Chapter Thirteen
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
VIVIAN
I ’m in desperate need of coffee this morning due to a very restless night of sleep. I’m not easily surprised, but Mac asking me out completely caught me off guard. In fact, the whole evening has left me confused. At first I was annoyed when Jaclyn cancelled, but now I wonder if I should thank her. Her being a no-show gave Mac and I a chance to talk, and as much as I hate to admit it, I enjoyed every second. I feel like I’m going against every instinct and rational bone in my body. This is the same man who rarely acknowledged me for years and then smugly bragged to his friends that I was into him like every other woman he encounters. Still, he’s managed to convince me to let my guard down. This is something that rarely happens. I’m well known for my stubbornness, and Mac was able to push through that boundary.
There’s also the very important fact that in a few months he will leave to return to his life playing professional hockey and to his legions of superfans, including women everywhere. Still, here I am—intelligent and independent Vivian succumbing to his irresistible charm. It’s beyond frustrating .
Despite my hesitation, I believe Mac isn’t a bad guy. It’s obvious he’d do anything for his supporters and friends. He takes time out of his life to talk to every one of them. I know there are plenty of athletes and celebrities who would rather not be bothered. I suppose I’m choosing to focus on the generous and funny side of him, and I know people grow and change with time. Maybe Mac has changed for the better.
Aside from my confusing feelings surrounding Mac, there’s Cash. I enjoy my time with him, and he’s not leaving to return to a career of fame. It’s still new, so I’m not getting ahead of myself—I’ve been down this road before. Katie may have her mind made up, but that doesn’t mean Cash and I are end game.
Meanwhile, Addi is already working on her own matchmaking scheme for Claire and Mac. Hearing that they’re spending time together this weekend bothers me. I had a front row seat to their flirtation when we met to plan the twins’ party.
I finally drag myself to the kitchen to make a cup of coffee and then curl up on the couch under a blanket. It’s eight o’clock on Saturday morning. I have some errands to run today, but I’m strongly considering blowing them off to stay in my pajamas and binge the Real Housewives all day.
I turn on the TV, but my mind continues to wander to Mac and Claire spending time together. Ugh—make it stop.
I reach for my phone and click on Katie’s number. It’s early, so she may not be awake yet. This still doesn’t stop me from calling her.
“Good morning,” she answers cheerfully.
“You’re up early.”
“Yes, I’m on my way to family brunch with Addi’s parents. Apparently our lives will revolve around Kyle’s wedding from now until the big day.”
I laugh. “You only have yourself to blame. You helped set it in motion.”
“I know. What was I thinking?” she wails. “What are you doing? I’m assuming you’ve been up for a while since you never sleep in.”
She knows me well.
“Sitting on my couch, drinking coffee. I need to run some errands later. Do you have plans with Dallin tonight?”
“No, he’s going to a Cubs game,” she says. “Want to meet for dinner?”
“Yes. I was going to ask if you wanted to meet. I’m craving chips and queso.”
This will give me a chance to talk to her about Mac. I don’t like feeling like I’m keeping something from her.
We make plans to meet at our favorite Mexican restaurant at seven. Now I have an entire day to sort out my feelings before I talk to her, which might be easier said than done.
Doesn’t everyone have their go-to favorite restaurants? Casa del Sol Cantina has been around for generations. My grandparents used to take us here on Sunday evenings when I was younger, and to this day I order the same entrée.
So naturally it shouldn’t come as a surprise when Kyle, Addi, Mac, and Claire walk in while I’m shoveling chips, salsa, and queso into my mouth. The last place I want to be tonight is the same location as Mac and his date.
“Hey, you two,” Addi squeals. “I guess we were all in the mood for Casa tonight. ”
I nod, covering my mouth while trying to swallow the mouthful of chips—conveniently avoiding Mac’s amused expression.
“When are we not in the mood for Casa?” Katie exclaims. “Dallin’s at the Cubs game, so Vivi and I are having a girls night.”
As soon as I swallow, I stand up to hug Addi and Kyle because it’s the first time I’ve seen them since the engagement. “Congratulations on your exciting news. I’m so happy for you both. Now let me see the ring.”
Addi holds up her hand to reveal a diamond so large it makes her fingers look tiny.
“Isn’t it perfect?” Claire interjects. “And the wedding will be even more spectacular.”
I’m guessing event planner extraordinaire Claire will be very involved in the big day.
“It’s stunning,” I reply. “Good job, Kyle. I’m impressed.”
“Thanks, Vivi,” Addi says, squeezing my hand. “I know you all helped Kyle make it perfect. I appreciate it so much. We have the best people supporting us.”
I shoot a side glance at Mac, who’s still looking at me. “It was a team effort.”
