Play book l a phantoms 3, p.11
Play Book (L.A. Phantoms #3), page 11
“I set up an online form on your website,” Stevie says after she’d been at the gallery for a week.
I’d come in this morning to pick up mail and check on things, and to find her doing something on the computer. “And you’ve already got three people signed up for the adult class…” She pauses dramatically. “And eight for the kids’ class!”
“Eight!” I gape at her. “Oh my God, Stevie, I thought this was hypothetical.”
“Hypothetical? I told you I was doing the forms. They’re six-week classes, just like we talked about, once a week. The kids’ class is for ages ten to fifteen and starts in two weeks. The adult class starts next week.”
“Only three people?” I ask, staring at the form she just pulled up, showing me the list of students.
“Of course, Bertie signed up.” I shake my head fondly.
“I might take it too,” she says quietly. “I need to keep busy and something creative might be beneficial. At least, that’s what my therapist said. Yoga doesn’t seem to be cutting it, but I’m trying.”
“You’ve had a rough few months,” I assure her. “You’re doing great.”
“My agent wants me to go back to work,” she admits.
“And?”
She lifts one shoulder. “I don’t know. The idea of going back to New York is terrifying. I guess I’d do something here if it came up, but so far, it’s all either in New York or Europe, and I don’t want to travel that far yet.”
“You do what feels right,” I say gently. “Don’t push yourself unless you need the money.”
She shakes her head. “No, I’m good in that department. That’s probably the only area of my life I’m not struggling.”
“Be grateful for that. Imagine if you were broke on top of everything else.”
She makes a face. “Ugh.”
“Anyway, so you took the lead on this project and now I have to come up with a class,” I say, laughing.
“I also made the price a little higher than we talked about, but it didn’t seem to deter anybody.”
I eye her. “Who are you and what happened to sweet little Stevie?”
She blinks, as if startled, and then gives me a wry smile. “I guess they took her out along with my uterus. Sweet Stevie is gone forever. This new Stevie is hardcore.”
I want to protest that she’s perfect the way she is, but a customer has come in so that conversation has to wait.
“Are you going to the game tonight?” Stevie asks me once the customer is gone, since there’s nothing for her to buy.
I hesitate.
I’ve tried not to let Canyon’s disappearance upset me, but it’s hard not to be offended that he basically ghosted me. We didn’t have a commitment or anything, and I know he’s got a lot going on, but he could have sent a text. A quick call. Just to check in. Even just to tell me he doesn’t have time.
That’s probably too much to ask for.
He doesn’t owe me anything.
“I’ll probably go but cut out early.”
“Why?” She cocks her head. “Because of Canyon?”
“If he can’t be bothered to send me a text, I’m not going to chase him.”
“You’re not chasing him; you’re just living your life. Don’t let a man dictate your social life. Your friends are all going. You’re a season ticket holder. You shouldn’t have to keep your distance because he turned out to be a dick.”
I want to be offended by the name-calling, but he kind of is.
I’d heard from him once since the text canceling our date, and it had been another brief text simply saying he had a lot going on and would get in touch as soon as he had a chance. That had been a week ago and there had been crickets.
Of course, I have no idea what’s happening with his situation. There have been a lot of rumors going around, but until I hear from him, I’m keeping an open mind.
“Look, we only hooked up a couple times,” I say with a shrug. “He doesn’t owe me anything.”
“Seriously?” She glares at me. “When Damien was treating me that way, you guys jumped all over my shit.”
I open my mouth but then close it, choosing my words carefully. “You and Damien were in a serious, committed relationship. Canyon and I had a couple of dates and slept together a couple of times. That’s it. It’s not the same.”
“You’re right.” Stevie sighs. “I guess I’m a little overprotective of my friends now. After the way I was treated, I might hate all men. Just a bit.”
I smile and give her a quick hug. “I totally get it. And having friends who worry about me is awesome. But really—Canyon isn’t a bad guy here.”
Maybe a little.
But I don’t want my friends’ group talking shit about him and it getting back to him. We have too many mutual friends and our paths will inevitably cross, which would make everything uncomfortable and that’s the last thing I want.
Because I’ve just decided I’m going to the damn game.
And if Harper brings me down to the family lounge, well, he’s just going to have to deal with it.
To my surprise, I get a text from Canyon late in the afternoon.
CANYON: Hey. I know I’ve gone radio silent—I apologize. It’s been…a lot. It wasn’t personal. I really want to see you, but getting my eleven-year-old niece settled has been all-encompassing. I have a lot to tell you. Are you coming to the game tonight?
SAYLOR: I’m almost always at the games unless I have to work.
CANYON: My niece will be with me—I have nowhere else to leave her until I find a nanny. It’s a school night, but she doesn’t start at her new school until next week, so I was thinking a group of us would go get some food after the game. You want to come? I really want to see you.
My gut squeezes with a combination of excitement and annoyance.
Excitement that he reached out.
Annoyance that I’ll have to share him with the team and…his niece.
His niece.
Not his child. His niece.
