by Aja Cole
“Hell yeah, then I grabbed my sweatpants and threw my shirt on and apologized as I left. She had to make her somehow, I’m sure it wasn’t the first time Mama had seen a dick.” he wiggled his bushy eyebrows, drunk as hell, “Maybe the first she’d seen a dick like mine though. Ayooo.”
“YEAAHHH,” everyone gathered raised their bottles and cheered, high on the laughter and good times with men we played our hearts out with regularly. Fuck, I loved these guys. I was looking forward to playing another season with them and trying our hardest to get the Stanley Cup.
“Hey, I’m cutting out. Ole ball and chain calls,” Tanner called over the yelling, a goofy grin on his face. Ball and chain my ass, he was deliriously happy and forever telling the rest of us we needed to settle down. What the hell is it with couples? They’re always trying to spread relationship cheer, like a disease or something. Maybe the rest of us are fine being single and uncomplicated.
I don’t have anything against relationships...I’m just not all too worried about getting into another one. If it happens, it happens.
After you fuck Daya though.
Shit.
I’d done a good job of not thinking about her all night. I hadn’t even checked my phone.
But now I was itching to see if she’d texted me. Or snapped me. Or something! I’d be back in New York tomorrow and I needed to know if I could see her. This was two years of sexual frustration...two years of teasing.
When I unlocked my phone and saw the text notification, I couldn’t click it fast enough. Somebody jostled me and I nearly lost my grip on it, but I caught it securely again. Thank fuck for my reflexes.
“Hey, I don’t think I’m going to be able to see you when you visit. Maybe next time.”
What the hell did she mean? She didn’t even know how long I was going to be “in town.” Maybe we needed to talk about it on the phone instead of texting. It was a big thing to finally meet when we’d gone so long as strangers. Waving at the guys as I left, I started the short walk back to our hotel, pressing the call button as I went.
We’d figure this out.
3
Daya
“You texted him right?”
“Yes, Faith, damn. Can you get off my ass already?” I griped, even though I knew the only person I should’ve been annoyed with was myself.
What was I thinking talking to some random guy and then expecting it to never come to head? I knew better!
“Hey, just making sure my friend isn’t being a bitch.” She plopped on one of the couches, drinking some awful looking green concoction.
Yeah, I lived with health nuts. Life’s too short to not eat doritos. All the junk food was usually bought by me.
Ryan was always going on about his macros and other shit I did not care to know more about. Me? I ate healthy stuff sometimes but I was not one of those people that paid a lot of attention to calories or nutrients. Faith was the yoga and smoothie type. I’d gone to a few classes with her, but I was mostly an “Eat semi-okay and be kinda sorta active” type.
“How would I have been being a bitch?”
“What’s his name again? Cole?”
“Yeah, it’s Cole. I usually just refer to him as the hottie, though.”
“I know, that’s why I had to make sure I wasn’t thinking of someone else. Kind of icks me out, my brother’s middle name is Cole. Anyways…” she trailed off.
“You were about to tell me how I’m being a bitch, I believe.” I reminded her helpfully, smiling.
“Just ghosting on the man because he wants to fuck your brains out- which y’all have been virtually doing for two years might I add - with no explanation? Yeah...that would’ve been being a bitch. I can’t let you do that to him. You are the company you keep, you know.” she sipped from her straw and I made a disgusted face.
“That looks terrible.”
“But my body looks good,” she winked and I conceded. She did look good.
“I just...it was never supposed to be mo-,” my phone started ringing and looked down at it. “Speak of the goddamned devil,” I murmur to myself.
“You going to answer it?” Faith pries.
“It’s him.” I stare at the phone, then at her. I really don’t want to answer.
Really really really do not want to answer. Right as I make the decision to press the red decline button, Faith grabs my phone and answers, throwing it back at me so I have no choice but to catch it or let my phone hit the ground.
Smiling as I gape at her, she sips that fucking smoothie.
“Uh...Hello?” I speak, finally, reluctantly bringing the phone to my ear.
There’s no way this is going to go well.
“Hey Daya, how’ve you been?” His low voice slides over me and I almost want to pout, because I know this is going to be the last time we speak. Why the hell did he have to ruin things?
“Uhm...Good. I don’t mean to be rude, but is there a reason you’re calling me?”
I can practically hear his eyebrows rise. I know he’s not used to such curt manner from me, but I can’t help it. I don’t know how to deal with him in real time.
I don’t want to deal with him in real time.
I want things to go back to smooth and simple and long distance like they were for two years.
“I wanted to talk about us meeting up when I’m in New York. You seem like you might have something going on for a bit? So just let me know when that ends, and I can tell you if it’s before or after I’m scheduled to leave.”
It’d been awhile since I’d been forced to lie on the spot.
I wasn’t very good at it then, and I was probably going to fuck it up now.
“I uh...I don’t really...The thing is…” I stammer, dropping my head to my lap as I realize how stupid and pathetic I sound.
“Are you trying to avoid meeting me?”
