Chapter 16 Mae
A few days later...
Maybe I should have canceled my date with the MMA fighter.
But if I had, that would mean my night with Cody—the hot, sweaty, absolutely not professional night back at his apartment—was something more than a lapse in judgment.
And despite the way my cheeks are still flushed, my body still humming from the way he touched me, the way he broke for me, I can’t let myself believe that.
Cody is about to go on tour in the middle of a very public scandal.
The last thing he needs is another headline, another complication—especially one that involves him sleeping with his publicist while waiting to find out if he’s about to become a father.
It’s messy. Dangerous. The kind of thing I’ve spent years keeping my clients out of, not walking headfirst into myself.
Beyond that, there’s a reason Cody and I lost touch after high school.
Sure, I could blame it on the fact that, within months of leaving for college, my face was plastered across every major sports magazine, wrapped up in the whirlwind romance of America’s favorite up-and-coming quarterback, my pregnancy making the headlines even juicier.
But deep down, I know there was more to it than that.
My parents were a wedge—a divide that kept growing until it felt impossible to bridge the distance.
And Cody… he didn’t fight hard enough for me.
I shake off the thought before it can dig too deep, tucking it away for a future therapy session—or at the very least, a late-night wine-fueled rant to Sienna this weekend.
For now, I push open the door to the beautifully styled Southern restaurant, smoothing my hands over my dress as I step inside. Time to focus. I have a date to charm, one that Dexter insists is perfect for me. Axel, the MMA fighter.
And if, somewhere deep in my chest, I already know he won’t stand a chance against the ghost of Cody?
Well. That’s just something else I’ll deal with later.
"Hello, table for two under Delco," I say to the hostess at the front, who leads me towards a more private section of the restaurant near the back. As I approach, I see Axel and whoa, he looks even better and more intimidating in person.
The handsome fighter stands up from his chair and leans in for a greeting kiss with a wide smirk across his face. Dark, but buzz cut hair cut close to his scalp and bright blue eyes. I can see the muscles bulging under the fabric of his shirt as he moves.
"Hi Mae, it’s so nice to finally meet you."
"You too," I respond, genuinely because this will be nice, different, and perhaps a distraction.
He pulls out my chair, and I sit as our server joins us.
“What can I get you two to drink?”
“I’ll take a glass of merlot,” I say with a smile as Dexter orders just a water.
“No drinking during the season.”
“That’s probably wise.”
He smiles with a nod, revealing perfectly white, straight teeth. For a fighter, he’s got the build, but I guess I was expecting him to be a little more… banged up? I’m really not sure.
"You’re even more beautiful than Dexter let on," he says, grinning.
"Dexter talks too much." I laugh.
He shakes his head. "I don’t think he talked enough. Feel like he was holding out. Keeping his publicist as his secret."
I blush at his compliment, then quickly divert the conversation back to him.
“So, tell me, what’s it like doing MMA? How’d you get into it?”
“It’s wild at times. My dad put me in jiujitsu as a kid and it turns out I had this natural knack for fighting. It was a way to cope with getting picked on. Unbelievably, I used to be a scrawny kid.”
I take a sip of my wine that the server just dropped off at the table. “I find that hard to believe.”
He chuckles. “It sort of snowballed from there. Won my first fight, then my second, and before I knew it, I was fighting the big guys and winning. Somehow here I am, undefeated and on my way to headline in Las Vegas.”
“Wow… that’s incredible. I work with athletes all day and I know that must have come at a price.”
He nods. “My body,” then he chuckles. “Not sure how much more I have it in me but I’m excited for this headliner. I see myself winning it then taking a break.”
“I lived in Las Vegas for a period of time. It’s an interesting city.”
His brows raise. “The leap from Vegas to Nashville is huge. How’d you like living in Vegas?”
“I didn’t. I worked at one of the casinos.”
He nods just as our server arrives, setting our plates down with a polite smile.
