Page 31 of Ice Ice Maybe
Nolan’s face lit up. “Great. Thank you.”
With a deep breath, I reached into my purse and pulled out the tickets, handing them to him. We returned to the table, where the couple was watching us curiously. Without a word, Nolan placed the tickets in front of the man.
He froze, and his eyes got wide. “Wait, what is going on here?”
A warm smile spreading across Nolan’s face. “Take them. They’re yours.”
The man picked up the tickets with trembling hands and stared at them, then slowly handed them to his wife as his mouth continued to hang open.
“Center ice, front row, against the glass?” She blinked rapidly, continuing to analyze the tickets. “This is insane. We saw similar seats online, and they were like two thousand each! How did you even get these?”
I jumped in before Nolan could respond. “We know some people. It really doesn’t matter, does it? They’re not fake or stolen. Please, enjoy them.”
We watched their expressions morph from confusion to disbelief to overwhelming joy. Their reactions, the wife’s gasp, the husband’s stunned silence, the tears that sprang to their eyes, it hit me harder than I expected it to.
They both jumped to their feet and began a flurry of bone-crushing hugs and more thank-yous than I could count.
“You’re very welcome,” Nolan said, shaking the man’s hand. “And thankyoufor your service.”
We walked away in silence, my heart full of gratitude. I was struck by the warmth I saw there. My chest tightened with a sudden rush of admiration and affection. His hand brushed against mine, and without thinking, I grasped it, halting our progress before we went back outside to the blistering heat.
“Nolan,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
“Yes?” He turned, his eyes questioning.
“What you did …” I started, struggling to find the right words. “It wasn’t only generous. It was beautiful.” I felt a lump forming in my throat, surprised by the intensity of my reaction. “You didn’t hesitate for a second to give up our tickets, our plans, everything. For strangers.”
Nolan’s eyes softened. “I do what I can when I have the opportunity.”
I saw a flicker of vulnerability there that made my heart skip.
“You’ve got a heart of gold,” I said, squeezing his hand.
He smiled humbly, but didn’t respond.
“I guess we need to get back to the hotel.” I bit my lip, curious. “Are you sure this new plan of yours with Mitch is going to work?”
Nolan smirked. “I guess there’s only one way to find out.”
Chapter Nine
Zena
Back at Mandalay Bay, we walked toward the elevators, but didn’t get far when a piercing scream cut through the casino. Nolan and I both stopped to see a woman at a nearby slot machine, jumping up and down.
“I won!” she kept repeating, her voice full of disbelief and pure joy.
A casino employee rushed over, confirming her win with a broad smile. “Congratulations, ma’am! You’ve hit the jackpot!”
“How cool,” Nolan said to me with a genuine smile. He stepped toward the woman and said, “Congratulations.”
She beamed back a heartfelt, “Thank you!”
“That was nice of you.” I said as we resumed our walk to the elevators.
Nolan blinked twice. “It was nice of me to be nice?”
I shrugged, now thinking maybe that probably did sound a little weird. “Well, yes. You didn’t have to say anything. Most people just walked right by her without a word.” I hesitated, then added, “I admire how you talk to complete strangers.”
