Page 100 of Suck My Puck

Maya, Sophie, and I all turn to look where Ingrid’s looking and see Sam standing with Braden, Xander, Del, and Theo.

My eyes go wide at the sight of his ripped physique. “Wow. He’s in really good shape.”

Every single woman at this party is drooling over him. I watch as a pretty brunette walks up to him and starts to chat him up. She rakes her gaze down his chest before quickly looking back up at his face, her eyes starry. She twirls her hair in her fingers and giggles.

Maya laughs. “He really is. I mean, they’re all in good shape. They’re professional hockey players. But none of them are flaunting their bodies like Sam is.”

“He looks like the love child between a male model, a hot surfer, and a pro athlete,” Sophie says.

We all nod.

“That’s the perfect way to describe him,” Maya says.

Ingrid raises her glass of champagne. “Flaunt it, Sam. Flaunt it while you’ve got it.”

We walk off the dancefloor and head to the kitchen island, where Ingrid tops off our drinks.

“I thought Dakota and Jake were coming tonight,” she says to Sophie.

“She texted me that she’s running late. Costume issues,” Sophie says.

Ingrid turns to me. “My mom told me this morning that she convinced more of her friends to try your home roasted coffee. She’s been singing your praises.”

I smile. “Your mom is seriously amazing. I’ve been so busy with all the new orders I’ve been getting from her friends.” I turn to Maya and Sophie and thank them for ordering my home roasted coffee too.

“It’s my new favorite,” Sophie says to me. “When I was at the airport last week, I stopped at Starbucks to order a drink and I couldn’t even finish it. It tasted so bland compared to your coffee.”

I gently squeeze her arm. “I love you forever for saying that.”

Maya nods. “I can’t start my day without a cup of your medium roast coffee and oat milk. So good. My mom loves it too.”

I’m beaming. It feels amazing hearing them rave about my coffee. I still can’t believe how supportive they all have been. Ingrid, Maya, Sophie, and Dakota all order my home roasted coffee for themselves and have been recommending it to their friends and family. This week, I made more from my coffee side hustle than at Spanky’s and Sweethearts combined. My savings is starting to recover from all themoney I lost when I bought that house with Matt. I won’t be able to open a coffee shop anytime soon, but maybe in a few years. And I have my new friends to thank for that.

“You all are so wonderful. Beyond wonderful,” I say, emotion welling up inside of me.

They all say it’s nothing, but I stop them.

“No, I mean it. I felt hopeless when I first moved back to Denver. I was broke and I thought my savings would never recover from stupidly buying a house with my ex.”

After hosting the coffee tasting for Ingrid’s mom, Ingrid invited me out to a girls’ night with her, Maya, Sophie, and Dakota. I told them all about my ex and how I ended up back in Denver broke and working two jobs.

“Hey.” Ingrid gently pats my hand. “You’re not stupid.”

Maya offers a sweet smile. “Yeah, don’t say that about yourself.”

“We all know what it’s like to put more than we should have into a relationship with a guy who didn’t deserve it,” Sophie says.

I nod at them, appreciating how sweet and supportive they’re being.

Just then I see Lauren walk in with Lance. I wave at them and they walk over. When Ingrid invited me to her Halloween party, she told me to bring whoever I wanted, so I invited Lauren and Lance.

When I see their Bun In The Oven costume, I burst out laughing.

“This is the greatest thing I’ve ever seen,” I say as I try to give Lauren a hug. It’s impossible since she’s wearing a cardboard box around her torso with arm holes cut out on the sides. The front of the box is open and she painted it to look like an oven. She’s wearing a crop top, her adorable bump on display. Her husband Lance is wearing a chef’s hat andwhite apron with the words “bun maker” stitched on the front.

I introduce Lauren and Lance to Sophie, Ingrid, and Maya, who all greet them with compliments about their costume.

“I gave out the prize for best costume too early,” Ingrid says. “You two totally should have won. I owe you a bottle of champagne.”

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