It surprises me that he’s so upfront with the question; then again, he’s never shied away from anything else. He’s much more open than I am. I shouldn’t have expected anything different since I’m so terrible at coming up with a viable excuse.
I at least owe him some honesty.
“Yes. I am. I think it’s better that we just end things where they are and not complicate things by seeing each other in person. I know it’s not what you want, but I hope you can respect my decision,” I wince as I look at Faith and see her mouthing “cringe”.
I’m a terrible person, playing the respect card. There’s no way he can say anything else without sounding like a bit of an asshole, and we both know it.
“Ah...okay. Well then…I guess this is goodbye? It was nice...sexting you?”
I shake my head, feeling a pit start low in my stomach.
Fuck.
“Yeah...you too.” With my reply, the phone goes dead and I’m silent as I stare at the black screen.
I’d been prepared to just end things without saying a single word, so why did I feel like I’d just fucked something up?
“Hey, I’m going to meet my brother with his car at the airport, so don’t mess up the place while I’m gone.” Faith called out as she came down the stairs.
I was once again on the couch, but this time, I was actually working. I murmured my understanding, even though it was a joke since we both knew that once I got to working on a piece, I wasn’t likely to move for hours.
Apparently I zoned out for a while, because when I heard the door click, I was pretty sure Faith had left not too long ago. But when I checked my phone, I realized it’d been 4 hours.
I’d never met Faith’s big brother before, I only knew he played pro hockey. They were half-siblings, and had only recently developed a close relationship. He wasn’t in any pictures from her childhood. I assumed he’d be big in size since he played hockey, and maybe blonde like her. They had different moms, so who knew.
I was more of a basketball person if I bothered to follow sports at all. I’d moved to New York from Georgia, and hockey isn’t exactly big down South. We’d had a
team but they hadn’t done all that well when we had them, and people didn’t really miss them when they moved to Canada.
At least I think that’s where they went.
“Daya, meet my brother, Greyson. He’s going to take the free room down here for a little bit.”
“One second, let me save this draft!” I tell her, saving the file then closing my computer as I turn towards them.
“Welcome to our humble abode Greyson,” I very nearly trip over every single word when I get a look at him, but I pull it together.
Faith didn’t mention her brother was a walking wet-dream.
I’m talking...the fact that I’d just lost a hot guy was obliterated by looking at him. He was not a blonde like Faith. He had dark hair with a slight wave that was cut a little longer on the top and shorter on the sides. Clear blue/green eyes that would probably lean towards one color stronger than the other depending on the lighting...and wow, those lips. Perfect size for a man. Not too big but not nonexistent.
I wanted to eat him right up.
Pity that he was my friend’s brother and that boundary screamed complication.
I like the simple life, remember?
His face actually looked sort of familiar to me, but if he played Hockey, maybe I’d seen him on some passing site or something.
It was a shame I wouldn’t be able to get to know him better while he was right in my grasp. I’d sized him up fairly quickly, but he was still staring at me.
“Faith did tell you about me right? I’m Daya.” I stick my hand out, eager to feel his skin on mine even if for an innocent handshake. I would take all the contact I could get.
In the corner of my eye, I can see Faith frowning as she nudges him, spurring him to come to life.
“Yeah. Yeah, she did. I don’t think she ever mentioned your name though, or I can’t remember. I don’t know, maybe I wasn’t paying attention. Daya is a unique name. Not really a name I think I’d forget,” he’s rambling as he sticks out his hand to me and I’m a little shocked. For someone that looks so smooth and attractive, he seems super flustered about meeting me. Maybe he’s one of those quiet, cute people.
“What the hell did you drink on the plane?” Faith asks him, hands on her hip. We both look at him when he doesn’t answer, and he still looks a little dazed and confused.
I decide to give the guy a little room and start on dinner. Giving him a small smile, I skirt around them and head to the kitchen.
“Am I cooking for everyone tonight?”
“That depends, is diabetes or high cholesterol on the menu?” her face is so deadpan that I can’t help but burst into laughter. Bitch.
“Actually, I was going to go simple Mexican. Buffet style, I’m just making the chicken and beef and some salsa. Maybe some guacamole.”
“Yum. That cool with you, Grey?”
The hunk hasn’t moved an inch from his spot in the walkway and I almost start to think he has a hearing problem.
“Yeah. Cool. Everything’s cool.” he shakes his head, walking towards his room and I give Faith a look that I hope she interprets as Your brother seems like he might’ve gotten hit on the ice one too many times. When she shrugs with both hands up, I know she got the correct message.
Apparently Greyson was hot, but maybe he was missing a few marbles in his set.
Oh well, he was off-limits to me. As long as he didn’t leave his shit around or eat my junk food, I didn’t have much to worry about regarding him.
4
Greyson
Faith was talking to me, but I had so many thoughts going on in my head that I’d completely tuned her out.
Daya.
My Daya was outside that door right now, wiggling that ass around in a kitchen, completely oblivious to who I was.
How the fuck was this happening right now?
