36. Bust a Move
Bust a Move
I t was the evening before Thanksgiving, a cool breeze filtering in through the small space of the window they’d cracked open.
The warm lights of the floor lamps reflected off the hardwood floors as Cassie set takeout containers and plates on the coffee table.
The familiar aroma of Chinese food filled the air as she loaded up a plate for each of them.
Alex sat curled up on the couch, their legs tucked beneath them, reviewing Cassie’s notes on next week’s AV.
They had fallen into a rhythm over the past few weeks…
long nights spent working side by side, takeout dinners shared on the couch, and soft laughter over old hockey stories.
It was almost effortless, this new thing between them, but tonight Cassie couldn’t shake the weight of what she wanted to say.
She handed Alex their plate, her fingers brushing against theirs as she did.
“Thanks,” Alex said, glancing up with a smile that warmed Cassie from the inside out. “You didn’t have to feed me again.”
Cassie smirked, settling beside them on the couch a little closer than usual. “You’re basically part of the furniture at this point,” she teased.
Alex raised a brow, the corners of their mouth twitching in amusement. “That sounds… flattering.”
Cassie let out a small laugh, but it didn’t land quite right. Her knee bounced nervously in the silence that followed.
Alex caught it. Their gaze shifted, softening with concern. “Did something happen?”
Cassie hesitated, her fork hovering over a piece of grilled chicken. Her hand was steady, but her stomach felt like it was in knots. She set the fork down, swallowing hard before meeting Alex’s eyes. “Actually… I’ve been thinking about something,” she said, forcing herself to meet their eyes.
Alex straightened a little, brows scrunching in concern. “Is everything okay?”
“Yes,” Cassie said, and then, more firmly, “Yeah. It is.”
“I know the expansion project has been a lot. And I know the last few months have been… crazy.”
Alex opened their mouth, but Cassie held up a hand.
“I like you. I think you know that,” she said simply.
“I liked you before I knew who you were, and somehow I like you even more now. You’ve been patient, and kind, and more than I probably deserve after the way I treated you at first. But I don’t want to keep waiting around for the right moment, because I think I already missed it—twice. ”
Alex blinked slowly, like they weren’t sure this was real.
Cassie took a deep breath, letting the air fill her lungs as she gathered her thoughts.
“You’ve been living with your sister,” she said, the words coming faster now, almost tumbling out.
“Dodging her boyfriend’s socks, and commuting like a lunatic.
And, I mean, you’ve basically bee n here half the time anyway, so…
” Cassie trailed off, heart pounding now that the words were real, hovering in the air.
Alex blinked, processing it for a moment, their mouth slightly open. “Are you saying…?”
Cassie shifted on the couch, trying to brace herself for whatever might come next.
“I’m saying…” She swallowed hard. “If you wanted to… only if you really wanted to… maybe you could move in. With me.” Her stomach twisted as soon as she said it, like she was daring the universe to respond.
She could feel herself starting to panic, the vulnerability making her breath catch in her throat.
For several seconds, Alex didn’t say anything.
Cassie’s heart began to race. She opened her mouth, ready to backpedal, to explain it away, but before she could, Alex reached out, their hand gently covering hers.
It was a small gesture, but it was enough to stop her cold. Alex whispered, “Are you sure?”
Cassie closed the space with a kiss. Slow, sweet, sure of herself in a way she hadn’t been in months.
“You want to live together?” Alex’s voice was quiet. Awed.
“I do,” Cassie said. “And you should probably know I don’t do halfway,” she added with a smirk.
“Neither do I,” Alex said, their smile growing. “But I should warn you… my sister and Kellan are definitely already planning our living arrangements.”
Cassie laughed, resting her forehead against theirs. “Of course they are.”
“And apparently they’re calling it ‘Operation Move-In’ or ‘Roommate Realness’ or something terrible like that.”
Cassie shook her head. “They need a hobby.”
Alex smirked. “We’re their hobby.”
“God help us.”
***
Early Thanksgiving afterno on, the sun casting warm light across Tricia’s backyard.
