Chapter 2
Josie
Two Weeks Earlier
“Don’t drop the beer!” Sharon said.
I arrived at our booth in the corner of the bar with a cluster of three pints gripped in my hands. “Don’t doubt me. I’m a pro at slinging beer, whether to customers or my friends.”
Sharon frowned at the beer. “Who’s the third for? You expecting a date?”
“Keg blew before it was full,” I said, pointing to one glass that was an inch less full than the other two. “So the bartender gave it to me on the house.”
“Lucky night for us!” Sharon said, taking a glass and drinking it down. “Although I would prefer if you did have a gentleman caller joining us.”
I pointed a warning finger at her. “Don’t start with me.”
“I’m just saying…”
“You should just say anything else. Literally anything,” I insisted. “I’m not ready to get back out in the dating world. I just want to date myself for a while.”
Sharon rolled her eyes. “I hate that phrase. Dating yourself.”
“So do I, but it’s true in my case. After breaking up with Brent, I need a full detox from men.”
“You two dated less than a year. And it’s already been a month since your breakup.”
“And in another month, maybe I’ll be ready to get back out there.” I took a long pull from my beer. “How are your videos doing?”
“Fine. Just fine. I think I’ve plateaued—I’m getting the same number of views on every video, no matter when I upload.”
Sharon posted cooking videos on her TikTok account. She was really good at it, and she was attractive—which, let’s face it, mattered on these kinds of things—but she hadn’t gone viral yet.
Neither had I, unfortunately.
“I’m going to try posting ten videos a week instead of seven,” I told her. “Extra videos on the weekend, and maybe another on Tuesdays. I don’t know why, but my Tuesday videos always do a little better than the others.”
“Monday is my best day,” Sharon admitted. “Everyone’s meal-prepping at the start of the week, I think. Maybe I should do two videos then. But it’s hard not to get discouraged.”
“We just have to keep at it,” I said. “Eventually, a video will go viral, and then everything will change.”
“You don’t sound very convincing,” Sharon replied.
“It’s because I’m trying to convince myself, too,” I said with a laugh.
Sharon’s glanced at the TV on the wall. “Dang. We’re losing.”
“I couldn’t care less. I hate hockey.”
“I know you do,” she said, rolling her eyes. “You don’t have to tell me every time I bring it up. Next you’ll remind me that you dated a hockey player in college.”
“High school,” I corrected her. “And yes, I’m annoyed that we have to work hockey games now. The sport shouldn’t be played in a state that gets triple-digit heat in the summer. It should exist in Canada, and, like, a few northern states.”
“Win a date with Grayson Steele, captain of the Surge!” the announcer said. “Scan the QR code to enter!”
“Ugh, he’s so hot,” Sharon said.
“Please do all of your swooning while I’m not present.”
Her eyes cut to me. “Come on. Even if you don’t like hockey, you have to admit Grayson is fine.”
“I will do no such thing. There’s more to a man’s attractiveness than how he looks.”
“True, but Grayson is so hot it overwrites everything else about him. He could have the worst personality in the world and I would still go out with him.”
“Then you’re in luck, because I’m pretty sure he has as much charisma as a cardboard cutout,” I muttered. “Have you seen the car commercials he does?”
“You’re no fun,” Sharon said.
“I’m plenty of fun. Just not when it comes to hockey players.”
The television camera zoomed in on the Steele Wall himself, sitting on the bench during the game. A heavy scowl was glued to Grayson’s strong jawline, like he’d just bit into a lemon.
“I’d love for him to pin me to the board,” Sharon said.
“I’m going to the bathroom so you can swoon by yourself,” I said, sliding out of the booth.
“Good! I’ll swoon without anyone judging me!” she called back at me.
I weaved through the bar crowd to get to the restrooms. Two different men smiled at me on the way, one of whom was pretty good looking.
But I was serious about what I said to Sharon: I didn’t want to get involved with anyone right now.
I was glad things were over with Brent, but the relationship had left me emotionally drained. I needed time to recharge.
When I got back from the bathroom, Sharon was quickly tapping on her phone. “Texting Kyle?” I asked.
“No, something else,” she replied absently.
I leaned forward so I could see her screen. “Wait. You’re not signing up for that stupid Grayson Steele contest, are you?”
“Maybe…”
“Sharon! What about Kyle?”
“I’ve only been dating Kyle a month,” she replied, still tapping on the phone. “Besides, there’s no chance I’ll win. I think every woman in San Antonio has entered this contest.”
There was a massive roar as the entire bar reacted to something that happened in the hockey game.
Sharon and I craned our heads toward the screen in time to see the replay.
Number 11, Grayson Steele, wasn’t doing anything particularly interesting—he was standing next to his team’s goal, looking bored.
But then an opposing player tried to skate by him, and Grayson struck like a rattlesnake, raising his stick and cross-checking the opponent into the wall.
He crumpled to the ice while Grayson stole the puck and passed it to a teammate.
“And that’s why he’s called the Steele Wall!” the announcer said with pride.
“I’d let him smash me up against a wall,” Sharon muttered.
There was something strange about the way she was smiling at her phone, and it had nothing to do with the big hit Grayson just made. “You’re hiding something.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re not signing me up, are you?” I demanded. “Because I swear to God if you are…”
“Of course not!” she replied. “I wouldn’t do that to you.”
“Good,” I warned. “Because if you did, I would dump beer all over your head. That’s not an idle threat. I’m serious. I even have a free beer for dumping.” I tapped the third glass on the table.
She tried to hide a small smile, but I knew her well enough to notice. She was definitely hiding something. But then she put down her phone and said, “Did I tell you about what Kyle got me for my birthday? We’ve only been dating a month, but he bought me the cutest pair of earrings!”
As we discussed her new boyfriend, I forgot all about the contest and who she had signed up.