Chapter 30 – Victoria
thirty
Victoria
I get out of the SUV and walk to the trunk to grab the two fabric bags that have wine in one and everything to make margaritas in the other.
My heels click on the cement driveway as I walk up the steps to the front door and juggle the bags in my hands to open it.
“I’m here,” I shout, “and I brought reinforcements!”
I walk down the hallway past the staircase and to the family room, seeing Jagger on the couch hiding behind Lexi. “I told him to hide so you don’t take him from me.”
I laugh and shake my head. “Traitor,” I tease him, leaning over the back of the couch and tickling his belly, making him laugh.
“Hey,” Ariella says, coming into the room. “You didn’t go home after work?” she asks me and I shake my head.
“You said ‘my house, four o’clock,’” I remind her, walking to the kitchen and putting my bags on the counter. “So I figured since it was already six, I was late.” I look over at Lexi. “Some of us have to work. My boss, she’s—” I don’t say the word.
“She’s needy,” Lexi fills in, laughing as she cuddles with Jagger. “I tell Kylie all the time to lay off, but she’s such a bitch.”
I snort-laugh at her and look around. “Where is Kylie?”
“She went home to change,” Ariella says, taking the bottles of wine out of the one bag and the tequila out of the other. “Go upstairs and change into comfy clothes and then we can watch the game.”
“Wait, you guys haven’t started watching?” I groan out.
“It’s a watch party, Tori,” Lexi explains. “We are recording it and we’ll start it from the beginning when Kylie gets here and so does the food.”
“Or we can fast forward and just see if they won.” I hold up my hands when they both look at me. “I’ll go change.” I point to myself. “You two start making me a margarita.” I turn to walk toward the stairs. “Not spicy like last time, I had heartburn for four days.”
“No one told you to drink that much!” Ariella shouts from the kitchen. “You were like ‘it’s sweet and spicy.’” I laugh as I kick off my heels at the door and jog up the stairs, going to the bedroom to change out of my work clothes.
I grab a pair of yoga pants and a Warriors T-shirt before heading back downstairs. “I’ve come to be supportive.” I sway, walking into the room with my arms outstretched, showing off my shirt.
Lexi laughs at me and the front door opens and then shuts. “I’m here.” We hear Kylie say as she comes into the family room where we are all standing. “Oh good, you didn’t start the game yet.”
“Do we really have to?” I ask, not really wanting to spend the night looking at the screen while my eyes try to find Zane.
“Yes,” Kylie replies, “it’s a big game.”
“Every game is a big game.” I roll my eyes, walking into the kitchen where Ariella is putting everything she needs for the margaritas in a pitcher and then stirring it while the other girls turn the television on and the announcers start talking.
“Who wants a margarita? Who wants wine?” I ask over my shoulder, going to get the glasses.
Kylie and Lexi both vote for margaritas.
I pour them each a glass before walking over and handing it to them.
“You’re welcome,” I tell them before walking back to the kitchen, grabbing mine, and heading for the living room.
I roll up in the corner of the L-shaped couch, curling my feet under me as I look at the screen.
The guys are taking the ice and skating in their zone, and my eyes automatically go behind the bench.
My heart feels like it’s going to explode when I see him walking out, wearing one of his blue suits with a darker blue tie.
I take a sip of my margarita, ignoring the way the back of my neck starts to tingle. “I really hope they win,” Kylie says.
“They need to win,” Ariella states and instead of saying anything, I just drink my margarita. “Look,” Ariella says to Jagger, pointing to the television screen, “Daddy.”
“Dadadada,” Jagger babbles, pointing to the screen and then slapping Lexi’s leg to show her that his father is on TV.
The anthem starts playing and the camera pans to the benches and I catch sight of Zane. His eyes are looking ahead. “Fuck, he’s hot,” I say the words out loud instead of in my head, and my eyes go big. Three sets of eyes turn back to look at me. “What?”
“Did you just call Zane hot?” Kylie giggles.
I exhale. “Yeah,” I admit, draining the rest of my drink, “I did.” I get up, avoiding them looking at me, but I can feel the three of them staring at me and then at each other.
I pour myself another glass and bring the pitcher with me to the family room. “You missed your hottie on the screen again.” Lexi rolls her lips to try not to laugh, as Ariella snickers with her glass in front of her mouth.
“I’m sure I’ll see plenty of shots of him,” I mumble.
The doorbell saves me from them saying anything else. Ariella comes back into the room with two boxes of pizza and then takes out two trays of sushi she had in her fridge.
