Chapter 14
fourteen
BLAIR
I’d forgotten how much fun it is to have girlfriends. And how noisy.
My phone buzzes on my desk for the umpteenth time, and I’m grateful no one else is around in the office.
I can’t have them thinking I’m not pulling my weight or that I’m not dedicated.
Because I am. Not only do I love this job so far, but I’m very, very dedicated to ensuring my little brother never has to worry about money or all the day-to-day stresses I’m constantly consumed with.
After the game the other night, Griffin introduced me to his wife, Mira. She and I hit it off immediately, and soon, I was chatting with Maddox’s wife, Isla, and Ryder’s girlfriend, Lexi. Then, somehow, I was added to a group chat titled Hockey Honeys. They’ve been texting nonstop ever since.
It took me a few days to feel comfortable enough to really engage in the chat—I think I’ve forgotten how to have friends—but now, almost a week later, I’m bantering with the best of them. It’s nice. Really nice.
I hadn’t realized how lonely I’ve been.
Between the three of them and Adrienne, I’m suddenly surrounded by women my age who want to be friends and are actually willing to put in the effort to make it happen. And not only that, but Reed and Eddie hit it off so well, they’ve hung out twice already since the game.
Things are finally looking up.
When my phone buzzes again, I flip it over and scan the recent messages.
Mira
So when are we hanging out? I love my husband, but I need a girls’ night.
Isla
Soon, please. School is so stressful already.
Lexi
I heard they opened one of those wine and painting places in Saint Paul. We could get one of the guys to be our driver for the night, get a little tipsy, and paint the worst artwork known to humanity.
Isla
That sounds really fun and also like you’ll all laugh at my terrible art skills.
Mira
Probably. But we’ll all be laughing at each other.
Lexi
Yay! Blair, are you in?
Isla
She’s working, and way more professional than any of us, so she probably hasn’t seen these messages yet.
Mira
Definitely more professional than me. I’m sitting at the desk in my office in a dirty tee and underwear. #bossbitch
I snort out a laugh at that but also wish I could be doing my work in my panties. That sounds nice. I used to walk around in nothing but a tank top and undies all the time when I had my own place. But now with Reed… Well, I don’t want to traumatize my brother any more than he already has been.
Me
I’d love to hang out soon, but you don’t have to plan around me. I have Reed, and he made it onto the football team, so life is about to get more hectic over here.
It takes no time at all for the women to text back, and I grin.
Isla
That’s amazing! Go Reed!
Lexi
We could do something near his school when he has practice! Or we could just bring coffees and snacks and sit in the bleachers with you while you watch.
Mira
Definitely. We’ll plan it around you. Whatever works.
It catches me off guard how much that easy declaration makes my chest tighten and my eyes fill with tears. I don’t even know these women, and they’re already putting in more effort than the vast majority of my friends did when I got custody of Reed. God, I’ve missed having friends.
Me
You really don’t need to do that.
Mira
Girl. We’re going to. Don’t fight it.
LOL. Well, a friend is picking Reed and her nephew up from practice on Friday, and then they’re having a sleepover. So Friday would work for me if you’re all free.
Isla
That would be perfect. The guys don’t have a game that night, so we can make one of them chauffeur our drunk asses around. Pretty sure they’re having a guys’ night, and Madds always ends up playing the designated driver. He won’t mind doing it for us too.
My stomach gives a little lurch at the possibility of seeing Logan, but I doubt he’d offer to drive a bunch of wine-drunk women around.
I shouldn’t worry. I’ve managed to avoid him since our last run-in—I even hid behind a plant at the employee and family night so he wouldn’t catch me watching him talk to Reed—and I’d like to keep it that way.
He’s an ass. Even if he was surprisingly sweet to my brother.
Reed couldn’t stop gushing about Logan on the drive home.
It’s good to know the surly Viking can be nice. Just apparently not to me.
Me
That sounds really fun. Count me in.
“Oh my god, you look so pretty!” Isla gushes from the front seat of the big, expensive-looking SUV. “Welcome to the party bus!”
The big, dark-haired man driving chuckles. “Hey, Blair. Good to see you again.”
“Hi, Maddox. Thanks for picking me up.” My palms are sweaty as I pull the door closed. God, I hope I’m not acting as awkward as I feel right now. Maddox and the rest of the guys have been nothing but nice, but I can’t help wondering if Logan knows he’s driving me around tonight with the girls.
