Page 23

22

Natalie

N atalie’s car pulled up to the escape room. She was still flustered by her fight with Sven but was ready to put this all behind her. With a deep breath, she watched the raindrops track down the windshield. Opening the door, she quickly jogged through the storm to where Alice and Taylor were already waiting in the lobby.

“Natalie, I’m so glad you could make it. Have you met Taylor?”

“No, I don’t think I’ve had the pleasure,” she said as Taylor stuck out his hand to shake hers.

“Taylor Campbell. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you,” she said, smiling.

Natalie knew she was short. She was five-two on a good day, but as Cash and Evie entered, these men towered over her. While Sven was tall, both Cash and Taylor made her feel tiny. They both had to be well over six feet.

“Is your party here?” asked the attendant.

“We are waiting on one more,” Alice said.

“Hi, I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Evie,” said the beautiful woman who had come in with Cash.

“Natalie,” she said. “Nice to meet you.”

“You are Sven’s nanny, right?” asked Cash.

“Yeah.”

“I still can’t believe he has a baby,” remarked Cash.

Cash gave a rough chuckle. She knew from her google detective work Cash had a bit of a playboy reputation as well. Evie gave him a raised eyebrow, and knowing his reputation, Natalie could read the subtext of “you know it could have been you.”

“He’s really great with her. I can’t believe he hasn’t been with her all along,” Natalie said.

Even though he had been a dick to her tonight, she still felt like she needed to put in a good word for him.

“Aww, that’s nice,” said Alice.

The door opened, and in walked Murphy. He was quite a bit younger than the other player’s here. He was closer to Natalie’s age. But his baby face made him appear younger.

“We’re all here,” Alice said to the attendant.

As they were getting walked back, the front door opened.

“Room for one more?” a familiar voice said.

No. He was not here.

But as she turned, she saw Sven with a cocky grin on his face.

“Sven,” said Alice in surprise. “I didn’t know you were coming.”

“Surprise. Happy Birthday, man,” he said, giving Taylor a pat on the back.

“Oh, thanks,” Taylor said, looking between Alice and Sven.

“Are you ready?” asked the attendant again.

“Yep, the more the merrier,” said Alice as they followed the attendant back into the room.

Natalie held back until she and Sven were the last two walking down the hallway.

“What are you doing here?” she said in a harsh whisper.

“Mad I’m crashing your date?”

His cocky smirk was pissing her off. She had the urge to knock it right off.

“It’s not a date, you lunatic.”

“Are you guys coming?” Alice asked from inside the room.

“Yep,” said Sven, making his way into the room.

Alice grumbled and followed.

This was not good. She was about to be trapped in a room with Sven and Murphy, and she had a feeling it wasn’t going to end well.

“Where is Winnie?” she asked Sven.

“Conner and Sasha are babysitting.”

“Are you ready?” asked the attendant.

“We’re ready,” Sven said with a smirk that made her want to scream.

They entered a carnival-themed room, but it looked to be an abandoned carnival with vibrant colors and creepy clowns. This was quickly turning into her own personal hell. Clowns and an entirely too attractive, maddening hockey player.

Natalie could only manage half attention while the attendant’s spiel with the feel of Sven’s gaze. Strike that... the feel of Murphy’s and Sven’s gazes. This was going to be an interesting escape room.

“Get out before the timer ticks down, or you’ll be stuck with Bonko the Clown,” the attendant said as she shut the door and dramatically locked it behind him.

The clock on the TV started counting down from an hour.

“Alright, let’s do this,” Evie said as she clapped her hands and rubbed them together.

She and Taylor seemed to be on a mission. Alice and Cash were inspecting at a more leisurely pace, but Natalie couldn’t seem to focus on anything but the two other men in this room.

“So, where are we looking?” asked Sven like nothing was happening.

Murphy scanned them.

“I’m going to look at the crate in the corner,” Natalie said as she set off both of the guys on her heels.

This was going to be a long hour.

“There are numbers on the top. I bet they correspond with the numbers on the padlock,” said Murphy.

“Good thinking,” she said as they started trying to figure out the code.

“It’s clown,” said Sven dryly.

They looked up at him. Natalie entered the word, and sure enough, the lock popped open.

“We found a key, you guys,” Natalie announced to the room.

Within seconds, Taylor and Evie were over to see what they had found.

