Eric Bennett has been an NHL goaltender for nearly two decades, and at age 41 he’s rapidly approaching the end of his career. He’s starting to realize that he hasn’t really felt strongly about anything or anyone for a VERY long time. Even his divorce, while disappointing, wasn’t exactly heartbreaking. He’s got a great house, good friends, an amazing job, and even a hobby. But he feels empty. None of the trappings of success are keeping him company at night. He has also started to fully acknowledge the fact that he’s bisexual. It’s something he hasn’t really had to examine much, since he was married to Holly for so long. But being single is making him realize that his attraction to men is something he wants to explore.
Enter Kyle. A gorgeous, young, bartender, a friend of a friend. Kyle is a free spirit – almost the exact opposite of straight-laced Eric. He’s fun-loving, but he also speaks several languages and is studying for his graduate degree in art history. Since Eric is an art collector, they have a lot in common.
Kyle isn’t afraid of pursuing what he wants when it comes to sex, and he’s got lots of experience. Kyle offers to be Eric’s “teacher” in the ways of hooking up with men. Kyle shows Eric a world of sexual pleasure that he had never even imagined, let alone experienced. But the sex isn’t even the best part of their relationship. They genuinely like each other, like spending time together. Eric begins to realize that he’s getting in over his head with his “friends-with-benefits” arrangement. The fact that he’s 15 years older than Kyle is a huge road block for him, especially since Kyle has had several bad experiences with older men. He convinces himself that a relationship with Kyle wouldn’t be fair to him. Kyle is so young, gorgeous and fun, he should be with someone his own age. So he tries to pull away. But Eric fails to realize that while Kyle may be young, he’s able to make his own decisions about his life.
Common Goal is a sweet story about trust, and about the fact that it’s never too late to pursue what makes you happy. It takes Eric a while to realize it, but Kyle is one of the best things to ever happen to him, and being together is what makes them BOTH happy and fulfilled. “Age ain’t nothin’ but a number”. I devoured Common Goal. Eric and Kyle’s story is sweet and steamy and fun and I couldn’t put it down.
