"What's Jo doing here?"

Confusion momentarily filled Jack's features before understanding settled in. "You mean Joelle?" he asked, motioning to where she stood, talking to his fiancée. I nodded, figuring she went by her nickname most of the time. "Her and Aimee live together and they've been friends for years. They're practically sisters."

I didn't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't that.

"Why man?"

I shrugged, attempting to contain my interest. "She works at a pub near the arena my brother and sister-in-law introduced me to and I've run into her a few times."

"Apollo's, right?" Jack asked, and though it was apparent he already knew the answer, I nodded. "Yeah, that's her."

Sitting on my other side, Schmidt chimed in. "Sometimes, when we stop in after weekday games, she'll give us a deal on drinks if it isn't too busy." He clapped me on the shoulder. "So maybe you'll be able to get in on the deal now too."

I chuckled. "I wasn't really worried about the drink prices."

"No?" He lifted a brow, a lazy smile curving his lips. "Then were you worried about her not being interested now that she knows you're a Knight? Cause man, I swear, half the team has tried to score a date with her, but none of us have succeeded."

While the words may have been a ploy to rattle me as I glanced across the room, they didn't succeed.

Jo stood there, wearing a long sleeved blue dress that fit tightly across her chest and accentuated her curves before flaring out at the waist. It tapered off at mid-thigh, and the killer pair of heels she wore did wonders to highlight her legs. With her hair curled and makeup done, there was no denying she looked amazing, but she'd completely transformed the woman I'd grown accustomed to seeing behind the bar.

With her bottom lip pulled between her teeth, her gaze flickered my way and our eyes met for only a moment before she looked away.

"Actually, I'm not worried about that either."

Jack raised an eyebrow. "You're interested in her?"

The obvious answer was yes, I was. She was attractive, whether dressed down or dressed up, and from the short conversations we'd shared, I knew she was witty and easygoing. But other than what was on the surface, I didn't know all that much about her.

I didn't even know if she was single. Though given she was here alone and Jack hadn't mentioned anything about her being otherwise unavailable, I was hopeful she was unattached.

On the other hand, there was a reason I'd hadn't been in a relationship the last couple of years. I was focused on hockey, improving every day, and I never had time for anything more. There'd been women, sure, but I'd always been upfront from the get go that I wasn't looking for something serious.

But things were different now. I was settling in with the Knights, and though I still had to work my ass off to keep my spot and prove I deserved the chance I'd been given, I could afford a bit more of a social life.

I also couldn't lie and say there wasn't a spark between me and the raven-haired beauty across the room.

"Would it bother you if I was?"

"Not at all," he said, stealing the last boneless chicken wing from my plate. "Jo's great, and if she went out with you then maybe it'd stop Aimee from trying to fix her up with the constant string of stick-in-the-mud guys she seems to know." His lips twitched as though an amusing memory flitted through his mind before his expression turned serious. "But as your captain, I need to remind you to keep your head in the game. This is a make or break season for you. It's your rookie year in the league and you never know how things will play out. After all, there's nothing stopping the execs from sending you back down to the minors."

I nodded with complete understanding, because hockey wasn't purely physical. It was a mental game as well. "Don't worry, man," I said, "I know what I have to lose. I won't let the team down." Clapping him on his shoulder, I stood up. "But if you'll excuse me."

Making a pit stop at the bar, I grabbed two flutes of champagne and headed across the room.

As I drew closer to the pair, I could tell by her body language that Jo was slightly nervous, especially when Aimee turned, meeting my eyes with a sly smile. And by the time I stopped next to them, Aimee was getting ready to make herself scarce. With nothing more than a quick hello and a thanks-for-coming, she was off, leaving Jo and I alone.

"Should I have introduced myself?" I asked, attempting to break the ice as I nodded back to Aimee, who was making a beeline towards the table I'd just vacated.

Jo shook her head, the corner of her lips lifting. "Don't worry about it. I have no doubt she'll know more about you than I do by the end of the day."

"I could see that." I chuckled, glancing back to see Aimee already grilling Jack and my teammates. "Though what are the chances we'd run into each other at an engagement party?"

"Honestly?" She fidgeted with the fabric of her dress and a few strands of hair fell in front of her face. "Before today, I'd have said pretty low."

"Yeah, but I come in peace. I swear," I said, keeping my tone light in hopes of easing her nerves. Though strangely enough, this shy side of her was endearing—an additional layer to the laid-back bartender who'd first caught my attention. "And I come bearing a gift."

Extending one of the champagne glasses, her gaze finally lifted to mine and a genuine smile greeted me. Resting her empty glass on the table closest to us, she exchanged it for the full one. "You didn't need to do that."

"Sure I did." I shrugged, holding back a smile as I took a sip of my own drink. "You've brought me food and drinks plenty of times, so I figured it was about time I do the same."

Jo rolled her eyes in response. "That's part of my job."

"Still counts," I pointed out.

"Right. Well, thanks," she said, trailing off with a hesitant expression. As her gaze flickered to the table where Aimee and my teammates sat, it didn't take a genius to figure out she was about to broach the inevitable. "And unless I'm way off base, I'm assuming it's safe to say you aren't just one of Jack's friends."

"Considering I met him for the first time two weeks ago, you'd be right." My lips curled. "I signed with the Knights at the beginning of the season, though if I'd known you were close to the team, I would've mentioned it sooner."

"There was no reason for you to tell me." She lifted a shoulder in a shrug, taking a sip of her drink. "And if I'm being honest, I'm not that close to the team. Jack, sure, but the rest of them—" She shook her head. "—not really."

"Really?" I mused, hooking a thumb over my shoulder. "Because Schmidt was saying something about cheap drinks."

Luckily, the teasing jab did its job, knocking away the last of Jo's nerves. Her shoulders relaxed and a warm, airy laugh filled the space between us. "I do what I can when the team pulls off a win," she replied. "And since the players end up attracting a larger crowd of hockey fans on game nights, it's really a win-win for Apollo's."

"I guess it would be," I said, trailing off with a chuckle before lifting a brow. "And what about you? Are you a fan?"

Her expression turned sheepish as a light pink hue dusted her cheeks. "Not exactly," she admitted. "I mean, Aimee's been with Jack for years, so I'm not totally out of the loop. I've been to games and cheer for the Knights if they make the playoffs, but otherwise, hockey isn't really my thing."

"Fair enough," I replied, knowing hockey—and sports in general—weren't for everyone. "Though if you find yourself at a game soon, let me know. I'll try my best to make things extra exciting."

"Oh?" Jo's eyes brightened with mirth. "And how do you plan on doing that?"

I grinned. "You'll just have to wait and see."

a/n: remember to vote and leave your comments below!