I’d come to terms with her not wanting to see me on the flight over, and until I’d walked in the door, I’d thought I was doing a pretty fan-fuckin-tastic job of not thinking about her.
How the hell had I not put the pieces together?
“You never told me about your roommates.” I accused, not looking at Faith and interrupting whatever she’d been saying. I could feel my jaw ticking as I unpacked my suitcase.
“I mentioned them to you. Did you want their life stories or something?”
“Yeah...but...you didn’t say names.”
“Why do their names matter?” I could tell Faith thought I was out of my mind, but shit, I was so lost on what the hell to do.
It was obvious that Daya didn’t recognize me. My face wasn’t exactly the thing she was talking to me for. We’d shared early on, but she’d probably forgotten what anything other than below the deck looked like.
Maybe she’d recognize me if I walked out there naked.
Or maybe you’re just another set of abs on the roster.
The thought stopped me cold. Was that why she’d stopped talking to me? Maybe she’d started seeing someone or there was a guy who she wanted more than me.
Why did I care if she was seeing anyone anyway? All I was interested in was the sexual side of things.
Even though over the time we’d talked, she’d shown so many things about herself that were attractive…
Nope. Not going there. The last thing I needed was actual feelings for her when she didn’t even recognize me and thought we’d talked for the last time for good.
I still couldn’t really wrap my head around the fact that the woman I’d wanted to have in my bed for two years was now going to be sleeping in the room next to me.
The universe had a very, very cruel sense of humor.
“Man, that’s fucked up.” My teammate and childhood best friend Alex Milov whistled low after I told him about the clusterfuck I was in.
“I know,” I hissed, pacing my room and trying to keep my voice low in case the walls were thin. I definitely didn’t want anyone overhearing my conversation.
“She didn’t even blink?”
“Oh, she definitely sized me up but not because she’s seen everything. To her, I’m a completely new guy. Hell, for all I know, she’s making plans to seduce me but not as me.”
“Maybe you should let her. That way, you still get to smash.”
“Are we in grade school again, asswipe? She’ll hate me if I have sex with her and don’t tell her who I am.”
“She won’t have sex with you if she knows who you are, though. And I know how badly you’ve been pining for this girl dude. My balls hurt just thinking about your situation. Maybe she’ll be more amicable after a few orgasms, is all I’m saying.”
The shitty thing was, for about .2 seconds, I considered going with Alex’s suggestion. Then I remembered I’m a goddamned adult, not some shady teenage boy who wants to get his dick wet by any means necessary.
“How is it that you’ve been with the same girl for 5 years giving out that kind of advice?” I scoff, throwing myself down onto the bed.
“I ask myself that question a lot man. No idea, I think she loves me or something,” he laughs. “But seriously...what are you going to do?”
“I’m going to wait it out. Maybe she’ll realize who I am or something, or recognize my voice - I don’t know. It’s kind of a blow that I recognize her but she seems to have no inkling of who I am.”
“Don’t sweat it man, you said she’s pretty simple and cut-and-dry. Maybe she just tried to block you out of her head.”
“I guess,” I know I sound dejected, but I can’t help it. She was so damn close but so far out of my reach. The whole thing had blind-sighted me.
There’s a knock on my door. Daya’s voice comes through.
“Greyson? The food’s ready.”
“Thanks!” I croak out, already dreading going back out there. At least Faith and their guy roommate would be there as a buffer. I couldn’t make a fool out of myself if I wasn’t alone with her.
“I’ll talk to you later, Alex. Gonna go suffer through dinner.” My own attitude is a
nnoying me, but I haven’t been this hard up over a girl since my early teens.
I click off the phone, rising from the bed and tugging a t-shirt on.
I really needed to get my shit together. And fast.
Everything to make tacos is set up in bowls and plates on the dining room table, and I grab a seat that I hope is the farthest from wherever Daya sits.
My strategy for now is avoidance. At least until I figure out how to tell her who I am…that’s if she doesn’t realize it first.
I would prefer to have the upper hand of revealing it to her.
“A few of our friends are coming over too, Grey. And just so you know, Heidi is a flirt.”
I purse my lips and nod at Faith as she sits next to me. “Noted.”
As the others come in and introductions are made, I’m a bit preoccupied with tracking which seats people take and where Daya ends up.
She ends up right across from me.
No big deal, just keep your eyes on the food.
As everyone bowed their heads to say grace, my eyes slid over the platter of tacos and straight to the line of cleavage I could see with Daya leaning forward slightly.
This is going to be a little harder than you thought.
“So Greyson, no girlfriend with you tonight? Surely, you’re not single?”
I’d managed to get by most of the dinner in peace, since everyone was focused on eating and little chit chat that I didn’t have to be a part of since I didn’t know everyone personally.
There was my hard on.
Unfortunately, that was something I’d gotten used to.
Of course, Heidi had focused all the attention on me, and I could see Daya rolling her eyes as I swallowed the rice that seemed to be stuck in my throat.
“Uh no, no girlfriend.” I coughed, smiling politely at the redhead as she leaned onto the table even more.
“That’s a shame, you must get lonely right?”
