Page 56 of The Icing on the Cake
This can’t be right. I wanted to ask a few discreet questions about Neesha’s favorite places in town, not become the star of my own personal reality dating-show episode, featuring my teammates’ girlfriends offering their unsolicited advice.
These aren’t just the usual book club ladies. It’s like the entire future WAG club of Maple Falls decided to crash book club to meddle with my love life.
There’s Marcy Fontaine, the accountant at Happy Horizons Ranch who’s been spending time with Clément and assisting Neesha with her accounting. Clara Johnson does social media for our team and is officially dating Cade. Bailey Porter, a Maple Falls local, has been dating our Alabama boy, Carson, rather seriously. And then there’s Mabel and Fiona—Neesha’s friends who are both involved with my teammates, Asher and Weston.
“They’re not here for book club, are they?” I whisper to Emmy.
“Of course not.” Emmy nudges me. “They’re here foryou. So you don’t mess this up.”
Emmy clears her throat as she addresses the group. “Ladies, this hockey player needs our expertise—planning the perfect date. And since we all know and love hockey players, I thought we could give him our advice.”
I look around the room at all these women who apparently dropped everything to come tonight. I’m considering turning around and heading out the door before this becomes awkward. Except—too late—it already is.
“Consider it a group effort,” Clara says cheerfully. “The whole ‘it takes a village’ approach to dating.”
“More like, ‘it takes a hockey team’s worth of women,’” Mabel adds.
“Thank you for coming out tonight,” I begin, feeling the twinge in my cheek from my injury.
Mary-Ellen gasps a little. “Good heavens, your face looksterrible! Mabel told me you took a hit, but she didn’t mention you were practically disfigured.”
I glance over at Mabel who’s pinching her nose, trying to hold back her comments.
“Um, the injuries look worse than they are. But Neesha took good care of me.”
Emmy steps in quickly. “Lucian, I think you’ve met most of the book club…”
“Except me!” a woman standing next to the punch bowl claims. Given the fact she’s already refilled her cup twice, I’m beginning to wonder whatexactlyis in that punch. “I’m Noreen Harrison. So pleased to meet you,” she purrs, walking over to me and holding out a hand with several large, sparkly rings on it. She looks like a woman trying to age gracefully into Maple Falls’ aristocracy. “I hear you’re dating the girl who works at the cafe here.”
“Only one date so far,” I say.
“And now she’s delivering more than cupcakes to your door, from what I hear,” Noreen Harrison adds with a sly look.
The rest of the group titters with laughter, except for Mrs. Nelson, who crosses her arms and says, “I didn’t tell her a thing!”
“What?” Noreen looks both delighted and surprised. “I’m just saying what everyone’s thinking. He’s an injured hockey playerand,conveniently, her neighbor.”
“For the record,” I say, “she came over because she was worried about me. She’s the kind of person who shows up when someone needs help, no questions asked. Neesha Gilmore is one of the most genuine, caring people I’ve ever met, and if anyone has a problem with her showing basic human kindness, that says more about them than it does about her.”
The room goes quiet, and I can see a few nodding heads.
“Well,” Noreen says after a moment, “when you put it like that, she sounds perfectly lovely.”
“She is,” I agree. “Which is why I need your help making sure she knows it.”
Mary-Ellen looks pleased with my defense. “We were just discussing the bachelor auction before you arrived. You’re participating, aren’t you?”
I shift uncomfortably. “I am, yes. I don’t want the hockey team to move to a different city.”
“Though I imagine that complicates things for your date with Neesha,” Mary-Ellen adds.
“The timing is bad,” I admit. “I know Neesha doesn’t have the money right now. I’m hoping the bids stay low for my date.”
“Neesha would never bid on anyone, even if she had the money,” Mabel says. “She’s too proud to compete publicly like that, especially after what Nate put her through. And between paying off her mom’s medical bills and saving for Seattle…” She gives a helpless shrug.
“If she can’t bid on you, don’t worry, my niece has invited a bunch of friends from Seattle who have deep pockets,” Noreen interrupts, clearly missing what everyone’s saying about Neesha’s dire situation. “They’ll make sure to drive up your bid!”
Perfect. So the one person I want to bid on me can’t afford it, but I’ll have a bunch of women I’ve never met throwing money around for a date neither of us will enjoy. This is exactly the opposite of what I want.
