Page 22
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
BODHI
“ T his calls for a celebration.”
I hand a glass of iced tea to Corrigan as we stand in the middle of her living room and then raise my own glass. “To finally getting rid of all your boxes.”
“It only took about three months.” She laughs and then glances around the room. “But everything looks great. I finally have a place to call my own and it fits me perfectly.”
I wrap an arm around her waist and kiss her neck. “Just in time to scrap it all and move in with me.”
“What?” She squeals and pushes away from me playfully. “Be serious.”
“Who says I’m not serious?”
“Bodhi! I can’t move in with you.”
I kiss her temple. “You can if you want to. It’s not like I don’t have the room, but I understand. You need your own space and I respect that.”
“I need my own space.” She nods. “Not that I don’t want to be with you because I do.”
“No need to explain. I promise, I get it.”
“Thank you though for helping me all day. I really didn’t expect it to take so long to empty a few boxes.”
A few boxes?
A few?
“Corri…” I cock my head, trying not to smile too wildly. “You had twenty-four boxes to unpack. That’s kind of your entire apartment. You’ve been living out of boxes for months.”
“Yeah, well…” She kisses my cheek and gives me an equally cheeky smile. “Now I’m not thanks to you and you’re supreme helpfulness.” She slides her hands down my chest and like a poor sad maiden asks, “How will I ever repay you?”
I throw my head back in laughter. “I’m sure I can think of something.” I spank her ass as I move to the curtains waiting on the couch to be hung. “Let’s hang all your curtains so we can call this place done and really celebrate.”
“You mean by closing all said curtains and running around this apartment naked?”
I stop and turn, wagging my brows at her suggestion. “I like the way you think, Hicks. You will definitely not hear me complain.”
Corrigan
I miss you already.
Me
I miss you too. Just got on the plane.
Corrigan
Are you sitting near my dad?
Me
Nope. He’s at the front. I’m in the back.
Corrigan
Good. Then I can send you nudes and he won’t see them.
Me
Send away, babe. But if you make me hard on this plane, the guys will never let me live it down.
Corrigan
Challenge accepted. *Picture from the waist down with fingers on clit* You mean like this?
Me
Fuuuck me. Yes, like that.
Corrigan
I would fuck you…if you were here. But you’re not and now I’m forced to play with myself until you get back.
Me
How do you think my cock feels? My fist isn’t nearly as good as your sweet mouth.
Corrigan
Guess we’ll need a phone date or two while you’re away, huh?
Me
If by a phone date or two you mean one every single night until you’re back in my arms? Then yes.
Corrigan
I think that can be arranged.
“I think I can steal the puck from their D-men,” Oliver continues, gesturing to the screen in front of us. “But my wingers on either side would have to be in their spots and ready for a blind pass. I won’t know which way to go until it happens and I sure as hell am not taking my eyes off the puck to see if you’re there.”
“No problem,” Ledger adds. “You know we’ve got your back.”
“Yep.” August nods. “And depending on how they’re breaking out, we can always change our alignment to interfere with their passing.”
Oliver nods. “Yeah. I feel pretty good about overcoming their defense. Plus, Seattle’s got a lot of younger players now. Not as experienced as in years past.”
“That McClacken is still an asshole,” Griffin reminds us with a mumble.
Oliver scoffs as his nostrils flare. “Oh, he’s more than an asshole. I want to beat the living shit out of him every time we face off.”
I huff out a laugh at the mention of Jared McClacken, causing the rest of the guys to turn their heads.
“What’s funny about that?” Oliver asks me. “You know he abused my sister for years.”
Wait…what?
“He what?”
“Yeah.” Oliver says, grabbing his water bottle and taking a quick drink. “He verbally and mentally abused her for years and then he hit her one day out of nowhere.”
“But…isn’t she married to Milo Landric now?”
He nods. “Yeah. She left Jared and fled to Chicago. She stayed with Milo as a favor while she hid from Jared.”
“Why didn’t she just come here to be with you?”
“Because I didn’t know,” he says, irritated. “She never told me. She didn’t want anything to fucking damage my career, as if I would’ve ever chosen hockey over my sister, but still. Had I known at the time, I would’ve grabbed her and brought her here to stay with me in a heartbeat. She didn’t tell me until she was already in love with Milo. She even changed her name from Charlene Magallan to Charlee Mags so Milo never knew she was related to me.”
“How did Milo find out then? I mean, he clearly knows now.”
“Because of Jared fucking McClacken.” He shakes his head. “Ran into Milo and Charlee together in the tunnels before their game several years ago. Outed her right then. But Milo didn’t miss a beat about it, thank God. He stood up for her. Fought for her. Beat the shit out of Jared right there on the ice.”
I snap my fingers. “That’s right! I heard about that game! Milo Landric is famous for that fight.”
“Doesn’t get much better than Milo Landric. He’s a stand-up guy,” Harrison says.
I shake my head in utter disbelief. “Man, I’m sorry to hear about your sister, Oliver. That really is terrible and I’m glad she got out. But listen. Where McClacken is concerned, he’s a grade-A douchebag and not worth the breath it takes to mention his name. And quite frankly, he’s not that great a player anymore.”
Barrett laughs and hitches his thumb gesturing to me. “Listen to this kid.”
“What?” I shrug. “I mean it. The guy spends more time swinging fists than he does playing hockey. Statistically speaking, over his last ten games, he’s spent more time in the penalty box than he has on the ice.”
“I actually read somewhere that it’s rumored he has a drinking problem,” Griffin states.
“Wouldn’t surprise me given the way he plays now,” I tell them. “Why he’s even still with the team is beyond me.”
