While he goes to get a drink, I look around for Damien. Where’d he go? I don’t see him anywhere in the bar. I know he wouldn’t ditch me completely, though. He’s probably getting some air outside. They have a really nice patio with heaters and stuff. Maybe I can convince David to go out there with me.
When he returns, he thankfully only has a drink for himself. I half expected him to bring me one even though I said no. It would’ve been a sweet gesture, but I don’t want more alcohol. I would’ve left it on a table, wasted.
“Why don’t we move somewhere a little more private, okay?” he whispers in my ear.
I nod. There aren’t many private places at this bar, but he manages to find one. I’d rather be outside than hiding behind a game machine.
David leans one hand against the wall behind me. He’s a little closer than I would like, but he probably wants to make sure I can hear him talk.
“Are you having a good night?” he asks.
“I am. Are you?”
“It started off okay, but got better once I met you.”
My heart swells. David keeps making sweet comments like this that have me swooning all over the place. I may have found my next boyfriend!
“You said you don’t come to this bar often. Where do you usually go?”
David laughs. “I’m not big on going out. I usually hit smaller pubs when I do. I’m not a fan of loud music.”
“I get that. I’m kind of the opposite. I love to dance.”
“I haven’t seen you dance at all tonight.”
“Not the right vibe, here,” I say. “I’ve been wanting to dance, but there’s not enough space. It sucks, because I love the music here.”
“You’re a country fan?”
“I like a mix of everything, but yeah, I do love country.”
“Nice. I’m not a big fan.”
I scrunch my face. “Then why come here?”
“Some friends wanted to come. I followed along for the booze.”
“Where are your friends now?”
He shrugs. “Who knows.”
That’s kind of weird. I guess guys are different than girls. We tend to know where our friends are at all times. It’s to make sure we’re safe.
I suppose, I don’t know where my friend is right now. However, it’s Damien. I can’t see him, but I know he’s looking after me. He would never let anything bad happen to me.
If David’s friends are nearby, I don’t really care. I don’t want them interrupting. I still feel bad that I interrupted Damien when he was about to kiss that girl.
I’m not even going to investigate the feelings that came over me when I saw them together. I’ve been around Damien with girls before. For some reason, this time, I felt a little… sad. I didn’t want to watch him kiss her.
It’s probably the alcohol. When I’m drunk, my emotions do weird things.
“You okay? You seem distracted. Maybe you need another drink?”
“Definitely not,” I say. “To the drink thing. I’m okay. What do you do for a living?”
“You transition fast. I work in accounting.”
“Oh, interesting. You must like numbers.”
“I do. I also like money. Making it, I mean. There’s a lot to be made in accounting when you have the right certifications.”
I’m taken aback by his honesty. I’ve never met anyone who freely admits they only have a certain job because of the money.
“I’m in school to be a dentist,” I say. “I work as a dental assistant right now.”
“Interesting,” David says in a way that means it’s not interesting at all. It’s annoying that he doesn’t seem to care about my job, but it’s better than him asking me to look in his mouth. I’ll take indifference to an impromptu dental exam.
“I like it. It’s a good job. I’ll make a lot of money, too.”
“Not as much as an accountant, but it’s a respectable job. People need dentists.”
“People need accountants, too.”
David smiles. “Exactly. You get it.”
The conversation lulls. When we were standing out around more people, we seemed to have a lot to talk about. We discussed our families and what we like to drink when we’re out at the bar. Now, it’s like there’s nothing to say.
“Do you watch any sports?” I ask.
“I like baseball. How about you?”
“I don’t really follow any sports, but my friend plays for the Rangers. Well, he’s on their AHL team right now, but still. He’s in the organization.”
“Interesting.”
“You met him, actually. The guy who first came over to talk to you. He’s a professional hockey player.”
I’ve never name-dropped Damien before. I guess until now, he was in California so it wouldn’t have had the same value. Now that he’s playing in Connecticut, I can tell everyone about Damien. It might even earn me some perks.
It’s obviously not working on David. He could not be less interested in my friendship with Damien.
I’m losing this guy. If I want any hope of an actual date, I’ll need to step up my game.
“Do you like to travel?”
“Not really. I work too much. I’ve been all up and down the East coast, but that’s it. You?”
“I would love to travel more, but I haven’t had the time. I think once I finish my dental schooling, I’ll take a month off just to travel. I want to go to Europe.”
“Europe is overrated, I’ve heard. You should go somewhere interesting, like India.”
“Maybe. I’ve heard it’s a beautiful country. Have you been?”
“No.”
The conversation lulls again. I can’t be the one to carry things. David needs to put in some effort. This is getting ridiculous. Maybe I should give up and go find Damien.
I start to step forward, but David stops me. Well, that’s a good sign! He doesn’t want me to leave.
David leans a little closer. “Now that we’re away from all the annoying people, we can do something fun.”
“Like play a game?” I ask. David doesn’t seem like the type, but we are right next to a video game machine. He probably realizes our conversation isn’t flowing, so he’s trying to break the ice.
“It’s kind of a game.”
