Page 13 of Winning the Nightcap

“All things considered, you’re not as far behind as you think. One benefit to all the changes you’ve had is that Hop seems really well socialized. Based on what I’ve observed so far, he’s friendly with both dogs and people, which is great. Let’s focus on using cues. We’ll introduce a few today, and I’ll show you how to apply them consistently. You’ll also want to work on establishing a routine for him, including plenty of exercise. He’s gotta get that puppy energy out, otherwise it won’t matter what you say, he won’t hear you over the sound of his zoomies. How does that sound?”

He seems to take a moment to ponder what I’ve shared. “I think finding a new routine could be good for both of us. A little shake-up might be exactly what we need.”

It might just be my imagination, or call it wishful thinking, but a small voice in my mind reminds me that I wouldn’t mind being a part of a little shake-up with Aiden. I push the thought away immediately. There’s no point going down that road again. He doesn’t need me gawking at him and mulling over missed opportunities. No, we’ll keep this professional, friendly at most, given our joined social circles. I’m sure that’s all he’s looking for from me anyway.

I take a peek at Hop, who is sprawled out on his side, his eyes wide and staring up at me. The dog is completely still, except his wild tail, giving away how excited he is.

When I glance up at Aiden, I find his eyes locked on me. His posture is tense, hesitancy radiating off him. “Bec,” he starts, then sighs, briefly closing his eyes before looking back at me. “Can I be honest with you?”

“Uh…sure, what’s up?” I say cautiously.

Please don’t bring up the baby shit again. This might be the timehumiliation actually kills me.

“I wasn’t sure if you wanted to talk about, you know, the wedding and us? I know we were in really different places back then, and I…” he trails off, pulling his hand over the back of his neck. I wish I could say the movement didn’t immediately draw my attention to the muscles twitching in his powerful arms and shoulders, but that’d be a huge fucking lie. His damn T-shirt is too tight. His arms are undeniable eye candy. I can’t help but stare.

“Um, sure, it’s probably not a bad idea to clear the air, I guess.” I wrap my arms around my clipboard, holding it to my chest like a shield. Maybe the barricade will quiet the butterflies fluttering around my insides, making my heart race.

Are we really talking about this? I figured, given some time, we’d make a few jokes and just let it lie. But nope, we are doing this. Half of me is dying to hear what he has to say, while the other part of me is dreading it.

He takes a step closer to me. Hopper eyes his movement, then winds his way between us. He rolls over dramatically, taking his shot that one of us will lean down to reward him with belly scratches. But I’m paralyzed, the breath knocked out of me, waiting to see where this goes and hear where Aiden’s head is at. I’ve wondered ever since he stumbled back into my orbit.

“I don’t want to make you uncomfortable. I know it was a long time ago, but I wanted to make sure you are all right with me being around. Since the season is over, I hope to hang out with Dom and everyone more often, but I didn’t know if that would be weird for you.”

I can’t help the wave of disappointment that washes over me. He doesn’t want to talk about us, not really. Just enough to make sure that he can be around, hang with his friends without me making it awkward. It was dumb to think he might still think about me that way.

Stupid, Bec. You’re being stupid.

That weekend was nothing.

I can feel my face flush, recalling how often I’d mull over memories of that weekend in the past few years. Especially when I needed a reminder of who I am or who I used to be before Josh and I broke up. Before I started questioning myself. Have I wondered if Aiden ever thought about that weekend too? Of course. But obviously we were just a fleeting moment. I need to recognize it for what it was and let it go.

“Of course not. Nope. No weirdness here.” I shake my head quickly, pursing my lips, and I can’t seem to stop. Looking back down at my notes, I huff a laugh. “Zero weirdness. In fact,” I say, shoving my hand out between us. “Friends?”

Wow, smooth, Bec.

I’m doing a wonderful job making this weird as shit and it hasn’t even been two seconds.

He slowly reaches for my hand and gently shakes it, like he’s afraid any firm contact might break me. His confused expression morphs into a polite smile. “Sure. Yeah, okay. Friends,” he agrees.

I feel my heart sink. I don’t know what exactly I want from Aiden, but when the word leaves his mouth, I know being his friend isn’t it. None of this sits well with me. I tell myself the discomfort settling over me will fade, and I really hope I’m right.

Chapter Eight

Bec

“Ican’t believe you convinced me to do this. I’m three seconds away from staging a scene so I can leave.” Dee lies on the ground and lets her arms flop lazily to her sides.

I glance at her and giggle while I finish my reps. “Stop, you’re fine. We only have the leg press after this, and then we can cool down on the StairMaster.”

Her head snaps up and she glares at me incredulously. “Cool down on the StairMaster? That is not possible. No onecoolsdownwhile climbing stairs.”

I grab a pair of dumbbells and start my next set while Dee rolls to her side, dragging herself up to sit and wrapping her arms around her bent knees. She’s the most dramatic gym partner in our group, but she’s usually always willing to go. It helps that she and I both live downtown, separated by only a few blocks, our gym conveniently located between us. There’s also an incredible brunch spot next door with bottomless mimosas on Thursdays. It would take next to no effort to convince Dee to abandon our workout and wander over there, but for some reason I feel restless, like I need to keep moving.

We’re almost done with our workout, and I still feel on edge. Dee’snoticed. She’s fun and free-spirited, but she’s also observant, fiercely loyal, and knows me well.

“You good, girl? You look like you’ve got something on your mind.” She takes a drink from her water bottle and starts stretching.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” I grab the spray bottle and clean the mats and weights we’ve been using before moving on to the next exercise. “Just a little restless lately. Work has been busy.”

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