Chapter 28
Chapter Twenty-Eight
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“I don’t think this will work.” I stare at my reflection in the dressing room mirror, taking in the full effect of the very short, form-fitting dress the girls talked me into trying on.
According to the tag hanging from my left armpit, it’s a micromini that covers less than some bathing suits I’ve owned. The hem barely reaches below my nether regions, so bending over would be a definite no-no for obvious reasons.
And don’t even get me started on the top part of the dress. One wrong move and I’ll end up charged with indecent exposure. I feel like a Barbie doll in this thing because the only way I can move without exposing myself is to remain straight as a board.
Since Wade and the rest of the team are traveling through Thanksgiving, the girls and I decided to do some shopping today, and then do our own version of Friendsgiving tomorrow that includes homemade pizzas, our favorite chips and dips, and boatloads of ice cream with not a single turkey or pumpkin pie in sight.
Needing a break, Mia’s parents opted for a cruise this year.
Sophie’s ‘funcle’—favorite uncle—is out of town on an assignment, covering for the paper’s lead reporter who just had a baby.
And Lily doesn’t have any other family, except for her former partner, who is at some undisclosed location, working as a bodyguard for a foreign dignitary.
Sometimes I wonder if Lily misses that life, but she assures us she has her hands more than full with Payton.
And then there’s Harper, who isn’t on good terms with her father and has no desire to entrench herself in her family’s drama. When she found out I didn’t have to travel with the team this trip, she attached herself to my hip.
I’m not complaining, though—quite the contrary. I’m grateful for each one of these women—my girls, as I’ve come to think of them. Otherwise, I’d be completely alone tomorrow, feeling nostalgic about Nana’s juicy turkey and fixings.
Technically, I could have gone back to Texas. Wade’s Nana has invited me for Thanksgiving dinner every year since my parents divorced and sold our place. I didn’t go last year because Chase insisted we go to his parents, and no way would I go this year and put myself in close proximity to him.
The jerk already texted me earlier in the week to let me know—aka gloat—about the article Sophie’s writing about him.
Wish I could be a fly on the wall to see his face when that piece drops.
And then he had the nerve to invite me to join him and Amber for his family’s annual deep-fried turkey dinner.
I’m sure he was fishing around, trying to find out if I was returning to Texas so he could drop in unannounced just to torture me.
So, here I am, wearing this ridiculous dress for some vague purpose that involves Wade and an event that Sophie has yet to explain.
“Seriously, this is a joke, right?” I try to imagine Wade’s reaction if he saw me in this. He’d rip off his shirt—better yet, his jersey—and pull it over my head.
Why does that thought make my pulse skyrocket, and my stomach flutter?
Maybe because I noticed how Wade’s eyes scorched and then devoured me when he saw me in his jersey for the big mascot and arena name reveal.
I’ve tried to forget the way he looked at me, but his expression haunts my dreams of late.
On my right, Sophie’s reflection blinks back at me.
Mia stands on my left. “You need weapons.”
From behind us, Harper bounces up, trying to get a better look. “Girl, you have to buy that one. You’ll have his eyes bugging out faster than a half-naked pirate gawking at a virgin.”
We all turn around to stare at her, me holding the top of the dress in place so that my other girls don’t try to make an appearance.
Sophie clears her throat. “I think we just learned something new about you, Harper.”
Mia gives her a sassy appraisal. “Girl, we need to talk.”
Ready to bail, I grab the hem, ready to pull it off right in the middle of the open area of the dressing room.
All three jump to stop me while Lily’s reflection in the background leaps up from the chair where she was observing from and stands guard at the dressing room entrance. A woman with an armload of clothes approaches but scurries away when Lily barks at her to leave.
Sophie tugs me toward my dressing room, where a stack of sexy clothing I would never choose for myself waits for me to try on. “I get it. You’re nervous, but do you want to live the rest of your life wondering?”
Feeling a tad mischievous, I turn her words on her. “Wonderland could be fun. Ask Alice.”
She snorts. “Sometimes I think you missed your calling to be a writer.”
Mia shakes her head. “She makes good money in PR. Why would she pursue that?”
Pointing at herself, Sophie scowls at her. “Excuse me. Writer here, and I make a decent living.”
“Yes, but you report on needed information, both visually and in writing. Most authors have to keep a day job to pay the bills. Trust me, I’ve looked into it.”
“Same.” Harper nods her head, a knowing expression on her face. At our probing stares, she shrugs. “What? I wanted to write romance novels.”
Mia snorts. “That explains the pirates.”
Ignoring her, Sophie nudges me forward and pulls the curtain closed. “Try on that flowery one next. It’s very feminine and flow-y.”
Flow-y? I can do that.
After shedding the ‘sex-me-now’ dress, I do as she says, slipping the silky garment over my head, and loving the feel of it on my skin.
The fabric hugs the curve of my waist and hips, then flares out mid-thigh.
I turn back and forth, studying the way the tea-length skirt flows around my calves and how the ruched bodice does my girls justice without giving away the goods.
The dress is still as sensual as the other one, but in a more subtle and sophisticated way.
And it makes me feel sexy without putting me into the sex-worker category.
I can’t suppress my grin as I shove open the curtain, its metal rings screeching over the bar as I step out.
Harper’s eyes widen. “Oh, that’s gorgeous on you.”
Sophie nods. “Yep, we have a winner.”
Frowning in her indecision, Mia tilts her head. “I still think the other dress would do a better job.”
My nerves spike into the red again. “When am I even going to wear this? It’s too dressy for work. And people wear shorts even to the nicest restaurants here.”
Sophie waves me off. “We’ll figure that out later. The goal today is to change some things that will help Wade decide he’s tired of being in the friend zone and make a move.”