His head bends down like he’s going to kiss me. I put my hands on his chest to stop him.
“Whoa, I like you, but I want to get to know you better before we do that.”
“Come on. What more do you need to know? I’m rich.”
I try to step back, but I’m against a wall. I look out over the top of the game next to us, which is only slightly shorter than me. No one is paying us any attention. Why would they?
“I just think we should talk some more.”
David grabs my arm. “We’ve talked enough. I knew you should’ve had another drink. You wouldn’t be pushing me away if you were drunk.”
“That’s your excuse? Screw you. I thought you were a good guy.”
“You thought wrong. Now, stop resisting and kiss me.”
He tries again, but I manage to turn my head. This can’t be happening right now.
I push him away again. It doesn’t matter. David is stronger than me.
We’re kind of separated from the rest of the bar, but I open my mouth to scream out. Before I have a chance, Damien charges over.
“What the hell is going on over here?” he asks.
“Oh, thank God,” I say.
I try to push past David, but he blocks me.
“Go away, man. Nothing to see here.”
Damien meets my eyes. I try to express my fear as best I can. It must be written all over my face, because Damien’s face goes red.
“Let her by.”
“No. She’s fine. Aren’t you, Jenna?”
“I want to leave.”
“No, you don’t.”
“Yes, I do. Let me go!”
This time, when I push by, he lets me.
“This is some bu
llshit. You’re a fucking tease.”
“She’s not a tease,” Damien yells. “You’re an asshole. You think you have a right to a woman just because she talks to you? Fuck no.”
David smirks. “So, the two of you got a thing, then? I should’ve known.”
“We’re just friends, but that doesn’t matter.”
David pushes Damien. “If that’s the case, you shouldn’t mind that I’m about to hook up with Jenna.”
“You are not!” I say. “You’re disgusting. I can’t believe I spent so much time talking to you.”
“Me, neither. And most of it was bullshit, too.”
Damien charges forward, ready to punch David. I grab his arm and pull him back.
“Damien, it’s not worth it!”
“Is there a problem over here?”
I turn and find a bouncer approaching us.
David lifts his hands. “There’s no issue.”
“There is an issue. This man was assaulting my friend.”
“Is that true?” the bouncer asks me.
“Yes, but…”
“The but doesn’t matter.” He points to David. “Get out of my bar. I never want to see your ass in here again.”
“I’ll make sure of it,” Damien says, starting to follow David out of the bar. The bouncer and I both grab him.
“If you fight him, you’ll get kicked off the team.”
“It’ll be worth it. It shouldn’t have touched you.”
“I’m fine, Damien. I swear. You got there before anything major happened.”
“Anything major? Him trying to force himself on you is major.”
The bouncer grunts. “I agree with your friend here. We don’t tolerate that shit. If you ever have that happen again, you scream bloody murder. I’ll make sure the guy leaves you alone.”
I smile at him. “Thank you. I appreciate that.”
At least this bar cares about the safety of women. I’ve been places where the bouncer would’ve taken the guy’s side.
“I think we should go,” I say to Damien after the bouncer walks away. “I want to go home.”
Damien is still keyed up, but he reluctantly nods. “Yeah, okay. Let’s go back to your place, then.”
I can feel the anger coming off Damien as we walk. I hate that it sends a buzz of attraction coursing through me. I guess I have a thing for protective guys.
It’s not like I can ever do anything about it.
Damien is my best friend, and that’s it.
Damien
This is all my fault.
Jenna and I walk silently back towards her apartment. I’ve never been very good at reading people’s emotions, but I’m fairly sure Jenna is pissed at me.
She may have picked David, but I pushed her to do this. It was my idea to force her to give her number to three guys. If I’d let her stop at one, none of this would have happened.
I shove my hands in my pocket. Am I about to lose my best friend? I wouldn’t want to be my best friend after what I did.
I blame my own stupid feelings. If I hadn’t started to feel jealous watching Jenna interact with other guys, none of this would’ve happened. I wouldn’t have gone off with Jen, and Jenna wouldn’t have been assaulted by David.
Hormones are the worst. That’s a better word than feelings. I don’t have feelings for Jenna, I’m just horny as fuck right now.
“Are you okay?” Jenna asks.
I turn to her, shocked. “What do you mean?”
“You’re like, radiating anger right now. What’s going on?”
I stop walking. Jenna catches on a few steps later.
“What?” she asks.
“Did you really just ask me if I’m okay?”
“Well, yeah. You’re the one all broody right now.”
“If I’m broody, it’s because I got you assaulted by an asshole!”
Jenna actually laughs out loud. “You didn’t get me anything. That asshole did what he wanted to do. It’s not your fault.”
“Uh, yes, it is. You wanted to leave after Toby.”
“True, but if I had, I wouldn’t have met Nick.”
“Are you trying to tell me this was a successful trip?”
Jenna gives me an odd look. “You don’t think it was?”
I want to scream. How is she not getting this? David was pushing her against a wall, trying to kiss her without her permission. I would not call that successful!
“I can see the wheels turning in your brain, Damien.”
“I’m trying to understand.”
