Page 76 of Now That We Don't Talk

"Anyway, do you have plans tonight? Want to grab some dinner?"

A sense of relief falls over me. "Sure, dinner sounds good."

If he needs to talk, he will. And if not…well, that’s between him and Katie.

"How about Casa?" he suggests. "Or would you rather go somewhere else? I’m good with anything—just as long as I get to see you."

His words send a rush of heat to my cheeks, and I’m glad he’s not here to see me blushing.

"Casa is perfect," I say, hoping my voice sounds normal. "Six-thirty?"

"I’ll be there."

As soon as we end our call, I stare at my phone. My fingers hover over the screen, ready to text Katie, but I quickly put my phone down. I’m sure I’ll hear about their conversation soon enough.

Instead, I hop off the couch and head toward my room to get ready. There’s a nervous feeling in my stomach I can’t seem to shake. For some reason it feels like my time with Mac is short, so I should soak it all up while I can.

CHAPTER TWENTY

MAC

I’m really looking forward to seeing Vivian tonight. After my conversation with Katie, I realize there’s so much I want to tell her—things I hadn’t fully processed until now. I also want to address the things Vivian heard me say at that Christmas party.

On top of that, my call with my agent has my mind spinning. The season hasn’t even started, and already I can see how packed my schedule is going to be. The offers are pouring in—endorsements and appearances in addition to my team commitments. I joked about it with Vivian earlier, but I am in high demand both individually and with the team. These opportunities come with the job, and a full schedule will make managing the distance even more challenging.

I’ve spent the entire afternoon trying to work through a solution to how this can work, assuming this is something Vivian and I both want to continue to pursue. The more I think about it, the clearer it becomes—this isn’t just some passing thing for me or a challenge to conquer like Kyle assumed. Vivian is someone I want in my life.

Of course, making it work won’t be easy. There are so many moving parts—schedules, obligations, expectations. But I’ve seen teammates manage relationships with similar circumstances, and I know it’s possible. The question is, how do we do it in a way that neither of us are abandoning the lives we’ve built for ourselves. I don’t have all the answers yet, which is why I want to talk to her.

Vivian is already seated at Casa when I arrive. The moment my eyes land on her, a surge of emotions rush through me—excitement and nervousness. She’s so pretty—I can’t help but stare for a few seconds.

She looks up as I approach, a smile forming on her lips.

“Hey,” I say, leaning down to press a kiss to her cheek. The scent of her perfume reaches my nose, and I breathe it in. “Thanks for meeting me tonight.”

“Thanks for inviting me,” she replies, folding her hands and placing them on the table.

The last time I saw Vivian here, I was with another woman, and I spent the entire evening thinking about her. I never imagined the next time I came to this restaurant, it would be together.

I slide into the bench across from her and let out a sigh. Just being here with her gives me a feeling of peace.

“How’s everything at work?”

“Fine. Busy as usual,” she says. “And then my day ended with a call from my sister, which is always fun. She wants to reschedule her meet and greet with this hockey star.

I grin. “Definitely. Set it up, and I’ll be there.”

She fiddles with the straw in her water, twisting it between her fingers. “Alright. And I did tell her we were…hanging out.”

Hanging out? The way she says it makes it sound so casual, like we’re just two old friends catching up overdrinks. Is that what she thinks this is? Maybe she’s intentionally being cautious, and I can’t fault her for that.

“Oh?” I ask. “And what was her reaction?”

She shrugs. “Surprised…and probably a little jealous.”

I let out a low chuckle. “Jealous, huh?”

“Yeah. When she initially asked me about you, her two key points were that you were attractive and single.” she says. “I don’t think she expected us to?—”

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