For some reason, that makes me feel better.
Not that I would be angry that he’d unknowingly fathered a child sometime in the past. It just would have further complicated something that’s already complicated.
How do you continue a friends-with-benefits arrangement with an eleven-year-old in the mix?
I should walk away.
This is more than I bargained for.
But I don’t want to.
The memories of his lips on mine make me shiver with need.
My nether regions clench with arousal just thinking about him being inside me. His touch. The way it felt when he covered my body with his and rocked my world.
Incredible sex is apparently capable of making me less cautious. So my fingers type out a response even while my heart and mind continue to war about what to do.
SAYLOR: I’ll come down to the lounge after and we can figure it out. I’m anxious to meet her.
CANYON: Well, don’t say I didn’t warn you. She’s ornery as fuck.
SAYLOR: Just like her uncle?
CANYON: LOL She’s ten times worse than me. And that’s saying something.
SAYLOR: Damn. Well, I guess I’m going to find out. I’ll see you later. Have a good game. Don’t get hurt.
CANYON: Thanks, babe. I’ll do my best. See you later.
I put my phone away and do a mental head shake.
What is it about this guy that makes me want to be stupid?
No-strings sex?
Sure.
Ghost me for a week?
Understandable.
Introduce me to his niece?
Why not?
Ugh.
He makes me feel like a teenager, all giddy because the cute boy at school is paying attention to me.
I’m not like this.
Even at thirty-one, I can date almost anyone. Great guys are hard to find, but dating in general isn’t hard. Instead, deep down I’m holding out hope for the younger man who’s been very honest about not being interested in a relationship.
I’m a dumbass who’s going to get her heart broken.
I’m well aware of that, and yet, heading straight for the danger without even pausing to slow down.
I pull on my Phantoms jersey and slide my feet into a pair of low-heeled boots as I call for an Uber on my phone. I figure someone will bring me home, even though it probably won’t be Canyon. His car is a two-seater, so I’ll have to ride with someone else no matter what, but I’m not worried about it; Harper, Autumn, Bailey, and Stevie will all be there.
I grab my purse and step outside to wait for my ride.
Joel is just pulling up, and he waves as he gets out of his car.
“Hey! Going to the game?”
“Of course.”
“Gina and I aren’t big on sports, to be honest.”
“Hockey’s exciting,” I say with a grin.
“Especially when you’re dating someone on the team.” His eyes gleam, and I can’t tell if it’s mischievous or somehow condescending.
What is he insinuating?
“I was a fan long before I met Canyon,” I reply, keeping my tone neutral. “I’ve had season tickets for years and have watched hockey since I was a kid.”
He must catch something in my voice because he quickly back pedals. “Oh, I didn’t mean anything bad,” he says quickly. “I’m just assuming it must be a lot more fun when you know people on the team.”
“Of course it is. But I’m friends with the owner, so that started long before Canyon.”
“Hey, honey!” Gina comes out her front door and calls to us. “Hi, Saylor!”
“Hey, Gina.”
“Have fun at the game!” she says with a smile.
“Thank you.”
Luckily, my Uber pulls up and I don’t have to make small talk anymore.
They’re fine as neighbors and tenants, but we’ve never been overly friendly. I’ve always felt keeping some distance makes it easier in case there are ever issues with payment or repairs. We’ve never had any problems, but it feels like they’re friendlier than usual lately, and I can’t help but wonder if it’s because of Canyon.
Are they suddenly enamored with the idea of me dating a professional hockey player?
It doesn’t make sense, this is all so new, but they’ve definitely been making more of an effort to talk the last few weeks, which coincides with my starting to spend time with Canyon.
“Going to the game?” The Uber driver asks as he pulls down the street.
It feels like I’ve answered this question a hundred times today.
“Yup.” I nod politely and stare out the window as he rambles on about the last game he went to and what a big fan he was.
Hopefully, traffic will cooperate, and I won’t be subjected to this much longer.
EIGHTEEN
Canyon
It feels like it’s been a hundred years since I’ve seen Saylor, so I make short work of showering and getting dressed after the game. Ally had spent the afternoon with Autumn and watched the game with her and some of the other wives and girlfriends, so I’m hoping for a few minutes alone with Saylor before I get to the lounge. This is Ally’s first time coming to a game, so I’m going to have to introduce her to everyone.
She was grumpy about coming, but I pushed the issue because she’s going to have to get used to this. She won’t be at every game, especially not once she starts school, but she has to come to terms with being part of my world.
I send Saylor a quick text asking her to meet me by the elevators that lead to the private boxes, since she watched the game from Harper’s box anyway, and she’s standing there as I get off the elevator.
Damn, she looks amazing.
I suddenly feel a little guilty for not being more communicative since getting back from Illinois, but there honestly hasn’t been time.
“Hi.” I approach her cautiously, and her eyes meet mine.
“Hi.” I can see hesitation there, as if she wants to kiss me but is afraid to. Because I’ve sent her mixed signals the last week.
“I’ve missed you,” I say, even though the words feel a little foreign on my lips.