“The end of the night sucked, I’ll admit that. I was terrified that David was going to do something to me.”
“I would never let that happen.”
Jenna’s face softens. “I know, you wouldn’t. You showed up exactly when I needed you.”
I should’ve showed up before she needed me. If I’d been in there, I wouldn’t have let them go off into a dark corner alone. At least, not without verifying with Jenna that she wanted it.
“Before that stuff with David, though? I started to feel more confident talking to guys. I wasn’t afraid to be myself with Nick. Even David, although the conversation lulled as soon as he got me alone.”
I consider this. Jenna has a point. Just because the night ended poorly doesn’t mean the entire thing was a bust. She did give her number to two guys. I got to make out with a hot girl.
Maybe it was a success.
Jenna grins. “You’re coming around to my side of things. I see it written on your face.”
“I’m still not happy with how it all went down, but if you’re satisfied, I’ll try not to be so angry.”
“Good. Because I’m not mad at you. You may think it’s your fault, but it’s not. Guys do shit like this all the time. You’re one of the good ones. Stay that way, and I’ll never be mad at you.”
My anger rises up again. Do men really force themselves on women that often? I’ve seen the stats in online infographics, but I’ve never met anyone who verified it. I want to punch my entire sex in the face.
Instead of doing that, I start walking again. We make it to Jenna’s apartment and she lets us in.
“Is it cool if I crash here for a bit? I had a few beers and don’t want to risk driving. A DUI would get me kicked off the team, guaranteed.”
“Yeah, of course. Want to watch a movie or something? It’s only midnight and I don’t have anything going on tomorrow.”
I have a game tomorrow, but it’s at night, so I don’t have to be at the rink until one. I’ll get plenty of sleep, even if we watch a movie.
“Sure, what do you want to watch?”
“Doesn’t matter. You pick.”
I grin. “Want to continue our series?”
“Really? You think right now is a Fast and Furious moment?”
“Any moment can be a Fast and Furious moment if you believe hard enough.”
Jenna laughs. “Fine. What number are we on now?”
“The fourth one. I’ll put it on.”
When we first reunited in college, Jenna and I would have monthly movie nights to catch up. At first, we picked at random, but for the last three months of our senior year, we decided to start a series. I don’t know how we landed on the Fast and Furious franchise, but we did, and we watched the first three movies together. I’m glad we’re going to continue. I’d seen the first three, but now we’re at the ones I’ve never watched. Jenna had never seen any of them.
“Do you want popcorn or something?”
“Obviously. We can’t watch a movie without popcorn. That would be blasphemy.”
“Alright. I’ll make some. I don’t really have much in the form of drinks, but I can offer you water or orange juice.”
“Water is fine. It’ll help me sober up.”
“You know, if you want to stay here, I have space. The couch folds out into a bed and it’s actually pretty comfortable.”
For some reason, staying here is the absolute last thing I want to do. It’
s a mix of enjoying my own bed and not wanting to be that close to a sleeping Jenna. I would never do anything to her because I’m not an asshole like David, but I can’t guarantee my body wouldn’t react knowing she’s asleep on the other side of a wall.
That scares me enough to tell Jenna I’d rather go home.
“Well, fine, be that way.”
“If you knew how comfortable my bed was, you would understand. It was my big purchase when I got my signing bonus. It’s like sleeping on a water bed, but instead of water, it’s gel.”
“That doesn’t sound comfortable at all.”
“It is! Next time you come over, you have to lay on it. You’ll never be the same.”
“I don’t think a mattress will change my life, but I’ll take you up on testing it out.”
She goes off to the modest kitchen to make popcorn and I find the movie on a streaming service. I will myself to stop thinking about Jenna in my bed. If I don’t, she’s going to come back and see me with an embarrassing problem.
Thankfully, thoughts of grandmas and dead puppies has my dick calmed down before Jenna returns with a bowl of buttery popcorn. She sits next to me and curls up on the couch, the popcorn settled between us.
“Alright, let’s do this.”
We should have known better than to try watching a movie at midnight. Though we both tend to be night owls, the whole thing with David took a toll on us. As soon as the adrenaline wears off, we’re exhausted. We fall asleep less than thirty minutes into the movie.
I wake up at two-thirty in the morning. Jenna is laying on my shoulder, snoring softly. I hate to move, but I can’t sleep like this for the entire night.
“Jenna,” I whisper. “Come on, let’s get you to bed.”
“Mmmm,” she responds. She doesn’t move. I guess we’ll have to do this the hard way.
Careful not to disturb her too much, I slide off the couch. I put one arm under her knees and the other behind her back and carry her into her bedroom. She’ll have to deal with sleeping in jeans tonight, because I’m definitely not undressing her.
I do pull back the blanket on her made bed so that she’ll be nice and warm. I’ll have to tease her tomorrow for actually making her bed every morning. I’m lucky if there’s a blanket somewhere in my room for me to use. Sheets are a whole different story.
Considering how much I spent on that mattress, you’d think I’d take better care of it.
Arrogant Puck: A Friends to Lovers Sports Romance (Hockey Heartthrobs Book 2) Page 5