Closing The Gap (Dangerous Pasts, #1) (4 page)

“Trash!”

A familiar voice screamed his nickname over the crowd and a huge smile broke out on his face. 
For the love of God
!  He turned and strode towards his best friend from his playing days, Ryan Roberts.  Roberts had just turned thirty five and retired from the NHL the previous year.  He had been a star center for the Hawks and the two were usually out on the ice at the same time as Josh protected his line.  Because of his constant travel and Roberts’ home in Florida, they hadn’t seen each other in person for a few months but texted a lot.  They’d talked on the phone last weekend and Roberts never breathed a word about coming to the bachelor auction.

Roberts made it through the throng and the two men shook hands while clapping each other on the shoulder.

“No way, buddy, I had no idea you were coming here.  At first, I thought you were here for moral support but now that I see the penguin suit, you must be up for bids to the geriatrics of Scottsdale.  I thought you were too busy with your gigs on the Florida coastline to do any travel?”

“Your dad called me a few days ago to see if I was free.  Apparently there was a cancellation.  Chuck thought if we were both here, he could raise good funds for the homeless dogs.  How could I refuse when chances are, I’ll get some free tail out of the deal?”

“That’s probably so but the true question is, will it be tail you want?  Nice tux by the way, you clean up nice.”

“What, this old thing?  I was going to wear my red button down cardigan but then I looked outside and decided it wasn’t a beautiful enough day in the fucking neighborhood.”

“You’re such a smartass.  What happens if the woman who wins your date is hotter than hell and wants to get to know you instead of just climb on top of you?” 

“That’s not an option.  I’m a hit it and quit it guy.  You know that, old man.  I will never allow myself to be leg shackled.  I don’t care how hot the woman is.”

Roberts rarely saw the same woman more than a few times and had a reputation that rivaled Hugh Hefner’s.  Worse than his own which spoke volumes.  Josh didn’t understand why Roberts had turned out so dead set against marriage and relationships.  His friend’s parents, John and Theresa, had a wonderful union and were very happy after many years together.  Roberts had a great way of stifling any conversation that started to drill deep so Josh didn’t even bother continuing with the subject.

“Well, don’t deliberately break some poor girl’s heart here in Scottsdale or my dad will never let me hear the end of it.”

Pushing his long hair out of his eyes, Roberts gave another grin.  With his facial scruff and beach bum hair style, he could rip his tux away and be sporting his board shorts in ten seconds.  Insecurity crept in and brought its friend doubt along with it.  Retirement looked great on Roberts.  Since Josh had left the game, he avoided the gym, giving himself relief from the constant pressure to be in perfect physical condition for his job.  Even though he welcomed his friend’s presence, his stock had just plummeted as far as sex appeal with the younger, hot women out in the audience with deep pockets.  He prayed to God Roberts didn’t walk before him.  No bachelor desired to be embarrassed by not bringing a respectable bid.  Josh realized he wouldn’t likely be the highest selling lot since he wasn’t a local boy but it would piss him off if the Chicago society section got a hold of news of his shame and splayed it all over the paper.

“How many days will you be here?”

“All weekend, for sure.  Once I see who has the winning bid, I may just stay longer.  I’ve got nowhere to be until next Saturday.  Ben and I are playing Sloppy Joe’s.  I wanted to stay with your dad so we could spend more time together but he told me he only has one guest bedroom.  I opted for the Montelucia.  The thought of us sleeping in the same bed scares me shitless, old man.  Besides, that would seriously cramp my style.  I invited your dad over for drinks after the auction so we can catch up.  I’ve got a presidential suite so it has its own patio.”

“Sounds great.  I can’t wait to talk about this new band that you and Ben have come up with.  Sloppy Joe’s only books the best so you two must really have your shit together.  I need to book a Florida vacation and check you out.  What number are you for the auction?”

“I’m lucky number thirteen.  I go up right after you do, just so I can make you look bad.”  Roberts lived to tease him.  Besides Josh’s brother, he was the only one who could get away with it.

