“We’ll have to get together when we travel back to North Carolina to play them,” I tell her, assuming Blue will like that idea. It’s clear these women were friends and like each other.
“That would be awesome,” Ellen says and then whips her head to look back to Blue. “Hey…do you still play chess?”
“Not really,” Blue says. “You?”
“Yeah…I joined a club when I was at Duke and still play some weekends.”
“Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute,” I drawl as I raise my hand and wave it between the two women to butt in. I then focus my attention only on Blue. “You were really in the chess club in high school?”
“I told you I was,” she chides with a smirk.
“When you said you had a ‘distinctly nerdy love for the chess club,’ I just thought you were being euphemistic.”
Blue and Ellen howl over that, hanging on to each other. When they finish, Ellen informs me, “Blue is really, really good.”
“I bet,” I say appreciatively as I look at my girl, admiring the new layer that was just peeled away for me.
“Holy shit…it’s Erik Dalhbeck,” a male voice says from my left and before I can even fully turn that way, a man is butting into our intimate little circle and shoving his hand at me. “Hi…I’m TJ Hodgins.”
I shake his hand and just stare at him, because he introduces himself to me like I should know who he is. When I don’t respond, he stammers, “My um…wife put on this little soiree.”
I’m forced to reply out of politeness. “Nice to meet you.”
“Man…what an honor to have you here at our party.”
I don’t respond.
He loops an arm around my shoulder. “You have to let me buy you a drink.”
The man then attempts to pull me toward the bar but I don’t budge and he’s not big enough to move me. When he gets the hint I’m not moving, he changes tactics and looks over to where his wife is standing. “Hey…Christina, honey,” he calls out. She turns to look at him with a bland smile and you can tell she doesn’t want to be interrupted. “Come over here. I want you to meet someone.”
I don’t need to be touching Blue to sense the way her body tightens as the woman that bullied her in high school makes their way over. But I’m digging it because I want this woman to get a good look at Blue. I want her to see her the way I see her.
Christina and her pack make their way over to us. They don’t spare Blue or Ellen a glance, and I can’t tell if they’ve just forgotten them in the eight years since they graduated or if they know exactly who they are and are ignoring them on purpose.
Regardless, TJ introduces me to the women. “Best fucking enforcer in the league,” he proclaims as he claps me on the shoulder. He sort of giggles like a girl as he nudges his wife. “And he’s here at your party, honey.”
The minute TJ said I played for the Vengeance, all three women’s demeanor immediately changed. They reminded me of cats going on high alert when they first notice their prey. After I give a polite nod to each woman, I snag Blue around the waist and turn her toward the women. “I’m here with Blue Gardner.”
The three women turn as if they were one unit and I can tell by the slight disdain in their gazes that they know exactly who Blue is and had seen her prior to this. I also notice at this point that TJ notices Blue and his gaze goes as predatory as his wife’s but for a different reason. His eyes stayed glued to her tits and my fingers curl even more protectively around Blue’s waist.
“Hi, Christina,” Blue says with a warm smile. Because she’s Blue. She then turns to the other women. “Krystal…Belinda. You are all looking beautiful tonight. Haven’t changed a bit since high school.”
They just stare at Blue for a moment, faces blank and cruel. Then Christina’s lips curve upward in a smile that is neither genuine nor warm like Blue’s. “Well, yes…Hi, Blue. I thought I recognized you.”
Krystal and Belinda mumble their hellos, looking put out that their attention is forced there. TJ just stares at Blue’s chest.
“So how long have you two been dating,” Belinda asks Blue as she eyeballs us suspiciously.
I don’t wait for Blue to respond. “Five years. Our first date was five years ago.”
Even though I don’t take my eyes off Belinda, I can feel the mirth vibrate through Blue’s body as she moves in closer to me. Her arm goes around my waist and she squeezes me.
I shoot a glance to Ellen, who looks warily at the three catty women across from Blue. I’m going to guess she was bullied too. A quick look to TJ and I can see his gaze has not wavered once from Blue’s breasts.