Page 37 of The Player's Club

Mac and I exchanged glances. “I’d warn your friend, but it seems like she can take care of herself,” he said.

“Oh, don’t worry. Hannah is very capable.” I shot him a smile. “What’s your karaoke song, then?”

“That’s a surprise for later.” Mac got up and pushed Brady up to the front.

The guys sang “Baby Got Back” as the drinks continued to flow. We were all hammered by the end, laughing like lunatics when Brady rapped Weird Al Yankovic’s “White and Nerdy.”

Mac had the final song of the night. To my surprise, he chose The Righteous Brothers’ “Unchained Melody.” Mac had a smooth baritone voice that made me shiver as I listened. All three of us sat enraptured.

Hadn’t Brady said that Mac couldn’t sing? I glanced at Brady, and Brady just shrugged. He was clearly as confused as I was.

When Mac finished, we all broke into applause.

“I didn’t know you could sing!” I said when Mac sat back down next to me. “Brady said you were terrible!”

“I only break out the singing for certain people,” Mac replied.

“Shit man, that was something else.” Brady smacked Mac on the shoulder. “In case your hockey career goes to shit, you should take up singing.”

“And you definitely should not take up singing.” Mac laughed. “You sounded like a dying cat up there.”

He and Brady got into a wrestling match, although they were already drunk enough that it was pretty pathetic for a wrestling match between two famous athletes.

I’d never seen Mac this relaxed before. I’d only seen him either playing hockey or at The Scarlet Rope, where he was always in complete control. Seeing him let loose with friends was new, but it was refreshing. I appreciated both sides of him, but I couldn’t help but wonder how often he let himself have fun. Did his need for control make it hard for him to be silly like this? Did he need to have the assistance of alcohol to let it happen?

By the end of the night, Brady needed to be taken up to his room, while Hannah was falling asleep on a couch in the hotel lobby. I hadn’t had as much to drink as everyone else, and it seemed as though Mac had already started sobering up.

I glanced over at Hannah, who was snoring lightly. “I think we should get her to bed.”

But even as I said the words, I had the sudden urge to go to bed with Mac instead. My brain started to put together a plan—we could get Hannah her own room, and then I could go with Mac—

As if reading my mind, Mac gave me a heated grin. “You need to go to bed, too,” he said softly.

“I’m not tired.”

“Well, I am.” He leaned down and pressed his lips to mine. “I have my private jet scheduled to fly you home in the morning.”

Disappointment flooded me, even though I knew Mac was trying to be a gentleman. After all, I was pretty drunk. “Thank you,” I said.

“Don’t look so sad.” He touched my cheek. “I’ll be back in town soon.” His eyes darkened. “And maybe by then, the contract will be signed by everybody.”

I swallowed hard. “Yes.”

“I hope you’ll give this a try.”

I wanted to yell that I was desperate for him, that I didn’t care about signing a contract, that I just wanted him, but I knew he was right. We couldn’t sleep together. Not if we were going to do this—whatever this was—right.

“Good night, then.” I glanced outside, where dawn was beginning to lighten the horizon. “Or good morning, I guess.”

Mac kissed me one last time. “Good night, Elodie.” He looked over at Hannah. “I’ll get you guys a room and help you upstairs so you can get a few hours of sleep, at least.”

When Hannah let out a loud snore, Mac and I both laughed and shook our heads.

MAC

“Did you get more furniture?” my agent, Andrea, asked me as she looked around my living room.

“I thought I’d get this place fully furnished.”