Icing (Aces Hockey #1)(13)
Chapter 4
Duncan immediately called Rupper to ask him to turn around and come get him. Shaking his head, he climbed back into Rupper’s car. What a loser.
“What the fuck?” his teammate asked.
“I don’t have my keys.”
“How could you not have your keys?”
“I forgot Amber took them.”
“Who the hell is Amber?”
“She works for you, dumbass. She’s a waitress at the Sin Bin.”
“Oh yeah, yeah, Amber. She’s new.”
“Right. Anyway, I started tying one on last night and she took my keys.”
“Attagirl.” Rupper nodded approvingly.
Duncan grimaced. “I got so shitfaced I totally forgot. She still has them.”
“We can go to the Sin Bin and see if she’s working today.”
“No time. We gotta get to practice.”
Rupper glanced at the clock on the dash of his Viper. “True that. Okay, we’ll figure it out later.”
“I have another set of keys at home. Shit. Why didn’t I even think of keys before I walked out of the door?”
“It’s called a hangover. You probably killed a few brain cells last night, and you don’t have many to spare.”
“Fuck.”
Amazingly, Duncan felt better after practice. He didn’t puke on the ice, or off, for that matter, though he did start out a little shaky. But the physical activity was good for him and by the time he skated off and walked to the dressing room, he felt pretty much back to normal.
That still didn’t make him want to go to the fundraiser that night.
Once he’d showered and changed, he checked his phone. Missed call from a number he didn’t recognize, and a voicemail. Then Rupper called to him across the players’ lounge. “Hey, Armdog! Got a message from Elliott with Amber’s number so you can get your keys.”
“Excellent.” He took the number Rupper gave him. He hesitated for a few seconds before he hit the button to call her. She’d been pissed off at him last night and he still didn’t really get why. Remembered embarrassment at her rejection heated his blood. He’d really liked her, but at this moment, he’d rather take a puck in the nuts than phone her. But he shook his head and made the call.
“Hey, Amber,” he said when she answered. “Duncan Armstrong. You have my keys.”
“Right.” Her voice was crisp. “How did you get home?”
“Taxi.”
“Well, that’s good.”
“Listen, I’ll come by and get them. Uh. Somehow.”
“I’m leaving for work in five minutes.”
“Oh.” He frowned. “Well, then I’ll come by the Sin Bin and pick them up.”
“I’m not working there tonight. I have another job.”
“I guess picking them up there won’t work.”
“No, I’m sorry.”
He pressed his lips together in frustration. “Tomorrow, then?”
“Can you do without your car until then?”
“It’s a truck. And no, but I have another set of keys at home. I’ll get a cab and go get my truck.”
“Okay. That works. Sorry about that.”
“So, give me your address and I’ll come by tomorrow.”
Silence. “I don’t like to give my address out to strangers,” she finally said.
He frowned. “I’m not an axe murderer. Jared will vouch for me.”
He heard a faint sigh. “Fine.” She gave him her address.
He entered it into his phone and couldn’t help the smile that tugged the corners of his mouth. He’d gotten her address. He was going to see her again. Maybe he could apologize one more time. Maybe she wasn’t mad anymore and…Hell, what was he thinking? He wasn’t going to risk rejection a second time. Plus he was done with women. Remember, asshole?
“Who wants to drive me home to get my keys, then pick up my truck?” he shouted to the room.
A bunch of grumbles was the response. “I did my duty this morning,” Rupper said.
“I’ll take you,” Duper said in long-suffering tones.
Duncan grinned. “Thanks, bud. You owe me for that stunt you pulled when I bought the truck.”
Duper grinned. “Heh.”
Just after Duncan had purchased his new vehicle, Duper had put a “For Sale” sign in the window with Duncan’s phone number. He’d gotten a shitload of calls about it before he’d figured out what the hell was going on. It had been all the more confusing because Duper, team captain, also known as Captain Codger, wasn’t the type to play the kinds of pranks the other guys did.
Duper had loosened up a lot since he and Lovey had gotten together, and it was actually kinda cool. He was still mega-serious about his sport and about being the team leader, but it was good to see him relax away from the ice and have some fun. They all took their jobs seriously, but they also had to remember it was a job, and like everyone, they had to have balance in their lives.