Best Played (Salt Lake Pumas) Read online

  “Because he’s nice,” Lacey said and it took me a moment to figure out what she was talking about. “Olle,” she added. Right, of course, Olle. He was very nice. And so pretty. And such strong arms!

  From the way Lacey laughed, I figured that I must’ve said at least some of that out loud. “I think it’s worth asking him because he might say yes because he’s nice,” Lacey explained, sounding like she was talking to a child, but I was drunk enough to need the dumbed-down explanation.

  Pulling myself into more of a sitting position, I shook my head. “I don’t think he’d say yes.” Olle was nice, sure, but a person would have to be genuinely unselfish to go to a stranger’s wedding just because. I doubted there were many people in the world like that.

  “Besides, wouldn’t he have games?” I asked, fishing in my handbag for my phone. Because Lacey was my best friend, I had the whole Pumas’ schedule as one of the calendars I could bring up with a tap of one finger. Toggling it on, I scrolled to the week of Rachel’s wedding.

  Surprisingly, the Pumas didn’t have any games that week. “Okay,” I corrected, “maybe he would be free to come after all. But would he really skip training just to help me out? He barely even knows me.”

  “Well,” Lacey said slowly. “There’s no way to know now. Not when we’re drunk and this might seem like an awful idea in the morning.” That was, I had to give it to her, very sound logic while being drunk.

  Her words also made me yawn somewhat dramatically, earning me a small giggle from Lacey. “Let’s sleep on it,” she said. “I’m going to take the spare room, but you can give me a shout if you need anything?”

  It seemed unlikely that I would need something because my head and eyes felt so heavy now, but before I properly fell asleep, Lacey did get me to drink some water, like the good friend that she was. It was the thoughts of Olle’s strong arms that saw me off to sleep.

  Sunlight burned through my filmy curtains the next morning, beaming down directly into my face. With a dramatic groan, I rolled over, simultaneously trying to draw my patchwork quilt up over my head.

  But not before the smell of coffee had filtered through to my nostrils, reminding me that Lacey had spent the night. And Lacey wasn’t a particularly early riser, so the fact that she was up, coupled with the light warming my face, made me give a wary glance at my alarm clock.

  It was well past my usual getting up time. With another, even louder, groan, I forced myself to my feet.

  The room wasn’t spinning anymore, but that was about the only good thing I could say. Mallets pounded the inside of my head as I blinked blearily out at the world.

  “Coffee,” I muttered to myself. Dragging the blanket with me, draped over my shoulders, I made my way into the kitchen.

  “Coffee,” I repeated, dropping the blanket as Lacey handed me my favorite cup. “You don’t look hungover,” I complained.

  Lacey laughed, just emphasizing my point. “Oh, I am,” she promised. “I’m just not as hungover as you.” Which was probably fair enough since Lacey had also been a lot less drunk than me. There used to be a time when I was much better at holding my liquor but that time was obviously not on a day I’d barely eaten.

  “I’m making some eggs, too, so take a seat,” she told me, shuffling around my kitchen like she lived there. I hardly minded, of course, not when Lacey gave me coffee and was going to feed me.

  Cracking a few eggs open, she began to whisk them for what I assumed might end up being an omelet. “You remember much of last night?”

  Mostly, what I remembered was my brief, shining conversation with Olle. He’d seemed so interested, at least before he’d had to rush off. Sighing, I wondered if I was ever going to get to talk to him for more than five minutes together.

  It was thinking about Olle, and how handsome he was, that stirred other memories. Sitting in a car, playing with the radio just so I could get a little closer to those lovely arms. My fingers wrapped as far as they could go around the muscle that bulged above Olle’s wrist.

  I frowned at Lacey. “Did Olle drive us home?” I asked, feeling my cheeks suddenly flame. “Oh my god, did I say anything embarrassing?”

  “Oh, wow, you really don’t remember much,” Lacey exclaimed. The surprise in her tone made my stomach turn unpleasantly. How much more was there to remember? Oh God, what had I said? “No, no, don’t panic,” Lacey rushed in to add. “It’s nothing bad, I don’t think you embarrassed yourself.”

