Page 101 of Game Misconduct

But he couldn’t help himself. It had been too long since he’d last seen Tanner in person.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Leif felt like he’d jump out of his skin in the rideshare on the way to the apartment he’d rented for the night in the South End of Boston.

They’d debated various options. Tanner had roommates, Leif had nixed the hotel as being too risky, and they’d finally settled on a short-term rental. It was the type of place where there was no owner waiting for him, which made it unlikely they’d be recognized.

Leif had been given the code already, so he’d passed that along to Tanner earlier.

For a while, he’d doubted he’d even be able to see Tanner tonight.

In the past, New York often stayed in Boston the night after a game, then flew to D.C. in the morning. Leif had reserved the apartment over a week ago, then panicked when it was announced yesterday that they’d fly into Boston the morning of the game, then leave for D.C. immediately after it.

Leif had felt like he’d lose his mind. This was one of the rare times he’d get to see Tanner in the regular season. Why the hell weren’t they staying in Boston like usual? But there was a storm moving up the Atlantic and causing flight delays.

Leif had managed to find a supply closet in the Westchester practice facility where he could call Tanner to let him know about the change of plans. Tanner had suggested Leif try to convince the team to let him stay in Boston so he could see his dad, then fly solo on a commercial flight to D.C. tomorrow. But the thought of lying to everyone—including hisfather—had nearly given Leif a panic attack.

Weirdly enough, Tanner had calmed him down. There was something soothing about the nonstop patter of Tanner’s voice telling him that it was no big deal, he didn’t need to lie to his dad or anyone else. They’d find another time and everything would work out in the end.

He’d only gotten one weird look from Ian Salter when he left the supply closet and had run into him in the hall.

Leif had stammered through an explanation that he was trying to coordinate plans to meet up with someone in Boston—desperately hoping Salty would assume it was his father he was talking about—and he’d just nodded and wished him good luck.

Leif had been so busy thinking aboutnotseeing Tanner that he completely forgot to cancel the reservation. That was shockingly unlike him and a part of him wondered if Tanner was rubbing off on him, but it had all worked out in the end.

This morning, as they’d boarded their flight to Boston, Coach Pittman had announced that plans had shiftedagain. They were flying into Boston and staying overnight after all. The stormswere predicted to arrive in D.C. ahead of schedule and there was no way they were getting in there tonight.

Leif glanced out the window of the rideshare to see the rain pelting down on Boston. He felt a sudden weird hope that the storms would be so bad they’d be stuck in Boston for an extra day.

The odds of neither team having practice were slim to none—this was rain, not snow after all—but it would be nice to spend a whole day with Tanner.

Just the two of them in the rental apartment.

Tanner was already there—and growing increasingly restless if the pictures he sent Leif of the place and his clothes strewn all over it were any indication. Leif smiled down at the phone at the latest one he’d sent.

I’m five minutes out,he sent back.

Hurrryyyyyyy!

After the game they’d just played against each other, Leif might have worried about what kind of mood Tanner would be in when he got there, but if Tanner was already stripping his clothes off, he was probably feeling fine, despite the loss.

He was better at that than Leif was.

Then again, it wasTanner. Of course he was more concerned about sex than literally anything else on the planet.

Still smiling, Leif clicked through the rental listing. It was nice. One-bedroom, one bath. Well decorated and very clean looking.

“Where do you want me to drop you off?” the driver asked.

Leif glanced up to meet the man’s gaze in the mirror. “At the pizza restaurant, please.”

That was the other thing that had sold him on this particular rental. It was in a large complex with multiple retail spaces on the ground floor and residential spaces above. The pizza place was open late on weekend nights and if Leif got dropped off at a restaurant after a game, who would question it?

He thanked the driver and hopped out onto the sidewalk, immediately opening his umbrella. The complex was almost U-shaped with a courtyard and there were people walking around, heading toward the various restaurants or the parking garage under the apartments. When Leif reached the main entrance of the building, a glance over his shoulder told him that the driver was long gone.

Still, he breathed easier once he was inside.

From there, it was easy enough to follow the instructions up to the fourth floor.