“Two small ones,” I said, pointing at the tap.
The bartender nodded and got down to work. Next to me, the girl with flaming red hair was alone. She was looking at me from under her long eyelashes.
“’Sup?” I asked. “How are you?”
“Having the time of my life,” she joked.
“Yeah, a sports bar with a pool table really is something special,” I said.
She laughed, her voice like smoke and honey. “Are you staying a while longer?” she asked.
I cracked a smile. It was my turn to ask her what she was drinking. But Shane was waiting for me. Then again, it was good luck to clear your mind the night before a big game. Not even just luck but basic logic. “Where’s your friend?” I asked.
She blinked so seductively, her eyes shining with cheeky cleverness. “Ah, he’s over there, charmingyourfriend.”
Every hair on my body stood out. My gaze darted to Shane, chuckling and sitting stiffly in the booth while that handsome motherfucker told jokes or whatever. Shane was awkward, but not awkward enough to put the guy off. If anything, it was goddamn cute how shy and red he was, his eyes glimmering and his shoulders shaking as he laughed nervously.
“Don’t worry,” the girl said as I pushed myself a little away from the counter. “Ian’s a sweet guy.”
“Sure, sure,” I murmured, not actually sure what she had said. I drifted across the bar, my stride becoming firmer as I neared them. I didn’t look at the guy who dared come near Shane and risk breaking Shane’s heart. Didn’t he fucking see Shane was more delicate than your onetime hookup? Couldn’t he see he was making Shane nervous? Did he think he could just slide in there, do a dirty, and disappear? Not on my goddamn watch. “We should go,” I announced.
The guy’s head whipped around to look at me. He didn’t matter. He wanted to take advantage of Shane, and the white rage that filled me at the thought of it was worse than any I’d felt on the ice, even when I was fighting against the worst odds. “Aren’t you getting drinks?”
“It’s late,” I said. “We should probably get some sleep.” Why was he not getting the hint? The guy was a shallow flirt with only one thing on his mind.
Takes one to know one, I thought, and it wasn’t an unfair remark.
“Please?” I said.
Shane’s brow wrinkled for a split second, and he nodded. He looked at Ian. “Thanks for keeping me company.”
“Let’s stay in touch,” Ian said smoothly. “I’d love to get to know you better while you’re here.”
Oh, sure. You’d love to know him real good, I thought. He was obnoxious.
“Ah, we’re returning to Chicago on Sunday,” Shane said.
“Chicago? I’m there all the time for work. I’ll text you,” he said.
The nerve of this guy!
Shane smiled sweetly as he got up, and Ian took the cue. He followed us a few steps, then said goodbye to Shane and rejoined his redheaded friend at the bar.
We stepped outside, and I scoffed. “Can you believe that guy?”
Shane cocked his head and frowned. “Why? I thought he was sweet.”
“Sweet,” I said with contempt. “Shane, guys like that only want one thing.”
He pressed his lips together. “I, uh…wouldn’t mind getting it over with, to be honest. I don’t get guys swinging by that often, you know?”
“Not with someone like that. Trust me. He’s a player, and he’ll disappear by the time you’ve showered the sweat off,” I growled.
“Huh, I didn’t get that feeling at all,” Shane said. “Um, thanks.”
My fists balled so quickly and tightly that I had to stop walking for a moment. It was like my muscles were locked. He wasn’t supposed to be thanking me, right? I thought I was doingthe right thing, but being thanked felt like I’d somehow cheated. “You’ll find a good guy, Shane. And soon, I bet. You’re way more interesting and attractive than you think.”
Shane said nothing. We walked on silently, and I felt dirty. I felt so dirty that I craved a hot shower.