  There was some relief at her words, but I wasn’t too sure I completely trusted it. Lacey was so nice that she would assure me of that even if I had embarrassed myself.

  “Mostly you just talked a lot about the vineyards and you told Olle about... Lear? The horse you had growing up. Or your favorite horse? I don’t know, I honestly didn’t listen too closely, but Olle asked you questions and everything.”

  If that was all, it honestly didn’t sound that bad. While I wished I could find some topic other than Tennessee to talk to Olle about, it was probably better than confessing to being a huge fan of his.

  Narrowing my eyes at Lacey, I struggled to pull my own memories out of the tangled mess in my head. Now that she’d mentioned Lear, I could almost hear myself chatting about him, talking about how much I’d loved to ride. I’d even wanted to enter rodeos until I was a teenager.

  But there was something else. Feeling up Olle’s arms when he helped me out of the car, telling him what nice muscles he had. I cringed. That was what Lacey hadn’t wanted to tell me.

  “Ugh,” I groaned. “I was all over him! He must think I’m such a weirdo.” Embarrassment squirmed inside me, making me glance away from the eggs Lacey was still cooking.

  Another thought hit me, making my eyes widen. “We didn’t ask him to come to the wedding, did we?” God, I hoped not! I didn’t want Olle to think I was so desperate that I couldn’t get a date by myself.

  “We didn’t!” Lacey exclaimed happily. “But probably only because neither of us thought about it then. We did then talk more about it. And I have been thinking about it this morning, too. I know we came up with it as a drunken plan, but I think it could work.”

  My disbelief that Lacey was seriously suggesting this must have shown on my face, because she laughed. “No, but really. I think it’s pretty perfect. You already know loads about him from all your fangirling and he doesn’t talk a lot and any ‘weirdness’ or whatever you could just ascribe to him being Swedish.”

  Somehow, I wasn’t convinced by that plan. “I mean, what’s the worst that could happen if I ask him?” Lacey wondered.

  The answer that rose to my lips was that Olle might think I was pathetic. It wasn’t something that I was used to worrying about with guys, and it wasn’t something that I wanted to confide in Lacey about. At least, not right now.

  So I smiled, trying and failing to match Lacey’s good cheer. Luckily, she’d probably put down any residual grumpiness as just the effect of too much wine.

  “The worst that can happen is he says no,” I agreed. Olle would say no, I was sure of it, but at least then the matter would be finished with and Lacey could help me come up with a real plan.

  She handed me a plate of omelet, earning my genuine gratitude. Lacey was a great friend, even if she did believe a little too hard that the real world could function like a romance novel, if only you gave it a little nudge in the right direction.

  Chapter Four

  Olle

  Will was one of my closest friends on the team. Partially because he was just very chill, but also because, like Luke, we were around the same age. Will had actually been on the team when I’d transferred to play for the Pumas so it almost felt like we were childhood friends. Perhaps not quite.

  So it wasn’t that weird for Will to invite me over for dinner. Usually, some of the other guys might be there, too, but I didn’t think much of it when they weren’t. Will enjoyed cooking for other people.

  “It smells nice,” I complimented. “Was your friend okay, Lacey? I assume
her hangover was a bit tough the next day.”

  When Lacey smiled, it seemed to light up her whole face. “She was great! You were such a big help, Olle. I don’t know what we would’ve done without you.”

  That made me shake my head, murmuring about it not being a big deal. There hadn’t been a lot of sober people at the party, but Lacey could have found someone else to drive her home. Or called an Uber.

  I’d been happy to help, but I hardly felt I deserved praise for it.

  “Just let her thank you,” Will muttered. “Trust me, it’s less hassle.” Lacey gave him an affectionate shove, making Will pull her in close and kiss the top of her head.

  “You were being a gentleman!” Lacey insisted. “Roxi and I really appreciated it. I’m sure she’d be thanking you, as well, if she were here.”

  Or, possibly, complimenting my arms again.