A charcuterie board sat mostly untouched on the patio table.
Tricia lounged in a rattan chair, sipping something with bubbles and citrus.
Kellan stood nearby, dramatically recounting a story that may or may not have been entirely true.
When Cassie and Alex arrived together, side by side, there was an undeniable shift in the atmosphere. It was unmistakable, and Tricia, who had always had a keen sense for these things, raised an eyebrow. Kellan froze mid-sentence, eyes narrowing suspiciously.
“You’re late,” Tricia said, smirking. “And weirdly coordinated. Are you wearing matching flannel?”
Cassie glanced down at her outfit, realizing, to her horror, that she and Alex were indeed dressed in matching plaid. Their eyes met in a guilty surprise. Cassie hadn’t noticed it earlier, and apparently neither had Alex. That made it all the worse.
Kellan’s expression immediately shifted from suspicion to playful accusation, and they pointed a carrot stick at them like it was some kind of weapon. “Something happened.”
Alex cleared their throat. “Okay, before you both start—”
“Oh my god! You asked them?” Kellan gasped, hand flying to their chest.
Cassie blinked. “How did you—?”
“I knew it !” Kellan shouted, spinning in place with far too much glee. “Operation Home Sweet ‘Oh’ lives!”
“I think you mean Operation Home Ice Advantage,” Tricia muttered under her breath, but she didn’t look upset. In fact, she looked rather pleased with herself.
Cassie rolled her eyes, dropping into an empty chair beside Alex. She crossed her arms, trying to play it cool. “It’s not a big deal. It’s practical.”
“So practical,” Alex agreed, their tone completely deadpan. “Nothing says practicality like shared Wi-Fi passwords and closet space negotiations.”
“I need a minute,” Kellan said dramatically. “Our babies are all grown up. They’re nesting.”
“We’re not nesting ,” Cassie snapped, then paused. “Are we nesting?”
Alex looked thoughtful, tapping their fingers on their glass. “We did order one of those fridge organizers last night.”
“YOU’RE NESTING,” Kellan shrieked.
Tricia raised her glass with a sly grin. “To love. And property taxes.”
Cassie groaned, sinking lower into her chair. Alex laughed, their chuckles light and easy, while Kellan raised both arms in victory, practically glowing with pride.
“THE SHIP HAS SAILED. I AM A GENIUS,” Kellan shouted to the heavens, or perhaps just to the patio, but they were convinced the universe had conspired in their favor.
Cassie buried her face in her hands, wanting to melt into the seat.
Alex leaned closer, their voice a quiet whisper just loud enough for Cassie to hear. “We’re going to regret this, aren’t we?”
Cassie peeked at them through her fingers, her voice a soft murmur. “Only if we survive it.”
The teasing didn’t stop for the rest of the evening, and by the time they moved from the patio to the dining room, Cassie was sure her face would be permanently flushed from embarrassment.
Alex seemed to take it all in stride, throwing playful jabs back at Kellan while Tricia kept the drinks flowing and the atmosphere light.
Eventually, they migrated inside, lured by the promise of food and the rapidly cooling evening air. The table was ridiculous… warm tones and Pinterest-level centerpieces. Tricia had gone all out, even though she insisted it was “just a chill, Friendsgiving vibe.”
Cassie brought wine. Kellan brought homemade cranberry sauce. Alex brought a pie from that one bakery in Brentwood everyone loved but no one could ever get a table at.
Tricia didn’t bring Jack.
She told her parents he was flying home to Wisconsin to spend Thanksgiving with his family. That wasn’t a lie. What she didn’t tell them was that she’d never once considered going with him. Not this year. Not with everything else hanging in the air.
Their mom was confused. Their dad, judgmental. But Tricia just smiled and kept refilling the mashed potatoes.
The four of them ate too much, laughed too loudly, played a cutthroat game of Taboo , and for a few hours, it felt like none of the rest mattered.
