“If anyone should be drooling, it’s me. I’m the one working with my imagination here, wondering what’s below all these tight briefs. At least you’ve experienced it.”
My stare stays locked on the exit row as my shirtless boyfriend lays his suit flat in an overhead bin. “Trust me, Indy. I’m drooling because I’ve experienced it.”
As the boys change into their comfortable clothes for the flight to Fort Lauderdale, Indy and I remain hidden in the back of the plane.
“Is he the best sex of your life or what?”
“Oh, hands down. No comparison.”
“You lucky bitch.”
A content sigh leaves my lips as I watch Zanders’ beautifully built body pull his sweatpants on. The other guys are changing in the aisles as well, but my focus is lasered past them, staring at the alternate captain with gold jewelry and black inked tattoos.
He must sense my gaze on him because suddenly, Zanders’ head turns my way, his hazel eyes finding mine. Expression melting, he gets all soft and gentle, his smile tugging on his lips, and I can’t help but shyly grin right back at him.
That is until he seductively grazes a single finger down his lips, tugging on the bottom one as it trails south over his chest and stomach. He continues to look at me, acting all alluring, but in reality, he just looks like a giant dork.
Thankfully, Maddison smacks him in the head before Tara catches him looking at me while he’s not wearing any clothes.
“How are you doing since...you know?”
“Since I walked into my apartment and found my boyfriend of six years mid-thrust into some other chick?” Indy asks. “Yeah. Great. I’m great.”
Clearly, she’s not great, judging from the bags under her eyes or the pale color of her typically suntanned skin. Not to mention that her uniform is drowning her frame thanks to her lack of appetite.
It’s been a few weeks since the night she caught Alex cheating, but that’s nothing in comparison to the years she spent loving him. There’s no time clock on healing heartbreak, regardless of how things ended. Your heart doesn’t suddenly detach just because you want it to.
In the same way, there’s no time clock on how quickly your heart can grow attached to another. It happened to me far faster than I would’ve imagined. To be honest, it happened a lot quicker than I had hoped, but now there’s no turning back. I’m in too deep. I’m drowning in feelings I didn’t know I could experience, but at the same time, I have no desire to come up for air.
“What do you need from me?” I turn toward my coworker.
“I need a night out. I want to get drunk and not think about this bullshit for like two minutes. And I know it’s not the best coping mechanism”—she holds her hands up in defense—“but therapy takes a lot more time than it does for me to throw back a shot of tequila.”
Keeping my lips pressed together, I attempt to hold back my laughter, but thankfully Indy bursts into giggles before I do. She’s been upset and hurting more often than not lately, but every once in a while, I get a glimpse of my typically fun, happy friend.
“I think that’s a great idea. Let’s do it tonight. Ryan’s team is in Miami this weekend, so a few of them are either coming up or we can go down to them. Is that okay?”
“Are you shitting me? Is that okay? Do you think I have any complaints about partying with a room full of giant basketball players? I don’t know a single thing about that sport except they’re huge and known to be great with their hands.”
“Okay,” I laugh. “I meant I wasn’t sure if you were cool with hanging out with Ryan after that night—”
“Oh, don’t get me wrong. I’ll never be able to make eye contact with your brother again after I spent the entire night sobbing in his living room with snot bubbles coming out of my nose before crying into a tub of Ben and Jerry’s, but the rest of his team doesn’t have to know what a hot mess I was.”
Zee (Daddy) Zanders: Jesus, Vee. Can you come fuck me right now? You in that uniform? It’s giving me G-Wagon flashbacks.
All the blood in my body shoots straight to my cheeks but also to the spot between my legs, as my mind floods with thoughts of that wild night. Regardless, I don’t text back, needing to focus on my job.
Two minutes later, the blue light shines in the back galley as a ding echoes throughout the cabin. Looking up the aisle, the matching call light shines above Zanders’ head.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake.”
“Go take care of your boo,” Indy teases, but there’s less sarcasm hidden behind the phrase than the last time she said it.
“He doesn’t even need anything,” I whine, stepping into the aisle as I head to the exit row.
“Yes?” I ask Zanders as I turn the light off over his head.
His cheeky smile is on full display.
“You don’t need anything, do you?”
“You didn’t text back, and I needed to see you,” he whispers, his head on a swivel as he glances from the front of the plane to the back, making sure we’re in the clear. “You look so pretty.”
Maddison snickers in the seat next to him. “Sorry.” He shakes his head, laughing. “Stevie, you do look great, but I can’t get over how much this guy sounds like me.”
“Shh,” Zanders hushes over his shoulder. “I’m busy being a couple.”
He brings his attention back to me and I crouch down next to his seat, making us eye level.
“I heard your brother’s team is in town tonight.”
“Yeah, I’m either going down to Miami, or he’s coming up. I’m not sure yet.”
“He’s coming up. Some of our guys are friends with their guys, so everyone is getting together.”
“Oh.”
“Is that not okay?”
“Well, no, not really. I can’t hang out with all of you.”
“I think it’s the perfect excuse. You can’t get in trouble for fraternizing when you’re just spending time with your brother.”
“And what about Indy? I was going to take her out tonight.”
“See if she’s cool with hanging out with the team, and if so, I’ll make sure the boys keep it quiet. If she doesn’t want to, that’s okay. I’ll steal you another night.”
I shoot him a grateful smile for understanding and not asking me to cancel my plans. “You guys feel good about this series?”
Zanders turns to Maddison, both of them sharing a look of humble confidence. It doesn’t often happen between the two arrogant men, but they’re good at keeping their heads level when it comes to hockey and the prospects of this post-season. And with the first round of playoffs already underway, they need to be.
They’re already two games up on Florida, and two more wins on the road will give them a first-round sweep.
“We’re ready,” Zanders confidently states before he looks up the aisle, clearing his throat, his eyes turning cold.
He doesn’t need to explain what’s happening. I already know.
“Sparkling water, you said?” I ask just as Tara walks by us.
“Extra lime,” Zanders adds as I hurry back to the galley.