The Slot (Rochester Riot #1)(37)
“Hmm. Sounds a lot like women. And I noticed you don’t have any trouble with that, either,” Shredder said.
Cole shrugged and spread his hands wide. “That’s why they call it Lady Luck.”
“Huh. Let’s hope the Lady is with us against the Wild.”
“We just play our game, Shred. Stick to the plan and it’ll come out all right.”
“Speaking of ladies, are you and Eloise Robertson an item? I saw you two leave the Brews together last week.”
Cole looked up from sorting the chips and cards back into a silver case. “So. You’ve seen me leave with lots of chicks, Shred. No big deal. Doesn’t mean I don’t leave them at the curb.”
Shredder tilted the shiny dome of his head. “Not from corporate, I don’t. From the model agencies and hospitality crews, yes. But a suit? What’s up with that? She’s probably sucking Murphy’s cock to keep him happy.”
Cole slid the metal case into an overhead bin then relaxed back into his seat. On his way down, he slapped Shred on the top of his shiny scalp. “Don’t talk about Eloise that way, asshat. She’s a lady, not a whore. Not that it’s any of your business, but nothing’s up with her. I’m not seeing her.”
“That’s a good thing, man. Never date anyone you work with. First rule of the front office.”
Cole screwed up his face. “Y’know… I’ve never known why everyone always says that – don’t date a co-worker. What’s so terrible about it? It gives you something in common right from the get-go. You spend most of your waking time at work, it makes sense that’s how you’d meet someone.”
“Hey, I’m not criticizing. We don’t have a regular-type job, Cole, in case you haven’t noticed. We meet women everywhere. You’re living, *-licking proof.”
Cole scoffed. “Yeah. Well. The low-hanging fruit is always easiest to pick.”
Shredders eyebrows went up, creating triple ridges on his shaved forehead. It reminded Cole of a little Shih Tzu or Bulldog. “So, you want the ones at the top of the tree, do you? You’ll need a ladder. A corporate one,” Shredder said with a waggle of his bushy eyebrows. “Remember. What goes up, must come down.”
Cole waved his hand in dismissal. “Maybe you’re right. Our lives are too different. Guess I’ll have to get a copy of Ryder’s catalog.”
“Huh?”
“Never mind.”
Shred leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “Listen, Cole. Most of the team can’t tell when you’re bluffing, but I can. If Eloise means something to you, and it sounds like she does, you gotta go for it. Forget what the guys say, or the coach, or your parents. Differences are what make things interesting. It’d be a boring world if we were all the same.”
Like the girls in Ryder’s fictitious catalog, Cole thought with a smirk. Boring. He had to admit it’s what drew him to Eloise. She was different. Smart. Took initiative; had more in her mental cupboard than powdered doughnuts, for sure. Plus, it didn’t hurt that she was gorgeous, with the kind of figure that he worshiped, the kind that swerved in and out in all the right places.
In many ways, she reminded him of his mother, a strong-minded brunette beauty with strong convictions. Ironic that he should compare the two; when it was his mother’s deep-rooted faith creating part of his issue over El.
Christ, some subliminal Oedipus complex much?
He shuddered. The Catholic Church would have a heyday over that one. He loved his mom, but in a completely different way.
In Eloise’s bed, he’d had the most incredible sex ever. He’d happily make love to her every night for the rest of his life if she hadn’t dropped that abortion bomb on him. And it wasn’t her fault. It tore at his soul that his friend, someone he knew and trusted, had committed such a heinous act. He knew things could never be the same between him and Trey from now on. Worse still, Trey may have scarred Eloise for life. To never have children? His family would be so disappointed. Theresa Fiorino would spend all day in church, praying for grandbabies. But then, prayer had certainly worked for his family in the past. Perhaps it would again. Hadn’t they made leaps and bounds in the infertility field in recent years?
He should have asked Eloise about it. He should have asked Eloise about everything. Instead, he’d run from her during the time she’d needed him most. Like some kind of immature, selfish *. Because he didn’t know what to do and he didn’t know what to say.
I don’t know how I feel.
“Almost there,” Shredder said, glancing out the window as the Twin Cities loomed on the horizon.
Cole stood up in the aisle and cleared his throat. “Brothers, Riot. You know Guys and Dolls?”
Shred turned to face Cole. “I presume you mean the musical. I guess I’d rather hear you sing than quote Shakespeare.”
Cole smiled and nodded, started to snap his fingers in a swing-beat. He took in a deep breath and started to sing Luck be a Lady.
Some of the guys nearby groaned. But most … they joined in until the team bus sounded like a wounded moose laying in the middle of the road.
***
The week-long road trip came to an end with a 2-1-1 record for the Riot. They were still killing it in the standings and nearly assured of a playoff berth, but with March nearly in the record books, there weren’t a lot of regulation games left. They needed every win and every point they could get. The team bus dropped Cole and Shredder off at the apartment they shared. The team staff would have their equipment cleaned and moved into the dressing room at the arena.