don’t feel the need to clarify.
I blink at her, shaking my head for a second. “Look, Regina. Clearly, they gave you bad information, and I’m sorry for that. Thing is, I’m not actually single, and I’m definitely not interested in hooking up right now.”
Her bottom lip protrudes further as she tilts her head. “I won’t tell if you don’t.” She lifts a finger to her lips as her smile returns. I think that one is supposed to be coy. Okay, yeah, she’s definitely drunk on top of it all. In a weird way, I take some solace in the fact that this might not be normal behavior for her.
“Look, are you here with friends or something?” Now I’m just worried for her safety. She giggles and waves toward the other side of the club.
“Yeah, they’re around. Should I call them over?”
I shudder at the thought of this one multiplied. “No. But I suggest you find them and stay close to them for the rest of the night. Okay?”
Her face falls again, and I’m relieved she’s finally getting the message when she slumps and starts sliding away.
“Your bum knee made you grumpy, Oliver the Hot Hockey Player.”
I can’t help but smile at that. “Yes, Regina. It really did. Take care of yourself tonight.”
Once she’s gone, I breathe a sigh of relief and check my phone for updates from Genevieve. Nothing, but there’s a message from Sandy. I can’t see him anymore, so they must have moved to the main part of the club, away from our VIP area. Good, then I won’t be tempted to risk my knee with a swift kick to his balls.
Sandy: See that’s how you have fun. Get the difference?
You’re a dick, I write back.
Hope yours is getting a workout. You’re welcome, he responds.
I decide not to tell him I’ve already sent his “gift” away. The last thing I need is to be grilled about it, or even worse, trigger a replacement. Let him think I’m hooking up and having “fun.” I resist the urge to message Gen again. I’d do anything to have her beside me right now.
I signal the server and order another drink now that mine is contaminated. Bored, I scroll through my phone while I wait. It doesn’t take long for my one-track brain to return to Genevieve, and I let my fingers tap out a search for her on social media. She said her platform was big. Just curious what that means to her. When I find her, my heart nearly stops in my chest. The woman beside that little blue checkmark is definitely my girl. The eighty million followers next to her name makes me choke on my newly delivered drink. I have my fair share of followers, but holy shit. I check another platform: ninety-two million. Another is seventy-three. I can’t even wrap my brain around the pressure of those numbers. She wasn’t kidding that everything she does will be judged and critiqued. She probably can’t go to the bathroom without a committee, and suddenly my pulse picks up. Did I do the right thing inviting her here? Am I being selfish to expose her to a public narrative with me? I thought my hundred-thousand followers and small spotlight qualified me to understand her world. Now my protective fingers hover over the keypad, preparing to retract the invitation, but I stop myself.
She wanted to meet me.
She knows her situation, the ugly, and she still wanted to venture out to see me. I’d be a hypocrite to encourage her to be brave and follow her heart, and then tell her to hide when she does. Damn, that also means she thinks I’m worth the risk…
My heart flares in my chest, my limbs already tingling with anticipation at seeing her. Has it really only been hours since she woke up beside me? It feels like days. I’ve become addicted to her presence. Watching hockey with her took away the sharp pain of not being on the ice for a brief moment. She made me feel the joy and exhilaration of it instead. She’s a painkiller.
Sandy, Kelsie, and a few of the others come laughing back to the table, and I brace for the ribbing. With a brief scan, Sandy’s eyes narrow as he slides in beside me.
“Where’s Regina?” he asks.
“Really, dude?” I return, shaking my head.
“She seemed fun.”
“She was drunk and not even close to my type.”
He rolls his eyes and takes a swig of the drink he brought back. “See that’s