Chapter 9
CASH
The moment she walked into the room the world stopped spinning. He remembered how beautiful she was, but remembering it and seeing it were two completely different things. Her body was full of soft smooth curves that were on display in her athletic outfit. She must have had a class to teach after this because she was in leggings and a matching top with a soft shrug sweater over the top. But with the soft curves was an unspoken elegance and grace with the way she held herself. The type of beauty and elegance that demanded attention and respect with the beautiful raise of one of those curved eyebrows.
Cash sat through the meeting trying to pay attention, but it was scheduling stuff he was already aware of. This was just a quick meeting before the meet and greet he and Wes would do with the players and their parents.
A couple times during their short meeting his eyes caught Evie's. He gave her a warm smile, but he got a tiny one in return, and she didn’t glance his way for the rest of the meeting. He was positive she felt it too, but she seemed to be fighting it.
"Are there any questions?” Owen asked. “I think that just about sums it up."
People started to get their things together.
"Cash, Wes, in about fifteen minutes the meet and greet starts over in the big rink,” said a young woman by the door holding a clipboard.
"Sounds good, I'm excited," said Wes with a big smile on his face.
"Thanks again for doing this. We’ll be able to fully fund the scholarship program next year and add in a couple more spots," said Owen.
"I'm glad. I learned to play from a program like this," Wes said to Owen.
Cash was distracted though. Evie had left, and he needed to go find her.
"If you'll excuse me for just a moment. I'll meet you out on the ice," he said, patting Wes on the shoulder before he took off to go find her.
He turned the corner and found her stretching in the corner. He didn't want to ogle her when she was getting ready to teach a class, but he only had a few minutes to make his move. He wasn't going to miss his chance to get a date with her. It was now or never.... or maybe it was now or in a few weeks, either way he wasn't missing this chance.
He walked over to her. Her back was to him with both arms over her head bent and pulling her elbow for a stretch.
"Hi," Smooth. For being hockey’s playboy, he was tongue tied.
She turned and their eyes met, the air between them electric.
"Hi," she answered back breathlessly.
He was glad that he seemed to have the same effect on her that she had on him.
"Thanks again for the work you are doing for the rink,” she continued. “It's going to help a lot of kids."
"Of course, I used a scholarship program just like this in Colorado to play hockey."
She stopped stretching and gave a small smile, “I remember you said that at the gala. It’s a good program."
"Yeah and look at me now. I'm happy to spend a week teaching these kids and helping fund the scholarship program. Hockey's an expensive sport, I know my single mom couldn’t have afforded it."
She just nodded listening to him.
"Do you want to get some coffee when I'm done here?" he asked.
She glanced down at the ground, trapping her full beautiful lip between her teeth.
"I have a full day of classes, maybe another time."
"Excuse me, Mr. Hawthorn, I think they are ready to get started," said a small woman who had been working in the skate rental area.
"Of course, on my way," he turned and said politely to her.
"I have to get out there, but we should go out some time," he said, trying to be as smooth as possible.
She just nodded at him with a sly smile. He didn't know why, but all he wanted to do was rumple her perfect presence. He wanted to get his hands in the perfectly styled hair and kiss her until she didn't know her own name. Then he wanted to play with her until she was begging for release. He hadn't wanted anyone like this before. He had been right about her the night of the gala. She was something special and he just couldn't stop looking at her.
"Mr. Hawthorn?" the small voice said again.
"Yep, let's do this." He turned and followed the woman to the other rink and got his skates on for the meet and greet with the players.
When he finished, he was hoping he might be able to catch Evie between classes and maybe plan a time he could take her out to dinner. He could tell his normal tactics wouldn't be enough for a woman like her, but he was willing to up his game. Deep down, there was part of him that was afraid. She was way out of his league, he could tell that right now, but that wasn't going to stop him from pursuing her. He would stop if she told him to, but she hadn't yet. He wasn't going to give up until then.
But when he got to the observation window for the other rink where most of the figure skating took place, he stopped. There on the ice alone was Evie. She was gracefully skating to what sounded like Tori Amos. His mouth dropped open as he watched her glide elegantly across the ice. Then she jumped into a spin. She was captivating.
"Are you ready to get out of here?"
He jumped at the surprise of a voice cutting in on this perfect moment. He turned to see Wes standing next to him, giving him an interested look. He turned to the ice and saw Evie gliding gracefully around the rink. There was a part of him that didn't want Wes to look at her. There was a part of him that wanted to claim this graceful creature as his own. He took a calming breath to get rid of those thoughts. Wes was happy with his new girlfriend; he had no reason to be jealous. Not to mention he had never been out on a real date with her, a one-night stand didn’t count for much, but he was hoping to change that soon.
"Is that the woman you were dancing with at the gala?" Wes asked.
Cash nodded.
Wes's cocky grin pissed him off.
"What are you grinning about?" he asked as they turned to leave.
"Nothing, just noticing you seem interested in that woman. Is Cash Hawthorn going to become a one-man woman?"
"Shut up..."
"I say go for it. First me, then Conner, it looks like the whole team is going to wifey up." he said playfully punching his arm.
"You’re ridiculous. Just because you did doesn't mean I want to," he grumbled.
"Whatever you say man, I'm going to Mystic Falls to have amazing sex with my beautiful girlfriend. Have fun at home," Wes said as they got out to the parking lot.
"Fuck you," Cash said.
"See you next week man," Wes shot him a grin as he got in his car.
"Yeah, see ya," Cash said as he made his way to his truck.
While he wasn't interested in getting 'wifey-ed up,' as Wes so obnoxiously put it. He was interested in getting to know Evie more. He would text her later, but even if she wouldn't go out with him, he had the week of camp to get her to say yes. He knew he could do it, then he just had to prove that there was more to him than his playboy image. He could do that right? How hard could it be?
Later that night he got a text from her. He responded immediately and watched hopeful as the dots danced at the bottom of his phone screen but then they stopped...and nothing. Damn...He wasn't used to this.