Playing With Fate

by Ava Thorpe

  “Wow, that’s a long time,” Luke said. “You’re lucky. It sounds like you’ve always known hockey was your jam, and now you’re doing it for a living.”

  Carter couldn’t have agreed more. “Yeah, I’m definitely lucky. Sometimes I still can’t believe I get to do this as my job, you know? It’s fucking surreal.”

  “I bet.” Luke smiled, but there was an edge of sadness to it, and Carter wanted to personally make it go away.

  “What about you? I don’t think you’ve told me what you’re going to school for.”

  “I’m in music now, but I’ve been applying for law schools for next year, hopefully.” Luke shrugged. “It’s something, you know?”

  Frowning, Carter said, “You don’t sound so excited about law school.”

  “I am,” Luke protested, but he looked far from excited. “It’s just tedious right now, but I’m sure it’ll get better once I actually start law school.”

  “Music doesn’t sound like a traditional major to have for law school,” Carter said.

  “It’s not, but there isn’t really a clear, set major requirement for law school, anyway,” Luke explained. “Music is…it’s great. It’s sort of like my hockey, you know?”

  Carter didn’t know when Luke had moved towards the center of the couch, too, but now they were sitting side by side, their thighs touching, and Carter was hyper-aware of their proximity. Their arms touched, and it was like a jolt shot through him.

  “Yeah? I didn’t know you were that into music. Tell me about it? Do you play an instrument?” Carter felt a little silly after he said that. “Of course you play an instrument, you’re a music major. I mean, what instrument do you play?”

  “Guitar, but I play a little bit of everything.” Luke told him about his love for music, and Carter was enraptured by the way Luke’s eyes sparkled as he spoke. Carter could tell Luke was really passionate about his craft.

  The TV forgotten, they spent the next couple of hours just talking. At some point, Puck settled at their feet, happily sleeping on the floor. The whole thing felt almost intimate—comfortable—and Carter never wanted it to end.

  He wanted to know more about Luke, to discover all the things he liked, all the things he hated.

  Carter was caught in the riptide that was Luke Bailey, and he found he didn’t want to swim away.

  Chapter Nine

  Luke

  Strumming absently at his guitar, Luke played one of the new original pieces he’d been working on. He just finished writing it a couple of days ago. It wasn’t quite where he wanted it to be, but it was close. He tried another chord progression, wincing when he realized it didn’t work with the melody.

  His phone beeped. We never did watch a movie yesterday, Carter had texted, and Luke felt butterflies in his stomach swirling.

  Yesterday had been amazing. He and Carter had talked for hours, and it surprised him to know just how much they had in common. Luke couldn’t remember the last time he clicked with someone else as well as he did with Carter last night. The whole thing just felt so comfortable—so right—and Luke felt a pang of sadness as he walked home to his apartment alone.

  He wanted to kiss Carter so bad, but what would that have done? He would have scared Carter away, and last night would have been ruined.

  Luke was falling hard, and there wasn’t anyone to catch him.

  Sighing, he texted Carter back. We didn’t. Want to hang out today? I have classes until 5, but otherwise, I’m free

  Sounds good. Don’t worry about dinner, I’ll figure something out, Carter texted.

  “You’re never going to believe this,” Ben, his friend, boomed ecstatically beside him, surprising the hell out of Luke.

  The girl occupying the table across from him gave them a dirty look, and Luke tried to give her a silent apology. The student union building wasn’t exactly quiet, per se, but their section had been fairly peaceful before Ben had come bounding in.

  She didn’t seem to mind his guitar playing, though, so Luke wasn’t sure what the big deal was.

  Closing his book, Luke exhaled. There was no way he was going to get any studying done now, not with Ben here, so he might as well humor the guy. “What is it this time?”

  “No, you don’t understand, this is amazing for you,” he said, his arms flapping wildly.

  His interest piqued, Luke said, “Oh?”

  Ben slapped the table with both of his hands. “You’re never going to believe this,” he said again, almost bouncing in his seat. “Okay, so you know my new neighbor, right? The really cute one?”

