“Thanks again for the shirt,” she said. “How was practice and training this morning?”
“The usual. How’s work?”
“The usual.”
“So the charity thing this weekend,” I said, clearing my throat. It’d been a long damn time since I’d asked a woman out. “You wanna go together?”
She just looked at me for a second before answering. “That would probably send the wrong message.”
“To who, me?” I arched a brow at her.
She smiled. “No, to everyone else. And I have a friend coming into town who will go with me Saturday.”
Was it Lance, the guy I’d seen in photos with her online?
“Okay,” I said, shrugging. “So I guess I’ll see you around.”
“You’ll still be there, right?”
“Yep.”
“See you there, then.”
Sidney
I caught a glimpse of my gown in a mirror on the wall of the hotel lobby. It was the perfect shade of Flyers blue. Lucky I’d already had it in my New York closet and it had been shipped here on time.
“This place is shabby,” Lance said, looking around as we walked into the hotel’s ballroom.
“This is Indy, not New York,” I reminded him. “And I like it.”
“It’s old.”
“In a good way. I’ll take a restored building like this over a new build any day. They don’t make gorgeous stone structures like this anymore.”
He pulled me close. “I’ve missed my real estate expert. You sure we can’t skip this and go back to your place, gorgeous?”
“Of course not.” I pulled away and smoothed out my dress. “Things between us are strictly platonic now. You know that.”
“Can’t we be friends with benefits?”
“No, we can’t.”
“I’ve missed you, Sidney.” Lance gave me a scolding look. “Haven’t you missed me?”
“I’ve been super busy. All I do is work and sleep.” In other words, no.
“What’s happening to us?”
“We broke up eight months ago, Lance.”
“I really thought the break would bring us closer together.”
“I don’t want a relationship right now, not with you or anyone.”
He glanced around, looking nervous. “Let’s not have this conversation right now, sweetheart. I came a long way and I just want us to have a good time.”
I suppressed a sigh. Lance had never listened to me when we were together, and nothing had changed since we broke up.
“I’ll get the drinks,” he said, walking away.
We fell into the familiar routine, a routine that was borne from knowing one another for so long. From the time we first became a couple, he never asked what I wanted to drink. He liked the familiarity of knowing that I’d always have a white wine. But, unfortunately, tonight I didn’t.
However, drinking a glass of wine I didn’t want was preferable to an argument. I wished I hadn’t agreed to let Lance come with me tonight. What I really wanted was to be here alone.
A hand on my back made me stiffen with awareness. Wrong as it was, I wanted it to be Killian.
“Hey,” Keri said, squeezing me in a hug.
I smiled, not letting my disappointment show. “Keri, look at you. You look spectacular.”
She wore a form fitting sequined gown in the same Flyers blue I was wearing. Her hair was swept to one side, with elegant waves flowing over one shoulder.
“Thanks, you look great, too. That color is perfect with your red hair.” She gave me a nod of approval and then glanced discreetly around, “What’s Lance doing here?”
I rolled my eyes. “Long story. He just wouldn’t take no for an answer.”
“Impressive, since you usually deliver a pretty convincing no.”
I couldn’t tell her I’d caved because I knew having Lance with me tonight was a guarantee there was no way I could leave with Killian. He’d been on my mind constantly, and I was pretty sure seeing him in a tux would affect my sex drive about the same way his suit had.
“Those boys better show up here clean cut and sober, or heads are gonna roll,” Keri said sweetly.
I nodded my agreement, once again grateful that Keri had agreed to uproot her life in New York to come here with me. It was an open-ended arrangement, but not once had she asked when we might be going home. She was single and driven, like me.
A server approached with a tray of bubbly champagne flutes.
“Want one?” Keri asked, reaching for two glasses.
“Please.”
“Hey, Shuck cleans up nice,” she said, sounding surprised, as she caught a glimpse of our goaltender across the room. “He must’ve borrowed a comb from someone.”
I laughed and was about to respond when the sight of Killian stopped me cold. He was perfect in his tux, clean-shaven with his short blond hair perfectly groomed. He was crazy hot and I’d wager that every woman in the room had noticed him.
My heart beat wildly as he approached. I thought it might stop altogether when I saw the woman next to him. She wore a strappy gown that showed way too much skin, but there was no denying she was beautiful. Petite and toned, she had long black hair piled into curls on top of her head.
He was going to fuck her tonight, and the thought gave me a hot, clawing sense of panic. He’d slide down those shoulder straps and put his mouth all over her bronzed skin.
I tilted the champagne flute and drained it in one go.
“Thirsty?” Keri muttered.
“Sidney, Keri, great to see you,” Killian said, laying his hand on the back of his date’s back. “You both look great tonight. This is Celia.”
“Hey,” Celia said, grinning brightly and waving.
Lance joined us just then and handed me a glass of wine. “Your favorite, sweetheart.”
I sipped it, an awkward silence falling around us.
Killian extended his hand to Lance. “Killian Bosch.”
Lance shook his hand. “Lance Holt.”
“Are you Sidney’s boyfriend?” Killian asked.
After a beat of silence, I answered. “No. He’s an old friend.”
Lance’s grin disappeared. “A friend who’s been inside you,” he murmured just loud enough for everyone to hear.
My lips parted with shock and I turned to speak quietly to Lance, “You did not just say that. I knew I never should have let you come here tonight. You are embarrassing me.”
“Sorry, I forgot—you control all,” he said sarcastically.
Thankfully the waiter appeared again and Celia swept two glasses of champagne from his tray, taking a sip from one and then the other. “Can you believe this stuff is free? It’s not my favorite, but if it’s free and it’ll get me drunk, I’ll take it!”
In a matter of a minute, the evening had gone south and it was hard to decide who was the more embarrassing, Lance or Celia.
Taking charge of the situation as only a seasoned PR person could do, Keri said, “Sid, why don’t I take you to meet the charity’s CEO?” Taking my arm she said, “We’ll be back.”
“That was awkward,” I said softly when we were out of hearing range.