As they continued to catch up in the back of the room, the auction began.  Before he was ready, the auctioneer called his name as the next bachelor so he strode towards the on deck circle, telling Roberts he would text him later.  As if in a hypnotic trance, Josh climbed the stairs leading to the stage.  Inhaling with each footfall, he hesitated at the top, preparing for his grand entrance. 

He experienced a perception of unreality as though his brain were swollen and vaguely noticed the host of the evening’s festivities reading his bio and announcing his name.  Josh hated feelings of insecurity as they were not normal for him.  He wondered again why he’d decided to put himself through this. 
It’s Dad, moron.  I’m doing this for dad and I can make it through a few minutes of being uncomfortable.
  He slid through the silver, velvet curtains to land on the taped mark.  The spotlights and fluorescent overheads blinded his eyes.  His dad or anyone sitting at the first few tables weren’t even visible. 
Christ, it’s bright
.  In the back, women raised their paddles one after the other and the bid approached two thousand dollars.

Josh let out a sigh of relief as he gave his most charming smile to the audience whose facial expressions, he couldn’t make out from his vantage point.  He’d just become respectable.  A bidding war ensued between two women at one of the rear tables so the lighting man placed a spotlight on their entire group.  Josh relaxed even further, he could finally see actual people.

The first lady raising her paddle had to be approaching seventy if her silver hair and black lined eyebrows were any indication.

“I want this date for my grandson who plays youth hockey.  I’ll pay anything to get it!”

The second woman, standing alongside, shouted over her that she wanted the date for her grandson too.  So much for being wanted for himself.  If that ever happened, he’d suffer a coronary event.  He hadn’t been desired for himself since high school, since Shelly.  Unfortunately, everyone knew how that one had turned out.  It was one of the hazards of being well known.  People wanted their own particular piece of you as they pursued a selfish agenda chasing fame and money they hadn’t earned themselves.

“Twenty-two hundred dollars!”

“Twenty-three hundred dollars!”

The frantic energy of the crowd became heightened with each increase in the bid.  He saw shapes and shadows throughout the entire ballroom outside of the spotlight and none of them kept still.  It looked like a rain dance being performed in the dark with the tribal beat of the spastic energy keeping perfect time as the events unfolded.  The other bachelors before Josh hadn’t brought more than one thousand dollars, even Scottsdale’s most eligible.  The two women continued on in a battle of wills until the bidding reached twenty-eight hundred dollars.

From somewhere near the front row where the darkness had cast shadows over the attendees’ faces, a melodic voice with a husky timbre rang out. 

“Five thousand dollars.”

Josh followed the voice with his eyes but still couldn’t see anything in the front but the outlines of bodies.  He waited, holding his breath, to see who he might be spending his evening with as the voice had a breathless quality not usually associated with those advancing in years.  Maybe luck would be on his side.  Jason’s sarcastic comments about physical handicaps rang in his ears.

“Going once.  Going twice.  Sold, to our beautiful board member, Miss Lake Harrison!”

What
?  He ran through the possible scenarios in his mind. 
Who was this woman
?

After the five thousand dollar bid, the entire room erupted in applause so thunderous it sounded like jets taking flight.  Women jumped up and down in the rear of the room and the vibe was electric.  The attendees seemed thrilled about what had just happened. 
What in the hell had just happened?

The spotlight moved to the break in the curtain for Ryan’s entrance.  Josh looked straight at the table where he’d first heard the sexy voice and locked gazes with the most compelling green eyes his blue ones had ever seen.

Just like all the other times~

The Universe

L
ake collapsed into her chair.  Her legs jiggled like Jell-O and they no longer supported the rest of her body.  A strange feeling had ripped through her body when she’d locked gazes with Josh and his compelling blue eyes.  Something she couldn’t describe or explain.  Something she had never felt before.  All she knew was that she wanted to be alone with her rioting thoughts and emotions.  She had to get away from the table.

Tears welled up in the corners of Summer’s eyes from her uninhibited laughter.  Lake glanced at Chuck from underneath her lashes, grateful that he and Lois still acted normal.  She felt exposed, like Chuck could see right through her.  He probably wondered what demon had possessed her to stand up and bid five thousand dollars for a date with his son, whom she had never met in person.  Well, she couldn’t turn back time now without some painful humiliation.  As much as Lake wanted to speak sane words of explanation to satisfy everyone’s curiosity, her brain held zero rational thought.

