey’s fury was not in vain. Kitty led us to the Wives Room, where we got a cold reception.

“Hey, Sydney,” Kitty greeted the person who appeared to be the Queen Bee. “This is Jessie. She’s Mikey’s girlfriend.”

Sydney cocked her blonde head to the side. “Mikey doesn’t have a girlfriend,” she said, matter-of-fact and with no smile.

“I’m his mother, and yes he does,” Debbie said, stepping up and putting her arm around me.

“My apologies, Mrs. Miknevicius,” Sydney said with a saccharine smile. “It’s good to see you again!”

“What was your name?” Debbie asked. Damn, Debbie. Way to put ol’ Sydney in her place.

“I’m Sydney Leroy.”

“Huh, I didn’t see Leroy play much tonight. He getting ready to retire?” Debbie asked. I instantly knew where Mikey got his diarrhea mouth. I stifled a laugh.

“If you’ll excuse me, I’ve got other wives to chat with,” Sydney said, turning and walking back to her group.

“Don’t worry about her,” Kitty said with an eye roll. “She still doesn’t fully accept me because Guy and I aren’t married yet. She tried to start a rumor that I was still seeing my ex from SNL. Anytime I miss a game because of work, she goes on about it again. He doesn’t even live here and I haven’t spoken to him since we broke up.”

“Jesus, Kitty,” I gasped. “That’s awful. How do you stand it?”

She shrugged. “Guy’s worth it. We’ve been meant for each other since we met as teenagers. And half the time I don’t come in here until right before they’re out of the locker room so I don’t have to socialize.”

“Well, now you’ll at least have each other,” Debbie said, putting an arm around each of us. I felt like I could crap my pants from that statement. Everything I was doing was a ruse. The reason I was even standing in that room was so contrived, no one could ever believe it.

To review: My apparently cheating boyfriend of four years threw me out. I moved in with his next-door neighbor who happened to be an NHL player. I slept in his bed, snuggled him, let him buy me things, let him take me to work, kissed him to make said cheating boyfriend jealous, and was fake dating him to make it all believable for his mother.

I didn’t have too long to dwell, because another arm wrapped around my shoulders and a whiskery kiss met my cheek. Mikey inserted himself between Debbie and me, dressed in a gorgeous bright blue suit, his hair slicked back from the shower. I had to swallow down a “wow.” Obviously, I know that clothes make the man, but I’d only seen him in a suit before at Kitty’s engagement party. He stunned in a suit.

“My ladies,” he cooed. “Y’all have fun?”

“Look what you’ve done to yourself, Benny,” Debbie scolded, touching her fingertips around the cut on Mikey’s cheek. “But did you get him good?”

“Yeah, Ma,” he laughed, then turned to me. “What’d you think of your first game, Sweet Cheeks?”

“You’re a nut, but I already knew that,” I said with a grin.

“You like me that way,” he said, yanking me to him and running his thumb along my jaw. My stomach tingled at the touch, my heart taking off. He sure did have a way of making me feel special, whether it was fake or not. It had been so long since Cole had been so affectionate with me. I linked my hands behind his neck. Mikey lowered his voice to a mumble, bringing our faces to almost touch. “You gonna let me have that kiss now?”

In a breathier voice than I anticipated, I said, “I think you’ve earned it.”

Despite the beers and shot, my nerves were off the charts. Kissing Mikey, there, in such a public venue, with people judging us everywhere. We had to make it count.

Before I could overanalyze, Mikey’s lips were on mine, first a quick smooch, then coming back for more. He bent me backward slightly with a tight hold on my back, a deep kiss with a tiny hint of tongue. That first kiss wasn’t a fluke: Mikey knew how to kiss, pushing the boundaries of propriety in a way that was thrilling.

I wasn’t supposed to be liking this. I was supposed to be moving on. This wasn’t supposed to feel magical. I wasn’t supposed to be giddy down to my toes, which were kicking up behind me like in an old movie. I wasn’t supposed to be wishing we were alone so we could keep going.

We pulled back, exchanging a dazed look. “I bet you’re tired,” I said.

“You woke me right up, Sweet Cheeks,” he said with a smirk and another peck on my lips.

“Hey, lovebirds,” came a French-accented voice. “You wanna go out and get drinks?”

Mikey looped his arm around my waist. “Jessie, you remember Guy.”

“I do. Hi.”

“I’ll try and not disrupt your sleep this time,” said the tall, dark, and handsome man with his arm around Kitty.

“Disrupt your sleep? Benny, are you having your loud parties while Jessie’s trying to sleep?” Debbie asked.

Eyes cut between Guy, Mikey, Kitty, and me as we worked out how to explain it all. Mikey blurted an answer. “My birthday party might have gone a little longer than what my Jessie Girl can handle. I’ve made it up to you, haven’t I, hon?”

Mikey pulsed a kiss to my temple. Our height difference was almost perfect for him to be able to do that, his lips right at my hairline. The booze had me all gooey-feeling. “Sure have, babe.”

“Debbie, Lor, you coming to the bar?” Kitty asked. “First round’s on me.”

