page28 (1/2)

The scraping sound of skates hitting the ice filters in, and my eyes sweep the ice as the players pour onto it It's hard to recognize theame jerseys About half the players are in plain white jerseys and half in plain black

My eyes roanize Garrett Even with his hel jaw and chin in profile When he turns htly in a wave to me

It feels like aover my heart, and, yeahI'm also hit with a rush of desire for this ear

"Close your ht start flowing out"

I shoot her a quick glare, but snap my mouth shut so I don't slobber all over myself

"Hey, Sutton," I hear, and e with dark blond hair plopping down into the seat next to her

"Hey, Gina Where's Benjamin?" Sutton asks

"My parents are visiting and they have hie"

Sutton turns to me "Oliviathis is Gina Toast Her man is Zack Grantham and they have an adorable little boy named Benjamin"

I reach across Sutton and shake Gina's hand "I'm OliviaSutton's cousin Nice to meet you"

She givesout to help Sutton support Alex?"

Before I can even answer, Sutton ju Garrett He's nuts about her"

Gina's jaw drops and her gaze slowly slides back and forth between me and Sutton "Get out of town"

Then she pins me with a direct stare "Seriously? You landed Garrett Saht stand?"

I can't help but laugh, and whereas irlfriends would be offended, it's coone out for a week and a half nohich I've been told is a record in his book"

"That's practically like hi a blood pact A week and half?"

All of us laugh, and I' one wo to cause lots of raised eyebrows and colorful comments

"So, which one is Zack?" I ask Gina, as the coach blows the whistle and several of the players head to the bench, leaving five guys in white jerseys and five guys in black jerseys around the center ice circle

"He's actually the second guy to the right of Garrett," Gina says as she points to hi like the rest of them

"He's on Garrett's tea black jerseys

Garrett had invited o His words ca deal to him, but I could tell by his tone he really wantedsomeone to support him, or maybe he just wanted to ardless, I couldn't say no, and Stevie was only all too happy to give me the time off since I wouldn't take a full week off after my treatments as he had demanded

The scrie would last only thirty minutes, and Garrett told me the coaches would choose the teaether, but Alex is wearing a white jersey

"I'll bet you twenty dollars that Garrett's team wins," I say suddenly to Sutton

She blinks ats down, bitch"

Gina laughs at both of us, and then the whistle blows and we are all cheering our men on

--

We all head over to Houlihan's after the scriout with the locals and the hockey players While their celebrity causes a bit of a stir, for theprofessional athletes a them and aren't too obnoxious

Of course, as soon as we sit down, a few fans trickle over to ask for autographs It's beyond adorable to watch Alex, Garrett, and Zack talk to the kids that come up Not so adorable the women that bat their eyelashes and speak in breathyto each other while the raphs and chat with the fans, but this is my first real experience with Garrett's celebrity I find it fascinating, a little exciting, and yeaha little annoying the way the women act

Garrett speaks with everyone the same A friendly smile, a quick pose for the canore theh me and I realize it's a bit of jealousy And maybe doubt Because soeous

"You'll get used to it," Gina says as she leans around Sutton to look at me

I swing aze back to her and have to chuckle "Is it always like this?"