Charm on the Rocks: A Slapshot Prequel (Slapshot Prequel Trilogy Book 3)

by Heather C. Myers

  Madison wasn't sure how long she had been on the dance floor, but it didn't matter. She loved dancing, even though she wasn't very good at it. She was having more fun than she originally anticipated. When she had first gotten here, she had been looking for Alec but hadn't found him. She found that that was okay. She would have fun by herself if she had to.

  Until the part where Alec gently grabbed her wrist from behind, spinning her around so he could lock eyes with her. "Dance with me?" he asked, a small grin on his face.

  She should say no. She should tell him that this was most definitely not the time or the place, not when anyone could see them. Not when eyes were everywhere.

  But the way he was looking at her caused her body to do things that she didn't think was possible. And the dance floor was dark and filled with nameless faces. She and Alec would be just another shadowed face on the dance floor.

  Nobody had to know.

  So Madison nodded. She turned around and let him place his hands on her hips, drawing her back to him so her back hit his chest. He rested his chin on her shoulder and flattened his palms, pressing them down on her flat stomach. She was wrapped up in his ocean-like scent, the feel of his rough hands on her soft skin, the way his body felt warm against hers. She could get lost in the music, lost in the moment. He felt so good, right, and the way he held onto her, like he would kill anyone who tried to take her away, made her body so more things she couldn't explain.

  When she excused herself to go to the restroom, Alec insisted on walking her there himself and waiting outside the door. Madison headed into the stall and pulled out her phone just to make sure she hadn't received any emergency calls.

  There was a text. From her sister.

  Madison, Dad saw you on TV. He knows.

  Chapter 11

  Madison's heart stopped at the sight of Claire's text message. It was too late to call her and ask what it meant, and if she did that, she knew her father would find out. It wouldn't surprise her if he started going through their phones the way he would go through their bedrooms.

  "I need to get out of here," she murmured, shooting a regretful look to Alec.

  Immediately, his dark blue eyes pooled with concern. "Is everything all right?" he asked.

  "I don't know," she told him. "I mean, it's not an emergency and no one's hurt but... I might be screwed."

  "Let me get you home," Alec insisted. He took her hand in his big one and began to lead her off the dance floor. She couldn't exactly say no, not when his hand was warm and comforting. She instantly felt relaxed under his touch and she allowed him to walk her over to the elevators.

  "I can't ask you to do that," she told him, her voice quiet as he reached across her and pressed the downward pointing arrow. "I don't want to take you away from this."

  Alec rolled his eyes. "Please," he said. "There's nowhere else I'd rather be."

  Madison felt her cheeks turn pink but she made no further argument as she stepped through the steel box and into the elevator. Alec followed suit. Once the doors slid shut and it was just the two of them, he turned his head so he could look at her.

  "So what's going on?" he asked. He hadn't let go of her hand and, in fact, began trailing his thumb up and down the back of her hand, sending goosebumps across her flesh. "How can I help?"

  Madison didn't know where to start so she decided it was best to start from the beginning. She told him about growing up in South Haven and how overprotective her father was, how her mother was more lenient but never questioned her husband's choice of parenting methods, how she and her sisters sometimes felt like prisoners, how it took everything in her to get her parents to come out to school here, and how she possibly ruined her sisters' chances of being allowed to leave home because of her decisions.

  "And what decision was that?" Alec asked as they stepped out from the Ice Palace and into the misty grey October night. It had to be two, three o'clock in the morning. She could call Claire in a couple of hours thanks to the time difference between California and Michigan but she wasn't sure if that was the right thing to do.

  To be honest, she had no idea what she should do.

  "My father is conservative and I'm a Gulls' Girl," Madison told him as he proceeded to walk her to her nearby car. "And they saw me on television. Since this game was broadcasted nationally, my sister decided to watch in her room. She wants to come out here and live with me next year so she already loves all things Gulls' but she's never tell my father. Anyway, my father was doing a check of her room and he saw me when they cut back from a commercial."

