Page 13

thirteen

. . .

Viv

The bar is loud, packed with people. I feel vaguely claustrophobic. Cari’s hand in mine, Rachel’s in the other, don’t help matters.

Vanessa leads us into the VIP section at the back of the bar. A cocktail waitress comes over to take drink orders and I order a Coke when all my friends order mixed drinks.

I don’t care if they drink alcohol. I can be around it just fine. I just don’t want to drink it myself.

Hailey went to meet her brother; she didn’t come to the bar with us. Now that I think about it, I don’t think she’s ever come to the bar after a game, and I can’t recall ever seeing MacGregor here, either. She’s twenty-five and he’s twenty-eight, so it’s not a matter of not being allowed in. I think it’s something else.

Cari leans over to me, her arm around my back as she puts her mouth by my ear. “I like your friends,” she says.

Laughing, I grin back at her. “Good. I’m glad.”

Although her initial perkiness rubbed me the wrong way, now that I’ve been around her week in and week out, I know that’s just the way she is. Bubbly and effervescent, she can’t help brightening everything around her. It’s the complete antithesis of what I believe in, but hey, it works for her.

A commotion echoes through the bar as the players descend upon us. Sven Larsson, Jake Lewis, and Jared Aviyente reach our table easily, followed by a tall guy with shaggy, dark brown hair and chocolate brown eyes. I recognize him immediately.

Alberto Gonzales.

My palms get sweaty and my heart skips a beat.

Why am I nervous? He’s just another dude bro.

Except he’s more than that. He’s Cari’s brother, yes, but he’s also Tony’s brother. It’s important that I get this right.

Al reaches us with a relaxed smile. He stops in front of his sister and pulls her into a hug. “You made it,” he says, his voice deep and hoarse.

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Cari says to him. “This is Viv.”

I hurry to my feet, offering my hand for a shake.

Al takes it, tugging me into a hug. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”

“I’m sorry about… you know.” My face heats.

“Bailing on our date?” Al grins at me, his eyes bright. “Don’t worry about it. Blind dates are tough.”

“Can I buy you a drink?” I offer. “To make up for it?”

“I’ve got it.” He glances at his sister. “You need anything?”

She shakes her head, holding up her full glass. “I’m good.”

Al laughs. I don’t think his smile has dropped since he walked into the bar. He’s like Cari, upbeat and happy.

How did Tony turn out to be so grumpy when both of his siblings are so bubbly and positive? And why is his perpetual grumpiness so much more attractive?

As a cocktail waitress comes over to take his order, Al slides into the seat across from me.

“Tell me about yourself,” he says.

I laugh. “What do you want to know?”

“Still messy?” His eyes crinkle at me.

That was the excuse I gave him. It would be too messy to date him with our shared connection to his sister.

“Still messy,” I echo, my smile fading.

With him, it’s easy to turn him down. With his brother… my gut churns. Why did he show up to my practice today?

Al shakes his head. “Guess we’re going to have to be friends, then.”

“Yep. Friends.”

There’s no spark, no sizzle. I don’t want to get him naked. I don’t want to know more about him. There’s just… nothing.

“Tony mentioned he went to your practice this morning,” he says, casually sipping his beer.

“Oh?” My heart skips a beat.

“He says you guys are looking good out there.”

He was talking about the team—not me specifically. I try to hide my disappointment.

“Cari’s been playing amazing,” I deflect. “She’s fit into the team perfectly.”

“Good. I’m glad.”

His sister, talking to someone else on her other side, either can’t hear him or isn’t paying attention.

“How’s your brother doing?” Al asks casually.

I lift my eyebrows. “I have three of them.”

He laughs. “The hockey player one. We’re playing Colorado next month. Any intel you can give me?”

“None that you can’t find out from watching his game tape,” I laugh.

That reminds me though—I should probably talk to him. Fuck, I should probably talk to all of my siblings. I don’t keep in touch nearly as often as I should. Only Frankie and Bradley are still in school, with Chuck, Perry, and Janine all scattered about doing professional athletics in different cities.

Firing off a quick text in the sibling group chat, I close my phone and set it on the sticky tabletop.

A few other hockey players have approached while I was distracted. I smile at Robby Andrews, who grew up playing hockey with Chuck and now works as the Grizzlies’ equipment manager. He squeezes my shoulder, dropping a brief kiss to my cheek, as he scoots past our table.

“You and Andrews?” Al asks, nodding toward him.

I shake my head. “Just friends. I’ve known him forever.”

He hums. “So if you’re not interested in me or in Andrews, what’s your type?”

My face heats. “Pass.”

“No pass. Tell me,” he says with a laid-back grin, sinking back into his chair. “We’ll find you someone.”

“I’m not really looking.”

Al laughs. “That’s when you find ‘em.”

“What about you? You looking?”

To my surprise, his sigh is heavy. “Yeah. I’m over the whole hookup scene. I’m ready for what they have.” He nods toward Jake and Rachel, who are making out, and Sven and Vanessa, who are talking quietly with each other, lost in their own little world.

Reaching out, I squeeze his hand. I’m not sure why I feel the need to comfort him. I barely know him. Still, something calls in me to take care of him. He’s too pure for this world.

“Your time will come,” I tell him seriously.

He lifts a shoulder. “Someday my princess will come.”

It takes me a second to place the reference. “I didn’t take you for a Snow White fan,” I tease.

“Cari loved all the Disney princesses growing up,” he says defensively. “She got first dibs on the TV being the only girl.”

But once he meets my eyes and sees I’m laughing with him, not at him, he relaxes a bit.

I like Al. I still don’t have any feelings for him, I definitely don’t want to date him, but hanging out? I think I can manage that.

As the night winds down, my friends and his teammates start to leave.

“Do you want a ride?” he asks as he reaches for his coat.

“Nah, I’ll catch an Uber.”

“You sure?” Cari pipes in, looking over at us. She’s been chatting with some of the other players all night. “We have room in the car.”

“Yeah. I’m good.” I give her a smile that actually feels genuine. “I had a nice time tonight. I’m glad we went out.”

“Me too.”

To my surprise, she launches herself at me, wrapping me in a hug. It takes me a second to catch my breath and wrap my arms around her.

“We’re friends. Right?” She looks at me hopefully with big doe eyes.

“Yeah. Of course.”

She’s my teammate. That automatically makes her my friend. Isn’t that how it works?

“I’m so glad,” Cari says happily. “This is going to be great.”