Dangerous Light

“So, you actually know someone here in Vegas?” Max Talbot sounds surprised when he looks over at Jordan.

The tall blonde nods. “Yeah. I grew up with her.”

Max smirks mischievously.

“No, Max,” Jordan does not even give his friend a second look. “Just… no.”

“C’mon, Staal. Don’t hold out on me now – is she hot?”

Jordan closes the closet door, not able to stop thinking about how much that statement sounds like something that Athena herself asked growing up about his hockey friends that she never met. He gives a very similar response to Max that he had to Athena years before, shaking his head, “that’s weird.”

“That’s not weird. Is she attractive?”

If he had not spoken, Sidney’s presence would have continued to go unnoticed in the doorway of the bedroom. “Is who attractive?”

“Staalsy knows a lady here in Vegas.”

Jordan scrunches his nose at Max’s choice of words. “Don’t use that word. It makes her sound like a hooker or something.”

“Well, is she?” Max simply smirks at the look he has derived from his friend.

Sidney smirks, leaning onto the threshold of the door. “Jordan doesn’t hang out with hookers, Max. He’s not you.”

“Oh,” Jordan laughs, throwing his head back and Sidney joins in.

Max jokingly laughs along. “Keep laughing, Crosby. If she’s ugly, I will play your wingman and turn her onto you so fast—”

Jordan shakes his head, “she’s not ugly, Max.”

Both Max and Sidney are a bit taken aback by Jordan’s tone.

“What is she then?” Max presses.

Jordan simply shakes his head, now standing at his bed, zipping up his duffle bag. “I’m not having this conversation with you. Either of you.”

His duffle bag crashing onto the wooden floor by the closet only solidifies the finality of his tone.

Sidney raises his eyebrows at Max, who shrugs and sinks back onto the bed. Slipping his arms behind his head, Max smirks, “this weekend’s gonna be fun, boys.”