Common Goal (Game Changers #4)- Rachel Reid Page 0,42
the team—around twenty—who look about your age.”
“Oh yeah? Are they hot?”
Eric’s cheeks flushed. “I would never look at a teammate that way. Especially not one of the kids. Jesus.”
Kids. “Right,” Kyle said stiffly. “Thirty and over. I forgot.”
They were silent a moment, and it felt oddly tense. Kyle was annoyed and he wasn’t sure why. He sucked it up and said, “So, if I were here to pick up, instead of celebrating my one month anniversary with my lovely boyfriend, I would probably be standing by the bar. If I saw someone I liked, I’d send them some obvious signals, and wait for them to come to me. Once mutual interest is established, the rest is easy.”
“Easy?”
“Yeah. Decide where you’re going to go, maybe what you’re going to do when you get there, and then...go do it.” Kyle shrugged. “Like I said, almost everyone in here is hoping to have sex tonight. There’s no guessing about that. The trick is finding the right person.”
“And if someone is looking to maybe just talk to someone? Maybe exchange numbers?”
Kyle considered it. He imagined being that man, the one who Eric approached in a bar because he thought he might be nice to talk to. Would Eric be shy when he initiated conversation, or calm and confident with that quiet amusement in his eyes that made Kyle want to kiss him?
“I think it would be a refreshing change,” Kyle said. “I haven’t been on a real first date in a long time.”
“Probably not as long as me. Twenty years, give or take.”
Twenty years ago, Kyle was five years old. But that didn’t seem like the right thing to mention.
Eric held up his wrist to check his expensive-looking watch, and that’s when Kyle noticed something.
“You took your wedding ring off.”
Eric glanced at his fingers as if he had no idea what Kyle was talking about. “Yeah. I thought it might be time.” He said it like it wasn’t a big deal, but Kyle guessed it hadn’t been an easy thing to do.
“My first tip for getting lucky was going to be: always remove your wedding ring before trying to pick up.”
Eric laughed. “I probably should have figured that one out sooner. I said I was wearing it for superstitious reasons, but maybe I was wearing it like a shield.”
“You weren’t ready before,” Kyle said gently.
“No,” Eric agreed. “And as weird as it feels to not be wearing it now, I think I’m ready to get back out there.”
“Shields down.”
Eric nodded. “Shields down.” He flexed his fingers, then rested the hand on the table. “This is going to sound silly to you, but I’m nervous about playing without it.”
“Without the ring?” That didn’t make any sense to Kyle.
“Yeah. We head out on a road trip the day after tomorrow, and it will be the first time I’ve played a game without wearing the ring since my second season.”
Kyle thought he understood now. “You’re superstitious.”
“Very. I know the ring doesn’t actually make me a better goalie, but still. It’ll be weird.”
“You’ll have to find a new good luck charm.” Kyle’s imagination went off on another adventure, thinking up a scenario where Eric would be wearing something Kyle had given him under his hockey gear. Maybe a thin leather bracelet...
“I have plenty of superstitions. I don’t need a new one.”
“Oh yeah? Like what?”
Eric crossed his arms. “No way. You’ll make fun of me.”
“I won’t. I can’t picture you doing anything too wacky. So what is it? Lucky socks?”
“I put my gear on, and take it off, in exactly the same order. Every time.”
“Okay. And what happens if you don’t?”
“I don’t know. It’s never happened.”
“But you’ve done it and played a bad game.”
“Of course.”
“So...”
Eric huffed. “I know. It doesn’t make sense. Just forget it.”
“No! I’m not making fun of you, I promise. I’m just...interested.”
“Interested in how nuts I am.” Eric smiled. “It gets worse. Would you believe that I talk to my goalposts?”
Kyle’s eyes went wide with delight. “Seriously?”
“Dead serious.”
“That seems so...out of character? What do you tell your goalposts?”
“I thank them when they stop a puck that got by me. I complain about other players to them.” Eric shrugged. “It’s a lonely job sometimes, being a goalie.”
“That is extremely adorable. I love it.”
Eric smiled, and then he covered his mouth with one hand as his face stretched into a yawn.
“Do you need to get to bed?” Kyle asked.
“I do. I try to be in bed before eleven most nights. This is two late nights in a row.”