Lori groaned. “Oh, Deb, I don’t know if I can do two nights in a row. We’ve gotta be at the airport so early tomorrow.”

Debbie chuckled. “I wish we could hang like we used to, but I think we’re going to turn in early. We’re still on Eastern Time.”

“And hung over,” Lori added.

“We’ll take you home, then,” Ben offered.

“No, we’ll catch a ride. Y’all go have fun. Dad’s been waiting on my call anyway.”

Ben’s body tensed under my hand, so I gave him a reassuring squeeze. We bid Debbie and Aunt Lori goodnight, and made our moves to a dive bar by the arena, aptly named The Stadium.

“What are you drinking?” Kitty demanded when we walked in.

“Oh, I’d better not,” I said.

“Come on, babe. You can cut loose. I’m driving,” Mikey said, his thumb stroking absently over my ribs. “You girls can have your fun. Stelle and I’ll make sure you get home safe.”

I leaned closer to Kitty and lowered my voice. “I’m afraid if I drink too much I’ll give away our little secret to the others.”

Kitty waved a hand like it was nothing and threw her arm around my shoulder. “I’ll keep you safe. Come on. Let’s be stupid for a night.”

Kitty and I split off to a high-top table in the corner by the bar, and an hour later, I was blissfully buzzed. Okay, probably more than buzzed. We talked shit about office politics, and Kitty agreed that I was doing more work than my boss, Irina. I rarely let myself go like that, but I had a lot on my mind.

I actually kinda liked Mikey. Like not as my friend. Watching him across the room talking to his teammates, sipping a single beer because he was driving, he just looked perfect. And I knew he looked just as perfect clothed as he did with almost nothing on. All those veins—

“Earth to Jessie,” Kitty laughed, waving her hand in front of my face as I twisted the straw from my water glass between my fingers. “You watching your boyfriend over there?”

“I mean, he is kinda cute, right? Like he’s a good-looking guy.” He looked up at that moment and held my gaze, his dimples framing his smile.

“Well, yeah,” Kitty said, like it was a simple matter of fact.

My stomach dropped. “You didn’t used to have a thing with him, did you?” I blurted it out so quickly, I didn’t have time to think about how desperate it made me sound.

“Relax. He’s always just been a friend. There have been times I thought he was hitting on me, but I think that’s just how he relates to women.”

“So, he liked you?”

Kitty cocked her head to the side, narrowing her dark eyes. “Oh my God, you really like him, don’t you?”

My face warmed. “Shut up. No, I don’t.”

“Oh, Jessie!” Kitty shrieked, grasping my hand. “It’s all like I planned!”

“You planned for my boyfriend to cheat on me and throw me out?” I sniped, trying to get her to lower her voice.

Kitty blew right past that. “Jessie, oh my God. He’s so into you, babe. I mean, just look at him right now! Look!” She grabbed my cheeks to turn my face toward Mikey. He stood chatting with the team’s goalie and Guy. “He’s looking at you like you’re made out of fucking gold.”

And he was. His mouth was in a little simper, his dimples popping, eyes shining, just at me. He looked back to the guys like he was trying to get out of the conversation.

“Ooh! Dance time! Come on, I love this song!” Kitty said, pulling me off my stool toward a circle of WAGs in the middle of the bar. There was no dance floor as it was just a dive bar, but they danced on the chipped hardwood like it was one. I wavered as I stood, grabbing the table for balance. No more drinks for Jessie.

I joined the group, singing along to the girly hit like it was my karaoke jam. I shook and swirled my hips, feeling just loose enough to have a good time. Gone was the nastiness from the Wives Room, all women uniting under the force of Dua Lipa.

A corded arm snaked around my waist from behind, a cool beer bottle on the back of my arm. I knew from his scent that it was Ben. He followed my lead, then twirled me around and hooked my arm around his neck. We were front to front, our thighs interlocked, his forehead lowering to mine as he sang a few of the words to me.

“Didn’t know you were a Dua Lipa fan, boyfriend,” I said.

His face lit up. “I’m obsessed with her! She’s so fucking—” he stopped himself as I raised my eyebrows at him, “talented.”

“Talented, huh? Then what does that make me?”

He hiked me up so I was straddling his thigh more fully, balancing me on his leg. “You’re mine, baby.”

I climbed up his body and wrapped my legs around his waist to his cocky chuckle. “You like being mine, don’t ya, hon?”

In my tipsy haze, I couldn’t think of a witty thing to say, so I just held on tight and pulled him in for a kiss. Ben gripped my thighs, slanting his mouth and coaxing mine open. His mouth was cool and malty like the beer he drank. I locked my ankles behind his back, drawing us closer together. I was consumed by the fire of Ben, his firm hold on me and the way he closed his eyes so tight stoking the flames. His kiss got more aggressive, scraping my lip with his teeth to my moan.

“Get a room!” came the call from next to us. I pulled out of the kiss, realizing what a fool I was making of myself.

“Put me down, please,” I said, dropping my feet to the floor. I fanned my face, shame washing over me. “I’m hot.”

I wobbled on my feet, and Ben steadied me by my elbows. “You need some air, hon?”

“I think I need the bathroom.”

“I’ll take you.”