“Maybe I can help you out,” Grimsonsaid. “My girlfriend’s sister will be in town, and Nicky would like her to attend.Sis doesn’t want to be the fifth wheel, so I thought I’d hit up you new guys.You’re not seeing anyone, right?”
“Uh, no. Did you ask Nelson?”
Grimson guffawed. “I started withhim. I figured Kendra would prefer a good-looking date. Sounds like he mighthave someone already.”
He’s going stag.
Grimson continued. “Don’t tellNicky I said so, but Kendra’s … Wow! Smokin’ hot. Blond, blue-eyed. Not as hot as Nicky, of course.”
“Of course,” T.J. said dryly. His mind bounced to whom hetruly wanted on his arm at the to-do. A picture of Natalie’s long legs in highheels floated through his mind before he shut it down.
“You want me to text you a picture?”
T.J. quickly weighed his options. Go with Serena and fighther off all night. Go stag and fight Serena off all night. Take the sister,which would shield him from Serena and make up for blowing off theChophouse invite. He sighed. “No need. Sure, I’ll be her escort.”
“Sweet! Thanks. I’ll text you her info.”
It only hit him he had a date after he’d hung up. Huh. Hecouldn’t say he was excited, but he wasn’t exactly dreading it either. Maybe itwould be good to get out, have a distraction, keep himout of his own head for a while.
Money’s voice cut through his thoughts, and T.J. looked upto see him standing in front of Euclid, a wide grin on his face. T.J. wished hecould muster the same sort of enthusiasm for seeing his old teammate.
The place was cranking, and they grabbed a quiet cornertable by the bar. T.J. ordered his usual Jameson and beer, and Money ordered avodka martini—Chopin vodka.
T.J. took a sip of his water while they waited for theirdrinks. “Didn’t know you were a martini drinker.”
“Me and Bond, man.”
T.J. stifled a snort.
A cute waitress deposited their drinks and hurried off.Money’s eyes followed her until she rounded out of sight. “Oh, man. I’d like totap that.”
“Yeah? Thought you were seeing someone.” T.J. sipped hiswhiskey while Money’s eyes widened and quickly narrowed again.
“Who told you that?”
T.J. shrugged, belying his rising annoyance. How had thisasshole become captain? “Heard a rumor. Is it true?” Jealousy was not in play,but rather an uncharacteristic protectiveness. He owed Julia somethingfor putting up with his dickheadedness for ninemonths.
Monahan lifted the martini glass to his mouth. The drinklooked out of place, as though he were a gorilla going pinkie-up with ademitasse of fine china—nothing like the impeccable King of Class that embodiedBond.
“It’s casual, and what she doesn’t know won’t hurt her.” Hewinked, pursed his lips, and slurped from the edge of the glass. “I’m taking apage from Shanstrom’s Handbook on Women. Get justclose enough to enjoy the benefits.”
T.J.’s stomach rolled over. While he hadn’t cheated onJulia, the cavalier way he’d treated her was uncomfortably close to what he sawin Monahan. And he didn’t like it. He’d never given a fuck before, so why thehell did he give a fuck now? This girlie “getting in touch with yourself” shithad to stop.
Conversation moved into benign terrain—players, thestandings, the approaching playoffs—until it migrated toward T.J.’s new team.
“So how’s it working out so far, Shanny?”
T.J. fiddled with his phone. “No complaints. Lots of practice, lots of training, and lots of community service.Also working on my goal-scoring.”
Money quirked an eyebrow. “Why?”
“Coach thinks I can contribute on the scoreboard.”
Money erupted in a laugh. “If I were you, I’d spend moretime sharpening my boxing skills. That way next time you hit someone, you canland it in the right spot and not KO the bastard.”
A rush of heat flared in T.J.’s gut like the flame from astriking match head. Money’s face was split in a leer—which T.J. ached to knockoff his mug.
“About that hit, Money. I don’t think you came clean.”
The grin slid from Monahan’s face. “What’re you talkingabout?”
“Your amnesia—the part where you don’t remember telling meto hit May right after Coach’s assistant said Coach was down with it.”
Money’s head jerked, and his eyebrows crashed together in ascowl. “Careful, Shanny.”
T.J. rose partway and planted his fists wide on the table.Monahan seemed to shrink back. “No, you be careful, asshole.” T.J. wasin his grill now, but he kept his fury in check and his voice to a low snarl. “I’vegot witnesses who heard exactly what I heard on that bench, and my attorney’sgot their names—including yours. If I’m going down, you, Coach Rogers, and therest of the organization are coming with me.”
He never knew until that moment that Monahan had blue eyes.Right now they were swimming in a sea of pink, the contrast bright. T.J. leanedin a little closer, picking up the medicinal smell of the vodka. Julia’s wordsabout meeting someone special, about wanting to give it a serious try, racedthrough his mind. For such a smart woman, she chose her men poorly.
“Julia deserves better than a fucking weasel like you, butshe’s a big girl and calls her own shots. But I swear to God, you mistreat her,and you’re dealing with me.” T.J. jabbed a thumb at his own chest. “You gotthat, dickwad?”
Monahan began regaining his composure. “She dumpedyour ass,” he hissed. “You think she’s going to appreciate you making threats?”
“Let me be clear. That’s no threat. It’s a promise.”
Licking his lips, Monahan ran his palms over his chest in anervous gesture. “Look, Shanny, let’s leave Julia outof this for now. There’s bigger shit at stake here.” He leaned inconspiratorially. “About May … I only did what Coach told me to do. I was doingmy job.”
T.J. laughed mirthlessly. “You’re stealing my best lines,Joe, and I have a feeling that whole ‘it’s my job’ shit’s gonnaturn out just as well for you as it did for me. Especially when everyone hearsabout the bounty Coach put on May’s head. The bounty you bothconveniently forgot to mention.”
Now Monahan looked panicky. “Coach’llmake good on the reward, Shanny. He told me to tellyou that. He’d just like you to keep it
