Page 5

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mad dog

Holky had gotten weird on me. One minute we were having a great time laughing and talking shit like we’d known each other for years. The next, he went quiet and cagey. Had I touched something off-limits or made a joke I shouldn’t have? Hell if I knew.

Figuring he needed space, I left him alone and crashed in my room. The last few days had been nonstop with getting called up, saying goodbye to the Soldiers, and hauling ass to Buffalo. I’d barely slept last night, wired with nerves about my first day with the Warriors. Thankfully, I’d made it through morning skate without falling on my ass or puking in a trash can, which counted as a win. Holky had seemed glad to have me staying with him, and I hoped he hadn’t changed his mind.

I fell into such a deep sleep that when I woke up, it took a moment to process the absolute chaos unfolding around me. First, the light—way too bright, and way too much. Then, the yelling. And finally, the bed-quaking pandemonium of a grown man jumping like an overgrown toddler on a sugar bender.

“Wake up, rookie!” Holky bellowed, laughing like a maniac. “Let’s go eat.”

I groaned, dragging a pillow over my face. “The fuck?”

“You slept too long. There’s no time to waste, so get up, get up, get up !”

The bedsprings screeched in protest as he continued bouncing around. If I hadn’t been so addled, I’d have laughed because the squeaking bed sounded exactly like someone was fucking on it.

I threw the pillow aside and glared at him. “What the actual fuck is wrong with you?”

He flung himself into a dramatic sprawl beside me, propping his head on one hand like he wanted to have a chat. The lunatic who’d waged war on my nap had disappeared. “Told you I could find extreme measures to wake you up.”

“Go to hell.”

“Thank fuck you’re awake,” he said. “I was starting to think you’d gone full Sleeping Beauty on me. How the hell was I supposed to explain that to Coach? Sorry, sir, Mad Dog went into a coma because he was too lazy to get up and eat dinner. Think that would work?”

“You could’ve let me wake up like a normal human instead of causing a goddamn earthquake . ”

“Where’s the fun in that? Besides, like I said, extreme measures.” He rubbed my chest, and I froze. It wasn’t rough—a warm swipe of his hand across bare skin—but it seemed weirdly intimate. To hell with it. I’d already figured out Holky was a touchy-feely guy, so it was probably a Holky-ism. Before I could think of a snarky comeback about his so-called extreme measures, he shoved me out of my own bed.

I hit the floor with an oof and lay there for a second, staring at the ceiling. If this was how he planned to wake me up every day, I had to make finding my own place a priority.

“Hey.” Holky changed positions so he was sitting on the edge of the mattress, grinning at me. “Come on, bud, I’m starving. And you’re buying.”

“Am I?” I deadpanned.

“Yep.” He stretched, groaning like a man who’d just finished a hard day’s work. “Consider it rent.”

A laugh snuck out before I could stop it. “You’re a menace.”

He got off the bed and smiled. “And yet, here you are, living with me. You’re either incredibly brave or deeply stupid.”

“Or maybe both?” I pushed myself off the floor and rolled my neck, glad he was back to being fun-loving Holky again. “Fine. Let’s go eat.”

He slung an arm around my shoulders. “That’s the spirit. Now hurry and get dressed before I starve to death. I’d hate to haunt you.”

* * *

Dinner was beef on weck sandwiches, which Holky said were a Buffalo specialty—sliced roast beef piled on a salty roll and dunked in jus. He took me to a place called Scionti’s, swearing it was the best in town, and judging by the food, I wasn’t about to argue. With its dim light, red and white checkered tablecloths, and the aromas of garlic and fried food soaked into the walls, it reminded me of Nana’s favorite place in Ithaca.

Holky was in his element, shooting the shit with the server like they were long-lost cousins. Before I could even glance at the menu, he ordered for both of us. “Trust me,” he said. “I wouldn’t steer you wrong.”

He didn’t; the sandwich was amazing. He watched me take my first bite like a proud dad and smiled when I groaned in appreciation. “Yeah, that’s what I thought,” he said before shoving another bite into his mouth.

When our plates were empty, we sat with our legs stretched out under the table and hands resting on our stomachs. I was about ready to slip into a food coma when Holky wiped his mouth, tossed his napkin aside, and grinned. “All right, rookie. Now that you’ve seen how Buffalo does food, it’s time to show you the town.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Should I be scared?”

His grin turned wicked. “Absolutely. Ever been to Chippewa?”

“No, I’ve never gone out in Buffalo. Is it a club?”

