Evie, Dakota, and Tessa stood in the aisle at the end of the row, all staring at me with bright smiles.
Rising to my feet, I made my way over to them.
“Not sure you could have picked a better night to come to your first game.” Dakota beamed at me. “I’ve never seen a goalie score in person before.”
Dropping my eyes, I kicked a few pieces of discarded popcorn away with the toe of my boot. “I’m guessing that it’s kinda rare the way everyone reacted?”
“You can say that again.” She huffed out a laugh. “Bristol texted me the stats when it happened. It’s only happened about a dozen times in the last twenty-five years!”
My head snapped up, my voice rising in pitch. “Seriously?”
Smirking, Dakota playfully nudged my shoulder. “I used to be just like you. The first time I came to watch Braxton play, he scored a hat trick.”
“I don’t know what that is.”
“Neither did I. I kept asking why the fans were throwing their hats onto the ice. Bristol had to explain that’s what they do when a player scores three goals in a single game—a hat trick, get it? I didn’t even realize he’d scored that many, let alone that it was something special.”
The second mention of the spunky redhead drew my attention to the fact that she wasn’t present in the pack of ladies who had come to join me. She was a reporter for the team, so her absence seemed unusual, and then I remembered that she was pregnant.
“Is Bristol on maternity leave already?”
Tessa snorted. “Maddox wishes.”
Dakota shook her head. “Nah. She’s in the tunnels somewhere doing her job.”
“Ah.” I nodded slowly.
When the silence stretched between us with all three sets of eyes trained on me, I began to squirm. “Um, well, it was nice of you to come down here and keep me company, but it’s been a while with no sign of Sasha, so I think I’m gonna head home.”
A mischievous sparkle entered Dakota’s dark blue eyes. “Oh, that’s not why we came down here.”
“It’s not?” My palms grew sweaty, and I wiped them on my jeans.
“When Goose told us you might come tonight, we decided to give you the full Speed WAG experience.”
“Uh, what’s that?”
Tessa chimed in. “It’s been a while for our little group since most of us have kids at home, or in Bristol’s case, a bun in the oven, but most of the team heads to Pipes, a karaoke bar a few blocks over, after games. It’s a great way to blow off steam and relax. After the show Goose put on tonight, I’m sure the place will be hopping.”
Attending the game had left me exhausted; the adrenaline crash after watching Sasha score was pulling me down fast. I wasn’t sure I could handle a few more hours out, let alone be expected to socialize with his friends.
“Oh, I don’t know. It’s already kinda late.”
Evie spoke up for the first time. “You’ve been to my house, right?” I nodded, so she continued, “Then you know I’m constantly surrounded by ankle biters with endless energy. I have a babysitter tonight, Gemma. For thewhole night.” She widened her eyes, making her meaning clear. “Help a girl out, and don’t ruin this for me.”
Jesus. How in the hell had I become the determining factor in whether this woman got laid tonight?
If their plan was to use peer pressure to get me to cave, it was working. Being the outsider in a group dynamic made me uncomfortable enough; I didn’t need to tack on the anxiety of wondering if they were talking about me behind my back because I was a wet blanket who wouldn’t take up their offer for a night out.
Mentally heaving a heavy sigh, I gave in to their request. “Okay. Sounds like fun.”
Their matching grins told me I was in for a wild ride tonight.
God help me.
The four of us arrived at the country-themed karaoke bar before the guys, but the fans had beaten us there. The girls explained that this was a typical crowd for after a game— especially after a win—but they assured me the fans understood the boundaries and would keep their distance while we enjoyed our evening. They said the trick was to pretend they weren’t even there.
Easier said than done. How are these people happy living in a fishbowl?
