Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 86422 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 432(@200wpm)___ 346(@250wpm)___ 288(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86422 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 432(@200wpm)___ 346(@250wpm)___ 288(@300wpm)
“Hey, guys.” He smirks at our clasped hands, then his ears pink as he turns to Enid. “I didn’t know you were coming tonight.”
Enid shrugs. “I didn’t have plans and this seemed better than doing nothing at home.”
“Cool. Well, I’m glad you guys are finally here. Gage is already on the prowl, and I hate it when he tries to make me his wingman.”
“That’s fair,” I empathize. Being Gage’s wingman isn’t a joyful experience.
We survey the closest cooler.
“You like the iced tea coolers, right?” Mac asks.
“Yeah, that’s right.” My heart gets a little happy over the fact that he knows this. At least until he hands Enid her preferred cooler, too.
He pays attention to details. He could have just as easily asked Enid, and maybe would’ve, if not for Brody.
Gage shows up a few minutes later, apparently on a prowl break, and we’re joined by a few of their teammates.
“Guys, this is my girlfriend, Fee.” Mac drapes his arm over my shoulder. “Fee, this is Keith, Todd, and Lawrence. They’re third years. Keith plays defense, Todd is a left wing, and Lawrence is a right wing.”
“Hey.” I wave and lean into Mac, loving being tucked against him like this. Maybe he’ll keep his arm around me all night.
Lawrence’s eyebrow pops and dips. “Isn’t your mom the assistant coach for the Terror?”
“She’s actually my sister, but yeah.” I slide my arm around Mac’s back and tuck my thumb into one of his belt loops as I sip my drink and hope no one asks awkward questions. Nothing kills a conversation faster than someone finding out your parents are dead.
“Man, that’s freaking cool. Do you play hockey, too?” Lawrence asks.
I laugh, then cough to cover it. “Uh, not really. My younger sister is a goalie, though.”
“Does she go here?” Keith asks.
“No, she’s not even in high school yet, so it’ll be a few years.”
“Oh wow.” Keith seems less interested now.
“Didn’t your sister marry Hammerstein when she was his coach? That was like, some media fodder for a while,” Todd says.
“Oh yeah, everyone knew who I was in my senior year of high school.” I find the best way to deal with these questions is to make light of it.
“Forrest-Hammer is a legend. He and Hendrix coached me and Lovett in the summer, and I learned a ton from them,” Brody jumps in.
“I’m applying this summer,” Mac adds.
“Should be easy for you to get in when your girlfriend is related to the guys running it, eh?” Lawrence says.
“Mac’s performance on the ice will get him a spot in the program,” I snap.
“Right, yeah, but like, your crew has an in with the academy,” Todd adds and tips his chin at me. “Maybe you can put in a good word for me.”
“I’ll introduce you the next time Roman is scouting a Tilton game,” I offer, mostly just to get him off our backs.
The conversation shifts to the Hockey Academy and how many of their players make it to the pros. And the entire time, Mac keeps me tucked into his side, his arm draped over my shoulder, thumb sweeping back and forth over a patch of exposed skin. The touch, however innocuous, makes it hard to follow the conversation. Which is fine by me, because I’ve heard it a million times.
Eventually our favorite song comes on, and Enid tugs me out from under Mac’s arm.
Mac frowns as she and Cammie pull me to the living room.
I wave and toss a wink over my shoulder. “We’ll be back!”
“So you and Mac look pretty cozy,” Enid observes.
“Aren’t we supposed to?” The whole point of me being his fake girlfriend is to ward off all the thirsty girls looking to be his plus-one at the hockey gala in a couple of weeks.
Will we go back to being just friends after that? I don’t love that thought. Or the possibility that we’ll have to stage a fake breakup to end our fake relationship.
“It doesn’t look like much of an act,” Cammie adds.
“I’m not dancing with you two if your plan is to interrogate me.”
“It’s an observation, not an interrogation.” Enid nudges my arm. “That’s all.”
I want to point out that Enid and Brody are constantly stealing longing glances at each other, but that’s opening a can of worms and a sore spot neither of them seems ready to face.
When the song changes, Chase wraps his arms around Cammie’s waist from behind. Keith asks Enid if she wants to dance, and she says sure, although not before longingly glancing over his shoulder at Brody. I smell Mac’s cologne a second before he rests a hand lightly on my hip from behind. A moment later his lips brush the shell of my ear, sending a shiver down my spine. “Is this okay?”
I tip my head up until the crown rests against his sternum. “Yeah, it’s a very couple-y thing to do.”