“Oh, buddy. It’s a whole fucking street of bars and clubs, one of the hottest spots in town. We’ll hit up a place called Revolution Hops. Big team hangout after games.” He shot me a grin, half-mischief and half-conspiracy. “There’ll be plenty of hot women there, so you’ll either have to fight them off or get ready for a mind-blowing night with multiple partners.”

A flicker of heat curled low in my gut. It had been months since I got laid, but though a quick hookup sounded good in theory, I wasn’t ready. Getting cheated on by your girlfriend and your two best friends wasn’t something you bounced back from quickly.

I didn’t want to dump my sob story on Holky, so I returned his grin. “Something tells me you’re the voice of experience.”

He twisted his mouth into a smirk. “Gentlemen never tell, but Holky does. Let’s just say there’ve been a few memorable nights—like the one with three personal trainers who were out celebrating the launch of their new business.”

“Oh man. And you lived to tell the tale.”

“Barely. There was very little sleep involved, bud. All fun and games, and I didn’t make it home till one the next afternoon.”

He went on, dropping enough spicy details to fire up the horniness in my system. Unfortunately, there was not a bit of actual interest. How the hell was that even possible?

I pushed back from the table and tossed my card down. “That’s for the bill. I’ve got to hit the men’s room.”

* * *

We squeezed inside Revolution Hops, where the cold air we dragged in mixed with the sour tang of beer, sweat, and questionable life choices. A live band was cranking out music that sounded like old-school Vampire Weekend had a love child with an overenthusiastic drumline, and hundreds of customers were shouting to be heard over the music.

The crowd was mixed, a blend of what looked like college kids, young professionals in slick outfits, and older guys who were either chatting up middle-aged women or ogling girls half their age.

I elbowed Holky. “You think we’ll get a drink before we lose our hearing?”

Before he could answer, a woman appeared out of nowhere and launched herself at him. He caught her midair, laughing like it was just another Thursday—and knowing Holky, it probably was.

It turned out she worked at the bar. They shot the shit like old drinking buddies, and when he introduced me, she gave me a once-over and asked if we wanted a table. I didn’t see how there could be one open in that crowd, but she led us to a spot tucked in a back corner, away from the worst of the chaos.

Holky slid into his seat and leaned over the table. “I admit to being a beer snob, and I assure you the microbrews are terrific.”

“That’s good to hear. In Syracuse, I was the only guy on the team with beverage standards. The rest of them would chug nail polish remover if you told them it was eight percent alcohol.”

He laughed. “Sounds like a hockey team to me. What do you like?”

“IPA. They have a good one?”

He raised his eyebrows, clearly impressed . “A man with discerning taste, I see. IPA is my favorite too, and as you can guess from the name, Revolution Hops makes one of the best.”

He flagged down a passing server and ordered two pints of something called Mosaic Majesty. When she came back with the beer, she handed me mine and then practically dropped to one knee and proposed to Holky. She gushed about how much she loved watching him play. He thanked her, but his smile dimmed when she started a play-by-play of every goal he’d scored in the last month. With a technique I needed to study, he gently brushed her off—smooth and polite, yet unmistakably final. It didn’t matter because I was willing to bet she’d circle back for another round.

He held up his pint for a toast. “To my new buddy and roommate. May we be very happy together.”

I chuckled. “Big commitment. Are we getting a dog next, or should we start with houseplants?”

“I was thinking about a goldfish,” he deadpanned, “but a ficus tree would look good in the living room.”

We tapped glasses, and I said, “To having a lot of fun together, and to kicking ass Saturday night.”

He leaned back after we took our first sips, looking self-satisfied. “What do you think?”

“Not sure. Need a little more to decide.” I considered screwing with him and pretending the drink wasn’t up to my usual standards, but I was in love after two sips. “This is the best beer I’ve had in ages. Great call.”

Holky saluted me with his glass. “Drinking with a friend is hard work, but somebody’s got to do it.”

We focused on our beers, and since the band was good, we were soon drumming along. Hoping to get us talking again, I said, “You’re a table percussionist too.”

“Hell yes. Can’t help myself when the tunes are catchy.”

“Most people get annoyed and tell me to stop. Think we’ll drive each other crazy?”

“Nah.” He finished his drink and shook his head. “I think we’ll be good together.”

“Hi, guys, how’s it going?”

Holky and I glanced up at two women standing by our table, a blonde and a brunette; they looked to be in their early twenties and were beaming like they’d hit the jackpot. The blonde spoke first. “I’m Willa, and this is Braelynn.” She barely spared her friend a glance, keeping her laser-like gaze locked on Holky. “Mind if we join you?”