I get up to help her, carrying in the plates and a roll of paper towels so we don’t have to get up. The middle of the table looks like it’s going to explode with food when Kylie shouts, “Goal!”
“You know, I think the game is over, we could find out now if they won or not,” I tell her and she gasps at me.
“Do you know the score?” She sits up straight. “Did you check? Did they win?” She puts her hands on her face. “Did they lose?”
“You need to calm down.” I point at her. “I literally went to the kitchen and came back.” I shake my head. “And my phone is right there.” I point to the place on the couch where I was sitting.
I grab a piece of sushi before sitting down in the corner again and looking at the screen to see the other team score. “That’s not good,” I say. Instead of the camera zooming in on the other player, it goes straight to Zane, who is looking up at the Jumbotron at the replay of the game.
“I guess he’s hot,” Ariella mentions, “in like a burly type of way.” I snort out when she says that. “The beard is a lot.”
“I love the beard,” I mumble, thinking they aren’t paying attention to me, but I would be wrong.
“What? You can’t sit there and say he’s not hot,” I defend.
“The beard is hot. The way his biceps bulge in his suit jacket.” I shrug.
“Hot.” They turn back to watch television, leaving me with my own thoughts.
Four glasses of margaritas later and half a tray of sushi, and my feet are stretched out in front of me.
Ariella is on the other side of the couch with Jagger beside her drinking his bottle.
Lexi and Kylie are sitting on the floor, their backs against the couch. “I think I’m in love with him.” I sigh.
“With who?” Ariella laughs and looks at me.
“With Zane,” I admit, pointing to the screen that is showing the guys playing hockey.
“Zane, Zane?” Lexi turns to look at me.
“The coach, Zane?” Kylie then does the same motion that Lexi just did, turning to look at me.
“Yup,” I confirm, drinking from the empty glass, getting maybe half a sip.
“No.” Ariella shakes her head. “No-no-no-no-no.”
“Yes,” I say, nodding my head.
“You just think he’s hot,” Lexi puts forth, nervously laughing and turning back to look at the game. “I think he’s hot and I’m in love with him are two different things.”
“Yeah,” Kylie scoffs. “To be in love with him, you would have to know him and shit.”
“Well, I…” I avoid looking at them as I trail off.
“No-no-no-no-no-no,” Ariella chants and she sits up.
Jagger sits up with her, shaking his head and then holding out his index finger. “Nonononono,”
“Hold on a second.” Kylie turns fully to face me. “Are you saying that you”—she points to me—“and Zane”—she points to the television—“know each other?” she emphasizes the words know each other and puts her two forefingers together at the tip.
“Yes,” I say, trying not to smile, but the buzz from the margaritas is making it very fucking difficult for me.
“Wait,” Lexi interjects while she stares into my eyes, reading whatever expression is on my face.
I nod my head. “You had sex!” she shrieks out the word and then turns to look at Jagger, putting her hand in front of her mouth, as if he understands what she’s saying, before turning back and whispering, “You had sex with him?”
“Guilty,” I hold up my hand, “as charged.” The giggle escapes me.
“Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God,” Ariella chants and puts her hand on her head. Jagger thinks this is a joke and copies her actions.
“Shut up!” Kylie slaps the floor beside her. “You and the coach of the hockey team your brother plays on,” her voice goes higher, “got it on?”
“Correct.” I nod at her. “Very much got it on. Often too.” I smile big as if I just told them we have the winning lottery numbers. The fact that it’s not a secret is somewhat freeing in a way.
“I don’t want to know.” Ariella puts her hands on her ears and Jagger snorts, laughing as he puts his hands on his ears also.
“Oh my,” Lexi starts, looking at me and then at Ariella, “often, often?”
“Often enough,” I confirm. “We sort of—kind of.”
“If you say you had—” Ariella stops herself from saying the word sex, “in this house, I’m going to vomit.”
“We didn’t have it in this house.” I roll my eyes. “We almost did in his office.”
“The first time I banged Knox was in his SUV,” Kylie tosses out. “Then the second time when he came to return my panties I accidentally left in his SUV.”
“Accidently, my ass,” Lexi retorts.
“Zane returned mine too.” I hold up my hand for her to give me a high-five. “But I took them off and put them in his suit pocket to drive him crazy.” I giggle.
“So how is it?” Lexi asks and then holds up her hand. “Wait, stop, don’t say anything because I don’t know if I want to know for real.”
“I’m not going into detail.” I smile. “But he can do things with his fingers that make me think he’s a magician.” Ariella hides her face. “And his—” I whistle and hold out my hand. Ariella now peeks through her fingers. “Yup.”
“I have so many questions,” Kylie states.