Scoring One Night (Blue Ridge Mountain Hockey #4)

Melanie

"I 'm being ridiculous," I muttered to myself as I glanced at my watch for the third time in as many minutes.

Tapping my fingers on the cool, wooden surface of the corner table in the Hard Grind coffee shop, I glanced at the door.

Worrying about my friend being late was just a symptom of a bigger problem.

Anxiety had filled my days for the past two weeks—ever since I started working for the Devils.

Despite my talk with Aspen about being professional, I couldn't stop thinking about him.

The door to the coffee shop swung open, sending in a gust of cool spring air.

"Hey, stranger!" Sophia beamed as she rushed toward me, her breath slightly labored from her hurried entrance. Her chestnut hair bounced with each step, and a mischievous glint shone in her green eyes.

"Finally," I murmured, relief washing over me like a warm wave as I rose from my seat to meet her halfway. "I thought you'd never get here."

"Miss me that much?" she teased, throwing her arms around me and pulling me into a fierce hug, almost knocking the wind out of me. "I missed you, too!"

"Um, you're crushing me," I gasped, laughing despite the pressure on my ribs. She released me, rolling her eyes at my dramatics.

"Sorry, Mel," she said, her expression turning serious. "You have no idea how sorry I am for disappearing like that."

"Hey, don't worry about it," I reassured her, but her gaze remained heavy with guilt. "It was an emergency. I understand."

With me being so busy with work and Sophia helping with her father, I hadn't found out what exactly had happened.

"My dad had a heart attack," she blurted, her voice thick with emotion. "I had to rush to the hospital, and everything's been a mess since."

"Oh no, Sophia, I'm so sorry," I said, my heart twisting for my friend as I reached for her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. My mind raced with questions, concern for her father warring with the desire not to overwhelm her further.

"Thanks," she whispered, the corners of her mouth curving into a small, grateful smile. We stood there for a moment, lost in our thoughts, before Sophia shook her head, as if physically casting off her somber mood.

"I had to take over his limo-driving business on top of finishing up culinary school. The past few weeks have been crazy."

"Oh, Soph, is there anything I can do?" I felt like the worst friend in the world.

Her father has a heart attack, and I get drunk and screw a hockey player. I should have been there for my friend.

Sophia smirked. "Get some of those hockey players you work with to rent some limos. My dad's business is barely scraping by. If it makes enough money, I can hire some drivers, then I’ll have enough time for what I want to do."

"Yeah, cooking and baking." I nodded.

"I'm hoping that Dad gets better so I can live my dream. I've always wanted to open my own bakery, ya know."

She had mentioned it once, but I thought she wanted some more experience first working at a restaurant or bakery.

"I'll tell everyone I know to rent a limo from West Limo Rental . That way, you'll have the money to hire people in no time. Then you can focus on your dream."

"Thanks, . But enough about me," she declared, her eyes narrowing playfully. "Tell me everything about your new job. Do you get to see those hockey players naked?"

I knew I shouldn't laugh, but it felt good to be with my friend. We both had some bad weeks but talking and laughing felt good.

"It's been great," I said a little too enthusiastically.

Sophia's eyes narrowed. She knew I was holding back.

"What aren't you telling me, Mel? We've been friends for too long, so I know your tells. Something is bothering you."

I shook my head. "It's nothing. Really."

Then I made one critical error. Well, two errors. I sneezed, twice.

"There it is." Sophia pointed at me as if she caught me stealing jewels in those heist films she loved to watch. "You're lying. I told you, you can't get anything past me. Two sneezes in a row means you're lying. So spill. What happened at your new job that's causing you to sneeze?"

As much as I didn’t want anyone to know what had happened, I needed to confide in my best friend. I had to loosen the weight by telling someone I trusted.

"Alright, I'll tell you." I sighed, bracing myself for the reaction I knew was coming. "I sort of had a one-night stand with one of the players."

Sophia's eyes widened, her jaw dropping as she stared at me in shock. For a moment, I thought she might choke on the air she sucked in, but then her lips curled into a devilish grin.

" Greene, you're my hero!" she exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "When? Where? And most importantly, which Devils player was it?"

"Keep your voice down, Sophia!" I whispered urgently, glancing around the coffee shop to make sure no one was paying attention to our conversation. "You know how you took the E-Ride car from the bar to go to the hospital that night we were at Castle Moat ?"

Sophia nodded with a big smile on her face.