“I think now might be the perfect time to head to the ladies room to refresh my make-up.”  Lake stood on her wobbly legs, gripped her clutch and Lance rose with her as if to follow.  He’d been caressing her lower back since Josh had graced the stage.

“It’s okay Lance, I’m planning on taking the long way back and visit the patio for some air.  I’d like to grab a cocktail as well.  Please excuse me.”

****

S
ummer watched as her sister began to meander through the crowded tables.  Lake’s plastic smile and jerky motions made for an ungraceful exit as if she were a marionette without her puppeteer.  Lance noticed it too because he scrunched up his face in a scowl at the polite rebuff.  Summer didn’t need words to know that her sister needed time alone to process the events of the past half hour before facing her deal with the devil, so to speak.  The optimum thing to do would be to take the focus off of Lake and distract Lance.

“Lance, baby, I feel the need to cut a rug!”

He hissed some air through his front teeth.  “Summer, there’s no music or dance floor until after the auction has ended.”

“Every location is a disco and every night is a party.  If you’re too chicken to dance to the beat of your own drummer, let’s get a cocktail at the port-a-bar!  Bye Chuck and Lois.  I can’t wait to meet Josh later!”  As she flung her words at the entire table, Summer grabbed Lance by the hand and twirled him towards the handsome bartender at the portable bar set up in the corner of the ballroom.

Summer batted her black eyelashes at the bartender and told him she’d take a double vodka martini.

“Extra dirty, like me.”  Summer shot him a couple of raises of her eyebrows for good measure so the bartender couldn’t help but realize an incorrigible flirt stood before him.  She knew it was her role to keep the mood light.  For Lake’s sake, she was rarely serious and tried hard to raise the positive vibration of any room she entered.

She turned to Lance looking amused, “I’ll take “
Awkward Social Situations
” for two hundred, please Alex!”

“My God, I can’t believe she did that.  Then again, after seeing him in the flesh, I
can
believe she did that.  That man is smokin’ with a capital ‘S’!  I can’t wait to meet him myself so I can observe him up close and personal.  Those vibrant blue eyes he has.  S
traight up
!  Their color is so dynamic I noticed it sitting at the table.  Knowing Lake like I do, though, it can’t work.  He’s just not her type.  He’s so ... he’s so ...
male
.  He looks like he could either kiss you or slap you.  The bad boy edge is all over him.  Seriously, does she know what she’s doing?  I love her so much.  I can’t stand to see her hurt, not after the living hell that was the divorce.”

“Lake claims she knows what she’s about, but she’s up to something and I’m not sure it’s good.  She seemed very evasive the other day at her house, espousing some sanctimonious crap about her long lost nineties hockey fantasies and wants to be alone with him for something specific.  For the life of me, I have no idea why.  Thankfully, it’s only one date and then he takes his hot ass back to Chicago.  Good riddance, because in my honest opinion there is one desired outcome.  I can’t believe I’m saying this to you Lance, my love, but I’m pulling for a one night stand.”

Lance grabbed his vodka cranberry and clinked glasses with Summer. 

“To the tantalizing Josh Adams. Like a good over check, may he be blissfully unaware of what hit him!”

“
Cross check
, you bozo!”

****

A
fter touching up her lip gloss in the ladies room, Lake grabbed a Pinot from the bar and glided out onto the patio clutching the crystal glass as if it were the only lifeline between her and an endless chasm.  She should have opted for something much stronger, like a vodka martini.  Even with the strength returning to her legs and her breathing stabilized, she still had no idea how she’d effectively face Josh Adams tonight.  He devastated her senses far more in his designer suit than he did in his hockey uniform, where he seemed distant and unapproachable.  Since that day at United so many years ago, she’d only seen him in pictures in the paper and family photos at Chuck’s.  Film couldn’t even begin to compare to the man in the flesh.  He oozed sensuality, all broad shoulders and long legs.  Lake bet Josh never knew a bad moment in the bedroom in his entire life.  She wished she could say the same.