Page 8 of Icing the Enemy

Brooke: A girl can never have enough options. Yes, I brought two dresses for last night and only wore one.

Me: Thanks

Brooke: Wait. Do you have a girlfriend that I didn’t know about? Did you meet her on my app? Why doesn’t she have clothes?

Me: Long story. Fill you in at the wedding.

“Okay, we’re all set. Brooke has a dress for you to wear. Do you need anything else?” I ask before exiting the parking lot.

Out of the corner of my eye, I watch her as she twirls her ponytail. Only time will tell if it’s something Oakley does when she’s nervous or if it’s just a habit. The delicate slope of her nose is perfect, turning up slightly at the end.

“I’m good. So, who’s getting married?”

At least she’s talking to me. “One of my teammates from college.”

“What sport did you play?” she asks as she scrolls through songs on the satellite radio.

“We played hockey for the Kentucky Stallions. He plays for the Georgia Jets now.”

She punches my arm. “Get out. Are you lying? My momma and I used to watch hockey together. What’s the name of the player?”

“Bryce Wynward.”

She lifts her head as she mumbles, “Wow. His wife is one lucky lady.”

“Is my date crushing on the groom?”

“Well, yeah. That blond hair and those piercing blue eyes. Doesn’t every girl love him? You know when you’re in a relationship and you each have one celebrity that you could cheat with?”

She waits for me to answer. I slowly push the lump in my throat down. My date prefers blond hair and blue eyes, opposite of me. But worse, she thinks cheating is okay as long as it’s with a celebrity.

“No, I’m not familiar with cheating.”

“So, you’re saying if you had a girlfriend and had an opportunity to sleep with Taylor Swift, you wouldn’t?” she scoffs, letting out a harsh puff of air.

“No, I wouldn’t. I believe when you’re in a relationship, all your energy should go into that person. There is no circumstance where cheating is okay.”

I shift uncomfortably in my seat as I listen to her talk about cheating with a casual tone. Although I’ve never been in a true relationship, I would like to think I would be loyal and not betray the trust in my relationship. The idea of cheating even if imaginary is repulsive.

My mind races with thoughts and doubts about this girl I just met. How could she have such a nonchalant attitude toward something like cheating? Was she joking or does she really believe it? I can't help but wonder if she would have the same mindset if she were in a committed relationship.

“You’re probably right.”

I lift a brow and glance in her direction. “Probably?”

“It’s a funny thing that couples do and say because they know it will never come true.”

“Well, did you ever think you would meet hockey star Bryce Wynward?” I pause for effect. “I’m betting you never thought you would, but you’re an hour away from meeting him. If you had a boyfriend— Wait. Do you have a boyfriend?”

“Don’t you think I would have called him if I did?” Oakley shakes her head. “What do you do for a living?”

“I play for the Nashville Notes.”

Her jaw drops. “You could have led with that.”

“Nah, I wanted to make sure you took me up on the wedding before you knew I was a professional athlete.” I grin and give her a slow wink. “Corbin Shearer. Any chance of me learning your last name before we crash this wedding?"

"I don't know, I've heard you hockey players have a bit of a reputation."

---