Holky quirked his eyebrows at me, and I shrugged. Before we could answer, they helped themselves into the empty chairs. Willa claimed the seat beside Holky, while Braelynn took the one next to me. She wasted no time scooting closer until her thigh was flush against mine, and then she planted a hand on my arm. “What’s your name, handsome?”

“Chuck,” I answered, keeping it short. “How’s it going?”

“Better now. We were sitting over there with our boring friends.”

She nodded toward a nearby table, where three other women were watching us with the worst attempt at subtlety I’d seen since middle school. The second I looked their way, they ducked their heads and laughed. Holky and I exchanged a knowing smirk. We’d both played this game before, and I could already guess what was coming.

Willa tightened her grip on Holky like he might try to escape. “You two are alone, right?”

“We were.” He put on an amused smile. “Not anymore.”

“You’re Nate Holcomb, aren’t you?” Willa leaned into him like a human seat belt. “You play for the Warriors?”

“I do.” He inched left, but Willa mirrored the move. “What do you do?” he asked.

“I’m a senior at Canisius.”

“We both are,” Braelynn added.

I figured it was my turn to contribute. “What’s your major?”

Braelynn ignored the question. “What do you do, Chuck? You look like an athlete too.”

“I… Oof!” Her hand, completely uninvited, swooped down and slid up my thigh, her fingers on a mission.

“What were you saying?” she asked, all wide-eyed innocence while her fingers played a dangerous game.

“Just got called up to the Warriors,” I choked out, trying to maneuver my hand between us to block any further advances. No luck. She had me pinned, her chair welded to mine.

“Wow.” She flicked a glance at Willa. “ Two hockey players.”

Her fingers went into action again, finding the inside of my thigh and missing my dick by a good sixteenth of an inch. My entire body jerked in response, and I damn near fell off the chair.

“We’re out of beer,” Holky said, “and you two don’t have one. Let’s order.”

I shot him a look, and the bastard was sitting there with a huge shit-eating grin on his face. Either he was getting felt up too, or he knew I was and was thoroughly enjoying my discomfort. He bounced his eyebrows. “Ready for another, Chuck?”

“Yeah, I need one.”

While Holky flagged down the server, Willa murmured something to Braelynn, but I didn’t catch it. My brain was too busy short-circuiting. At one time, I’d have been all over this kind of attention; hell, a couple of years ago, Braelynn might’ve been trying to get away from me. But that was then, and this was now. Tonight, I was sweating through my shirt and hoping for a lifeline.

If Holky wanted to fuck Willa—and judging by the grin on his face, he did—I might have to take one for the team and entertain Braelynn. God help me.

Things settled down a bit after the server brought our beers. Braelynn removed her hand from my thigh, and my dick practically sighed in relief. Finally, I could focus on something other than evasive actions.

The conversation shifted to my role with the Warriors, the girls’ post-grad plans—Buffalo, of course, said with a gleam in their eyes that made me nervous—and Holky’s new contract. Willa almost vibrated when she talked about how he’d signed for another seven years, but as soon as she brought up his salary increase, he stiffened. Fair enough. It had been all over the news, but I couldn’t blame him for not wanting to talk about it.

Using a move I’d never quite mastered, Holky flipped the conversation on its head. Instead of an awkward shutdown, he executed an amazing diversion by wrestling his arm free from where Willa had it pinned and slinging it around her shoulders. She didn’t flinch when he pulled her closer; if anything, she absorbed him. Was she achieving full-body osmosis?

Holky’s cheeks flushed, and when he glanced at me, his expression was unreadable. For all I could tell, he might’ve been about to drag her off to the bathroom for a private moment—which, honestly, I hoped he would. At least then we wouldn’t have to take them home. My hopes raised when he kissed her cheek and whispered in her ear.

Braelynn took the opportunity to reattach herself to me. She leaned in, her breath warm against my ear. “You are so hot, and I’ve been lonely lately. Really empty inside.”

Oh boy.

Beer forgotten, she dropped her hand to my knee and started another slow, deliberate finger walk up my thigh. I glanced at Holky, but he was lost in some kind of flirty tangle with Willa. I had no idea what was going on over there, but the way she was giggling told me he might’ve been having fun.

