Page 1 of Going All In

Chapter 1

“Don’t make mecome in there and zip you into that dress,” Darcy’s roommate, Ally, called out from the living room.

“But I don’t want to go,” Darcy muttered, staring at the too-short dress Ally had left on the bed, wishing she could stay in her yoga pants and spend the night studying.

“I heard that,” Ally said from the door. “Now put that dress on. It looks amazing on you and you’ve never worn it.”

Darcy had bought the dress on a whim. It did hug all her curves, but after the winter holidays and, more importantly, winter carbs, she was afraid it would hug them a bit too snuggly. “I really should stay in. I have…”

“Studying to do,” Ally finished for her. “Yes, I know. You always have to study. I don’t think you’ve ever not been studying something since I met you in the third grade.”

Darcy laughed. “Please, how much studying does an eight-year-old do? I’m not that bad. Plus, I’ve only been back in classes for a week.” The spring quarter had just started and she needed to stay on top of her workload since she was also acting as a teaching assistant for one of the clinical research professors. Designing Clinical Research for Clinical Residents was an important class and she wanted to make sure she was an asset to the professor and his students.

“Come on. It’s one night and it’s not even a school night. You can sleep it off tomorrow. Unless you find a hot hockey player to bring home.” Ally clapped her hands together. “Ooh, you definitely need that. When was the last time you got laid?”

“Seriously? You’re just dragging me to this thing so you can flirt with Dom. Not sure why I need to be there for that.”

Ally draped her arm over Darcy’s shoulder. “Because you’re my best friend and you need to get out of this apartment and have some fun for once. We get to spend the evening with hot hockey players, and my brother will pick up the tab. What’s better than that?”

“I don’t even like hockey,” she said, grabbing the dress from the bed.

“Yeah, maybe don’t tell them that. Now get your hot ass in that dress,” Ally said before disappearing into Darcy’s closet. “I know you have the perfect shoes in here.”

Darcy stripped out of her clothes and pulled the dress up her body, wishing it was a few inches longer but loving how soft it felt against her skin. Yes, it’d been an impulse buy, but she had to wear it at some point. And after sixteen years of friendship, Darcy knew arguing with Ally was pointless.

“See. You look totally amazing. Now put these shoes on and let’s go,” Ally said, holding a pair of black strappy heels from her fingertips. At least they weren’t stilettos.

Darcy smoothed the fabric of her dress down, fighting back her nerves. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d dressed up like this and interacted with members of the opposite sex who weren’t in her graduate classes or frequented the coffee shop where she worked part-time. She might not be a hockey fan, but she wasn’t blind to the fact that a high percentage of them were surprisingly good-looking.

Not that it mattered. She didn’t have time for relationships or flings or anything of the sort. That could happen after graduation.

Yeah, she should probably stay in tonight.

“No doubts. Let’s go,” Ally said, handing the shoes to Darcy with a face that said there was no way Darcy was skipping out tonight.

She sighed, knowing her fate, and slipped on her shoes. She moved past Ally to the bathroom to finish her makeup, then grabbed her coat and purse.

“Ethan sent us a car,” Ally said, linking arms with Darcy as they took the elevator down to the lobby.

“That was nice of him,” Darcy said.

Ally let out a snort. “He probably wants to keep tabs on me tonight. He warned me to stay away from Dom again at Christmas.”

Darcy shook her head. “Warned you away? It’s like he doesn’t know you at all.”

Ally grinned. “Right? Silly brother.”

The driver held the door open for them and they scooted across the seat. Darcy held on to the hem of her dress, trying not to give anyone a show.

“Darc, it’s not that short,” Ally said as the door shut behind them.

“I don’t know why I let you convince me to wear this.”

“Please. You bought it. That means you wanted to wear it somewhere. And Casino Night with the Strikers is the best place to show that dress off.”

“So, what are your plans for Dom tonight?” Darcy asked, steering the subject off of her outfit.

“None, really. But at some point the flirting has to move to something else, right?” Ally asked, a wistful smile on her face.

---