The morning after Thanksgiving dawned slow and quiet, sunlight filtering through the windows of Cassie’s house. The leftover warmth from the previous night’s celebration still lingered, wrapped around them like a familiar, comforting presence.
Alex stretched under the covers, blinking sleep from their eyes, and couldn’t help the small, contented smile that tugged at their lips. The memory of Cassie, shy, hopeful, asking them to move in, played on a loop in their mind, even as they watched her sleep next to them.
By midmorning, they were back at Tricia’s place, packing up the guest room with a sense of finality.
Alex zipped up the last suitcase and glanced around the room.
A neat stack of boxes sat by the d oor—books, framed photos, a worn hoodie from their New York days.
One box was simply labeled “STUFF I NEVER USE BUT CAN’T THROW AWAY. ”
They took one last look at the room. On the door, Tricia’s sticky note still read:
“MOVE OUT OR MARRY JACK.”
Alex smirked and muttered, “Message received.”
By Friday afternoon, the front yard was a controlled chaos of pizza boxes and moving supplies. Tricia and Kellan carried in boxes while pretending not to compete about who was stronger. Kellan shot Tricia a look and quipped, “Don’t mind me, just lifting with my trauma.”
Alex followed with a laundry basket and two mismatched mugs they’d forgotten to pack, grinning as they kicked the door closed with their foot. Cassie stood at the entrance, amusement dancing in her eyes.
“You brought both mugs?” she teased.
“They’re a set,” Alex replied. “One says ‘bossy’ and the other says ‘hot.’ I figured they belonged here.”
Cassie raised an eyebrow. “I get to be hot.”
“Obviously.”
By evening, the house was quiet, and the chaos had settled into a more manageable mess. Boxes were half-unpacked, and a record player hummed low in the corner, filling the room with soft, crackling melodies. Cassie pulled one of Alex’s hoodies from a moving box and tossed it onto the bed.
Alex came up behind her, arms slipping around her waist, their chin resting on her shoulder.
“You sure you’re okay with this?” Alex murmured, voice soft and a little uncertain.
Cassie leaned back into the hug, letting out a contented sigh. “I d on’t think I’ve been more sure of anything in my life.”
Monday morning came too soon, pulling them from the warm cocoon of their first weekend living together.
Back at the office, Leah sat across from Cassie and Alex, her eyes narrowing over the rim of her coffee mug.
“So let me get this straight,” she said, setting the mug down.
“You two are dating… and now you’re living together…
and you still want me to believe you’re going to keep things professional at work? ”
Cassie shifted in her seat. “We’re adults.”
Alex added quickly, “And very committed to being transparent.”
“Uh-huh.” Leah eyed them both. “You do realize HR usually prefers the ‘don’t ask, don’t smooch in the break room policy?”
“We’ve agreed to keep it out of the office,” Cassie said. “Fully.”
Alex nodded. “Completely.”
Leah stared at them a bit longer, then sighed. “Fine. Just remember, if this turns into a dramatic breakup that derails Horizon, I will make you present the quarterly results in mime.”
They both nodded solemnly.
“Get out of my office,” she muttered, but there was a small smile on her face as she went back to her coffee.
The week passed in a blur of meetings and deadlines, but by Saturday evening, they found themselves back on the ice, tangled up in another chaotic game.
The Queens faced off against the Arctic Blades, the rink buzzing with energy.
It was fast, chaotic, and way too personal.
Cassie sent Alex flying with a perfectly timed hip check.
From the ice, Alex grinned. “You’re lucky I like you.”
Cassie skated past, barely glancing back. “Oh, I’m counting on it.”
Jess shouted from the bench, “STOP FLIRTING AND DEFEND.”
Later that night, they gathered at Cassie’s house, the kitchen tabl e covered in takeout containers and open laptops. Tricia was thoroughly beating Kellan at a board game, much to their dismay, while Alex leaned in the doorway, watching Cassie sip wine and scroll through a slide deck.
The house felt fuller now. Lived-in. Like something real was taking shape. Outside, the world moved on with deadlines closing in and responsibilities looming. But inside, it felt like everything was finally falling into place.