Harrison laughs. “Well, we don’t want him so it’s good that he’s still under contract with Seattle.”
Oliver snarls. “The day Jared McClacken becomes an Anaheim Star is the day I walk out of here forever.”
“That’s not happening. I’m just saying that McClacken is the least of our worries. If he comes in strong, just say something to piss him off and he’ll earn himself the penalty and we’ll have the power play. Easy peasy.”
Oliver switches off the big screen on the wall. “Well, at least we should be able pull a win as long as we play smart and don’t lose our heads. Jared might not be the strongest player, but he’s headstrong and he knows how and when to pick a fight. As much as I’d like to be the one to kill that guy with my own bare hands, I respect this team. And we all need to get through the game without a shit ton of penalties and no league fines or bad press.”
“Agreed,” Griffin says with a nod.
The rest of us nod with him. “Yep. Agreed.”
“Good. Now I’m starving. Let’s eat.”
Corrigan
That was an awesome assist you had out there tonight.
Me
Thank you babe. Felt pretty good to pull one over on McClacken. That guy is such a douche.
Corrigan
I can’t believe you didn’t deck the shit out of him.
Me
I wanted to, but we talked about him earlier this morning and Oliver made it very clear he wanted us all to skate a clean game with no penalties. Besides, if any deserves to beat the shit out of McClacken, it’s Oliver Magallan.
Corrigan
McClacken spent more time in the sin bin tonight than he did on the ice. He’s such an idiot. And why Oliver Magallan?
Me
You don’t know about McClacken and Magallan’s sister?
Corrigan
Should I?
Me
I didn’t until this morning. Long story but apparently McClacken and Oliver’s sister were together before she married Milo Landric.
Corrigan
Red Tails Landric?
Me
Yeah. The guy abused her and she left him while he was on an away stretch.
Corrigan
WTF? I had a feeling the guy was a real life douche.
Me
Yeah.
Corrigan
Well, I’m glad you guys kicked their asses tonight.
Me
It’s what we do. We kick ass and take names. What about you? How was your day?
Corrigan
Layken and I did a little Christmas shopping and had lunch at Hopeless Ramen-Tic. I have to take you there sometime. Seriously sooo good.
Me
If I’m going to spend my time slurping something, I’d rather slurp you.
Corrigan
Hmm, you’d have to get me wet enough to be able to slurp anything…
Me
And you think I can’t make that happen?
Corrigan
I never said that…
Me
I guess we’ll see.
Corrigan
Oh?
Me
Just wait…
Corrigan
Wait for what?
Me
You’ll see
Corrigan
Secrets secrets are no fun…
Me
They are when they will make you come!
This is the longest away stretch of the season so far. We’re two weeks out from Christmas and I’m missing Corrigan like crazy. We’ve texted back and forth and I call her every night but she’s working an overnight shift tonight so I can’t bother her. We’re not even slated to get back to town until late on the twenty-third. The guys have more than noticed a slight change in my demeanor and have been giving me a hard time about missing her for the last three days. I’m about to give up for the night and just go to sleep when my phone dings on the nightstand. Assuming it’s Corrigan, I reach to pick it up and roll my eyes when I see Griffin’s name appear.
Griffin
Hey Roche! What are you getting Corrigan for Christmas?
Me
I have no idea yet. Why? You got a suggestion?
Ledger
How about a pair of cute pickle pants to match yours?
Griffin
I can make that happen! They’re just one click away!
Me
I don’t think she would appreciate a pair of pickle pants the way I do.
Harrison
How about a ruler to slap your ass during your uh…lessons. #naughtynun
Ledger
LOL! Oooh or a sexy student costume so it doesn’t feel like you’re fucking your teacher.
Me
So, I’d be fucking a kid instead? No thank you!
August
Nah you don’t need any of that. Just give her good tongue lashing and she’ll be a happy woman.
Griffin
Good idea. Maybe snap a picture of your balls for her while you’re apart.
Bear
Dip them in glitter first.
Me
Glitter? Why?
Bear
#decktheballs
Me
I’m pretty sure it’s actually deck the halls…
Bear
*bitch slaps Bodhi* Not today!
Oliver
LOL! Yeah. Show your fucking Christmas spirit dumbass.
Me
By decking my balls in glitter?
Harrison
Don’t you think a pic of your sparkly balls would make your girl smile?
August
Ella says ABSOFUCKINLUTELY!
Me
She would definitely laugh, that’s for sure.
Harrison
Then do the thing and take the pic.
Griffin
And then PUH-LEASE send that pic to us!
Bear
Uh…I don’t think I really need to see Bodhi’s glitter balls.
Oliver
Pretty nuts eh, Bear? Hehe! Pretty nuts. See what I did there?
Bear
SMH
August
BAHAHAHAHA I see what you did there. Ella just busted a gut at that one.
Me
Hey, you’re the one who told me to do it, Bear, so you’re getting a private showing.
Bear
Then Griffin better deck his balls too so we can have a competition.
August
Oooh a sparkly balls competition.
Oliver
This is Scarlett and I say if Bodhi and Griffin are dipping their balls in glitter, then so is Oliver.
August
This is ELLA and YAAAASSSSSS!!!! Sparkly balls competition!!! And then me and Scarlett and Corrigan get to be the judges!!
Bodhi
Christ. What have I gotten myself into?
Griffin
I’m in if you are, Roche.
Me
*Googles how to get glitter via Instacart*
August
*Ella rubs hands together* This is going to be so good. Also, I now hate you all.
Me
Ho, Ho, Ho motherfuckers.