Offside for Stella

1. Stella Miranda

STELLA MIRANDA

“Will you please just meet him?” my brother pleaded on the other end of the phone. I was tired. No, check that; I was exhausted.

“Sam,” I groaned heavily, even though I’d seen this coming from a mile away. My big brother was so predictable it was annoying!

“You don’t know anyone out there,” he pointed out, like that was reason enough for me to meet a complete and utter stranger even though he knew him from back when they were in high school. A LONG-ASS TIME AGO!

“And? That’s why you meet people,” I argued. I knew by his exhale that he knew I had a valid point. Sam knew just how good I was at getting to know people, making strangers into friends.

I never had.

I had a unique talent that helped me get people out of their self-imposed shells.

“You’re in Houston, Stells.”

“Good job. You learned how to read your location tracker,” I muttered under my breath, then frowned. “Which, hey, cool, but it’s kinda creepy, and you should probably turn it off.”

“What if you go hook up with randos again?”

“Well, wouldn’t that make me a lucky girl?” I smirked and could almost feel him rolling his eyes. “You shouldn’t do that; they could stay like that.”

“Do what?” he asked.

“Roll your eyes.”

“You’re not psychic,” he muttered. I giggled.

“You just did it again, and may I note you’re not denying you did indeed roll your eyes the first time.”

“Stells.”

“Can you just breathe, Sam! I’m okay. I will be okay! My place is all set up and livable. I have a great new job. Not only that, I am a grown woman who is fully capable. I’m almost thirty, believe it or not!”

“But you don’t know anyone.” The exasperation in his voice was a tone I was more than familiar with.

“I get that, but to be fair, I don’t know this guy, either.”

“He came to the house… like, twice.”

“Yeah, when I was what? Six? Seven? I don’t even remember him. I wasn’t like Rainy or Windy drooling over your smelly friends.”

“No, you were always stuck in your room playing with tarot cards reading your Build-A-Bears their future.” I laughed because he wasn’t wrong.

“And look at me today. I’m doing great. Talking about doing a reading, I have to go.” It was a total lie. I just wanted to hang up and move on from this crazy idea of meeting one of my brother’s old friends.

“Stells,” he warned. “Please? For peace of mind? So I don’t suffer an early heart attack at forty.”

“You can only play that card one more time in your life, Samuel Miranda. That’s unfair to put on me and to test the universe with that kind of crap, especially after you just got married.”

“Deal. I just want to make sure if something happens or you need help, there’s someone in Houston who can get to you in less than an hour, not a whole flight away.”

“You’re sweet, big brother,” I mumbled. “But you do realize that even if I meet this friend of yours, he will more than likely always be on the road all over the place.” This was a guees since his friend was some kind of hockey player or something.

“I get that, but he has people. Friends around who could be there, too.”

“Oh god, Sam! Do you know how ridiculous you sound right now? He probably thinks I’m some stranded twelve-year-old like on Home Alone. You do realize I’m more than capable of taking care of myself, right? I did it in LA. I can do it here.”

“He knows and I know,” he huffed, probably running his fingers through his hair.

“Look, he’s doing me a favor. He’s in town because the season is about to start.

Just…” He stopped himself, and my lips twitched.

Sam had just been about to bark orders at me like I was one of his employees but caught himself.

Huh, guess an old dog could be taught. “Will you please meet him tomorrow? For brunch? I sent you his number and the brunch spot he suggested.”

“Sam—“

“Eat, get to know him. Maybe let him drive you around the city.”

“Drive me around the city?” I repeated. “Wait, hold up. Are you setting me up on a date?” I asked.

“If you were really psychic, you would already know that, wouldn’t you?” he said in a smug tone.

“Sam.” My blood pressure started to rise. My brother, heaven help him, was about to be murdered!

“No!” he exclaimed then sighed. “It’s not a date. You think I would want to hook you up with an athlete? I just want him to show you the ropes. You know, the safe and not-so-safe areas of Houston.”

“Safe and not-so-safe? Oh my god, do you even hear yourself right now, Sam?” I shut my eyes and counted to ten so I wouldn’t chuck my cell phone across my new townhouse.