Except it’s true.
I wrap my arms around her and pull her against my chest, dropping my lips to hers.
Another slight hesitation.
Then she melts into me, her lips parting expectantly.
Fuck.
My tongue is in her mouth before I can stop myself, and even though the VIP boxes are still emptying and people are milling around, I can’t seem to help it. I’ve missed her. More than I want to admit. It’s been easy to ignore how much because of how much has been going on, but now that we’re together again, that invisible pull is back in full force.
There’s something between us, no matter how casual we’ve kept things, and it seems ridiculous to pretend otherwise.
“I’m sorry,” I say as we reluctantly pull apart.
“For?” She looks more curious than upset, and I find myself needing to be honest. To articulate how confused I am about her. About us, really. If there even is an us.
It scares the shit out of me, because I’m in no position to be in a relationship with her, but the thought has crossed my mind.
“I should have called. Texted. Kept you updated. I meant to. I just…” How do I explain how insane the last week has been? “You’ll understand better when you meet Ally. She’s so angry and I guess she has no one else to be mad at, so she takes it out on me.”
“Of course she’s angry. Her whole world is tilted on its axis. And yours has too. But you should have reached out. A text takes two minutes.”
“I know.”
“You don’t owe me anything,” she says after a moment. “Except maybe honesty. You can’t disappear just because you’re busy. I’m busy too. Friends make time for each other, and I was under the assumption that at the very least we were friends. Unless I was mistaken.”
Friends.
Is that what we are?
Do friends have the intense passion we’ve shared?
Not usually.
And I sure as shit have never thought about any other friend as much as I think about her.
I’m just bad at showing anything that vaguely resembles emotion.
Really bad.
“I’m not good at…this,” I admit quietly.
“Good at what? Talking?”
“Communicating. Dating. Whatever this is.”
“Are we dating?”
“I don’t know. Do you want to?”
“I want us to feel good when we’re together. Physically, emotionally, whatever it is. I’ve been around the block enough times to know that I don’t need or want drama, and dating can get complicated. Especially now that you have Ally.”
“I know.” I pause. “And I think maybe that’s part of why I didn’t call. Not because I didn’t want to, but because I figured you were better off not being pulled into the shit show my life is at the moment. She hates everything, Saylor. Me. The social worker assigned to our case. The private school we toured yesterday. Hockey. You name it, she hates it.”
“She’s a kid who just lost her mom. And I’m assuming you weren’t close.”
“I haven’t seen either of them in nine years,” I say. “But that’s a long story we don’t have time for right now.”
“As far as this thing with us, the decision has to be yours,” she says, her eyes on mine. “Really. I won’t be mad if you say we shouldn’t see each other anymore. Disappointed, yes, but not mad.”
I huff out a breath. “Yeah, but I’ll be mad. I want to spend more time with you. I do. I just don’t know when or how.”
“At some point, you have to make the effort. Otherwise, there’s no point.”
“I’ll do better,” I promise, the words spilling out of me of their own volition.
If I’ve surprised her, she doesn’t let it show. “How about we take things one day at a time then? The only commitment is the one we already talked about.”
“You mean not sleeping with anyone else?” I can’t help but chuckle. “Baby, if I haven’t had time to hook up with you, I definitely don’t have time to find anyone else.”
“What about on the road?” she asks, lifting her chin a little. “That’s probably easiest because Ally won’t be with you. Opportunity and privacy.”
“Well, I’m not interested in that,” I say firmly, tugging her closer to me. “If that changes at some point, I’ll let you know, but for now, I’m good with one day at a time.”
“All right. Then I guess I need to meet her.”
I slide my fingers around hers. “Yeah, that’s going to be fun. Let’s go.”
The lounge is busy when we get there, and I don’t even realize I’m still holding Saylor’s hand until I catch a look from Marty. His gaze drifts down to our linked fingers but before I can react, I hear Ally.
“Uncle Canyon!” She comes rushing over. “Are we going out to eat? I’m starving—who are you?” She interrupts herself to stare at Saylor.
“Ally, this is Saylor. Saylor, this is my niece, Allison.”
“It’s very nice to meet you.” Saylor holds out her hand, but Ally doesn’t move to take it.
“Oh my God. Is she your girlfriend?” Ally says the last word almost accusingly.
Great.
Now I have to make an on-the-spot decision.
If I say she’s my girlfriend, here in this room in front of everyone, it’s going to change everything.
If I deny it, not only do I look a little foolish since we’re standing here holding hands, I diminish Saylor’s importance to me, both to Ally and all our friends.
And the last thing I want to do is something that will embarrass Saylor.
It hasn’t been long, but she’s important to me.
So I’m going to do something I’ve never done before and say words I haven’t used since high school.
Ironically, it’s not as hard as I thought it would be.
“We’ve only been dating a short time,” I reply casually. “But yes, she’s my girlfriend.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I catch a look of surprise on Saylor’s face, but I’m more focused on Ally. She seems disgusted, which makes no sense since she doesn’t even know Saylor.