“Right, like when I kissed him, and then he apologized for kissing me back. Yeah, a dress will work way better than that.” Thick sarcasm drips from my voice.
Mia rolls her lips between her teeth, trying not to laugh.
Harper glances between them. “She has a point.”
I splay my hand out toward her. “Thank you.”
Sophie blows out a frustrated breath. “I have a plan…” She groans as she wags her hands.
“But I didn’t want to say anything until I figured out the details.
I told my friend, Char, at the paper about the dating auction and about you and Wade.
She’s agreed to bid on him, but when he arrives to pick her up for their date, you’ll be waiting for him in that dress. ”
“Huh.” Lily crosses her arms. “As Payton would say, that’s bloody brilliant.”
Sophie makes a show of mock-bowing. “Why, thank you.”
I’m still not convinced this will work. “What if your friend doesn’t win the auction?”
She releases a long and noisy breath. “But what if she does? It’s worth trying, don’t you think? Like I said, I haven’t worked out all the details, but I will. One way or another, you and Wade will wind up on that date together.”
Harper nods in agreement.
My doubting self looks to Mia, hoping she’ll have something to counter this plan that sounds straight out of a Hallmark movie.
She simply shrugs. “At this point, you have nothing to lose, babe. I think it’s worth a shot.”
Traitor.
Wade
“This is the most ridiculous plan I’ve ever heard of.”
I thought we were going to play cards on the way to Atlanta when the fellas told me to sit at the table booth in the back of the team bus. Not make up some ridiculous plan to trick Bree into a date.
Mason holds his hands out. “Which part? My sister bidding on you at the auction, or you going on a date with your girl?”
“She’s not my girl,” I growl, more out of frustration that it’s the truth than the idea of sideswiping her like this.
“Yet.” They all say it at the same time. And the rumble of the bus’s accelerating motor punctuates their point.
For a moment, I thought Bree might take a chance on me, but then she backpedaled us into the friend zone again.
Or I did. Things got weird so fast, I’m not even sure anymore.
And I know her—she doesn’t like surprises especially after her parents dropped the bombshell on her about selling their ranch—her home.
While she was in college, I surprised her by showing up at her dorm.
I was between games and in the area…close enough, anyway.
Between studying for finals and working as a bartender at the local watering hole, she’d sounded worn out and down when we talked on the phone.
I figured I could take her out for dinner, help her get away from it all for a few hours.
I’d expected a surprised reaction. Maybe even imagined her throwing herself into my arms because she realized she missed me more than just a friend. Silly, I know, but a guy can dream, right? Instead, she glared at me, asking what the hell I was doing there.
After she calmed down, she finally agreed to take a break from studying and grab a quick bite with me. Quick being the keyword. Afterward, she thanked me, of course, but man, I learned my lesson.
I glare at Mason. “What if your sister doesn’t win, and I wind up going on a date with some random chick—or worse, a puck bunny—who I have no desire to spend an evening with?”
Elias’s grin turns downright lascivious. “Would that be so bad?
“Yes! It would.” I hold my hands out from my sides in exasperation.
His expression becomes sheepish. “Just thinking ahead. If things don’t work out with Bree, maybe something good could happen with this other woman.”
Mason pokes him hard in the chest. “That’s my sister you’re talking about, Brunner, and she’s engaged.”
Elias shoves his hand away. “I was talking about the other woman. Not your sister. Chill out, man.”
Ethan scowls at Elias. “There is no other woman, doofus.” Then he pins me with the same look of determination he had when he told us Mia was the one. “Trust me on this. It will work.”
What other options do I have? Bree keeps avoiding being alone with me, and I’m desperate enough to risk her wrath over surprising her like this. I’m just not clear on how they intend to make the swap.
“How will you convince Bree to go on the date?”
“That was going to be my next question.” Mathéo frowns.
Zayne tries to appear casual but fails. “I’ll ask her out, but Wade will be the one who shows up for the date.”
I don’t like the sneaky expression on his face. Is he interested in Bree?
“You get anywhere near her, and I’ll make sure you never pull another prank, let alone hold a hockey stick again, Zanie.” I snarl out his nickname, so he has no doubt that I mean business.
He holds his hands up. “Just trying to help.”
With a grunt, Luke drags him back a step by the collar. “Stay in your lane, bro. Besides, that would still mean Wade would have to go on a date with whoever wins him in the auction.”
Zayne’s expression shifts from confused to thoughtful, then settles into mild embarrassment. “Oh, yeah, I guess it would.”
I lean my head on the seat. “Like I said, stupid idea.”
Ethan shakes his. “No, it’s perfect. Bree will have to be there to take pictures and video of the date for the fans.”
Elias’s eyes widen as he snaps his fingers. “But Mason’s sister won’t be there.”
“Exactly,” Ethan confirms, then looks at me. “And then you’ll tell her.”
I lean forward. “Tell her what? That she’s my date?”
A sinking sensation fills my gut. I can already picture the rage on her face as she realizes her carefully planned PR event took a U-turn. She made it clear how much she loves her job and how important her reputation is.
I don’t want to be that guy. The one who messes things up for her because he’s too focused on what he wants instead of what’s best for her. Like her douchy ex.
“That the plan was always for her to be your date. Women love that kind of thing.” Ethan’s excitement is almost contagious.
Almost.
“What thing?” Elias asks him.
Ethan rolls his eyes at him. “You know, finding out they were always the one.”
“Oh yeah, they do.” Elias takes on a goofy expression. And he kind of looks like the Disney character Goofy, too.
I shake off the image and this nonsense. “You fellas are off your rockers. This won’t work.”
But then Luke surprises all of us. “I think it will. And you’re an idiot if you don’t try.”