Social media sucked the soul right out of me. What I hated even more? I allowed myself to get caught up in another doom scroll for the second time that day. There was nothing new. Same old posts, same old pictures. Yet I continued to run my finger along the screen, thinking that I was going to miss something.

Boredom gnawed at me, a restless itch under my skin. I hadn't been on the ice in days, and the emptiness of the house while the team practiced without me was starting to get to me. I was just... waiting. Waiting for something to happen, for something to change. But I was left rotting on the couch instead.

The house was quiet. Too quiet. Booker and Easton were out somewhere, Hendrix was at the gym, and even Mila was too busy to come over. I'd sent her a text earlier, hoping she'd be up for a little fun. She was out of town for the weekend. A shopping excursion with the girls. Figures. I could feel that familiar pull, the urge to get out, do something, anything to shake off this building frustration.

I sighed, tossing my phone onto the ottoman and staring up at the ceiling. Maybe I should go out, hit up a bar, find someone to pass the time with. Something to get me out of my own head.

The front door creaked open, and the murmur of conversation carried from the front foyer. I couldn't see who it was from where I was lounging, but I recognized Easton's voice. Heavy footsteps made their way up the stairs as he headed to his room, leaving whoever was with him behind.

A moment later, Celeste made her way through the opening in the kitchen and headed towards the fridge. The sweatpants she wore hung low on her hips, the Fenton sweater snuffing out her lean figure. If she didn't have the height she did, she probably would have looked like a blob.

Long lashes fanned out as she spotted me on the couch, offering me a small smile as she poured water into her bottle. I took that moment to study her. Her face was clear of makeup and dewy with a post-workout glow. It had me wondering where she had been prior to coming home. Had she hit the gym with Easton? My mood soured with the thought. He hadn't asked me to go with him.

"Hey," she said, eyes trained on what she was doing. "What're you up to?"

"Nothing," I replied, feeling the weight of the word settle around me. It was true in every sense. I wasn't doing anything. I wasn't being anything. I was just... here. Benched and bored.

Celeste hesitated, like she was deciding whether to press the conversation or leave it. I could tell she was trying to be friendly, trying to bridge the awkwardness that sometimes hovered between us. But I wasn't in the mood for small talk. I wanted to go out. Have some fun. Feel alive for a few hours. Not sit here and talk about nothing.

"Must be tough," she said after a moment, her voice careful. "Not being able to play, I mean."

I shrugged, not really wanting to get into it. "Yeah, well, it is what it is."

She bit her lip, looking like she wanted to say more, but before she could, Booker came bursting through the front door and into the kitchen. His usual carefree grin was plastered on his face. He nodded his head at me in greeting, dropping his backpack to the floor before joining Celeste behind the island to get to the fridge.

He exchanged a brief greeting with her before diving into the fridge for a fresh cartoon of milk. Celeste regarded him with an open mouth before stifling a laugh when he finished his drink with a milk mustache.

"What's up, Ricky?" he asked, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "You look like you couldn't hate life more right now."

I grunted in agreement. "Thinking about heading out. Wanna hit up The Wall?"

Booker sent a beaming grin in my direction. "You know I'm always down for a good time."

I slapped my hands down on the couch before standing. "Good, let's get out of here."

The night was beginning to look up. Until Booker shifted his grin to Celeste. "You should come with us."

"What's The Wall?" Celeste blinked, screwing the lid back on her water bottle.

"It's this bar downtown. It's a fucking good time, trust me."

Celeste hesitated, glancing between the two of us. I kept my expression tight. A clear indication about how I felt about my best friend asking our new housemate to tag along. I didn't need to babysit during my one night out.

Seemingly sensing what I was thinking, Celeste pulled her lips into her mouth. "I don't know..." she said slowly, but Booker wasn't having it.

"Come on, you've had a rough few weeks. You deserve a night out. Besides," he added with a wink, "I could use the company while Ricky is busy fooling around in the coat check again."

Celeste's lips created that perfect 'O' again as she regarded me. What I wouldn't give to slip something past them. Brushing away those thoughts, I rolled my eyes. "That was one time."

"Come one," Booker said again, dragging her attention back to him. "Drinks are on me."

Celeste laughed softly, and I could see her defenses lowering a little. "Deal."

"What are you guys making her agree to?" Easton said as he came down the stairs. When he made his way to the kitchen with damp hair and a wary look plastered on his face.