  "Okay," he said, "but your dad isn't here."

  "Yeah," Madison said by the time he got to her car, "but he's paying for my college. Granted, three quarters of my dues are covered by my scholarship but I can't afford that other quarter on my own. It's why I got this job in the first place - because I wanted to be able to save up and have some spending money of my own. If he decided to cut funding completely, I wouldn't be able to stay here and finish school."

  Alec clenched his jaw, causing it to pop. "Do you think it will come to that?" he asked.

  Madison chewed her bottom lip. "It wouldn't surprise me," she said. "My dad is a control freak and wants me to follow his rules even though I'm an adult and am out of the house." Then, under her breath, she muttered, "Control freak."

  Alec nodded. "Okay, let me see what I can do," he said.

  Madison's eyes widened and she turned to look at Alec. "Oh, Alec, you don't have to get involved," she told him. "I was just venting."

  "I know," he said with a quick nod of his head. "But if there's anything I can do to help you, I will." He gave her a kiss on the cheek, so quick she didn't have time to register it. "Now, drive home safely. If you don't mind, please text me when you're there so I know you're safe. You might want to text Amanda so she's always aware of what's going on. I'll call you tomorrow." He placed his hand on her shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Everything will be okay, Mads. We'll figure it out. Just stay by your phone tomorrow, okay?"

  Madison nodded slowly. Alec opened her car door for her and she slid inside. He shut it as she buckled her seatbelt and with one final wave, started her car and took off. Traffic was nonexistent this early in the morning, and by the time she got to her dorm, she was ready to get whatever sleep she could. She sent off a text to Amanda and a text to Alec before collapsing on her bed and falling asleep.

  --

  She got the phone call the next morning exactly at eight o'clock. Her father was predictable, punctual, and just plain mean. First, he started by telling her what a disgrace to her family she was, how she had embarrassed everybody with her chosen profession, and how she looked particularly skanky in the halter top and tight pants. Madison had to bite her lip to keep from telling him that that was probably the least swanky outfit the Gulls' Girls wore, even though she didn't find any of the outfits particularly skanky. Skanky was a behavior, not a clothing choice.

  Secondly, he critiqued her school work not being challenging enough if she had time to go off and be a Gulls' Girl instead of studying. At that point, he went into an entire speech about how UCI wasn't the best choice in the first place and how he should have listened to his gut instinct. He transitioned to making everything about him rather than her, about how he works hard for his money and he didn't have the means to go to college when he was her age, how she was the first person in the family to go to college on his side, and how she should appreciate the fact that she had the opportunity to go in the first place. Finally, he wrapped up with the fact that he was going to stop paying for her college if she chose to stay out there, which meant she would be homeless, without a means to attend school, and the only thing under her belt would be a job that twelve dollars on hour part time. There was no doubt in his mind that she would fail; might as well come home and face her mistakes in person.

  Madison listened without interruption. Lectures from her father were nothing new and in the amount of time that she received them, she had
learned how to decompartmentalize and respond with what he wanted to hear rather than what she really felt. When it was finally her turn to speak, she replied with, "You've given me a lot to think about, Dad. Give me a few days and I'll let you know my answer."

  "Answer?" His gruff voice was tai yes with confusion. "You don't get to answer, Madison. This isn't a yes or no."

  "Actually, Dad, it is," she told him. Her voice was firm but respectful. All her teenage angst had disappeared since starting college. "Either I come home and have you continue to pay for school while following your rules, or I stay here and try to make it without your help. Luke I said, I'll let you know in a few days."

  Before he could answer, Madison hung up the phone. Her heartbeat was racing against her chest, her cheeks hot. She had never talked back to her father before. Even when she wanted to. Even when he was so wrong. She would fight with him constantly but she had never defied him, not like this, and the feeling was... exhilarating.

  A couple of hours later, just after eleven in the morning, she received a phone call from an unknown number. Madison hesitated before answering.

