“You got all worked up over it and we couldn’t keep the beers out of your hand. For every waitress who cut you off, you’d flirt with another and they were more than happy to give you another one. But that was after you returned from your private dance with her.”
“With who?” It was starting to come back to him.
“Your girl.” Kaden grinned. “You don’t remember that?”
“Nope.” But he did remember. It was Hailee.
“I don’t know what went on back there, but she avoided you for the rest of the night, even asked me to make sure you got home okay. Hope you weren’t a dick.” He shrugged. “Well I gotta bolt. Take it easy.”
“The ladies can’t resist me, you know that,” Dom said, but Kaden was already gone. No way I was a dick. Not to Hailee. Or was I? Closing his eyes, he swallowed hard, pushing down the nausea that rose in his throat. He had to shake this. Maybe hair of the dog? Greasy food? Caffeine? More sleep? Maybe all of the above, but he’d start with coffee.
Dragging himself out of bed, he made his way to the kitchen. Looking at the empty carafe, he sighed heavily. He searched the cupboard for the bag of coffee grinds, but it wasn’t there. “Fuck…” Kaden had said they were all out.
His stomach was gurgling again. He needed something until he could find some coffee. He grabbed an almost empty two-liter of Coke out of the refrigerator, and a slice of cold pizza. The Coke was flat, but the sweet, syrupy flavor still tasted good going down and complimented the garlicy pizza.
His hair flopped into his face. Running his fingers through it, pushing it out of the way, it felt heavy. He needed a shower. Stepping into the shower stall he turned the hot water up and inhaled the forming steam. The hot water felt good pounding against his skin and his headache subsided a little.
When he was finally scrubbed clean and waterlogged from standing in the shower for so long, he felt a bit more energized. But he needed more than a few sips of flat Coke and cold pizza to combat this massive hangover.
He found a gray t-shirt and blue jeans in his clean clothes pile; he hadn’t had the time to put away his laundry yet this week. The weather had been chilly still as spring was approaching, so he grabbed a dark gray pullover hoodie. Even feeling miserable, he made sure his outfits had style, as he put on socks and slipped on Adidas tennis shoes. Tossing a black baseball cap on backwards, he was ready to find some coffee.
It was a beautiful, almost spring day outside. He wanted to drive his truck with the windows down and let the fresh air in, but the cool wind hitting his face made his headache start to come back, and that was not what he wanted. The sunlight hurt his eyes because he forgot his sunglasses at the apartment, so he pulled over at the closest coffee shop he could find, Cool Beans. It didn’t look busy. He’d been here a few times, but didn’t frequent this area often. He spent most of his time by the arena.
“Caramel Macchiato with an extra shot, please.” He flashed the barista a smile. He needed more than an extra shot of caffeine, but knew that’d just make him a jittery mess. He rolled his sleeves up before picking up the coffee.
The barista nervously smiled as her eyes went from his neck down to his hands. Her voice came out squeaky as she spoke. “I really like your tattoos.”
“Oh, thanks.” He gave her a warm smile and tucked a ten-dollar bill into the tip jar.
Finding a quiet corner, he settled in and pulled out his phone while he sipped his coffee. The hot liquid warmed his body and soothed his wary stomach. Maybe if he relaxed enough, some more memories of last night would come back to him. No one had texted him, and there was nothing on social media about their visit to The Cat House, so whatever went down couldn’t have been that bad.
He kicked back and people watched out the window as he drank his coffee, wanting to get it into his system while it was still piping hot. This was a nice little street, brick road, painted lampposts and matching garbage cans. Across the street was a pet salon and a pink and white business that looked like a bakery. The sign read ‘The Pink Ribbon Cupcakery’.
Something about that name seemed oddly familiar, and after finishing off his coffee, he headed across the street to quell the sweets craving that just popped up. It was a cheery place. The door jingled as he entered, which made him cringe because he still wasn’t dealing well with loud or obnoxious sounds. A young girl with bubble gum pink hair bounced to the counter. Her personality was as cheerful as her hair and the pink and white interior of the shop.
