Lance didn't reply.
Ella picked and preened at his collar and mussed his hair. “Andjeezyou look terrible. What's wrong? Did something happen to you? Normally, you want to party on your birthday …”
He gently pushed his sister's hand away from his face. “Yeah, thanks, Honey Badger. I look like shit, and probably smell like it, too. Happy birthday to me, eh?”
Ilya laughed in the background. “Lance, what's with all those suitcases in the hall behind you?”
Everyone craned their necks, trying to see around Lance. Lance himself turned and stared at the suitcases while he rummaged for a suitable lie. “Uh. I picked up some things in Nashville.”
“You mean you stole somebody's suitcases?”someone joked, and the whole party went into an uproar.
“Right now there's some poor family wandering around the airport, wondering who ruined their vacation!”someone else joked.
Lance snapped. “Would you guys shut the hell up and help me move this stuff in?”
“Jeez.” “Just jokin', Lance.” “Hey, sorry bud.”
***
Everyone was in a good mood, or at least theywereuntil he showed up like a big and gray and ominous storm cloud. It wasn't easy, under the circumstances, but Lance did his best to act normal.
It was even harder that he couldn't even tell anyone what was bothering him. But for a few hours, all he had to do was somehow stop thinking about Paige and Irie and talk puck with his teammates, make small talk with their significant others, and above all else, assure everyone who asked that yes, he trulywasfine—“but now that you ask, maybe I am a little fatigued from that flight.”
He knew Ella could see through his lies and bullshit—she always did. She could sense that something wasn't right with him. Naturally, Ella blamed herself for throwing a surprise birthday party that she assumed he hated. Typical Ella, she didn't believe him when he said he appreciated it.
Hedidappreciate it, of course. She'd done a lot of planning to get the whole place decorated and coordinate with everyone.
He just couldn't enjoy it. He had other things on his mind. Things he couldn't tell anybody, according to Kip Sterling.
The night got later and slowly, one by one, most of the married couples took off. A small group remained—the team's bachelors, Lance's closest buddies, and Ella. After everyone begged and pleaded to take him out to the club for some birthday fun, Lance reluctantly agreed. The group went to downtown Boston and found themselves at Club Regret.
***
Lance snuck away from the group's booth in a VIP section and sat at the bar by himself. Some of his single teammates were on the dance floor, glass in hand, bumping and grinding on the girls they were planning on taking home for the night.
He set his cell phone on top of the bar and checked his texts again. Still no word from Paige. No matter how many times he texted or called her, he didn't hear a word back.
Then there was a body at his side and a cloud of vanilla and floral scents wafted over him. Her small hand wrapped around his thick bicep. Lance turned slowly, wishing that the girl with her arms all over him would be Paige, but knowing in his heart that it couldn't possibly be.
“Lance Couture,” the 20-something girl said, over-enunciating every syllable of his name, as if she were announcing the grand entrance of a king.
He looked at her and forced a smile. “Hi.” She was pretty enough. Seemed to have a great body. The tops of her breasts jiggled in her low-cut dress. And with one look into those sultry bedroom eyes, he knew exactly what she wanted.
Normally, he'd be all over her. But for the first time in his life, Lance didn't feelmuch interest for a girl that wanted to screw his brains out because of his celebrity status.
Why? She wasn't Paige. It was as simple as that.
“Soglad to meet you,” the stranger said, putting her hand out to shake. She held her hand right in front of her cleavage. Shewantedhim to stare, to be seduced by her assets. “I'm Leah.”
“Yeah, you too, Leah,” he muttered. He shook her hand, but he passed on the peek at her tits. He didn't need it, he didn't care.
But Leah wouldn't be denied so easily. She pretended to inspect his hand. “You've gotsuchmanly hands,” she giggled as she pulled his hand forward until his knuckles brushed against her breasts.
Lance rolled his eyes and freed his hand. “Look. You seem nice, but I'm not interested. Alright? Sorry.”
Leah's pride was injured and she reared back. “Um, who said I was interested inyouin the first place?”
He thought to bite his tongue, but he couldn't help himself. “You did, sweetheart, when you rubbed your titties all over my hand.”