“Please.” Sam’s tone softened. “You’re my baby sister and a million miles away.”

“That’s an exaggeration.” People always talk about how it’s the youngest of the family who knows how to work people into getting them to do what they want, but no one ever gave the eldest sibling their due credit on guilt trips.

“Please?” he asked again in that same soft, resigned tone, one that, along with his exasperated and frustrated one, I knew all too well.

He’d used it when I told them I was moving to Houston and ‘wouldn’t listen to reason.’ His words, not mine.

But Sam wasn’t like your typical older brother.

He had stepped in when our dad passed away and helped my mom, who was left raising four kids on her own.

I might have been young, but there was no denying the sacrifices my brother made for us.

Even up until recently, he had always been more like a dad in a way.

Not even dating or creating a life outside his business and his family.

Thankfully, he was making up for lost time now that he was not only dating but marrying his neighbor.

“Fine.”

“Thank you.” The relief was clear in his voice.

“Yeah, sure.” I rolled my eyes. “I’m gonna go. Give Avery my love.”

“I will. You’re staying in, right? You’re not going to go out right now? It’s late and—“

“Sam!” His wife beat me to it. “Leave her alone!” I could hear her scolding him and pictured the chastised look on his face.

“Fine. Just be safe if you do go out.”

“When haven’t I been safe?” I asked, but I knew he was beyond listening to me.

“Take your pepper spray and the Taser and—“ The phone shifted. “Babe! Hey, what are you—“

“Good night, Stella. Your brother loves you and only wants the best for you,” Avery’s voice sounded over the line.

“At least tell her to use protection if she—“ He sounded far away. I snorted. Sometimes, I swear, Sam still thought of me as some stupid hormone-led sixteen-year-old.

“Bye! Love you! Have fun!” Avery cut him off and ended the call. I shook my head and giggled as I tossed my phone onto the couch.

When I told my brother I had to go, I didn’t really have plans.

But something was telling me I should go out, like a sixth sense whispering for me to find something, anything to do. I picked up my phone and looked at the list in my notes I had of places I wanted to check out. I was a little hungry, and one drink wouldn’t hurt.

A new BBQ grill and bar I had found just the night before showed that it was only a ten-minute Uber ride away from me.

After shooting a quick text to my sisters about where I was going because even though I loved to annoy Sam, a girl always had to be safe, I hurried to change and was ready in less than the fifteen minutes the Uber took to get to my place.

Something felt like it glittered over my skin the moment I stepped out of the SUV, waving goodbye to my new friend Kendall.

A soft, warm feeling warning me something big was about to happen I couldn’t brush off made me smile as I pushed the doors open.

The scent of great BBQ filled my lungs as I looked around.

The place was pretty much what I expected from its social media pages.

I stood there, when suddenly, a gist of hesitation prickled at me.

I’d had the same distinct, odd feeling when I’d lived in LA and had gone to watch the Kings play against the Lonestars.

It was a feeling so different, so unusual, it had freaked me out and I’d immediately left. Call me a scaredy cat; I didn’t care. There was something to be said about listening to your intuition.

But I wasn’t running away this time.

Someone came up behind me, and I moved to the side.

Just then, I caught sight of a gorgeous, tall guy sitting at the bar.

I’d seen hot guys before. I’d lived in LA, where every other person was more than pretty enough for TV and movies and magazines.

Worked with and dated them all the time! But he was different.

Mine, a little, territorial voice chimed in the back of my head.

I couldn’t tear my eyes off him. He was wearing a plain white tee, light blue jeans, and brown work boots while staring up at one of the many TVs that were hung up all around the place.

My heart did a funny thing inside my chest.

Maybe it was because it had been a while since I’d hooked up with anyone? In LA, hook-ups were great, but when guys started to try to get too serious, like the last one, I’d stopped dating and somehow put myself in a dry spell.

One that maybe, hopefully, needed to be redeemed tonight.

I pushed forward, my steps full of renewed vigor as I walked straight to the bar with the impenetrable knowledge that my life was about to change.

But I had no idea of just how much.