Sidelined Love: A Hockey Romance (The Crestwood University Series Book 1)

Early the next morning, my phone’s alarm sounds loudly at five a.m., and it takes me a second before I manage to turn the shrilling noise off. I understand the point of having an alarm is to alert you about something, but can’t they make the sounds more pleasing to the ear?

I lay in bed for a second before I force myself to move. I somehow manage to drag myself into the shower and get ready for the day. While doing all this, I’m glad I don’t make too much noise. The last thing I want to do is wake Jade up because that would make me an asshole. No one else deserves to be up at this ungodly hour.

After completing what I need to get done, I grab my bag and walk out the front door, making sure to close it behind me as silently as I can. The brisk morning air brushes against my face, aiding in my attempt to wake myself up. The campus is still asleep as I make my way toward Brewed Beginnings. The silence that surrounds me is only broken by the occasional bird chirping in the distance. While it is quicker for me to drive, walking to work is usually peaceful and I enjoy doing it.

As I approach the coffee shop, I notice the lights are already on which means either my manager or coworkers are there. I pray to myself it’s the latter because if it’s Marc, he’s only going to annoy me.

The chime above the door at Brewed Beginnings café sounds as I push the door open. Thankfully, I see Ben and not Marc. I’m already counting it as meaning that today will be a good day because things could be so much worse.

“Morning, Hailey,” Ben says from behind the counter. He briefly looks up at me before turning his attention back to restocking supplies.

“Hey,” I reply as I head to the back room to put my things down. Once I’ve done that, I walk back to the front while tying my apron behind my back. “Is Marc here?”

“Not yet. Wouldn’t be surprised if he doesn’t get here until after we open.”

That wasn’t uncommon. While Marc was supposed to help open when he had the morning shift, he often came in late because he couldn’t be bothered to do his job properly. It is one of the many issues I have with him. Most of them I have to suck up because I need to keep this job until I graduate.

“Let’s hope the espresso machine doesn’t feel like being a complete dick today.”

Ben chuckles, and as if on cue, the grinder whirrs to life. The scent of freshly ground coffee beans fills the air.

I join Ben behind the counter, my hands instinctively reaching for a small cup that I then place under the spout before I adjust the settings on the espresso machine. With a few taps, I change the settings slightly and watch as rich, honey-colored espresso flows into the ceramic mug.

I drink the liquid as if it’s a shot and it feels like one as well. The drink forces me to shake my head once and then twice. The cobwebs in my brain, left over from sleeping and having to wake up this early in the morning, are now long gone.

As I continue checking off the tasks that I need to get done, Ben arranges pastries into the glass case and my stomach growls in response to seeing the golden croissants he sets out. I mentally kick myself for not remembering to grab a protein bar before I left my apartment.

A glance at the clock confirms we’re only seconds from opening. The chime from the bells above the door announces the arrival of our first customers, and I take a second to suck in a deep breath. This is just another regular shift, and I can make it through it.

While I’m cashing a customer out, another man comes up to me with a cup in his hand. I fixed his drink moments ago, so I’m confused as to why he’s standing here. Once I’m done, I turn to address him.

“Hi, what can I help you with?”

He doesn’t miss a beat, thrusting his cup forward. “This isn’t what I ordered.”

I take the cup, resisting the urge to throw it at him because I know the drink is correct. Instead, I say, “I’m sorry for the mix-up. Let me make you a new one.”

As I set about correcting his order, I think about how I didn’t act on my intrusive thoughts and dump the drink on his head. That’s got to be growth, right?

With the corrected drink in hand, I return to the angry man in question. “Here you go, exactly as you ordered.”

He takes a sip, nods, and walks away without another word. I’m not irritated by him showing no manners because I’m happy he’s gone.

My shift proceeds as normal after that even with Marc making his entrance. He only manages to grunt as he walks past Ben and me, and I consider it a win. Some of the orders I have memorized because several of the regulars come in at their usual time, making things slightly easier than the morning rush.

As I hand out drinks and do my best to keep something resembling a smile on my face, I notice a lull in the crowd. As I wipe down the counter during a small reprieve from customers, my gaze falls on the door as the chime sounds once more.Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.

I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t recognize the person who just walked into Brewed Beginnings. Levi Jamison. All-star athlete and hockey captain of the Crestwood Red Wolves. I wish I could pretend that I don’t know him, but it would be a lie given Jade’s friendship with Wilder. Not to mention his face is plastered on one of the walls leading to the gym where I occasionally work out. Although Levi and I haven’t ever talked, both his and the hockey team’s reputation precedes him. Their antics are well-known throughout the school.