  Of course Luke knew about Ben’s ‘really cute’ neighbor. She was all he’d been talking about the last few weeks. “Yes? What does this have to do with me?”

  “I’m getting there, I’m getting there,” Ben said, his voice getting louder with excitement. The same girl who gave them a dirty look made a sharp shushing noise, but Ben must not have heard her. “So I was talking to her this morning, right, before I headed to class? And guess what?”

  “What?” Luke said, packing up his books into his bag. Maybe he could study at the coffee shop near his apartment later after his last class. It was new, so there were usually seats available, unlike the coffee chain two blocks away.

  “Her brother is the manager at Future.” Ben placed both his arms on Luke’s shoulders. “She said she’d be able to get you a gig there, if you wanted to.”

  Holy shit. Future was a popular bar near the university that sometimes had live music nights. Luke had never even considered asking about how to get on the gig roster, because according to the grapevine, they were booked solid for the next two years.

  “How?” Luke asked, dubious. “And how would she even know I was any good?”

  Ben grinned at him toothily. “This is where you’re going to owe me so much. So much,” he said emphatically. “I had your Latch cover playing in the background while I talked to her at my door, and she loved it. I played a couple more of your songs, and the rest, as they say, is history.”

  Luke stared at his friend incredulously. It still didn’t seem real. “You’re kidding, right? Please tell me this isn’t some kind of weird prank, because Ben, that would be incredibly uncool.”

  Sometimes Ben wasn’t the best at social cues, and what he thought was funny wasn’t always actually funny. Luke hoped this wasn’t one of those instances, because wow, to be able to play at Future. He had never performed at a venue as big and as popular before.

  Ben put his hand on his chest. “I’m serious, I promise. I have her brother’s number and everything. She said he’ll be expecting your call.” Ben looked at him expectantly. “So? Do you want it?”

  “Yes, of course,” Luke said automatically. “God, Ben, this is amazing. I—thank you, seriously.”

  Rummaging through his pockets, Ben slid the piece of paper with the number on it to Luke. “You bake me some of your peanut butter chocolate chip cookies and we’ll call it even.”

  It wasn’t even a question. “Done.” Luke folded the paper neatly. “I’ll give him a call when I calm down a little more. I still can’t believe this.”

  “You’re good, Luke,” Ben said, earnest. “People should get to listen to your music. Besides, it wasn’t entirely an altruistic mission for me.”

  “Oh?” Luke said.

  Smirking, Ben waved his phone. “I got Megan’s number, too. Win-win for both of us.”

  Giving Ben a high five, Luke said, “Look at you, Casanova.”

  Ben winked at him, before standing up. “All right, I gotta go to class. Let me know how the call goes!”

  After Ben left, Luke stared at the piece of paper in his hand. He was nervous as hell. What if he screwed it up? Ben practically handed him a gig on a silver platter, he didn’t want to ruin it by being his normal awkward self. Mustering up the courage to make the call, Luke took a deep, calming breath.

  He dialed the number, waiting for the other line to pick up.

  You don’t even know this guy
’s name.

  Crap. In all the craziness, he forgot to ask Ben for the name of the guy. About to hang up and try again later when he had more information, Luke froze when someone on the other line spoke up.

  “Uh, hi, my name is Luke Bailey,” he said nervously. “I got your number from my friend Ben. It’s about a possible gig at Future?”

  To his relief, the other guy didn’t seem fazed. “Oh, great, from my sister, right? I’m Mike. I didn’t get to hear your demo, but Megan assures me that you sounded great.”

  Not knowing how else to reply, Luke said, “Uh, th-thanks.”

  “Can you come in for a short audition? I’d like to hear you personally,” Mike said. “I have a slot open in February. The band I had listed broke up, and they’re no longer interested in playing.”

  It was a reasonable enough demand, and Luke readily agreed. “Yeah, for sure. When’s good for you?”

  “Can you make it tonight? It should be a slower night at the bar. Maybe around 7:00 PM?” Mike said.