“Hi! What can I get you?”
“Well, what cupcake flavor do you suggest?” There were so many sitting under the glass he didn’t know where to start.
“I personally like the Pink Ribbon cupcakes. They are vanilla cupcake colored light pink, with cherry vanilla buttercream icing colored a darker pink. And of course, a fondant pink ribbon nestled on top. Or you might like the Champagne Kisses cupcake. The icing really does taste like champagne, decorated with tiny red and pink hearts sprinkled onto the white buttercream icing. The batter is so fluffy and light, and it is currently one of our most popular flavors. If you like chocolate, there is always the Double Fudge Fantasy cupca—”
“Okay.” Her voice was upbeat and perky, but it was shooting through his head like an ice pick. “You know, I think I’ll take the champagne one.”
“Just so you know, we donate one dollar from every cupcake we sell to a breast cancer foundation.”
Dom looked down at the tip jar. It also had a sign on it that all tips were donated. “Why don’t you also give me one of the Pink Ribbon cupcakes, but in a to-go box, please?” He pulled out his wallet to pay her and stuffed a twenty into the tip jar. He handed her the money. When she tried to hand him the change, he stopped her. “Put that in the tip jar, too.”
“Thanks.” She pulled out the Champagne cupcake and set it on a paper plate, and then boxed up the Pink Ribbon cupcake. “Here you go. I’m the owner, baker, and decorator, and I also ring register.” She giggled a little. “My best friend is a breast cancer survivor, and I themed this whole place for her.”
“Well, that’s admirable of you.” He was guessing the pink hair had something to do with it as well. “I’ve never been here before, but I do think I’ll be back. Actually, I’m sure I’ll be back. Is that a soda fountain over there?” He pointed to the far wall.
“Yes it is,” she said proudly. “The only one in this area. We have the best milkshakes around.”
“Then I’ll definitely be back. Thanks.” He took his cupcake to a table by the window. He was gazing at the passersby but not really looking as he dug into the delicious sweetness of the Champagne cupcake.
His cell phone buzzed. It was a text from his captain. Tyler wanted to know if he was amongst the living yet. Ty hadn’t gone out with them last night, but had heard about Dom’s antics. Dom responded, saying yes he was out and about for coffee and sweets.
The door jingled while he was busy texting Tyler back, promising he’d be at the optional practice tomorrow morning. The girl at the counter broke into his thoughts as she greeted the customer way too loudly and cheerfully.
“Hey there, sunshine! What can I get you today? You working at the Pet Salon this afternoon?”
“I am.” She said something else about it being a slow day, or maybe something about her birthday. But her words were just muddled in his ears because the voice took him by surprise, and when he looked up all he could hear was his own heartbeat.
It was Hailee.
He cleared his throat, in the hope of getting her attention. It worked, because she turned around and her eyes locked with his. Not sure if she was going to bolt or ignore him or both, he had only one big gun in his arsenal. His smile. He flashed as coy of a smile as he could muster, hoping it reached his eyes, and did his textbook move. He looked down to the floor for a second, scratched at his whiskers, then back at her, hoping her gaze would still be locked.
To his surprise, she was.
“Here’s the money. I’ll be over there while you
get that order together and I’ll grab it on my way out. Thanks,” she said to the pink haired bakery owner.
Hailee looked amazing. She had on tight blue jeans and a matching blue jeans jacket. Under that, a black crop top showed off her stomach, rib, and hip tatts. She had slipper like black boots on. Her radiant violet hair was pulled back into a ponytail.
“Didn’t expect to see you here.” He continued to smile.
“Can’t say I had that expectation when I walked in, either.” She hesitated before pulling out a chair.
“Hailee, have a seat, please.” Pleasantly surprised when she sat down, he decided to go for it. “Look, I apologize for last night. I don’t remember a lot. But I’m sure I was a dick. You know I don’t typically drink like that.” He hoped she remembered.
