“Can I talk to you?” I ask her.
Her lips form a straight line. “No.” She turns around and carries on her conversation with the camera guy as if I’m not even standing there.
Meanwhile, his gaze keeps darting from her to me.
Eventually, she huffs and says to him, “He’s still standing there, isn’t he?”
Camera guy nods. “I’m gonna go out for a smoke.” He nods at me, and mouths “good luck” when he passes.
That can’t be a good sign.
Kelsey slowly turns to face me, arms crossed, head tilted and eyes looking like they’re on the verge of an eye roll.
I clear my throat. “I wanted to apologize if I embarrassed you the other day with my remark. I didn’t intend for the whole room to hear me.”
Her arms drop to her sides. “Yes, well, that happens when you’re surrounded by microphones.” As if she has no control, her eyes finally roll.
“I covered the mic!” I say in my defense.
“You covered one mic. There’re still others up there.”
I wince. “Yeah, spur-of-the-moment reaction. The fact I said it in the first place says I wasn’t exactly thinking clearly.”
“Clearly,” she deadpans. “Is that all? I’m busy.”
It’s probably stupid to try and ask her out, given the tone of her voice and her body language that’s screaming fuck off, but I’m not really a guy who likes regrets.
“Listen, I was wondering if you might want to grab a drink or go to dinner with me sometime?”
Her mouth hangs open. “I’m not going to go out with you!”
She says you like I’m a deranged sociopath, not a professional hockey player at the height of his career.
What the hell is this woman’s problem? A simple “no thanks” or “I’m not available” would suffice.
So, I called her beautiful. Where’s the fucking harm in that?
“Why do you say it like that?” I scowl.
“I’m sure you’re used to all the puck bunnies fluttering their eyes and lying down for you like they have mattresses strapped to their backs, but I’m not interested.” It’s when her gaze coasts down my body and her tongue darts out to lick her bottom lip that I know she’s full of shit.
“Is that right?” I arch an eyebrow and step forward.
She takes a couple of steps back, putting her back flush against the wall. I use the opportunity to cage her in with my arms, making sure we’re still not touching.
I can smell her perfume this close and the scent makes her even more desirable—like sugar and vanilla or something. What I am sure of is that I want to press my face into her neck and inhale until I’ve figured out the concoction.
“Are you saying you don’t find me attractive?” I ask, hedging my bets.
She sucks in a large breath, causing her chest to heave. And what a chest it is. What I wouldn’t give to feel the weight of her breasts in my hands.
“You’re obviously attractive.” Her voice loses a little of the fight.
“And you already know I think you’re beautiful.”
She swallows audibly.
“So, what’s the issue? What harm would a date do?”
Something shifts in her demeanor as though she’s just remembered something, and she pushes against my chest so I back up to give her some space.
“You’ve already done enough harm. Thanks to you, that clip is all over the internet and people won’t stop talking about you and me. They’re shipping us and coming up with cutesy nicknames like Klock and Kelrock.”
My forehead creases. Shipping? “What the hell does that mean… they’re shipping us?”
She rolls her eyes again and I want to take her by the back of the neck and pull her to me and kiss her until her shitty attitude disappears.
“Shipping as in a relationship…” When I still look at her like I don’t know what she’s talking about, she huffs. “They think we should be in a relationship together.”
I shrug. “Maybe they’re right. Good way to find out is to go on a date together. That’s usually how these things work.”
Her hands fist at her sides as though she’s losing patience with me. “The last thing I’m going to do is to start dating you. I’m not giving any more life to this thing than it already has.”
“I don’t understand what the big deal is.”
One of my teammates passes by the hall and calls his goodbye, so I wave at him before returning my attention to the irate female in front of me.
“It’s not a big deal for you. You’ve made out great in all things. Everyone’s totally buying your sweet, chagrined act.”
I open my mouth to tell her it’s not an act, but she raises her hand to stop me.
“Me, on the other hand… people haven’t been quite as complimentary.”
I frown, not knowing what she’s referring to, but I’ve been on the other side with trolls.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”
“I’ve got all kinds of people calling and emailing and texting me looking for a comment or wanting to interview me. Random strangers stop me to ask if we’ve already gone out. I made the mistake of telling one no and got an earful about all the reasons I should rectify that immediately. That if she were me, she’d have already gotten a ring on her finger from you. If I do, I’m a gold-digging slut, and if I don’t, I’m a frigid slut. Either way, there’s no winning for me.”
I don’t know what to say. Who would have thought that me calling her beautiful would have such a negative effect on her life, but she’s not done yet.
“And then there’re the comments complimenting me on my looks while bashing me, asking how smart could I be? That maybe if I was naked, they’d entertain having to hear me talk about sports because there’s no way I know what the hell I’m talking about with a pretty face like mine.”
My reaction must take too long because, with a huff, she pushes past me.
“Wait!” I reach out for her arm to stop her but she’s too quick and snatches it away, but doesn’t walk away from me either.
“So, no. I won’t be going out with you. And I’d appreciate it if you’d leave me alone.” She stomps down the hall and I watch until she turns the corner.
That didn’t go quite as I hoped.
4
Kelsey
I tilt the wineglass back and take another sip, hoping it will dull the ferocity with which I keep thinking about Brock.
I meant what I said to him earlier this week. I don’t want to go out with him. But that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate him for the fine specimen he is.
When he had me caged against the wall, all I wanted was for him to bend down and take possession of my lips. His freshly showered body smelled woodsy with undertones of musk, and I squeezed my thighs together to dull the ache between them.
But none of that matters because if anything were to happen between us, it would only fan the flames of public interest in the two of us. Him making that comment on national television sealed our fate to never date.