  Luke hesitated. He’d told Carter he’d be by right after his class. Crap. He hoped Carter would understand. “7:00 PM sounds good,” he said.

  They said their goodbyes, and Luke felt buoyant. It wasn’t a guarantee, by any chance, but it was an opportunity he would never have otherwise received. It was a start.

  He didn’t have time to rehearse, but he was confident he would be able to pull something off. He ran through some of the songs he’d been playing lately—both original and covers—and he came up with a shortlist of three songs he could pull out of his hat.

  Seeing the light on his phone flashing, Luke checked it for any messages. There was one from Carter. See you tonight, then?

  It was like Carter was psychic, texting him right at that moment. Slight change of plans. Have to run an errand at 7. Is it too late to see you after? Luke texted back. Crossing his fingers, he hoped he’d still be able to see Carter.

  That’s fine, as long as it’s not too late for you? I know you have exams to study for and stuff.

  Pumping his fist, he texted Carter again. All good. I’m a genius ;). I’ll see you later tonight!

  Genius, huh? We’ll see about that. Can’t wait, see you then, was Carter’s reply.

  Luke pocketed his phone, slinging his backpack on one arm, and his guitar on the other, as he made his way to his next class. Tonight was going to be a good night.

  He couldn’t wait, either.

  His audition was fairly casual. It was in the staff room of Future, with Mike and Kailey, a bartender Luke remembered from a previous visit. The room was on the dingier side, but the whole place exuded that kind of grungy, hipster chic that was popular with university students. He sang two songs, an original one and a cover of a Sam Smith song. Mike didn’t tell him his decision right then and there, but Luke had expected that, so it didn’t rattle him.

  Of course, it would have been a bonus if Mike had told him yes right away, but he knew these things sometimes took time. He had a good feeling about it, though, and Mike had looked pretty impressed, especially during the guitar solos he added to the songs.

  He drove to Carter’s condo, leaving his guitar in the backseat as he jogged to Carter’s unit. He was excited to hang out with Carter again. Knocking on the door, he leaned against the wall, waiting for Carter to welcome him in. He supposed he could have just used his key, but the thought of it made him feel uncomfortable. It was one thing to let himself in when he had to walk Puck for work, but this, this was different. He wasn’t here for work, he was here for Carter.

  “Hey, good to see you,” Carter said as he opened the door.

  Luke tried not to stare. Carter looked gorgeous, as always, but there was something about the way his sweater molded against his body that made Luke’s mouth water. Following Carter into the hall, Luke removed his shoes before greeting Puck.

  “You want anything to drink?” Carter asked from the fridge.

  “Water’s fine, thanks.” Luke patted Puck, wishing he had a treat with him. He normally had a small bag in his pocket at all times, but he’d changed clothes before going to his audition.

  Carter grabbed a couple of water bottles from the fridge, and pointed to the living room. “Come, let’s go to the couch. I have takeout. You’re not vegetarian, right?”

  “I am,” Luke joked, but he quickly felt guilty when he saw the panicked look on Carter’s face. “I’m joking, I’m not vegetarian. This looks great, thank you, I’m starving.”

  Carter pinched his side playfully. “Jerk.” He gave Luke one of the water bottles and sat down. “Eat up, I ordered a whole bunch. Even I can’t eat this much steak and veg.”

  Luke was starving. He didn’t get a chance to grab dinner before he left for Future, and he was grateful Carter had a ready spread for them. “I feel bad, you shouldn’t have waited for me to eat.”

  Carter winked at him. “I didn’t. This is my second dinner.”

  Laughing, Luke plated himself a piece of steak and some of the vegetable casserole. “Sorry, Frodo, I forgot you were a growing boy.” He didn’t know where Carter had gotten such fancy takeout, but Luke wasn’t going to turn any of it down.

  “Damn right,” Carter said. “You think of anything you want to watch?”

  Luke shook his head, his mouth full of steak. “No preference. Something action-y, maybe?”

