Attractions

I hurried back to my apartment, already late for work. I was extremely glad I packed my bags last night, or else I would have missed my flight completely.

My phone rang as I was stripping down from yesterdays clothes and I swore under my breath. “Hello?” I said breathlessly into the receiver while pulling on a black knee length skirt over my red tights.

“Hey Star,” came the voice of my best friend Natalie Whitt.

“Hey Nat,” I smiled. “You on your way to practice?”

“Just got here. Calling to see if you have my black strappy heels?”

I glanced at my closet where several black strappy heels sat. “Jog the memory a little on the details.”

“Three inches give or take a few inches,” she started and I rolled my eyes. Because that was helpful. “Um, pretty plain.”

Ah. Those heels. “Yeah, what of them?”

“I’m going to need them back in a week,” she said.

“And you’re telling me a week in advance because?” I asked, putting her on speaker phone as I pulled on my big, comfy red sweater with the black polka dots all over.

“Because it will take you a week to actually get them to me,” she said flatly and she was right. “Or just give them to Patrick tomorrow and I’ll get them back myself.”

I snorted. “Why would I give them to Patrick?”

“You see him enough, don’t you?” she accused and I scowled in the mirror. My hair was a mess and my mascara was smudged. Gee, I wonder why.

“We’re not together Nat,” annoyance rang in my tone. “Just like you’re not with Patrick Sharp.”

“Hey now, I’m not sleeping with the guy,” she threw back and I should have known that one was coming straight for me.

“It’s just a fling,” I said, running a brush through my hair and checking my work phone. Only three missed calls and two text messages. Not too bad. “No strings attached sort of thing. I mean, have you met Patrick Kane? Player all the way. No way he’d actually want a relationship and no way I’m in for one either. I have a career ahead of me.”

“Does he even know what you do for a living?” she sighed. I knew she pulled the phone away because I heard her yell something at Corey Crawford.

“Are you talking on the ice again?” I asked, amused at the image forming in my head. Crawford was probably not a happy camper.

“Eh, Crow till get over it.”

I chuckled to myself, standing in front of the mirror, going over my appearance one last time.

Appearance was everything.

“So?” Natalie prompted.

I sighed loudly so she would know that I was irritated with her prodding and poking. “No Nat, I have not told Patty what I do for a living yet.”

“Patty. . . ?”

Shit. “Scratch that. Patrick I mean. I have not yet told Patrick what I do for a living.”

“I am so using that on him,” she said and I could literally see the evil grin on her face.

“And then I lose my little sex buddy, so don’t even think about it,” I warned her.

“Yeah, yeah whatever. So, are you ever going to tell him?”

“Why does it matter?” I huffed as I pulled my suitcases down the stairs and towards my car.

“Because I think he’d like what you do,” she stated. “Whoops, gotta go. Corey’s chucking pucks at my head again.”

“You turned down Sharpie again, didn’t you?” I asked, getting into my car and starting my old baby up.

“The only time my goalies ever go forward on me, I swear,” she sighed. “Good luck in Brazil today.”

We hung up and I started my trek towards the private hangar where my team would be waiting. Team of two.

“There you are!” Jonah looked like he was about to have a mental breakdown right there. “Belle, I found her!”

The tall and petite woman walked expertly over to me and held a huge grin on her face. “With Mr. Patrick Kane again last night?”

I rolled my eyes. “Let’s go,” I grumbled.

“She’s always cranky after a night of lust and gymnast moves with him,” Jonah smiled childishly before helping me load my bags onto the plane.

“Then she should just get together with him permanently so we don’t have to deal with this every time we have a long plane ride,” Belle stated and then we were ready to go.

Except my mind was still back in Pat’s apartment.