“Exactly. We’d do anything for Kyle,” Mac says, patting his shoulder.
“Aw thanks, honey,” Kyle teases. He and Mac both start laughing. Admittedly it is nice seeing them together again, and they joke around with each other like no time has passed.
“Anyway, I’m starving,” Addi says. “You two enjoy, and next time I’m joining you.”
“Me too,” Claire exclaims, inviting herself.
We say goodbye, and they head to a table on the other side of the restaurant .
“I don’t understand why Addi is trying to set Claire up with Mac,” Katie says as soon as they leave. “Nothing will come from it.”
“What do you mean?”
Admittedly I’m thrilled to hear this.
She sips her margarita. “You know I adore Mac, but he’ll be gone before we know it. He’s not interested in anything long term. And Claire isn’t his type anyway.”
“How do you know what Mac’s type is?”
She shrugs. “Just a guess. And maybe Claire is fine with a summer fling.”
A summer fling? That’s probably what I would be too. Suddenly I feel stupid for even entertaining the idea.
“What’s wrong?” Katie asks, a concerned look on her face.
“Nothing,” I say. “Are you ready to order?”
“So tell me about Cash? He told Dallin he had a great time at lunch with you.”
I force a smile. “We did. And he asked me out again. We haven’t spoken in a few days. I guess work has been crazy for him.”
Katie eyes me curiously. “Are you interested? Tell me the truth.”
I clear my throat. “I am. Of course I’m still getting to know him…”
What she doesn’t know is I can’t stop thinking about a man who’s currently on a date with another woman across the restaurant.
“It takes time,” she says. “Remember, Dallin and I didn’t exactly hit it off at first.”
I nod. “Yes, but you did have very strong chemistry.”
“Very,” she exclaims. “But we both got on the others’ nerves. He thought I was bossy and opinionated. ”
“Imagine that,” I tease.
She gives me a dirty look. “Very funny.”
“And I thought he was too sarcastic,” she says. “But when we got past those things, the chemistry took over and it was all we needed. And now his sarcasm is one of my favorite qualities.”
I smile.
“My point is, even if you and Cash like each other, it might still take time to form a connection. Don’t rule it out yet.”
“I’m not…”
We continue talking throughout our dinner, and thankfully I don’t have a view of Mac and Claire on their date. I had planned on talking to Katie about my conversation with him, but I hold off. It can be a conversation for another day, or not.
I’m not even home five minutes before I change into my pajamas. My stomach is full, and I’m ready to relax. I make myself a cup of tea, and as soon as I sit down my phone buzzes.
My stomach does a flip when I see a message from Mac on my screen.
Hey.
I don’t know whether to be happy or irritated. Is he really messaging me while he’s out with another woman? This would be the person I always believed he was. I’m worried he might be proving me right. I start typing.
This is low—even for you. Texting me while you’re on a date. Why am I not surprised ?
I guess Katie was spot on when she mentioned Mac having a summer fling.
My phone rings after a few seconds. I sigh when I see Mac’s number.
“Hello.”
“I’m offended by your message,” he says.
I roll my eyes. “Good. I’m offended you’re texting me while you’re out with Claire.”
“Whoa—slow down. I’m not with Claire anymore. Why do you always think the worst of me?”
I take in a sharp breath but don’t reply.
“I think you owe me an apology,” he adds.
“An apology, for what?” I exclaim. “You just had dinner with another woman and now you’re calling me.”
“I had dinner with a friend ,” he says. “And now I’m calling another friend . Really, Vivi I’m not as bad as you seem to think.”
I scowl. This man is infuriating, but maybe I did jump to conclusions without getting all the details.
“Fine. Why are you calling?”
I’m trying to ignore the feeling of my heart beating loudly against the walls of my chest. My strong reaction is worrying me.
“Do you still want to hang out?”
Um…every cell in my body is shouting yes, and I wish I could make them stop.
“Sure,” I say, trying to sound nonchalant.
“How about now?” he asks.
Now? I look down at my oversized pajamas and cup of tea.
“Um, I’m already in my pajamas. Once I get comfortable, I have no plans of going out again. ”
“So? I can come over there, then you don’t have to change.”
Are we really having this conversation? Admittedly I’m torn—there is a part of me that wants to see him.
“Why don’t we plan something for next week?”
“I can bring ice cream,” he adds, ignoring my suggestion.
Oh, now he’s really going above and beyond. How can I say no to ice cream?
“Fine. I’ll send you my address.”
“Cool. See you soon.”
He ends the call before I have a chance to say another word. I don’t move for a few seconds. What just happened? Mac used his charm and ice cream to secure an invite. I don’t recognize myself anymore. After a few minutes of replaying the entire conversation, I send him my address.
