Closing The Gap (Dangerous Pasts, #1) Read Online Free PDF Page A

between lips dry as the Arizona desert.
    “It’s not that.  I can’t skate !”
    ****
    J osh stood behind the curtain in his grey pinstripe suit and baby blue tie barely listening to the instructions from the event hostess.  Since he’d flown straight from Detroit into Phoenix, he hadn’t been able to grab his tux.  He didn’t want to be forced to make do with what he had brought with him on his road trip.  It put him at a disadvantage to the other guys who’d shown up dressed to the nines.  Never let it be said he didn’t dare to go rogue.
    “Listen for the announcer to call out your name and number.  Then, step right through the split in the curtain and come out on the stage to the spot where you see the duct tape marking an ‘X’.  The marker will be right under the spotlight but don’t worry, you can stand or walk, whatever makes you comfortable.  Once the gavel falls, you can leave the stage and mingle.  After the auction, come back to me to retrieve the contact information for the special lady with the winning bid so you can make arrangements with her for your date.”
    Josh had inspected the women in the audience on his way through the patio to the backstage area becoming more disheartened with each step.  He’d seen more bottled tans, bleach blonde hair and fake tits to last him a lifetime when he was out on the road.  He didn’t want to entertain groupies anymore and he certainly didn’t want to fuck them anymore.  At thirty-nine, he was getting too old for this shit.
    The Chicago press still followed him around with their incessant judgment of every date he had and every move he made.  Being a local hero sometimes sucked.  He couldn’t even take a dump without it making front page news.  Wishing he could speak to his dad one last time for moral support, he realized that was impossible.  Chuck was out in the crowd sitting at Lake Harrison’s table.  Josh had not had a visual of the elusive Lake yet but he looked forward to seeing her from the stage.  He imagined his dad with a happy expression on his face as he sat with his arm around his new love.
    “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