She looked him over and tilted her head a bit before speaking. “You’re pretty miserable today, huh?”
“Yeah, you can tell?”
“Well, I can because I know you. It probably isn’t that obvious. Try some tomato juice mixed with carrot juice. I can’t tell you why it works, but it always seems to do the trick for me.” Her lips formed a tiny smile. “And you weren’t really a dick.”
“Nice of you to say, but I’m sure I was. Kaden filled me in on a little of what went on.”
“So you really don’t remember?”
“Not much.” His eyes found hers and held them. “However, I do remember why I was drinking so much.”
“Yeah, well, it’s my job and I won’t apologize for that.” Her face tensed up with the uneasiness of the conversation, and he regretted saying anything.
“I don’t mind if you stop by, but realize that it’s just my job. For now.”
“For now?” What did she mean by that?
“Yeah, I have bigger things in mind for myself. But right now, that pays the bills.”
“Okay.” He wasn’t okay with it, but if he didn’t want her to walk out of his life again, he had to be. Or at least, pretend to be. There was more he wanted to learn about her, like why she’d moved here, and what bigger things she had in her plan.
“Okay?” Wide-eyed and taken aback, she seemed genuinely surprised at his response.
Trying to move away from the subject, he turned on his charm. “I really like the nachos there, so it might be my new hangout, you know, for the nachos.” He gave her a grin.
“Okay, sure, for the nachos.” She pressed her lips together and he could tell she was holding back a smile.
“So we can be civil to one another?” he asked, not meaning for it to come out like an ass.
She shrugged. “Sure. I guess.”
“I prefer civil over being screamed at.” He didn’t want it to be a habit, her scolding him like a little kid in a strip joint. Besides his ego, he did have a reputation, too.
“Well I don’t need a savior, so I won’t apologize for how I reacted.”
“You think we can finally be friends? Now that you’re back in my life, I don’t want to lose you all over again. I mean, as friends. You know?” He had no idea what he was trying to say. The words were coming out all jumbled, but he was just trying not to scare her away. He had to figure out what made her leave him in the first place.
“Um, I guess we could try friends. Sure.” She looked over at the counter. “I’m sure my order must be ready; I really must get back…”
“Back where?”
“The Pet Salon. I help out there during the day.”
“Good to know.” He made a mental note of that, and that she seemed to be a regular here. Picking up his cell phone, his heartrate sped up. It was now or never, and he wasn’t one to back down from a challenge. “Can I get your new number?”
“My number?” She tucked a loose hair behind her ear. “I guess.” She took the phone out of his hand, her fingers soft and gentle, and typed in her number before handing it back to him.
Dom quickly called her, making sure his number was now logged into her phone, too. “There, now you have mine.”
“Oh, okay. So, friends then?” Her bakery box was now waiting at the register. Noticing it, she stood and pushed her chair back in under the table.
“Yeah, but I can’t promise that I won’t come running if needed, trying to be your knight in shining armor. That’s just who I am.”
“And I can take care of myself; that’s just who I am.” She grabbed her box off the counter, but returned to his table. “By the way, since we’re being friendly, I really like your tatts. They look good on you.”
“All the girls do.” He grinned. There was no way to hide his arrogance, but this time he thought it fit.
With a smile, she turned to leave. When she opened the shop door, the bells jingled and he watched her walk next door to the Pet Salon.
“Her favorite treat is our homemade milkshakes; birthday cake seems to be the recent fave.” The pink haired owner smiled a mischievous grin. “Also, the coffee shop across the street. Just thought you’d like to know.”
He nodded with a grin of his own. “Absolutely. And thanks.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Hailee
“Hailee, are you going to skate or what?” Alison called from the ice. The outdoor rink was busy today, especially for a Tuesday evening. The second rink was closed off to the public because it was being set up for some sort of event.
“Pay attention to your student, Alison, and stop worrying about me.” She stood there with ice skates on, hoping Alison would run out of time, or the rinks had to be evacuated, or… Well, anything that would get her out of having to ice skate.