“Thank you,” I murmur, flashing a quick smile before instinctively reaching for my phone. It’s been a while since I’ve had dinner with someone not talking business—unless I count Cody. But honestly, I don’t even know if he counts anymore.
I set my phone down and pick up my drink instead, swirling the last bit of wine before tipping it back. Damn. That went down way faster than I meant for it to.
"You seem like you really love what you do," I say, trying to keep the conversation flowing.
Axel nods, his expression turning intense. "I can’t imagine doing anything else. I’m passionate about it. And when I find something that I like, it usually becomes an obsession."
His eyes glint with something teasing, almost wicked, and I know he means more than just his career. My stomach tightens at the implication, but before I can let my mind go there—before I can even entertain the thought—Cody slams into my head like a wrecking ball.
Last night.
His hands, his mouth, the way he knew my body like it was his.
Fuck. Stop.
I drag my napkin across my lips, using it as a distraction, then set it on my lap. “Will you excuse me for a minute? I need to run to the restroom,” I say, already pushing my chair back.
But instead of heading straight for the bathroom, I detour toward the bar.
I need another drink. Something stronger.
Something that’ll drown out the lingering ghost of Cody that’s still burning in my veins.
Because if I’m going to go home with Axel tonight—if I’m going to do this—I can’t be in my head about it.
I can’t let my body betray me, comparing him to the man I’ve known forever.
Because how could I even compare them?
Cody is my past. A past that, somehow, has reignited into something just as raw and unfiltered as it always was.
But Axel?
Axel could be my future.
Or at the very least, he could be my tonight.
Stupid, stupid, stupid. Because this is just a first date and I have a daughter to think about and beyond that, I don’t want to date Axel. I don’t want to date anyone.
I walk up to the wooden bar, leaning against it as I try to flag down the very busy bartender.
"Mae?" A deep, voice booms from next to me at the bar. The instant I hear it I know who it is. I turn slowly, preparing myself for how this conversation is going to go.
Strong jawline, light brown hair peeking out from a baseball hat that’s pulled low over his face and dark shades over his eyes. But it doesn’t take me anytime to know because I smelled him the second that I walked over here.
Cody.
"Cody?"
He steps towards me, opening his arms and slipping them firmly around my waist as he pulls me in for a tight hug that hints at much more than just a professional relationship.
He smells woodsy and like bourbon, the scent reminding me of our intense night together, causing heat to spread throughout my body and my underwear to immediately betray me.
Ten years later, and my body still reacts to his like a seventeen-year-old girl.
"What are you doing here? And wearing sunglasses?" I ask, trying to step back and put some distance between us.
He chuckles as he moves them to his head and steps closer, clearly not getting the hint.
"Trying to keep a low profile. Though I’m assuming most of your clients don’t care about that."
I nod. "I think they are pretty open about their celebrity status, but you’re a..." I lean forward and whisper, "country music star. In Nashville. It’s not that odd to see them out at restaurants, I’m sure?"
He smiles. "I’m meeting with my manager, Victor, about the 'meeting' we had yesterday and didn’t want to be interrupted."
I wonder what part of our 'meeting' he’s discussing with Victor?
Hopefully not the part where his long, ridged cock was plunging into me while I screamed his name after our third round together. Or maybe the part where he turned me around, pressed my face into the sheets and fucked me from behind while telling me how much he used to love my ass.
My face flushes and it’s as if Cody knows exactly what I’m thinking. His easy smile turning into a wicked grin.
“You know,” his voice drops lower as he leans into my personal space, “you never responded to my text message this morning…”
Yeah, because I knew it wasn’t a good idea.
Afterward, I fell asleep, only to awaken this morning asking myself what the hell I was doing acting like a teenager.
I slipped out while he was still resting and caught an Uber home.
Cody texted later this morning thanking me for a goodnight and I left it on read.
Just then, another man approaches the bar, shakes Cody’s hand then turns to me with a smile on his face.
“Victor. Cody’s manager,” he says, extending a hand in greeting.
"Mae Sterling. I think we spoke briefly on the phone," I reply, shaking his hand firmly.