“Anytime. Can’t have you ladies riding around with some stranger.”
The drive to the painting place doesn’t take long. Then we’re all waving goodbye to Isla’s husband and giggling as we walk inside. I’m at ease with these women, and I hope it stays that way.
The girl at the counter greets us, explaining how everything works as she leads us over to an empty table.
She runs through their small wine list, takes our orders, then leaves us to pick paint brushes and small pre-portioned cups of paint they’ve chosen to go along with the fall-themed painting we’ll be copying.
It’s an autumnal tree with orange leaves that blow in an invisible breeze with some pumpkins sitting by the base of the trunk.
It’s cute. I’m totally going to butcher it.
“I’ve always wanted to do this,” Isla says, grinning. “I’m so glad you thought of it, Lexi.”
Lexi has a handful of paint cups precariously balanced in her hand, and her face is a mask of concentration as she answers.
“Let’s just hope this wine is good. I want to be tipsy enough by the time we leave that I don’t even have to pretend that my painting isn’t terrible. Wine goggles for the win.”
“I just don’t understand why it has to be a tree,” I say. “Trees are so hard to paint. Why couldn’t it be a cute little ghost or something for Halloween?”
“So paint a ghost. Fuck the rules.” Mira shrugs, and the rest of us giggle.
“I’m not really a fuck the rules kind of girl,” I reply honestly.
Hell, pretty sure the fallout of my most recent rebellion is enough to ensure I’m forever a rule follower from now on.
You say fuck the rules and have one night of hot, filthy sex with a stranger, then you’re forced to work with his unreasonably grumpy ass as punishment. No thanks. I’m good.
“That’s okay. We’ll help push you out of your rule-following shell,” Lexi says casually before turning and strolling back to our table with her paints.
Isla rolls her eyes. “Don’t listen to her. There’s nothing wrong with playing it safe.”
My shoulders relax, grateful that at least one of these women understands.
“Although, if I had truly played it safe, I don’t think I’d be married to Maddox now. So maybe there’s something to be said for taking risks and breaking the rules every once in a while.”
“I definitely wouldn’t be married to Griffin if I didn’t take stupid risks sometimes. Though I blame the alcohol for that.” Mira winks and saunters off after Lexi.
“Come on. No need to look so scared. We’ll only corrupt you if you want us to.” Isla bumps my hip with hers. “Now, let’s go drink some wine and paint really terrible trees.”
We sip our first glasses of wine as the instructor runs us through some tips and techniques, then answers a few questions.
We’re already on our second glasses by the time she turns us loose to create on our own canvases.
Our table is silent for a few minutes as everyone sketches out their scene, and I begin to relax.
Some of the tension bleeds out of my shoulders, and I manage to stop clenching my stomach. This is nice. Relaxing, even.
Mira clears her throat. “So, are you going to tell us what happened with Logan?”
Well, it was relaxing.
Keeping my eyes on my very sad-looking tree, I try to modulate my tone and hope my voice doesn’t waver. “I’m not sure what you mean.”
Lexi snorts. “Uh-huh. Sure, you don’t.”
I lift my wineglass to my lips and take a sip to hide my reaction.
“Ladies, come on, leave her alone. If she doesn’t want to tell us about her night of passion with Logan, she doesn’t have to,” Isla says.
I nearly spit out my wine.
The three of them laugh, drawing the attention of everyone else in the room, while I want to melt into a puddle and disappear through the cracks in the laminate wood floor. “Oh my god.”
“I’m sorry,” Isla says, her face twisting into an exaggerated grimace, even as her eyes sparkle with mirth.
“It’s just… Logan told the guys a little about what happened, and we’re all curious.
Especially since he’s so clearly butthurt about whatever went down, and that’s not like him at all.
Logan doesn’t get butthurt over women. Ever. ”
My face heats. “I doubt he’s even given me a second thought.
” At least not a second good thought. He definitely thinks I’m a liar and that I’m trying to…
Well, I don’t know what exactly he thinks I’m trying to do.
Entrap him? What decade does he think this is?
I make my own money. I’m sure as hell not going to try to snag a man because he’s rich.
Especially not when he’s such a self-righteous, pompous douchebag.