Meanwhile, Braelynn was in full attack mode. She blew against my ear, sending a shudder down my spine, and then started tracing slow circles with her nails—right there on my inner thigh. The spot, the one that had always done it for me. And because biology is a bastard, my body responded. She couldn’t miss it, and when she cupped her hand over my dick and squeezed, I gave an involuntary grunt. It was an instinctual response, but damn, I couldn’t deny it felt amazing.

“You like that?” she whispered. “You’re big.”

Fuck me if my dick didn’t start throbbing. What the hell?

In a way, I was relieved. After what happened with my ex, part of me had wondered if things still worked, or if I’d shut down for good. Now I had hard evidence that I could still get turned on by something other than my right hand. A woman’s touch still did it for me.

Braelynn was hot, and I was single. Taking her home would be easy, and it would feel so good to fuck her. The problem was that I didn’t want easy; I didn’t want to feel like I’d used her to get off. Being in a relationship had spoiled me, and having sex without feeling something would leave me hollow.

“What do you think, Chuck?”

Holky’s voice made me jump, which dislodged Braelynn’s hand. I jerked my head up and met Holky’s eyes. His sly smile told me he knew what was going on, and the twinkle in his eyes told me I should be worried. “Uh… what?”

“Since we have that thing tomorrow, we should probably go home.”

Does he mean we should go home alone or take them along? Without knowing the answer, I kept my reply simple. “Okay.”

He nodded and turned to the girls. “This has been nice, ladies. Thanks for spending time with us, but we have to get up early.”

Willa looked like he’d slapped her. Braelynn’s jaw practically came unhinged, and she shot Willa a harried look before turning back to me. “We could… are you sure you wouldn’t like some company?”

I hesitated, mostly for effect. Holky was watching me, and this time, his message was loud and clear: Say yes, and I will end you .

“Chuck?” Braelynn purred, her voice sticky-sweet. “I promise we’ll have fun.”

I gave her a sheepish smile and did my best to sound reluctant. “It’s tempting, but you know we’d be up all night.”

“Would that be so bad?”

“Like I said, I’m tempted, but I’m the new guy, so I need to make a good impression.” I tacked on a regretful shrug for good measure, then glanced back at Holky, who looked proud.

Giving it one last shot, Willa traced her fingers over Holky’s chest. “There’s a big bathroom here with lots of stalls.”

He caught her hand and gently removed it. “That would be fantastic, but maybe another time.”

Braelynn, ever the optimist, tried yet again. “We’ll give you our numbers, then.”

Holky shook his head. “I’m here all the time, and now Chuck will be with me. We’ll hit you up the next time we see you.”

“That’s right,” I said. “Simpler that way.”

Silence stretched, awkward and heavy, before Willa stood. “Fine. See you.”

She spun on her heels and walked away. Braelynn scrambled to catch up, throwing one last hopeful glance over her shoulder before she disappeared into the crowd.

Holky stood. “Let’s get the hell out of here before they come back.”

I waited until we were in his car to ask, “What happened in there? I thought you were into her.”

“Another time, maybe, but I told you I’ve been having a rough patch.”

“Yeah, but you could have broken your dry spell tonight.”

“No shit.” He tossed me a look before backing out of the parking space. “There’s more to it than a dry spell. I’ll tell you about it, but can it wait until tomorrow?”

“Sure, but it looked like you were all over her.”

“First rule of hanging out with women in professional hockey: if you’re not feeling it, put on a show. They won’t badmouth you because they’ll still have a story to tell. ‘He really wanted it, but I told him to go home and rest up for the game.’”

I snorted. “Sounds like a solid strategy.”

“Look, I’m sorry I was a cockblock. I didn’t know if you were into Braelynn or not, so I should’ve kept my mouth shut. Hell, I could’ve gotten my rocks off and let you enjoy your first night in Buffalo.”

If we were going to be buddies, I had to be honest. “I wasn’t into her. I’ve got some shit to sort out too, so let’s have a heart-to-heart and trade sob stories. Full emotional nudity with a box of tissues at the ready.”

“Fuck the tissues, but you’ve got a deal.” He glanced over. “So, you’re not pissed at me for locking your dick in your pants?”

“Not at all. I was ready to take one for the team if you wanted to fuck Willa, but I’d have felt shitty afterward. Like I used Braelynn for something I didn’t even want.”

“Same. If you’d suggested taking them home, I would’ve gone along.”

I snorted. “You’re a real buddy, Holky. Willing to bang a gorgeous woman just so I could get laid.”

“We understand each other, then.” He shot me a lazy grin. “I like you, Dog.”

“Good to hear, because I think we survived our first battle together.”