  Carter grabbed his controller, and flicked through the Netflix listing. “Sure, that sounds good.” He started a generic action movie, before settling comfortably into the couch.

  “How were classes today? You said you had to run an errand?” Carter asked curiously as they ate.

  “Yeah, just something I had to do,” Luke said. He wanted to tell Carter about the gig, but he didn’t want to have to face Carter’s pitying look if he didn’t get the gig. It was better this way. He would tell Carter about the gig once it was a sure thing. “And classes were fine. Boring, really, now that we’re mostly just waiting for exams. What did you end up doing today?”

  “Slept,” Carter said toothily. “And mostly just hung out with the pupper. I’m glad you came over, because we would have just slept some more, probably.”

  Luke smiled at him fondly. “Aww, sleep deprived babies. Tired?”

  “Exhausted,” Carter admitted. “I love it, though. I’m okay with a little bit of exhaustion as the trade off.”

  “You should have told me. I could have come over another time,” Luke said, feeling a little guilty. Still, he was glad he was here. He loved spending time with Carter.

  “No, no, you’re fine,” Carter said.

  Luke stared at him dubiously, “I don’t know…”

  “Seriously, it’s fine. You’re…you’re so great, and this is good, you know?” Carter said, stumbling over his words.

  Swallowing, Luke said softly, “Yeah, this is good.”

  The air felt thick around them. “I like having you around, Luke,” Carter said, so softly Luke almost didn’t hear it.

  “I like being here,” Luke admitted. Their eyes met, and there was something in the way Carter was looking at him that made his chest tighten. He shivered at the intensity of Carter’s gaze.

  “Luke, I—”

  Woof.

  Puck barked loudly, startling both of them, and Luke almost dropped his plate. Just as quickly as it appeared, whatever was happening between them dissipated.

  “Good going, dog,” he heard Carter mutter, as he got up to get another bottle of water from the fridge.

  Puck nosed at Luke, asking for attention. Luke put his plate down before hugging Puck, threading his fingers through Puck’s fur.

  What just happened?

  Chapter Ten

  Carter

  Carter got put on the top line with Ash and Remi during practice, and it was nerve-wracking. It was rare for him to practice with the top line, and even less so during actual games, but every time he did, the whole ordeal gave him heart palpitations.

  It wasn’t that his usual linemat
es were awful. He usually played with the third line guys, and they’d been able to get a good groove going on recently. Their chemistry was blooming. Their passes were connecting, and plays were happening. The top line was something else, though. These guys were all-star quality, and nothing brought out Carter’s self-doubt more than skating with guys like Ash.

  Sometimes he still felt like the rug was going to get pulled out from under him at any moment. He needed to be at his best at all times. The last thing he wanted was to give Coach Lacasse a reason to send him back to Albany. Thankfully, he was able to keep up with them today, and Carter almost wanted to pat himself on the back.

  Ash and Remi were fast, and the way Ash saw the game was unlike anything else Carter had ever seen. Carter had to be on his toes at all times, waiting in anticipation for his linemates’ moves.

  By the time practice was over, he was beat. It was longer than usual, and Coach made sure to work all of them, especially after having two days off beforehand.

  “You doing anything fun today?” Jared asked on their way to their cars.

  Carter shrugged. “Sleep, probably. That’s fun, right?” He sounded like a boring old man, but they had a game coming up the next day against Toronto, a divisional rival. He needed to make sure he recovered properly.

  “Sure, with the right people,” Jared said, waggling his eyebrows. “Any hot dates lately?”

  Carter scoffed. “What are those?” he joked. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been on a proper date.

  Jared looked at him doubtfully. “Really? Nothing?”

  What about Luke? What about two days ago?

  He bit his lip. Right, Luke. The whole thing had looked suspiciously like a date, and if Carter was being honest with himself, it was the closest thing he’d had to a date in a very long time.

  Still, it probably didn’t count as a date. For one, he was pretty sure Luke didn’t consider it as a date, and two, well, it didn’t end in a kiss. That was a pretty important part of dates, right? The kiss?