Two Different Worlds Collide

“There! Done,” Brett let out an over-exaggerated sigh as he flopped into the chair. Zac sat down on the loveseat and Liza sat beside him, making Brett’s pout get worse. Zac gave Jared and I a funny look, before Jared started a conversation about the game tomorrow night. I knew that his brothers were coming, and as soon as he brought it up I felt him tense up and get nervous. That probably had a lot to do with it, seeing as his brothers were both pretty elite NHL players. The guys were surprised when I was able to keep up to most of the hockey talk, I just didn’t know the AHL players that well – I enjoyed my NHL hockey. Not that I didn’t keep up with a few AHL teams.

“You better stick around Cheye – we need some more hockey people around here,” Zac teased, and I laughed even though it made me blue to think about leaving so soon.

“I think y’all will survive,” I replied, and then realized all the guys were staring at me. I blinked a few times, and finally Liza started to laugh out loud at me.

“Y’all?” Brett finally asked, and I realized what I said.

“I sing country music Brett, country,” I reminded him, but he still shook his head.

“And you were calling me un-Canadian,” Zac and Jared just laughed, before I felt Jared’s hand on my knee, his thumb gently moving over the denim of my jeans. Everything about him was so relaxed and calm, it was hard to not just fall asleep.

“Well, is Alice dragging you out too?” Jared asked Zac, who nodded.

“I don’t want to though – throws off the whole routine,” he complained, and Brett shrugged.

“Oh well, we’ll put in an appearance and leave, easy as that,” Brett decided, while both Jared and Zac shook their heads. After having met Alice I had a feeling it wouldn’t be quite that easy.

We headed out at ten, stopping at our hotel rather than following Zac to the bar so that Liza and I could change quickly before going. We squished into the bathroom together to throw on different shirts and freshen up our makeup before I decided I was ready to go. Liza took a few more minutes, which Brett teased her about before we were on our way.

It was a different bar than the one we’d been to last night; this one looked more like a sports bar. As soon as we walked in the door the bouncer started leading Brett and Jared to their VIP section, where I assumed the rest of the Checkers who were here were sitting. I waved hello to the guys I knew and was greeted with a hug by Alice before sitting down beside Jared. As soon as we were sitting down a bartender came and asked what we wanted to drink, Jared easily ordering us each a beer. Once the bartender was gone Alive gave him a playful smack on the arm.

“What?”

“You didn’t even ask what she wanted!” Alive gave him a pointed look before turning to me. I was a little bewildered, because Jared and I coincidentally drank the same brand.

“That’s the kind I always drink,” I told her, and then she looked a little embarrassed.

“Oh, sorry Jared,” she gave him a mega-watt smile, to which he rolled his eyes before wrapping an arm around my shoulders as a female bartender brought our drinks, obviously looking to flirt with any male at the table.

“Oh God not another one like that,” Liza groaned, making me and Alice laugh.

“Get used to it honey – this city’s full of those,” she told her. “There’s lots that aren’t, but there’s lots of them looking for a piece of the Charlotte Checkers.”

“And aren’t you lucky to already have yours?” Riley teased, making her swat at him even though she was laughing.

“Oh of course sweetheart,” she assured him, leaning in for a quick kiss. They were so cute together it was ridiculous.

A couple rounds later Jared and I were buzzed enough to go dance, and while several different girls came up and tried to step in Jared calmly told them that I was only down for a couple of days so he’d prefer to just stick with me, but that he was flattered. He’d stop and take a picture or sign something, but he never let me out of arm’s reach, which had my face heating up by the time the fifth or sixth girl had come up.

“So, is she your girlfriend?” she asked, and Jared swallowed before looking to me.

“Um, kind of, yeah,” he answered, squeezing my hand. I knew he meant it as a way to make sure what he was saying was okay, because when I returned the gesture he relaxed a lot.

“So you and Tasha broke up?” the girl gasped. Jared’s expression told me he was confused how this random person even knew about his ex, and I just wrapped my free arm around him.

“Yeah, a while ago,” I confirmed, before looking up at him. “We’re still just kind of seeing how things go; we aren’t like official or anything.”

My explanation satisfied her and she went on her way, back toward her friends. Jared let out a long breath before pulling me in for a tight hug and a breathtaking kiss.

“Thank you,” another kiss. “Thank you,” one more. “Thank you.”

“Well I can do that more often if you’d like,” I grinned pulling his lips to mine once more for good measure. He chuckled, his hands slipping to my hips as we swayed slightly with the music.

We were heading back toward our table when suddenly Jared stopped dead in his tracks. I ran into his back, but before I could ask what had happened he was heading for the table as fast as he could with me trailing behind him.

“Jared, what’s wrong?” I asked, and he gave me a pained look, his grip on my hand having tightened significantly.

“Tasha’s here,” he whispered, and I felt my stomach drop to my toes. If she kept coming back hoping to get Jared back and he was getting upset like this, it wasn’t going to end well.

“What do you want to do Jare?” I asked, and he swallowed hard before shrugging.

“I don’t know… I mean, I don’t want to ruin your time – it’s your Spring Break trip after all – but I don’t want to deal with her Cheyenne. She’ll cause a big scene, and I have no doubts she’ll find a way to drag you into this,” he replied. I pulled him in for a hug, rubbing his back softly as he calmed down.

“It’s up to you Jared,” I replied, and before he had a chance to answer he paled, his eyes focused just behind me. I steeled myself, knowing who it had to be, before I turned around.

“Hi, can I help you?” I asked, pasting on a convincing smile as I turned to her. She was gorgeous – long blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and what I assumed would be a winning smile if she wasn’t scowling at me being in Jared’s arms. It immediately made me feel nervous, because she was obviously way prettier than I was.

“Who are you?”

“Cheye, and you are…?” I asked, as if I had no clue. Jared’s grip on my hand was deathly, and I knew he was worried this was going to blow up on me.

“Tasha,” she answered, as if I would just magically know who she was.

“Okay, nice to meet you Tasha. Jared’s not really up to signing autographs or anything right now, sorry about that,” I told her, and saw her face turn red with anger. Maybe that hadn’t been the right card to play, but I wanted her out of Jared’s hair for the sake of his sanity.

“Listen here puck,” she said, getting right in my face. “Jared and I dated for years. Years. So you can take your skanky, puckbunny ass out of here.”

“Excuse me,” I stood up, deciding to give her a taste of her own medicine. I spotted Brett whispering furiously to Liza as they looked over, and saw Alice and Riley making their way over as well for backup. “But you two broke up. Broke up. You know, as in not together anymore. Why you’re here, I don’t know, but Jared and I don’t need you bringing any drama. So you can take your bitchy ass out of here and leave him alone.”

I honestly thought she was going to punch me. Her fists clenched and she looked like she might bite me, but she didn’t. Instead her face went fire engine red and she gritted her teeth, giving me a glare that should have killed me, if it were possible.

“Take. That. Back.”

“No, sorry – I actually meant it,” I said, and heard Jared stand up behind me.

“We’re actually just leaving,” he told her, ushering me around the fuming blonde and to the heavily occupied part of the bar. Alice pulled me into a hug immediately, and then I started to shake. I knew that Tasha was just being bitchy, but did I really look like a puck bunny?