AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Not tonight,” I smirk, knowing Stephanie and I are meant to head down that road in the future, but for now, I’m happy just starting this next chapter. “It’s the first date for me.”
“You’re not giving yourself enough credit. It’s not just a first date. It’s your second chance.”
Julia watches us closely. “How so?”
“Stephanie and I were best friends in high school before I was drafted.”
Julia’s movements slowed. “Like in the army?”
I shake my head with a small huff. “Nothing like that. I was drafted to the Niagara Knights, the hockey team fresh out of high school.”
“That’s pretty impressive,” Andre says.
I smile at the compliment. “Thanks.”
“You know, in all my years I’ve never seen guys support each other like this,” Julia says, carefully handing Andre his bouquet. “You guys must have one of those bro-mances, huh?” her brow jumps.
“Actually, Logan and I just met on this trip. Our ladies know each other, either through their editors or the cafe back home?” Andre explains with confusion. “Something along those lines,” he chuckles.
Paying for our bouquets, both Andre and I wished each other luck and went our separate ways.
He doesn’t seem like such a bad guy.
???
Knocking on the door of Stephanie’s suite, she opens it and moves her chair back for it to swing open. Sitting in front of me in a soft yellow dress that hugged every curve, her brown hair is pinned up high on the back of her head, her lips painted a soft shade of pink that somehow seemed to reach the apples of her cheeks.
Swallowing, I remind myself to breathe. “Wow. You look amazing, Steph,” I whistle, as she gives me a small scoff, but grins through it.
“I could say the same about you,” she says, offering me a knowing smile. “You know, I’m really liking these suits.”
The corner of my mouth kicks up at the compliment. “No one’s going to give me the time of day with you by my side,” I admit.
She peeks up at me from beneath her long lashes. “Is that going to be a problem?” She smirks as if she already knew it wasn’t.
When her eyes circle their way back and land on mine, I reply. “Not at all.”
Biting her lip, a flush paints her cheeks as she says, “We should probably get going. I wouldn’t want us to miss our reservation.”
“That won’t be an issue,” I smirk. “I made special arrangements for tonight.”
Stephanie’s eyes softened in appreciation. “I can hardly wait. Shall you lead the way?”
With that simple suggestion, my chest swelled and my stomach tied in knots.
Please don’t screw this up.
Escorting Stephanie to the private deck, her eyes lit up when we approached the lantern-lit walkway lined with flower petals. Placing her free hand over her heart, she looked up at me and a smile breaks over my face.
“You did all this for me?”
And I’ll do so much more.
Bouncing on the balls of my feet, I shrug. “I wanted to make tonight special,” I confessed.
Approaching the table, Stephanie took up the empty place on the left while I reached for the dozen roses I purchased earlier.
“These are for you,” I said, extending the bouquet. “I wanted to wait to give them to you until we arrived at the table so you wouldn’t have to juggle them.”
