Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 91213 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91213 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
“Okay, it’s a date,” she says, then stammers. “Well, not a date…we’ll get together…for um…food or sex or something.”
Laughing, I assure her, “We’ll figure it out. Talk later, okay?”
“Okay,” she says chuckling. “Bye.”
When I hang up, Van nods his head toward the phone again as he starts undressing. “Gonna get laid Sunday?”
“Actually,” I tell him as I pull the covers back on my bed and slide in, resting against the headboard again. “I’m sort of seeing someone.”
Van blinks at me a few times. We’ve only been roommates a little less than two months, but he knows how I operate. He knows it well because that’s the way he operates too, but he doesn’t get laid as often as I do. He’s kind of cranky and doesn’t like to work for it, although he’s got some type of pussy magnet, because when he does feel like it, he gets some beautiful ass, I’ll have to say.
“Seeing someone?” he asks, but I can tell by his tone he doesn’t believe me.
I’m not about to tell him the full story. The only ones who know Stephy is pregnant are me, her, Max, Jules, and her doctor, and that’s the way it will stay for a few more weeks until we can make sure everything’s fine.
But I will give him a little because if this continues on, he’ll be meeting Stephy at some point. “Yeah…remember that night at the museum?”
“You banged someone that worked there, right?” he asks, then shakes his head like I’ve lost it. “Didn’t think it was that great, as you’ve hooked up with plenty of ass after her.”
I grit my teeth. “We ran into each other recently and hooked back up. She’s cool and—”
“She’s got a magic pussy?” he guesses crudely. I know he’s only joking and he’s never seen this side of me, but still…I can’t have that.
“I like her,” I tell him, and that’s the truth. I’ve liked her from the moment I met her and nothing has changed about that. “So we’re going to see each other and I’ll figure it out from there.”
“Well, good luck, brother,” he says as he grabs his shave kit and turns to the bathroom.
“Where did you go tonight?” I ask his retreating back.
“Some titty club,” he mutters.
“Who all went?” I ask, only slightly mourning the loss of my bachelor ways and hanging with my teammates. It’s not that I can’t go to a titty bar, because I so can and not be unfaithful, but well…I don’t want to go.
This is fucking weird.
Van stops at the threshold to the bathroom. “I went by myself.”
“Why?” I ask, because several of my teammates would have been all over that.
“Haven’t you figured it out by now?” Van tells me, and he’s not teasing in the slightest. “I’m not a people person. I don’t want to sit around with the boys and talk about pussy and tits. I hang with you because you’re tolerable—”
“Gee, thanks,” I mutter.
“I like my time alone,” he says, ignoring me. “I don’t make a good friend.”
And fuck…that kind of makes me sad for the dude. I mean, I knew he was a bit of a loner because he doesn’t come out a lot, but when he and I are one on one, we get along pretty damn good.
“You’ve been a decent friend so far,” I tell him, hoping to make him feel better or some shit.
Van shakes his head and his eyes are hard. “Like I said…you’re tolerable. But you’re my teammate and my roommate, and that’s it.”
My eyes narrow at his back as he retreats into the bathroom, as this is a side of Van I’ve not seen and I actually suspect he might be a little drunk. He’s a total beast on the ice and can get a little vicious with the opposing team, but that’s the nature of a lot of hockey players. He can be a cranky bastard, but we all have our days, right? We’ve not been bosom buddies or anything, but I’ve been around him enough to know this is strange behavior.
This isn’t the Van I know, but he’s definitely putting me at arm’s length.
I make a mental note to myself to talk to Max about it and get his take.
Looking back to my phone, I pull up my app and send my first ever text to Stephy.
Sweet dreams.
Her reply isn’t immediate but it’s before I can even get surfing good on Facebook. I flip over when I hear the chime and groan.
Leave me alone. I can’t text and use my vibrator at the same time.
I turn on my side, my back to Van’s bed so he can’t see the tent I’d be making on my back, and send her a return text. You’re so bad. Going to redden your ass for that.
She sends me a smiley face in return and I let that be what takes me into sleep as I set my phone on the mattress beside me and close my eyes.