  "Hello?"

  "Madison (last)?" a familiar voice said on the other end of the phone. "This is Seraphina Hanson. I was wondering if you had time to come in for a meeting around one o'clock this afternoon?"

  It took Madison a best before she agreed. What did Seraphina Hanson want to see her about? How did Seraphina even know Madison's name? She shook her head, all hopes of taking is nap dashed. Her mind was too loud, too focused, on her upcoming meeting with the Gulls' owner.

  Madison wasn't quite sure what to wear to a meeting with the manager and owner of the Newport Beach Seagulls. She decided to err on the side of caution and keep things simple chic - a dark blue pair of skinny jeans, ankle boots, a classic white collared shirt, and a fitted red blazer. She pinned her hair back and pulled her bangs back, putting on light makeup and spraying a hint of perfume on. She grabbed her keys, her purse, and headed out the door.

  It took her twenty minutes to get there from Irvine because traffic was relatively light on PCH in the afternoon during the week. Her heart was doing these weird jumps, like she would get nervous briefly before calming down, and then starting the cycle all over again.

  By the time she got there, she had to take a deep breath. She got out of her car and stepped into the elevator indoors after informing the doorman she had an appointment with Seraphina. It was easy to find her office - down the long hall with all glass windows. She could pull the blinds if she wanted privacy, but typically she was open, and didn't even shut her door. She knocked anyway, finding Seraphina writing something down in her planner. When she heard Madison knock, she smiled, looking up, and waving her in.

  "Hi, Madison," Seraphina said with a smile. She stuck out her hand. "It's nice to finally meet you. Please, take a seat." She eased into her chair and rolled her shoulders back. "First, I wanted to personally thank you for what you did for my grandfather. What you organized last night did the home opener was beautiful and poignant without being overly cheesy. It was perfect. He would have loved it."

  Madison felt herself swallow, unsure of what to say. "Th-thank you," she managed to get out.

  "Thank you," Seraphina reiterated. "There's something else I want to talk to you about, something else that was brought to my attention by Alec Schumacher."

  Madison pressed her lips together. She tried not to react to Alec's name. What could he possibly have talked to Seraphina about that involved her?

  "Before we begin, I wanted to tell you that I've known Alec a while," she said. "Granted, I didn't know much about hockey before inheriting this team but my grandfather would take me along to watch him play before he drafted him. He's an excellent player and a loyal friend." Her eyes glanced over at Madison and Madison noticed a gold coil surrounding her dark irises. "I've never heard him speak about anything the way he speaks about you."

  Madison felt her cheeks turn pink. "Oh, we aren't" -

  "Of course not," Seraphina interjected smoothly. "We have rules about Gulls' Girls and players socializing and especially not dating. But I can't stop you if I don't know about it. I just wanted to tell you that Alec is a good guy. A guy worth taking a chance on. Considering he doesn't talk about anything the way he talks about you." She pushed her brows up. "You understand what I'm telling you?"

  Madison nodded. "Is that what you came to talk to me about?" she asked.

  Seraphina made a face. "Of course not," she said. "That would be completely unprofessional. No. What I brought you in for was to talk to you about a potential scholarship."

  Chapter 12

  Alec picked Madison up at her door in a Dodge Charger. He looked amazing in the light blue collared shirt and dark grey slacks. Even his hair was styled and gelled. He smelled like the ocean, clean and refreshing, and the way he looked at Madison when he saw her was unlike the way anyone had ever looked at her before. She felt rather underdressed in a simple black strapless dress but he seemed to appreciate the way it hugged her body. He all but dashed out of the car so he could open the door for her.

  "You look beautiful," he told her, and she knew he meant it.

  Her heartbeat fluttered against her chest but there was a comfortable energy between the two of them. Like she didn't have to talk to fill up the silence. Like she didn't have to search her mind for casual topics of conversation. Like she didn't have to worry about making herself look like a complete fool in front of him. This was completely opposite of the date she had with Brady. In fact, she hadn't even thought about Brady the past couple of days. He hadn't texted her, either. She wasn't as disappointed as she thought she'd be.