“It’s a key,” Natalie said, lifting it, clown shoes, and a big red nose each with a letter out of the crate.

“I bet the key opens that door,” Taylor said.

“I’ll check,” said Natalie.

Murphy stayed, examining the other contents of the crate, while Sven followed Natalie into the other room. Sure enough, the key opened the door and led into what looked like a creepy surveillance room.

Natalie went to turn around to tell everyone but ran smack-dab into Sven’s firm chest. She couldn’t help the eye roll when she looked up into his handsome eyes.

“What’s wrong with you?” Sven asked her.

“Me?!” she spat back incredulously. “I’m not the one who showed up uninvited.”

“I’m sorry to ruin your little date,” Sven said with a sneer she didn’t like one bit.

“It’s not a date. You’re being ridiculous.”

“Me? I’m being ridiculous. I told you not to date my teammate.”

“Oh, wow. Look at this,” Murphy called out, and before they knew it, the whole group was crowding into a room.

“Why don’t we split up?” said Murphy. “Natalie and I can work here, and some of you can work on the letter puzzle on the balloon board.”

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you, being in here alone with Natalie?” Sven said to Murphy.

“What is your problem?” Murphy asked.

“What’s my problem?” Sven asked, going chest-to-chest with him.

“What the fuck is going on with you two?” asked Cash, getting in between them. “You need to knock it off.”

“Hey, I got something,” called Taylor, and they all left to see what he found.

They managed their time, figuring out puzzles as the time ticked down on the monitor. Sven and Murphy were by her side constantly.

Finally, she got away from Sven in the carnival room while she tried to solve the letter puzzle on the balloon board. She almost had it.

“What if we try this?” She heard Murphy behind her as he changed two letters on the answer key.

“That’s it!” Natalie exclaimed as the balloon next to them started inflating until it popped, giving them another key word.

The piece of paper floated into the air as Murphy snatched it, but not before Sven got a piece of it. It tore as the two grown men fought over it like little babies.

“Good job. You fucking ripped it,” Sven spat to Murphy.

“I did not! Natalie and I were working on this puzzle. You’re the one making this whole thing fucking weird.”

“Stop. Both of you. For two grown men, you’re acting even more childish than my room full of kindergartners,” Natalie admonished.

Cash huffed behind them. “I’m sorry, man,” he said to Taylor, “but can you please just get us out of here. We can finish celebrating somewhere not locked in with these two.”

Taylor nodded and eyed Evie, and the two of them got busy and sprang them from their room in ten minutes.

As Taylor and Evie worked their magic getting them out of this room, Natalie found Alice.

“I’m so sorry,” she said.

“You have nothing to apologize for. Sven was the one showing his ass, but if I’m being honest, it was entertaining.”

“I don’t know what got into him.”

“Have you guys like . . . ya know . . . hooked up yet?”

“What?! No!” she said about two octaves out of her normal vocal range.

Alice just gave her a doubtful smile. “Okay.”

“I’m being serious,” Natalie protested.

“I believe you. I’m just saying that I think you will soon.”

“No way. I’m his nanny.”

“You say that like it isn’t a whole ass trope in romance books.”

“Got it,” called out Evie.

Next thing, the attendant appeared and congratulated them and let them out of the room. Much to Natalie’s relief, everyone else seemed excited that they got out in a good time, but she was seething.

She made her way out to her car, and Murphy followed. “I had a good time tonight. I was going to ask you out, but it kind of seems like there is something going on with you and Sven.”

“No, there?—”

“See you at home,” Sven said as he swooped in and put his arm around her shoulder, which she did not like.

Right? She hated it because he had been a giant ass to show up here and an even more giant ass during the fun.

She shrugged it off and got mad at herself for missing his warmth and scent.

“I’ll see you later, Natalie,” Murphy said with a small smile before turning and walking over to his own car.

Natalie turned to Sven with narrowed eyes. “What is wrong with you?”

He licked his lips and shook his head. “I just don’t want you seeing him.”

“Well, I wasn’t. But I guarantee none of your hockey friends will even speak to me now. Missions accomplished,” she said before getting in her car.

“Natalie, wait a minute,” Sven said, lowering his head to the window.

She kept her eyes straight ahead and shook her head again before starting the engine.

Luckily, Sven stepped back, and Natalie pulled out of space and left. She would still work for him, but she sure wouldn’t live here anymore.