That’s when I realize something.
“You didn’t actually drink tonight. Do you have practice tomorrow?”
Wes’s voice trails off from the song he is singing, and he shakes his head. “No, we don’t.”
“Oh, then why didn’t you drink? I figured that’s why I drove, to be your DD.”
“No, it was because you knew where we were going.”
“True. Do you not drink?”
He gives me a side-eye. “You think I’m an alcoholic or something?”
She grins. “No. I just know you love a good beer. They even had your favorite.”
“Yeah, I saw it. Didn’t want it.”
“Oh,” I answer, and then I tease, “Don’t trust yourself drunk around me?”
He laughs at that. “I have way more willpower than you’re giving me credit for, Stella.”
“Uh-huh,” I singsong, and he laughs some more. “Just figured you’d want to since you had such a rough day.”
He doesn’t answer me at first, not even a nod; he just stares out the window. Maybe I shouldn’t have said that? I probably sound stupid. He didn’t drink, so who cares? I care. I just feel that he had a rough day, and a nice beer would have taken the edge off. I don’t know. I second-guess myself so much when it comes to him. I already said it. If he wants to ride in silence, that’s fine.
“I don’t drink on therapy days. Especially rough ones.”
I wasn’t expecting that. So many questions run through my head. I want to ask why he’s in therapy, I want to know why it was rough, I want to know everything. “I’m sorry it was a difficult one.”
He shrugs. “My therapist, Noelle, is moving, so I have to get a new one. It has me all stressed out.”
“That super sucks.”
“It does, but I’ll figure it out.”
“Have you had her long?”
“Since I’ve been on the team.”
“Wow. That’s going to be a big change.”
“Yeah. I hate getting to know someone new. I get comfortable, and…I don’t know. It sucks, but I’m committed to it. So, I’ll do what needs to be done.”
“Well, duh. Of course you will.” I wonder what he’s in therapy for? Sex addiction? Surely not… Instead of asking why, I say, “I’m sorry, though. Anything I can do to help? I can be an ear.”
He grins. “Thank you. I’ll keep that in mind.”
I send a grin back before I return my attention to the road so I can get off the interstate. As I turn downtown toward Brooks, he asks, “Can I have your number? So I don’t have to stalk you through Instagram?”
“Yeah, absolutely,” I say before I give him my number. Between my legs, my phone vibrates.
“That’s me.”
Not in the way I want him, but I’ll keep that comment to myself.
“Okay, cool.” I head past Brooks and follow the directions he gives me to his house. I pull up in front of one of the ritzy townhouses. They’re brand-new and really pretty. Each one has a different look—from stone to brick to wood. “Which one is yours?”
“This one,” he says, pointing to the one with the wooden exterior. It’s the one I would have chosen too. I stop, putting on my hazards as he fishes his keys out of his pocket. He meets my gaze and smiles widely. I know it’s coming. He’s going to ask me in. I know it. Oh, Stella, get ready, girl. We have to turn him down. Do not say yes. It doesn’t matter how gorgeous he looks. Or how great he smells. “What’s your week look like?”
I swallow hard as I think through my week. “I’m off Thursday and Sunday.”
His eyes sparkle as they hold mine. “Sunday? Is three too early?”
“No, not at all. That sounds great. What are we doing?”
“Cool. Um, we’re doing something…cool.”
“Do I need special clothing for the something cool?” I ask since, obviously, I have to dress accordingly.
“No. I don’t think so. I’ll let you know if something changes.”
“Okay,” I say happily as he throws the door open.
He rolls down the window and then gets out, shutting the door to lean on it. This is where he asks. It has to be. “Can you text me when you get home?”
I’m taken aback, but I recover well, smiling widely. “I will.”
He taps my door, flashing me a grin. “I had a blast tonight. Thanks for inviting me out.”
I’m holding my breath. I don’t trust myself. “Me too. Thanks for coming.”
He gives me a nod. “Okay, goodnight. Be careful going home.”
I blink. That’s it? He didn’t even try to kiss me. “Goodnight,” I say to him as he slowly backs away from my car. I roll up the window and lock the doors as I watch him head up the stairs and into his house. He waves back at me before he goes in, and I let out a long breath.
That did not go the way I thought it would.
But I have to admit, I’m all giggly inside.
That is, until I look at the text from him on my phone. Then, I’m just hot all over.
This text is from a man who finds you so incredibly gorgeous, it’s hard to stand beside you and not wrap you up in my arms. I had a blast tonight. I’m glad we’re exploring this. Goodnight, my stunning Stella.
Audrey has a lot for me to do when I get to the shop. Thankfully, Penny is here, and together, we get to work on the fifteen hundred cupcakes for a wedding that evening. As I mix all the ingredients in one industrial mixer, Penny is at the other. We don’t talk much because I think we’re both exhausted. She’s got a crazy schedule, and she’s also a very talented volleyball player and wrestler. Because of the dual sports, she’s always training. I know that work ethic comes from her parents. My aunt Audrey can work herself into the ground, and Uncle Tate was the best goalie at one time, but he’s still a great and influential man. My other cousin, Phillipe, is following right in his dad’s footsteps, and I, for one, am excited to see how far he gets. He’s already playing for the Junior Assassins team at our local rink, and he’s phenomenal. It reminds me of watching Aiden play for them. He was always the one to watch on the ice, and now, it’s Phillipe.
As I transfer batter into each cupcake liner, my thoughts wander from junior hockey to professional. Or, really, to Wes. I texted him once I got home, and he thanked me again for a great night before wishing me another goodnight. It was the weirdest thing. Though, to be honest, I feel special. He’s being really kind—not that he wasn’t before; he’s always been a nice guy—but now it feels like more than just a fuck.
Which is what I want.
Once I put the cupcakes in the oven, I move to the next mixer to make the frosting. Penny meets me there, and together, we prepare a huge batch of frosting.
“Still haven’t told your family you work here?”
Her question surprises me since I thought we weren’t chatting right now. I shake my head as I meet her glowing hazel eyes. They’re so light, almost a green but more a blueish-brown. It’s weird, but I love them. She’s a gorgeous girl, so tall and slender. She takes after Tate, which Audrey says she’s thankful for since she struggled with her weight all her life. But to me, Audrey is absolutely stunning. Penny’s long, dirty-blond hair is back in a French braid, and she’s wearing her sweats from volleyball.