Of course he’s sporting bed hair that looks messy but perfect at the same time. I’m willing to bet he just rolled out of some girl’s bed and decided today is the day that he would stroll into this café. He’s dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, but still manages to look put together. I look down and shake my head once. I open my eyes and keep wiping the same spot although I’m pretty sure it was cleaned twenty seconds ago.

When I’ve cleaned the same spot for the fifth time, I glance up again and notice several patrons who were enjoying their drinks and snacks in the café are now watching Levi as he makes his way toward me. He doesn’t notice or care, and I can’t help but think it’s because he’s used to the attention.

When he’s several feet from the counter, I put the cleaning supplies away. When I stand up straight, our eyes lock, and I’m slightly taken back by how blue his are. He gives me an award-winning smile and I raise an eyebrow in response.

“Hey.” My annoyance is apparent to me, but I’m not sure if he senses it. Not that it matters. “What can I get you?” Deep down, he’s just another customer I have to deal with before I can move on with my day.

He continues to stare at me for a moment and I can’t help but wonder why. Then he finally responds, “Give me the strongest thing you’ve got, thanks.” His voice is rough, matching the just-woke-up look he’s sporting.

“Coming right up,” I say, turning to the espresso machine.

“How was your night?”

The question throws me off guard. I pause before I look over my shoulder. Shock that he’s trying to make conversation with me clouds my brain for a second. Then I say the thing that I was holding back. However, I should have kept to myself. “Obviously, not as rough as yours.”

It’s the last thing I should have said given that Marc is somewhere around here, looking for a reason to fire me. I don’t need a customer to report me for being an asshole. Panic sets in as I desperately try to think of a way to salvage the situation.

But instead of getting angry or offended, the man in front of me simply smirks. “What gives you that impression?”

He’s… enjoying this?

I gesture toward his appearance. “You look like you rolled out of bed and threw on whatever clothes you could grab to get here.”

Levi’s hand makes its way to his head as he pulls on his very dark brown strands, but he doesn’t look embarrassed by my summary of his appearance. Instead, his hand drops from his hair as his smirk widens into a grin. I’m willing to bet his smile can charm the pants off anyone he meets. He leans casually against the counter, his elbows resting on the surface as if he owns the space. It only irritates me further.

“I like to think of it as an effortlessly stylish look,” he replies with confidence, but the arrogance I expect to see in his gaze isn’t there. “Not everyone can pull it off.”

And he is right. Not everyone can manage to look so casual yet put together at the same time. Levi, however, does so with ease. And he knows it.

“Listen, I don’t usually do this, but I was wondering if you wanted to⁠—”

I cut him off. “Are you flirting with me? Getting ready to ask me out?”

“Is there something wrong with that?”

Levi looks confused by what I’ve said, and I don’t blame him. However, I want to end this now before it can even begin. “You’re flirting with me and, in my humble opinion, it’s too early for it. Is this the norm for you? Doesn’t it get exhausting? Regardless, I’m not interested.” The words come out sharper than I intend, but I don’t care. Chances of him ever speaking to me again are slim anyway.

Any other girl on campus would probably be losing her shit at what I’d just done, and what I said wasn’t the complete truth. Levi is hot and I will admit to myself that the attention is nice, but I don’t want to have to deal with it or him.

To my surprise, Levi laughs, and I’m lost because I don’t think anything I said was funny. “I guess it’s part of my charm. Can’t turn it off.”

I hate that I don’t have a ready-made response for him, so I turn to focus on getting him his coffee as quickly as possible. The last thing I need, besides talking to him, is for him to create a line and add another tally to the list of things Marc could get pissed at me about.

But Levi doesn’t let me get away that easily.

“So,” he continues, breaking my concentration once more. “I take it you’re not much of a morning person.”

I glance up at him briefly as I slide the drink across the counter. “What gave it away? The scowl or the sarcasm?”

“Both are pretty telling,” he replies as he picks up the cup. “But your coffee-making skills are unaffected.”

I fold my arms across my chest. “How would you know? You haven’t tasted it.”

He brings the mug to his lips, his eyes still locked on mine. “I don’t need to taste it to know. I have complete faith in your abilities to awaken all of my senses.”

A deep sigh falls from my lips because I’m slightly impressed. This guy is as good off the ice as he is on it. No wonder he has a fan club that can fill the entire shop.

Levi takes a sip, maintaining eye contact as if challenging me. “See? Excellent,” he says, and I can feel my cheeks heating slightly.