“Don’t worry about Cassie.” Alison looked at the young girl and let go of her hands. “She’s doing great.” Ali skated backwards so she was well ahead of the girl. Cassie skated gracefully and without error to her teacher.
“I’m much better than I was last month. I could help you, Hailee,” Cassie called. Taking her focus off the ice, she slipped slightly and almost lost her balance, but quickly recovered.
“Honey, you’re doing fantastic out there, but if I fall, I fear that I’ll squish you!” Hailee said with a giggle that made the little girl giggle too.
“C’mon Cass, one more lap before your mom gets here. Race you!” Alison let go of the girl’s hand and skated off to take the lead. Cassie went after her with a smile on her face.
“Go Cassie!” Hailee yelled and waved.
“Hey, you in the peanut gallery can keep quiet unless you’re going to come out here and put your skates where your mouth is,” Alison warned.
Oh, a challenge? Hailee carefully stepped out onto the ice and tried her best to catch up to Cassie. Still holding onto the sides of the rink, she didn’t move much faster than last time. Little kids skated by her, passing her with ease.
“Do you want a chair to hold on to, Hailee?” Alison called. She had already gotten to the exit, and Cassie was close behind her. Hailee was nowhere near the door. She was barely a quarter of the way around. “Or do you need me to come get you?”
The other rink was starting to fill up with kids and families, but the organizers were still blocking it off to the public. She couldn’t tell what exactly was going on over there. “No Alison, I don’t need you to come get me, you brat.” She let go of the wall and slowly walked instead of skated, hoping to cover more distance. Focusing on her feet and the ice, she concentrated on not falling. She didn’t want to give Ali the pleasure again.
An uproar from the other rink caught her attention, she looked up to see a large group of men enter the rink. One in particular caught her eye and took her focus away from her skating. Her feet went forward as her weight shifted backwards and she almost had a repeat of last time. The wall saved her this time. But her focus was still skewed. It’s him.
“Hailee! You okay over there? I’m not teasing now, let me come help you.” Alison wasn’t joking; there was no laughter on her face as she hopped onto the ice and swiftly skated to Hailee.
Holding on to the side of the boards, Hailee’s gaz
e was locked on him. Dominic. What is he doing here? Then she saw some of the other guys. Must be a team function. Just my luck. And what was worse was that when Alison called to her, he heard her name and popped his head this way.
“Get me to the bleachers!” Hailee begged as Ali skidded to a stop next to her.
“What? Why?” Alison said, just as Hailee grabbed her and pulled Alison in front of her and held her there, hoping to block his view. “Hailee, what are you doing?”
“He’s over there,” she whispered, although she wasn’t sure why, because he couldn’t hear her from here.
“Who?”
“Dominic. The whole team looks to be.”
“Ooh, hockey players?”
“Yes Ali, there are hockey players over there. Focus, please.”
Hailee did her best to hide behind posts or in the bleachers and still watch what was happening on the other rink.
“Why are you creeping?”
“What? I’m not,” Hailee said, as she looked around her blocked view. Her eyes landed on Dominic skating around with some blonde. Her stomach clenched.
“You are. Why don’t you just get out here and skate? Or we can leave. But don’t hide.”
Hailee looked over at him again, and this time he was with a group of three girls taking a selfie. “You’re right. Let’s go.” Hailee stepped back out on the ice and lost her footing immediately.
“Woah!” Alison grabbed at her, preventing her from meeting the ice again. “Let’s start slow and focus, okay?”
Alison skated backwards, bracing Hailee’s arms to avoid another fall. “Okay, look at me now. Focus on me. Keep moving your feet.”
“Hailee, you need some help?” Dominic’s voice made her jerk her head up; she hadn’t seen him come onto their rink.
“No.” She wanted a witty comeback, but that one word was all she got.
“Nope, she’s doing just fine. Right, Hailee?” Alison grabbed her hand and pulled her along. Alison continued to hold her hand as they skated around the ice, and somehow, it worked. Hailee was steady as she glided along.
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