I usually keep my house very clean, so I don’t feel the need to rush around putting things away. Plus, it’s Mac—I have no desire to try to impress him. I continue to sip my tea as my mind races. What will we talk about? We could barely stand to be around each other only a few days ago, and now we’re hanging out on a random Saturday night. I guess the one thing Mac and I have in common is we’d do anything for our friends.
After about thirty minutes my doorbell rings. My heart is racing as I move to answer the door.
I open it to find Mac standing in my doorway holding two shopping bags.
“I come in peace,” he announces, holding up the bags.
I laugh. “It’s a good thing, or else I’d ask you to leave the ice cream and go.”
I hold open the door to allow him inside.
“I get it,” he says. “I think I went a little overboard. I didn’t know what flavor you like, so I bought a variety. ”
I lead him to the kitchen, and he sets the bags on the island.
"I like any flavor except strawberry," I say.
"Are you serious? Strawberry is the best." he exclaims.
"Just one more thing we don't agree on. Shocking," I reply.
He chuckles as he unloads the bags. Wow. He must’ve grabbed every available flavor—plus chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, and whipped cream. I guess we’re having a sundae bar. Life sure is full of surprises.
I get bowls and spoons out of the cabinets while he opens all the cartons. Neither of us says anything about why he’s here, but for some reason it’s not awkward. As soon as we’re sitting on the couch with our bowls, I bring up the elephant in the room.
“So, you’re in my house eating ice cream,” I mutter.
He looks around. “Yep. Your place is nice.”
“Thank you…”
“I appreciate you inviting me over,” he says.
“Well you sort of invited yourself. I only agreed to it after you mentioned ice cream.”
“I figured,” he says. “It was the first thing that came to my mind.”
I’m quiet for a few seconds before I decide to rip off the Band-Aid and get some answers.
“Why did you want to hang out tonight? A few hours ago you were with Claire.”
He nods. “I was. We had a meal, great conversation, and then it was over.”
“And you decided to call me…”
“I did,” he hesitates. “The truth is after I saw you at Casa, I couldn’t stop thinking about when we might see each other again. And I know that probably makes me sound as bad as you think I am.”
I scratch my forehead. “Honestly, I’m confused.”
He sighs. “That makes two of us—I’ve been thinking about you a lot since I’ve been back. Probably more than I want to admit…”
A feeling of relief comes over me. At least I haven’t been imagining the energy between us. Hearing him say this doesn’t mean I’m ready to let my guard down. Ultimately, I’m not interested in being a summer fling for Mac Evans.
“Please say something,” he begs.
I let out puff of air. “I’m trying to figure out what to say. I guess I’m still trying to wrap my brain around the fact you’re in my house eating ice cream.”
He grins. “Exciting, isn’t it?”
“I’m sure it would be for some people,” I say. “You are sort of famous.”
He shrugs. “To some people. Speaking of which, I think you should watch a hockey game. You can’t make an educated decision about something until you experience it.”
I groan. I really don’t like sports, but he’s right.
“Okay, I’ll watch one game,” I agree.
“Awesome. It’s the off season, but we can rewatch a game from last season. It’s not the same as being there in person, but this will have to do for now. ”
He reaches for the remote and scrolls until he finds YouTube.
“Go ahead and make yourself comfortable,” I say, my tone dripping with sarcasm.
He gives me a smug smile. “I will, thanks.”
I give him an eye roll. “Okay, so which team are we watching? Cash mentioned the Glacier something are the best team. He and his brother are huge fans. ”
Yes. I’m trying to push his buttons by mentioning a different team. It’s what we do best.
“I’ll pretend you didn’t just say that,” he replies as he continues to scroll.
“Well, if I’m going to watch hockey, I’ll need to find the right team to cheer for. And I need to see their uniforms first to make sure I like the colors.”
Mac purses his lips but doesn’t say anything for a few seconds.
“Here we go,” he says. “Now we’re rooting for the Tennessee Wolves. They are the team in the blue and silver.”
I make a face. “Blue and silver? I don’t know.”
He turns to me. “What? You can’t choose a team based on their colors.”
“Why not? Last I checked I’m old enough to make my own decisions.” I pause. “I wonder what colors the Glacier team wears.”
Of course I can’t remember the correct name for the Glaciers. I just know they are Cash’s favorite team.
"You're trying to rile me up, and I don't find it amusing."
I press my lips together to keep from laughing. Unfortunately a giggle escapes.
“Ha. I knew it.”
“I still don’t know which team I’m cheering for,” I tell him. “I need to study stats, highlights, and make sure the players have integrity. This is just how my brain works.”
