5. Dax
dax
. . .
I’m in trouble now.
My cousin’s attitude practically comes charging in through my front door before she does. Vivi takes off her shades and gives me an icy glare. “What do you have to say for yourself, Daxon Rogers?”
“Good morning to you, too, Cuz.” I run a hand through my bedhead and walk backwards through the foyer. The sound of her high heels clicking against the tile floor fills the air as she follows me. “Great timing. I just made coffee. Want some?”
“I’ve had two cups already. And we both know that’s not why I’m here.”
When we arrive in the kitchen, I pour myself a cup, then grab a seat on one of the stools at the center island. Vivi stays standing, so we’re almost eye to eye. There’s no escaping now, so I don’t bother avoiding the topic any longer. “I know I messed up. I shouldn’t have kissed Charlie.”
“Kissing her wasn’t the bad part, Dax, ghosting her was! It’s been almost a week, and you still haven’t called or even texted her. What gives? Were you just stringing her along?”
“Of course not!” I set my mug down with such force, some of the liquid splashes out.
It never bothered me before to get close to a woman, but ever since Charlie and I kissed, I’ve been torn up with guilt.
“I promised Coach I’d get my act together.
I’m supposed to focus on the game and not get involved with a woman until playoffs are over.
But I couldn’t even last a day. The instant I met Charlie, I was hooked.
I like her a lot, in a way I’ve never felt about anyone before. ”
“Why didn’t you tell her any of this? She thinks she misread your cues and crossed the line by kissing you.”
My stomach sinks. “Why would she think that?”
“Maybe because you left her right afterwards and haven’t tried to contact her since? That was a rhetorical question, if you couldn’t tell,” she adds with a raised eyebrow.
My hand balls up into a tight fist. I hate that I made Charlie question how I feel about her.
But who could blame her for thinking the worst about our kiss?
That was a jerk move that I made and one I’ve regretted every single second since it happened.
“Even if I could date Charlie right now, I don’t deserve her.
She’s too good for me. She deserves better, so much better. ”
Vivi stares at me for a good five seconds before she shakes her head. She presses her lips together like she’s holding back a smile. “I should be mad at you, but all I feel is pride. I’m proud of you, Cuz.”
Her words don’t make any sense. I eye her suspiciously. “Are you sure you only had coffee this morning? Who are you, and what have you done with Vivi?”
“Yes, I’m sure.” She rolls her eyes, looking more like the cousin I know.
“You’re finally growing up—that’s why I’m proud of you.
I’ve never heard you talk about a woman like this before.
Like you’re considering her needs above your own.
You actually sound thoughtful and responsible and, dare I say, a little mature? ”
“That’s probably the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me, but the delivery could use a little work,” I add with a smirk. “I don’t know much about being mature, but I do know that Charlie’s not a woman I want to play around with. I want something real with her. Something that will last.”
“Do you hear yourself? You are the kind of man Charlie should be with. So, be that man and go see her!”
My shoulders loosen a bit, but I’m still not feeling a hundred percent confident. “And what do I say? I like you, but we can’t be in a relationship for six months? I can’t expect her to wait for me.”
“How do you know she won’t unless you ask? Honestly, Dax, for someone who thinks fast on the ice, you’re really falling behind here on your logic.” She places a hand on her hip. “It’s simple, really. Do you or do you not like Charlie?”
“Of course I do.”
“Do you want to tell her it wasn’t her fault you left her high and dry after you guys kissed?” Holding up a finger, she warns me, “The answer to that question better be yes.”
I nod eagerly. “Without a doubt, yes.”
“Thank goodness. My job here is done. I’ll show myself out. You should go change and do something about your hair. I know Charlie likes you, but you don’t want to give her any reason to change her mind,” she adds with a grin. “Later, Cuz!”
No longer needing caffeine, since I have a burst of adrenaline in my veins after this chat, I set down my coffee and start forming a plan.
Vivi’s right. It’s time to be like one of the leading men that Charlie writes about.
One who does and says exactly what she needs me to do to prove to her how much I care.
I told her how special I think she is; now it’s time to show her.
In the romance world, it’s called a grand gesture.
That’s one of the many terms I learned about this past week when I read everything I could find about Charlie online.
Interviews, blog posts, reader reviews—I devoured them all.
If she was willing to dive into the world of hockey, I’m down to learn all I can about romance.
I even listened to four of her audiobooks while I worked out.
Because there’s no better person to learn about romance from than a romance author.
It’s like Charlie gave me a romance playbook to go by to win her back. And that’s exactly what I plan to do.
But first, I need to give Coach a call. He’s not only my boss on the ice, he’s also the father figure I never had. It’s important that I have his backing on this decision, especially since it goes against our agreement.
He picks up on the third ring. “Rogers! I thought you’d be taking it easy on our day off.”
“I am, but I wanted to talk to you about something, if you have a minute.”
“Sure thing. Don’t tell me you’re already itching to go over strategy for tomorrow’s game?
You just need to keep on doing what you’ve been doing.
You’ve been standing on your head the past three games.
I couldn’t ask for anything more. It looks like this commitment to stay focused and not be distracted by ladies is working. ”
“That’s actually what I want to talk about, the not being distracted part.” I take a deep breath before announcing, “I met someone, Coach.”
“And? You meet girls all the time. What are you saying?”
“It’s different this time. Charlie’s different.”
“Charlie? Why does that name sound familiar? Wait a sec, are you talking about Vivi’s friend?”
“Yes, that’s her.”
“I met her the other day when she came to interview me. Bright girl and pretty, too. She’s the one who’s caught your eye?”
“She’s done more than that. Charlie’s amazing. She helped me realize why I’d been off my game recently, and she motivated me to get back on track. She’s the reason why I’ve been playing better.”
“You’re saying the recent climb in your save percentage is because of a woman?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Well, I’ll be…” Coach’s laughter comes over the line. “You need to bring her around again so I can thank her.”
“I will, Coach, assuming I haven’t messed things up too badly between us. I owe her an apology.”
He scoffs. “If you play this well when the two of you are on the outs, I can’t wait to see how well you do when you’re back in her good graces. Go get her back, Rogers!”
“I will. Thank you, Coach.”
With that conversation in the bag, I’m more than ready to see Charlie now. The real question, though, is if she’ll want to see me.