I winced as I recalled the night and my decision to get in that car with Aspen.

"Aspen offered to share his E-Ride car with me, so..." I drifted off, unable to finish what I was saying. Too embarrassed to go on.

"Oh, my god!" Sophia wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, causing me to roll my eyes. "Well, I'm not judging. How was it?"

"Really, Soph?" I groaned, burying my face in my hands.

Sophia reached over and pulled my hands apart. "Seriously, Mel. You, out of everyone I know, needed to get laid so badly."

"Gee, thanks." I frowned.

"I don't mean that in a bad way... well, not in a pitiful way, uh... never mind. What I'm trying to say is, you've spent so much of your life working and focusing on your future, you rarely had fun unless me and Daisy and Lydia dragged you out. Sex isn't a bad thing. Actually, it's very, very good if done right." She wiggled her eyebrows again which just made me snort.

"But the thing is, the Devils have a no-fraternizing policy with the people who are employed by the team." I waved my hands in the air. "I broke that policy before I even had my first day."

Sophia made a face as if someone farted and waved her hand at me. "That doesn't apply here. Like you said, you did it before you even started your first day. They can't fire you over that, even if they found out."

Maybe she was right.

"You think so?"

Sophia reached over and placed her hand over mine. "As someone who has rarely adhered to rules in my life, I know so."

That didn’t really make sense, but at this point, I needed the comfort of a friend.

"If you say so, but—"

"I do, and the thing is, , it was just one night. No one will find out about it if you don't say anything. How about Aspen? Is he planning on telling anyone?"

"No, we talked. It was just a one-time thing. And the thing is, he didn’t even remember. I didn’t realize how drunk he was when it happened."

Which doesn't make me feel better; actually, it makes me feel worse. Like I took advantage of him.

I was the one who suggested we go back to his place.

Ugh, this whole thing was such a mess.

"See, there you go. It was just one big mistake. No one wants to go blabbing about their mistakes, especially men. They keep that crap sealed up tight. I kind of feel sorry for them."

I tilted my head. "I don't think all men are like that—"

Sophia shook her head as she cut me off, "All men are like that, . The sooner you realize that, the better. That's why I stay single. Sure, I have flings here and there, but that's it. Best to keep the emotions out of it."

"Okay." I didn’t necessarily agree with my friend, but she's allowed to live her life as she wants.

Sophia tapped at her chin. "Which reminds me, you never answered my question. How was it?"

Despite my embarrassment, I couldn't help but smile sheepishly. "It was... amazing."

"That's what I'm talking about." She giggled, clearly delighted by my revelation. "But seriously, Mel, if it were me, I'd make sure to hit that a few more times, if you know what I mean."

I hesitated, trying to put my jumbled thoughts into words. "I don't think that's a good idea. With the policy—"

", I don't think it's that big of a deal. Those players do crazy things, and they never get kicked off the team."

"Yeah, but they’re players—they are the team. There's a difference between them and me. I am easily replaceable, they are not."

I loved my friend, but sometimes she couldn't see the big picture.

"Then don't do it. It's not like you still have the hots for him, right?"

I tried to tell Sophia no, but my body wouldn't let me get my lie out. I sneezed again.

Sophia gasped. "You do have the hots for him. You want him to score a few more points between your legs."

"Ugh, don't put it like that." I sighed, giving up on trying to hide how I felt. "On one hand, I can't stop thinking about him. But on the other hand, I need to maintain professionalism at work. I don't want this to jeopardize my job."

"Wow, that is quite the dilemma," Sophia mused, tapping her chin again as she mulled over my situation. "You like him, but you also need to keep your distance at work. Tricky. I’ll be honest, , I've never been in this position in my life. Like I said before, if it were me, I'd be on top of him before you could say unprofessional."

"Seriously." I didn’t hide the irritation in my voice, feeling frustrated that Sophia didn’t understand my predicament. "I don't know what to do, Soph. I need this job."

"Look, Mel," Sophia said, her voice suddenly serious. "You're a smart, capable woman. You've faced tougher challenges than this before. Just trust yourself, and you'll figure out how to handle this. I believe in you."

"Thanks, Soph," I replied, touched by her faith in me.

"Life is messy, but that doesn't mean you should ignore what's best for you. Just be true to yourself, and remember that I'm always here for you."

I squeezed her hand, thankful to have a great friend like Sophia.

"And, , when I say messy, I mean you should be having messy sex. Lots of it."