  But I didn’t say that. It seemed almost mean, like mocking the way she’d been when she was drunk. That wasn’t my intention. If anything, I’d found Roxi’s compliments pretty sweet. Maybe a bit too much, but in a funny sort of way. I wouldn’t embarrass her, or Lacey for that matter, by bringing it up.

  “That’s fine, it was hardly a bother,” I promised. “I’m glad you’re both well. So is this a thank-you dinner or something? Because you definitely didn’t need to.” But it would explain why I was the only guest.

  Lacey’s cheeks turned positively pink and she lifted her chin in a determined kind of way. “Well, sort of,” she agreed. “But also… there was something I wanted to ask you. Because you’re so nice and gentlemanly.”

  Will was focusing extremely hard on cutting the home-made pizza into slices, his back turned to us as if he didn’t want to be a part of this conversation. It made me instantly apprehensive about what on earth Lacey was going to ask.

  “Roxi has this wedding to go to, and she sort of told her sister that she was bringing someone. Only, she doesn’t really have anyone she can bring. And I thought, if you were free that week, maybe you could go!”

  It took me a moment to comprehend what Lacey was saying. When it did click, I turned to look at Will again. He at least had the good grace to give me a small shrug.

  “Hey, man, I just want to get laid sometimes,” he grumbled, making me snort. I could hardly fault that. Having met Lacey on a few occasions, I got the impression that she was very good at asking nicely. Which, of course, didn’t bode well for me being able to say ‘no’ to her request.

  “You want me to go to Roxi’s sister’s wedding?” I repeated and Lacey beamed at me even brighter. “I... is that a thing that people do? Bring strangers to a wedding?” I was almost tempted to teasingly ask if that was an American tradition I wasn’t aware of, but I worried a bit that maybe it was.

  Lacey frowned, still looking up at me with pleading eyes. “Well… no. But you and Roxi aren’t really strangers. You’ve talked. Twice!” Sure, if Lacey was counting the two conversations we’d had on the night of Luke’s party as two separate occasions, but that wasn’t really enough to invite me to a wedding.

  But Lacey apparently thought it was. “You’d… pretend to know each other better,” she admitted. “Like, maybe you’ve been dating for a while?” At my raised eyebrow, Lacey carried on. “Please, Olle. It would mean so much to Roxi if you’d go! And to me.”

  “And to you,” I repeated. The puppy dog eyes that Lacey made at me were, admittedly, hard to resist. “Where is this wedding?” I asked with a small sigh. Was I actually entertaining this idea? It sounded pretty crazy but also... different. Sure, I’d never pretended to be someone’s boyfriend before, but Roxi was hardly the worst choice.

  I also felt like I wouldn’t really mind getting to know Roxi a little better. And while I doubted I needed to have Lacey owe me, this was a favor I definitely could call in if I ever did need something.

  Lacey, clearly sensing I was softening, bounced on the balls of her feet. “Tennessee. At her family’s vineyard.” Roxi had told me a lot about the Parker Vineyards, and enough about Tennessee to at least whet my interest. I’d traveled a lot in the US, but I rarely got out into the countryside, and definitely not for a whole week at a time.

  “Is that going to be a problem?” Will asked, suddenly paying more attention. “It being at a vineyard, I mean.”

  My frown must have given away that I didn’t really get what he was asking. “Because it’s alcohol,” he said like I was being dumb. And maybe I was. I didn’t really think that not drinking was a problem in any sort of situation, but I supposed I could see why he might think being at a vineyard it’d be weird.

  “No,” I answered. “If I go,” I specified, turning to give Lacey a pointed look. “It’s not like they’d force me to drink. That’s not a thing.” It was perhaps a bit of a thing to put peer pressure on people when they chose not to drink, but in general, a firm ‘no’ went a long way.

  Turning back to Lacey, I gave a small hum. “So you want me to go to your friend’s family home, to her sister’s wedding, and pretend to be her boyfriend?”

  Lacey’s smile softened, her eyes somehow taking on an even more plaintive look. “I really do,” she agreed. “Roxi doesn’t care about actually being single, but she’s worried that her family will feel sorry for her if she turns up alone.” To an extent, that was understandable. Families worried about that sort of thing, even in Sweden.