“Whatever you say,” he says. “Now here we go.”
He starts the game, and I make every effort to pay attention. It’s still surreal that he’s here, sitting next to me on my couch. I can’t deny he’s good-looking, and his passion for what he does makes him even more attractive. Every so often he’ll explain something that’s happening. It’s interesting to watch knowing that he’s on the screen .
“This next play is important,” he exclaims, moving closer to me on the couch. “Very intense. Are you ready?”
“I’m ready,” I say.
I watch as the puck hurtles toward the net. The fans are on their feet as a player on the other team unleashes a powerful shot making the puck fly. The goalie (Mac) leans to the side, extending his padded leg while his gloved hand flashes upward. The puck smacks against his blocker with the loudest thud then ricochets against the boards.
“Wow,” I exclaim louder than intended just as Mac shouts, “Yes.”
“That’s what I’m talking about,” he says pausing the game. “Impressive, right?”
Yes.
“Okay. I’m a little impressed.”
“I told you,” he says excitedly. “You just had to witness the action.”
I giggle. “You were right.”
His mouth drops open. “Oh, please say that again.”
“You were right,” I repeat.
“This is the greatest day of my life.”
I snort. “Oh, I hope that’s not true.”
He shrugs and turns toward me. “It’s not far from it.”
Am I dreaming this? Mac and I are sitting semi-close to each other on my couch watching a hockey game. I feel like I’ve entered an alternate universe.
The chemistry crackling between us is undeniable, and if he kissed me right now, I wouldn’t mind one bit. It’s official—I’ve completely lost my grip on rational thought.
He clears his throat. “Shall we continue the game?”
I’m instantly snapped back into reality.
“Yes. Let’s do that.”
He shifts his position on the couch and restarts the game. I am a bit more interested in the game now despite the energy swirling around the room. Thankfully a fight breaks out on the screen distracting me.
“That was a cheap shot,” I blurt out.
“I know,” he says. “Cooper can handle himself though. He’s one of the best I’ve ever played with.”
“He looks mean.”
Mac laughs. “Everyone thinks so, but it couldn’t be farther from the truth. He just takes hockey very seriously.”
“I can tell.”
“He can’t stand the public part of the job—all the attention.”
“Oh—so then opposite of you?”
“Exactly,” he says with a hint of a smile. “He is also engaged to his publicist.”
“Ohhh, is that considered a scandal?”
He shrugs. “Maybe. Cooper doesn’t care about that stuff. I’ve always been in awe of how he isn’t affected by what people say about him. I wish I was more like that.”
“You can’t change who you are.”
He sighs. “I guess, but I can try to do better.”
Suddenly a thought occurs to me that Mac may not be as shallow as I believed. Maybe there is more to him than he lets on.
He turns the game back on, and we continue watching as the Tennessee Wolves win by a score of three to two. Surprisingly it kept my attention, despite the wild thoughts of Mac kissing me.
“You did it,” he says. “You sat through your first hockey game.”
“I survived.”
He laughs. “What do you think? ”
Ha. I’m thinking a lot of things right now—most of which I’m not saying out loud.
“It was entertaining. Nonstop action and it kept my interest.”
He nods proudly. I’m expecting him to pat himself on the back.
“Wait until you see a game live and in person. You’ll be hooked.”
My brain immediately starts spinning with questions. Is he referring to me seeing one of his games?
“Maybe.”
We both grow quiet for a few seconds until Mac’s the first to break the silence.
“It’s getting late—I should probably go,” he says, sitting up.
Ugh. Is it bad I don’t want him to leave yet?
“Yes,” I say, hopping off the couch. “You need to take all the ice cream out of this house.”
“Nope that was a gift from me.”
I smile. “I appreciate it, but you can’t leave six cartons of ice cream at a woman’s house.”
He shoves his hands in the pockets of his jeans. “Well, I was thinking I could leave them here for next time.”
Next time?
“Are you inviting yourself over again?”
He nods. “I guess I am…would that be okay?”
I chew on my lower lip. While my guard has come down a bit, it’s not completely down. “Sure.”
“Okay, great.”
I follow him as he walks to the door.
“In the meantime, I hope you’ll study up on your hockey knowledge. There will be a quiz.”
I giggle. “I’m good at quizzes. ”
He opens the door and turns.
“Thanks for hanging out tonight. I had fun.”
My heart is pounding so loudly, I wonder if he can hear it.
“Thanks for the ice cream and the hockey lesson,” I say, leaning on the door.
He hesitates for a second before stepping outside.
“I’ll talk to you soon, Vivi. Good night.”
“Good night, Mac,” I say, before he disappears into the darkness.
I close the door and cover my face with my hands. What just happened?