Victor smiles, a little older than I expected for someone managing Cody’s career, but then again, nothing about Cody has ever followed expectations.
I barely have time to process that thought before I feel the weight of Cody’s stare. My eyes flick back to his, and—yep. He’s undressing me. Right here, in front of his manager, with zero shame.
And damn it, I like it.
I shouldn’t. I know I shouldn’t. But the way his gaze drinks me in, slow and deliberate, like he’s committing every inch of me to memory—it sends a shiver down my spine.
Not that I blame him. I’d put effort into this. A tight, little black dress that clings to my curves in all the right places, hits high enough on my thigh to tease, and showcases just enough cleavage to be sexy without pushing into trashy territory. Classy. Confident.
It’s been a while since I’ve gone on a date and tonight, I was dressing to impress and attract attention.
"You look… amazing, Mae," Cody breathes, his voice low and rough around the edges. Then he blinks, seeming to remember where we are. “What are you doing here tonight?”
"Um—"
Before I can even get a word out, Axel slides up beside me, his presence immediately solid, his arm wrapping possessively around my waist. He extends his hand toward Cody, his expression cool, unreadable. And just like that, the air around us shifts.
"Axel Delco."
Cody looks down at Axel's hand, then back at me, then back at Axel again until his eyes narrow as they meet mine for a second time.
"Cody Cameron. I’m one of Mae’s clients," he says, shaking Axel's hand. "Are you one of her clients, too?"
"Oh, no. Mae and I are on a date," Axel responds firmly.
Cody’s eyes narrow again, dropping Axel’s hands as he looks back at me briefly.
"Oh, really? And how did you two meet?" His voice is way too calm for this conversation and the rage I know he’s likely feeling. This isn't going to end well. I can already see the pissing competition forming between these two alpha males. And speaking over me as if I’m not standing right there between them isn’t only childish, it’s below my standards for men that I’m interested in.
I step out of Axel’s grip and answer before they can continue, "Your friend Dexter introduced us, Cody. You should thank him," I say forcing a smile, then turn on my heel and head to the restroom.
I’m not going to stand there and let these two have their little spat without saying what they really think. I slept with Cody once. One night, and already he’s acting possessive over me. Plus, Axel, I just met!
See, this is why I don’t date anymore, I grumble to myself as I slide into a bathroom stall, taking extra-long to calm myself down, think clearly about my next move before returning to my date with Axel.
If I had any thoughts of going home with him tonight, they went out the window the moment he tried to Victor his territory with Cody.
I don’t do the whole controlling thing anymore.
Not since Vance.
Not since I survived the hell that’s a man controlling what I do and where I go.
Finally, I let out my breath, remind myself that Axel isn’t Vance, fix my lipstick and return to the table where he’s back to seated, the check placed casually next to him on the table.
"Look, Axel," I start as I slide into the chair across from him.
He chuckles. "That doesn’t sound good."
"I was having a nice time with you, but I have to admit, I’m not ready to get back into the whole dating world. My life is complicated right now with work and my daughter. I think we should go ahead and call it a night."
He nods in understanding. "This doesn’t have anything to do with the guy at the bar who looked and spoke about you possessively?"
I bite my lip nervously. Unsure how exactly to respond to that and wanting to be fair because it isn’t just about Cody.
It’s about Axel too and not feeling suffocated by a man’s presence in my life.
If I’m going to seriously date again, I want it to be with someone who allows me to be myself and doesn’t control any aspect of who I am.
"Cody Cameron and I have a… complicated past. He acted completely inappropriately back there. I apologize.”
"Sure," he says, standing to meet me. He leans in to give me a kiss on the cheek and a small hug. "Let me know when you figure out that there isn't a future with him. I think we’d have a fun time. Call me sometime.”
I nod politely as he walks me out to the curb where my Uber is waiting. And when I slip inside of the car, watching as it pulls away from the curb and the restaurant, I know in my heart that was the right decision regardless of what place Cody holds in my future.