  “If she goes with you, she’ll have fun,” Lacey continued. “That’s all I want for her. To be able to go and have a good time at her sister’s wedding without worrying.” She glanced at Will, who was still frowning pretty heavily. “You don’t have to answer now,” she said. “Why don’t you think about it and let me know?”

  I wasn’t sure there was a lot to think about. Lacey made fine points. And aside from the whole thing being kind of weird, it was... reasonable. Not super reasonable, because it was still asking me to pretend to be someone’s boyfriend, but reasonable enough.

  “No, it’s fine, I’ll do it.” I shrugged.

  “You will?” Will asked me almost at the same time as Lacey squealed with delight.

  “Yeah,” I shrugged. “I mean, why the fuck not, right? It’s something to do and Tennessee sounds nice this time of the year.” Or really, any time of the year the way Roxi had been talking about it. “I’ve never been on a vineyard.” Which surely was a good enough reason?

  “You’ll love it!” Lacey promised. “It really is very pretty, and Roxi’s good fun. Oh, you’ve made me so happy!” Her beaming smile felt like a good enough reason, too. After all, it was only a week. If it felt weird, pretending to be someone’s boyfriend, I wouldn’t have to do it for too long.

  Lacey got out her calendar, giving me the dates so that I could note them down, while Will finally served the pizza. All through dinner, Lacey kept giving me looks like I was her personal hero for saving her friend from social awkwardness.

  It was a nice feeling, I had to admit. And I really was looking forward to getting to spend time on a vineyard in Tennessee. If nothing else, it would be an interesting experience.

  After dinner - and after assuring Lacey that yes, I did mean it, I’d help Roxi out - I headed home. It wasn’t a very long drive but long enough to allow me to think about what I had just agreed to. It was a bit ridiculous, I recognized that. Still, how bad could it be, right? Probably.

  “Hey, mom,” I greeted when she answered the phone. It was barely morning in Sweden but my mom was an early riser, so I doubted she’d been asleep. From how chipper she sounded with her ‘hey’ back, I felt I’d guessed accurately.

  I let her chat at me for a moment about what her plans for the day were, before answering her ‘what’s up with you’. “A weird sort of thing, really,” I admitted and I could practically hear her interest pique. “Will’s girlfriend Lacey asked me for a favor. She’s got this friend, Roxi, and she needs a date to her sister’s wedding. Not just a date,” I corrected. “A boyfriend. So Lacey asked me and... I said yes?”

 
; It was phrased like a question but it obviously wasn’t one. Mostly, I was trying to figure out if there was a less dumb way to explain it.

  “You agreed to be her boyfriend?” Mom asked, and I could practically hear the frown in her voice. “But have you even met her, this Roxi? You haven’t mentioned her to me.”

  That was true. I usually did tell my mom about anyone I went on a date with. But Roxi and I had only chatted at a party once, which definitely didn’t count. “Why does she need a boyfriend for a wedding?” Mom carried on. “She’s not getting married.”

  “No, obviously,” I chuckled. I didn’t think I’d agree to be someone’s fake husband. “Yes, I have met her,” I confirmed, answering my mom’s first question. “I guess she told her sister she’s got a boyfriend when she hasn’t?” That was basically what Lacey had told me. It was a dumb thing to do, but hey, people did dumb things all the time, this probably wasn’t the worst.

  “I don’t really know what the answers to your questions are. Other than, yes, I did agree to be her fake boyfriend. Her parents own a vineyard in Tennessee,” I explained, frowning slightly at the way ‘Tennessee’ sounded thrown in amidst my Swedish. “That’s where the wedding takes place. It sounds like it’ll be nice. Bit of fun, maybe?”

  How badly could it go?

  My mom hummed, clearly turning the idea over in her mind. I gave her time, letting her get used to the thought. “Yes,” she finally agreed. “I suppose it will be interesting, at least, to go to an American wedding.”

  It was true that I’d never been to a wedding in the States before, though, of course, I’d seen them in movies and on television. “It will give you some practice for when your team-mates start getting married,” Mom added.