“No chance. I see blow jobs in my future—and you’re not invited.”
Forty-seven minutes later, I was itching to leave but my mission was to be at Lauren’s side. The rest of her crew were rightly suspicious of my presence, which was good because they should be looking out for their friend, but not so good because she was my wife and I was best qualified to take care of her.
Rosie had arrived to meet up with Summer, who used to be her roommate. I didn’t know her, but I knew her dads, Cade Burnett and Dante Moretti. Her biological mother was Violet Vasquez-St. James, one of the Chase sisters, co-owners of the Rebels, and Rosie looked just like her, with her dark green eyes and colorful arm sleeve of tattoos. The Chase sisters were a maverick bunch, and it showed in the team’s spawn. None of them were afraid to front an opinion or give me the evil eye whenever I so much as looked in Lauren’s direction.
Rosie was assessing me now, with no deference whatsoever to my fame, fortune, or seniority. “So, you know Lauren how?”
Conor chuckled. “Eh, she can probably take care of herself, Rosita.”
“Did I ask you?”
“No, but I offered anyway because I’ve been witnessing this dynamic long before you got here.”
Rosie waved him off. “Hence my question about the breadth and depth of this friendship.”
“We went to college together,” Lauren said, having switched to a glass of water after knocking back the blow job shot. A tiny dot of cream sat at the corner of her mouth, one I longed to lick. “In fact, the first time I met him, he was having sex one wall over from my bedroom.”
“Really?” Summer viewed me with renewed interest.
“I did not know it was her bedroom. Jason had given me a place to stay because my apartment was not ready.”
“You lived with Uncle J, Lo?” Hatch popped a peanut in his mouth.
“Yes, we were roomies for our final year at Michigan.” She thumbed my direction. “This guy decided to introduce himself with a wallbanger. And I don’t mean the cocktail.”
“I had not met you yet, but I had seen you in practice. I could already tell that you were unlike any other girl.”
Color flushed her cheeks. The moment bulged with tension, weird enough to evoke a silence.
Hatch broke it. “Dad used to take us to all the Athenas games.” He nudged Summer. “No one played like her.”
“I wish I could have seen her live,” his girlfriend said. “I have to make do with the internet.”
Rosie grinned. “Total GOAT.”
Lauren smiled, a little wistfully. “When I was a kid, I vowed I’d only play if I could get on a men’s team. Of course, reality set in, but I still think I could have held my own.”
“You probably could have taken Conor down pretty easily.” Rosie shot a sly look at the youngest Kershaw. “He’s notoriously distractible.”
He glared at her for a moment. “I’ve no doubt Lauren could kick my ass on the ice. Guess you’d have to use her as your proxy, Rosie. That’s the closest you’ll get to taking me down.”
Hatch rolled his eyes, then turned back to me. “So Jason sent you when I mentioned Lauren was here?”
“I did not need to be sent. She only has to say my name, and I will be here for her.”
That got everyone’s attention. Lauren’s cheeks flushed again, the prettiest watercolor bloom. She stood quickly, swaying a little. “Okay, I’m out.”
Hatch, Conor, and I all stood in response.
Lauren held up both hands. “Thanks, guys, but I’ve got it from here. The Russian will see me home, seeing as he’s so desperate to play bodyguard.”
“Are you sure?” Summer eyed me with concern. “We don’t mind dropping you off.”
“No, stay and enjoy your night out. Thanks for letting me crash it for a while.” She pointed at Rosie and Conor. “There’s something going on with you two, and I’ll be all over it at a later point in time.”
I picked up Lauren’s purse and jacket. She gestured to me. “Two steps behind, Ass-arov.”
I bore the weight of pointed looks from the crowd. I tried to convey safety and security with my expression, though it probably came out as “fuck you, guys.”