“Thanks,” I respond dryly, hoping that he’ll take the hint that this conversation is over.

The chime above the door rings again, drawing my attention away from the situation at hand. A group of three girls walks in, their eyes lighting up when they spot Levi at the counter. He doesn’t glance their way, though I can tell by their hushed giggles and not-so-subtle pointing that they’re talking about him.

That has to be annoying.

“Oh look, your fan club is here,” I mutter under my breath.

Levi’s gaze flickers toward them for a moment before returning to me. I can already guess what he’s going to say based on the smile on his lips. “Jealous?”

I snort in response and roll my eyes. “In your dreams.”

Much to my annoyance, his grin only grows wider. As the three girls approach the counter, their voices get louder and more excited. I cringe inwardly as they giggle like high schoolers who have a crush on a big-name celebrity. Heck, maybe they are just out of high school so that explains their reaction.

Then again, I can’t say I blame them given how our college and this town worships the ground our athletes walk on. This isn’t to take away from the hard work that goes into being able to perform at such a high level, but the spectacle that is forming around him is a lot to take in. I can’t imagine living life like this every day.

“Oh my God, Levi,” one of them squeals, “we were just talking about you!”

They close in around him, invading his personal space. It’s as if I’m not standing there trying to do my job. Then again, while he’s temporarily distracted, now is the perfect time to sneak away and do something else.

Levi chuckles softly, seeming more amused than annoyed. “And what were you girls discussing about me, huh?”

The girl blushes brightly. “Well… we were talking about how amazing you were during last night’s game.’

One of the other girls steps forward and says, “Would it be weird to ask you for a photo?”

“No, but we should step out of line so we don’t continue to disrupt Hailey.”

I pause. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to realize he’d read my name from my name tag, but having him say my name surprises me, nonetheless. Having him consider how this affects my ability to do my job is shocking as well.

The newly formed group steps out of my line and I walk over to help Ben finish up another customer’s order. I pour it into a to-go cup and push it in the direction where the customer is standing. I look around to see if anyone else needs something but come up empty. As I’m about to turn around to see if I can help Ben some more, Levi steps away from girls and appears in front of me once more.

“Apologies for that and thanks for my drink.”

“Why are you apologizing?” The question falls from my lips, and I wish I could take it back. Instead of looking at him, I make myself look busy by ringing up his order.

“Because I stepped away and interrupted the conversation we were having.”

That causes me to look up at him briefly. “We were barely talking.”

“I disagree. We were getting to know each other a little bit,” he teases.

“Hailey.”

The sound of my name stops any response I’m going to make. A curse word sits on the tip of my tongue, but I hold it back because I know it will not do me a bit of good.

Having Marc come out now should be considered a blessing, but who knows how long he’s been watching me interact with Levi. Speaking of which, Levi’s gaze lands on Marc, but his expression is unreadable.

However, the look on Marc’s face is quite clear. The stern expression is directed right at me, and I know I’ve given him enough ammunition to berate me in front of everyone. “What are you doing, Hailey?”

“She’s talking to me. I had some questions about the menu, and she cleared them up for me. I apologize for holding up the line.”

I glance at Levi out of the corner of my eye, wondering why he decided to jump in front of the firing squad. I want to question him more about what he did, but I know better than to do that right now.

The look on Marc’s face softens; I know Levi’s charm is working its magic. He studies the man of the hour for a moment before he says, “You look familiar.”

“Levi is on Crestwood’s hockey team,” I interject softly, still not knowing what to make of Levi.

Marc’s face lights up as recognition hits. “I should have known. I’ve seen your face on posters around campus, but never fully paid attention. Congrats on the win last night.”

Who knew Marc was a hockey fan? I surely didn’t, but I also didn’t try to get to know him either.

“Thanks.” Levi’s attention turns to me. “I need to head out. It was great meeting you.”

Although he could have been talking to both of us with that sentence, Levi’s eyes are trained on me. I refuse to give into the urge to look away even though it feels as if he is staring into the depths of my soul.

“Come back to Brewed Beginnings anytime,” Marc chimes in, breaking the stare down Levi and I are having.

Levi nods politely at Marc and then focuses back on me. “I will, and I’ll bring my teammates with me.” His gaze lingers for a moment longer before he turns to leave.

“Get back to work, Hailey,” Marc says before he, too, turns and walks away.

I stand there, somewhat stunned at what has just occurred. With a slight shake of my head, I force myself to get back to work because that is what I’m here to do.