"Celeste's coming to The Wall with us tonight," Booker chirped, swinging his arm around Celeste's shoulders as if they'd been long time friends.

"You're going to be off sucking face," he pointed to me before shifting his judgemental finger towards Booker. "And you like to drink until you forget your name. I'm coming with."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Zhang," Booker muttered.

"I don't care who's coming," I said, butting into the conversation. "Just hurry the fuck up. I wanna get going." I raised a brow at Celeste, still under Booker's arm. "Will you be ready in fifteen minutes?"

Her response was quiet. "I can try."

"Good," I said with a curt nod. "I'm calling the Uber in ten."

_ _ _ _ _

My attempt to leave Celeste behind didn't pan out.

I stood on the sidewalk, hands stuffed in my pockets as Easton helped her out of the backseat.

The denim jeans she was wearing hugged her hips, her mile long legs seeming even longer with the heeled boots she had chosen to wear. Her tiny waist was cinched by a thin belt, creating curves I didn't think were possible on someone with Celeste's build. But the piece of resistance was the black bodysuit she was wearing with the open back. The smooth muscles of her back flexed as she reached to fix her hair after getting out of the car. What I wouldn't give to put my hand there. Feel the heat of her back and allow my fingers trailed down towards the waistline of her jeans until––

Fuck.

I needed to get laid.

I tried to keep my expression neutral as I stared off at the entrance of The Wall.

"Ready?" Booker said from behind me.

The soft mumble of Celeste's agreement could be heard over the music coming from the bricked walls of the bar. I didn't wait for any of them. The neon sign buzzed above the open door. A line stretched around the block, but the bouncer, a big guy named Jerry, waved us right in. We slipped past the crowd and into the dark, pulsing interior of the bar.

The main bar was our first stop. I waved over the pretty blonde that was working our side of the bar, slipping her an extra twenty to make sure I was on her priority list for the night. Now that Celeste was tagging along, I wasn't too sure how things were going to go, but something told me I'd need the steady flow of alcohol.

When the first round of shots arrived, Booker handed them out.

"What is this?" Celeste asked, a pinched look on her face.

"Tequila," he stated. "Only the finest shit enters this body."

I scoffed, handing her a lime slice. "Says the guy who can smash back a party sized pizza by himself."

"Pizza includes all the food groups," Booker said. "It's the most balanced thing you can eat."

Easton opened his mouth, but I cut him off by raising my shot glass towards the middle of the little circle we had made.

"We're not having this argument again. Shut up, raise your glasses, and let's have a good night."

We clinked our glasses together, each of us saying "cheers" before downing our drinks. The alcohol left a trail of lava down towards my stomach, melting away the tension I had while lounging on the couch that evening.

I studied Celeste as she bit down on the slice of lime I had given her, eyes screwed shut. "That was rough," she said, dropping the lime into her glass and stepping towards me to place it on the bar.

The scent of her perfume wafted under my nose. My taste buds salivated. Now that we weren't within the walls of the Hockey House, temptation tested me.

The tempo of the song changed, morphing into something a little more upbeat.

"I love this song," Celeste stated. The gloss on her lips gleamed under the colour shifting lights.

With her purse still on her arm, she swayed to the music. The way her hips twirled had me hypnotized.

"Then let's go dance," Booker shouted over the music, grabbing Celeste's hand and tugging her off towards the dance floor before she could protest. The sound of her laughter mixed with the music. She allowed herself to be dragged along, and I found my gaze trailing after her, completely captivated by that tight little ass.

Booker ushered her to the edge of the dance floor. While Booker resembled a ten year-old, hopped up on sugar at a birthday party, Celeste's movements were something out of a music video. Now that she was in her element, she let loose. Her body swayed to the beat, and I couldn't tear my eyes away.

I leaned against the bar, nursing the drink that my new blonde friend had slid across the counter with an unabashed wink. Easton had mentioned that Celeste was a dance major at some point over the last couple of weeks. The way she moved shouldn't have blown my mind like it did.

There was something about the way she moved, the way she let herself go, that drew me in. And for the first time in a long time, I wasn't scouting out other women on a night out or thinking about being benched for the foreseeable future. It was just her, dancing like nothing else mattered, and me, completely enchanted by the sight of it.

_ _ _ _ _

author's note:

Well well well, what do we have here? This chapter was a last minute decision as I wasn't too sure what to put here. What do we think? I thought 15 chapters in might be a good place to finally have Maverick stumble a little bit lol

Happy reading!