Chapter 26
Sutton
“Stop fidgeting,” Alex tells me. “You look nervous.”
“You’re fidgeting too,” I point out dryly.
“That’s because I’m nervous. I don’t do shit like this.”
Laughing, I hook my arm through his elbow and we wind our way through the party guests. “It will be fine. Just smile, make small talk and drink a few beers to relax.”
Alex is admittedly nervous because he doesn’t socialize with his teammates. Or, at least he hasn’t in the past. I’m definitely nervous because this is the first time I’m meeting the rest of the team and their significant others, and I feel like a spotlight is on me. Especially since I know Alex’s former flame was transparent in her quest to land a hockey husband. I just don’t want anyone to think that about me.
Kelly and Mike Malone are having an Ugly Christmas Sweater party. This is apparently the second year they’ve hosted it and it’s adults only. According to Alex, it’s one of the few times the team gets together sans children and parties it up hard. He’s already assured me he is designated driver, which doesn’t surprise me, and he’s told me to tie one on if I want. Alex rarely drinks more than two beers, and I have to wonder if that’s because of his father’s problems.
We wind our way through the throng and into the kitchen where an entire bar of wine, beer and every liquor on the face of the earth is set out. Kelly is standing there with a group of women and when she sees me her face lights up.
Coming around the kitchen island, she reaches her arms out for a hug. “Sutton…I’m so glad you came. And your sweater is a hoot.”
Looking down briefly and then stepping into her hug, I give a grin. My sweater is pretty hideous. It’s bright red and green with an embroidered fruitcake on the front and a red bow that’s made of some type of shaggy red material that poofs out across my chest. Alex took one look at me when he picked me up and demanded I change. I told him to kiss my butt—it was an Ugly Sweater party, after all.
After releasing me, Kelly turns to Alex and playfully punches him on his bicep. “How come you’re not wearing a sweater, Alex?”
“Uh…yeah, I don’t do ugly sweaters,” he says seriously and Kelly gives him a mock glare.
“Party pooper,” she says and then lays her palms on his shoulders and pushes him out of the kitchen. “Go. Find the boys. Go play and do whatever you boys do together. I’m stealing Sutton.”Alex doesn’t budge at first and shoots a panicked look to me. He really doesn’t want to be here but is making the effort to be sociable. I know he’d feel more comfortable with me by his side. I almost feel sorry for him, but then realize that this will be a good learning experience.
Giving him a little wave with my hand, I say, “Shoo. Go play.”
The look Alex gives me is priceless. It says, The only playing I want to do is with you…in the bedroom.
But he takes it like a man, shoots me a grimace as he grabs a bottle of beer out of a large ice bucket on the kitchen floor and leaves.
Kelly takes my arm and turns me around to the gaggle of women hovering. She makes introductions and I’m relieved that everyone is gracious and warm. There’s the team captain’s wife, Mely Brassard, a petite Midwestern former college cheerleader who has plenty of pep and feels it’s her duty to cheer on all of the players’ wives and girlfriends. I like her immensely and you can see she’s sort of the glue that holds them together. There’s also Karen Something-Or-Other, who I think said her husband is the backup goalie; Becky Couldn’t-Pronounce-Her-Last-Name-If-I-Tried, whose husband is from the Czech Republic; and Gina Toast—yes, Toast—who is like me, just a girlfriend of one of the players, but has been around for a very long time. She’s been dating Zack Grantham, a second-line left-winger, for six years and they have a two-year-old son together.
“I cannot tell you how happy I am to see Alex dating,” Mely says with a brilliant smile and a punctuated, singsong voice. Almost like she was—you guessed it—doing a cheer.
“He’s always just been so withdrawn. I know he comes off as angry and a jerk most of the time, but I always found it sad,” Kelly throws in.
“Zack idolizes him,” Gina says softly. “Always has. But lately, Alex has really been working with him and has been so supportive, Zack pretty much thinks the sun rises and sets on Alex. He’s a completely different person now.”
“I think we have you to thank for that,” Mely says.
“Absolutely,” Becky throws in and then leans forward and lowers her voice a bit. All the women, including me, lean in to hear her tidbit. “Besides, that bitch Cassie was all wrong for him.”
All the women vigorously nod their heads up and down and I’m starting to understand the dislike for Cassie is pretty pervasive throughout the team.
“Well, at least you won’t have to worry about her anymore,” I say, hoping that now that Alex’s gaze is turned my way, Cassie is a thing of the past.
“Whatever,” Kelly says with mock dismissiveness. “That girl is already on the prowl again. All the single guys on our team are within her crosshairs.”
“She tried to f**king hit on Zack tonight,” Gina growls. “I hate to tell the bitch but just because we aren’t married doesn’t mean he’s available.”
“She’s here?” I ask, swallowing hard. Not for one minute do I believe she’s ready to give up on Alex, all the other single guys be damned. She has history with Alex and I remember all too clearly the possessiveness she exhibited when I had the misfortune to meet her.