  He took her to a restaurant in Anaheim called The White House. It was simple in its elegance and apparently a favorite eatery for many of the players on the team. Madison was nervous - not being with Alec, but because she had never been anywhere expensive on a date before and she didn't want to embarrass him.

  There was free valet and Alec insisted on helping her out of the car. He continued to hold her hand as he led her up the steps and into the restaurant. It really looked like a white house with simple wooden tile and pastel pinks on the walls. The decorations were floral and the light was bright, spilling in from chandeliers and teardrop lamps on the walls. It was beautiful.

  A waiter led them to a secluded table in the back. This room was quieter than the main floor, with dimmed lights and smaller tables meant for two. He dispersed the menu and recited the wine specials, but Alec ordered them sparkling cider since he didn’t drink during the season. Which was perfectly fine with her, since she didn’t drink much, either.

  Once he was gone, promising to return quickly with their drinks and to take their order, Alec smiled at her from cross the table.

  "I'm so glad you agreed to go out with me," he told her.

  Madison cocked her head to the side. "Were you worried?" she asked, not bothering to hide her surprise.

  "No," he replied, offended that she would even ask such a question. "Well, maybe a little. You're intimidating."

  Madison laughed. "Me?" she asked in disbelief. "Intimidating? Are you crazy? You're the NHL player, not me!"

  "That makes it worse," he told her and then leaned toward her in his seat. "I'm a hockey player. I'm good looking, charming, the type of guy every woman wants to be with." Madison scoffed and rolled her eyes and he smiled, letting her know that he was teasing her. "But l ok how easy it was for you to reject me. You're fucking beautiful, Madison. And you're smart. You're a college girl. Typically, college girls don't waste their time with guys who don't even like school. I never went to college. I don't like reading. I have money, yeah, and I've made a life for myself doing what I love, but that might not matter to you."

  "You worry too much," she said, dropping her eyes to her wine glass and stroking the glass. "I thought I was bad but you're pretty out there. Alec, I'm not going to tell you all the things that make you great because I don't think that's wha
t you're looking for and I'm not here to stroke your ego. But I am telling you that I wouldn't waste my time with a guy I didn't genuinely like being around. Maybe we won't talk about books but you're smart in other ways. You keep up with social issues, you're big on charity events and community outreach programs, and maybe you can teach me how to fight. I should tell you, though, that while I don't know what this is - this thing between you and me - and we don't have to define it yet, I won't tolerate playing games or dating around. I have too much on my plate to worry about that."

  "So Seraphina spoke with you, then?" he asked, sitting back in his chair.

  Madison nodded, looking at him suspiciously. "I can't believe you did that," she told him honestly.

  "What did you want me to do, Mass?" he asked her. "I would have paid for your education myself but that would put us in a weird over-imbalance. I don't want you to feel compelled to go out with me just because I gave you money."

  "I wouldn't have taken your money in the first place," she told him.

  "Which I knew," he said. "But this way, we both get what we want. You get to stay in school without your father's help, which means you don't have to be tied to his rules anymore."

  "And you?" she asked, raising a skeptical brow.

  "I get to be around you," he replied. "For at least another year."

  Madison shook her head. "You're crazy," she said before taking another sip of wine.

  "About you," he acknowledged. "I've never felt this way about anyone before, Mads. I don't think you realize it."

  "Oh, I do," she corrected. "Seraphina talked to me about you."

  Alec’s face shifted from deep and meaningful to confused and, if her eyes weren’t deceiving her, embarrassed. “Oh, yeah?” he asked, giving nothing away.

  He was saved at that moment by the waiter, who inquired about their order. Madison ordered first, a seafood pasta, while Alec ordered a steak. Once the waiter was gone, Madison quirked a brow.