Chapter Twelve
“Ladies,” Sierra says as she picks up her wine glass, “a toast is in order. To Skye being in Denver and to being able to see her all the time.”
I smile as I pick up my glass. We’re sitting in a cozy wine bar near the Mountain Lions Arena, on a huge sofa under dim lights, enjoying some small plates and a bottle of wine before heading over to the game.
“I’ll drink to that,” I say, putting my glass against theirs.
“Cheers,” JoJo says. “I think we should add ‘cheers’ to seeing our men play hockey tonight, too.”
I shoot JoJo a look before taking a sip of my wine. “Maxime is not my man.”
“Not yet,” Sierra says knowingly.
I use my menu as a distraction, shifting my gaze down. “Life is not a Hallmark movie,” I declare. “It’s not about meet cutes and happily ever afters.”
“True. Sometimes it’s about going halfway around the world and meeting someone who noticed you months earlier in a romantic moment of fate,” JoJo declares.
“A second chance love story,” Sierra reiterates.
“As much as I hate to ruin the romance movie plots you two are so brilliantly scripting, we had one date. ONE. That’s not a love story.”
But it very well could be the start of one.
I reach for my wine, taking another sip and trying to focus on my choices for a light dinner.
But Maxime is all I can think about.
“We should get a charcuterie board,” JoJo says, changing the subject. “I want to try the boar sausage.”
“Yes,” Sierra says. “I want to do a guide to summer grilling with game meats, and that might be the perfect thing to add.”
I smile as I continue to read. Part of being around JoJo and Sierra is that their science minds are always sampling new foods and trying to break them down in their heads. Apparently, recipe tester brains never shut off.
“Ooh, and that smoked goose breast sounds amazing,” JoJo adds.
As they go on about the cheeses and how each one complements the flavors of a different meat, something catches my eye.
“I think I want the steamed mussels,” I say. “I love mussels.”
“Did you know that is a popular dish in Belgium?” Sierra asks.
I look up, and both of them are grinning at me.
“I had no idea. He didn’t talk about mussels,” I say.
“Probably because mussels are a second date topic,” JoJo teases.
I can’t help but grin. “I’ll be sure to bring it up later tonight.”
The server comes by to take our order. We go with the charcuterie board, mussels, and lobster pot stickers. After he leaves, I take another sip of wine before bringing up the question I’ve been dying to ask my friends.
“I need to ask about something you all said the other day, in our group chat,” I say. “Is it true Maxime hasn’t dated anyone in a long time?”
“Not even casual dates,” JoJo confirms. “Cade said Maxime seemed shut off from the idea of dating after his last relationship.”
I nod. “I understand that all too well. It’s terrifying to take that chance again.”
It still is, I think.
“I think Maxime likes simplicity,” JoJo continues. “A drama-filled relationship isn’t for him. Since I’ve known him, he has had very defined relationships: one with his teammates; another, deeper one, with close friends on the team, like Cade and Jude; and one with the game itself. It’s been his world for the past three years.”
“There’s a reason why there’s an A on his sweater,” Sierra says, pausing to take a sip of her wine. “He’s devoted everything to the game since he arrived in Denver. Jude says Maxime is the guy who leads by example, on and off the ice. He doesn’t have much of a reputation online. You won’t see pictures of him partying or in bars. In fact, he avoids those pics if he can when the guys are out.”
I know that’s true. He only has a private account that he never posts on. There aren’t even product placement promos, even though he has a platform that would earn him significant money if he were to develop it.
I think about how opposite we are in this regard. I’ve dated on TV. I’m visible across multiple platforms, with my blog and Instagram and website. My visibility will increase with my TV role on Boulder Live.
Then there’s the book, where I’ll have to dive into my past.
A pit begins to form in the bottom of my stomach. Maxime knows my story. He knows the journey I’m about to take with my career. Will this someday be too much for him? Me being everywhere while he hates being visible anyplace except on the ice?
Whoa. That’s leaping way ahead of myself.
We’ve had one date.
We’re having another one tonight, but it might not go beyond this, so it’s crazy to even entertain such thoughts.
This is how you got into trouble with Tom, my head whispers. You started thinking ahead before you even knew him.
“I’m glad they gave Maxime the alternate captain title; he’s a great balance to Gavin,” Sierra says, interrupting my thoughts.
I heed the warning my brain has thrown up and decide to focus on the present, and this conversation with my friends, instead of worrying about what will happen if we continue to date.
If.
I know my brain is right, so why does my chest grow tight at the word “if”?
“Gavin is the fiery, passionate leader,” JoJo says, oblivious to my internal torment. “Maxime is the yin to his yang.”
Gavin Tremblay is the team captain and someone who is very vocal in the locker room. He uses his passion to fire up his teammates. During my internet search, I read that Maxime is the perfect, calming counter to Gavin’s emotional leadership.
I can see that, I think. I read that Maxime comes to practice early and stays late. His summers are spent working on improving his body and mind for the next season. Diligent was a word that came up a lot in the articles I read about him, too. His hard work inspires—and challenges—his teammates to follow his lead.
“Jude says Maxime helped him transition to the league by guiding him on how to work out his problems,” Sierra says.
“Cade has said the same,” JoJo adds. “Maxime is only a year older than Cade at twenty-four, but has the leadership skills of someone who has been around much longer.”
“I read that about him,” I admit. “In all the articles written about Maxime, it’s mentioned how calm he is under pressure. He has discipline and diligence on the ice that inspires that same work ethic in his teammates.”
“All true,” JoJo says. “You know how you’ll see Cade and Jude post funny pictures on Instagram? Or how they’ll tweet comments during a TV show they are watching? You won’t see that from Maxime.”
Once again, that pit forms in my stomach. Maxime lives his life much differently than I do.
“JoJo! Remember how Veronica asked if he’s asexual?” Sierra says. “She’s such an idiot.”
“What?” I cry.
“Okay, first of all, Veronica is Gavin’s horrible, nasty, viper-like girlfriend,” JoJo explains. “You will get to meet her tonight, and she’ll try to get at you because her only joy in life is being nasty and thinking she is the center of the WAGS universe. The rest of the WAGS are lovely so don’t let her put you off.”
“She’s the one bad apple in the bunch,” Sierra adds. “All the other women are wonderful. Except for Veronica the Viper.”
I know the WAGS are the wives and girlfriends of the players.
“I can’t wait,” I say dryly.
JoJo snickers, and Sierra continues the story.
“Anyway, she loves to spread dirt, and she decided during one game to dissect Maxime’s lack of dating life with all of us. At least until JoJo went Sophia Petrillo on her.”
“Sophia like The Golden Girls?” I ask, confused.
JoJo grins. “I told her to shut it. Bluntly, Sophia-style.”
I laugh. “And did she?”
“Oh, she did,” Sierra says. “JoJo doesn’t put up with crap, and Veronica knows it.”
“It made me so mad,” JoJo says. “First of all, like it’s anyone’s business, and second, just because he isn’t dating doesn’t mean he’s asexual. It appalled me she thought that was a conversation to be debated in the group during a game.”
I feel anger rise within me. I know how it feels to have people openly debating your kissing style, your sex life, and other personal details in a public forum. At least I put myself in the position to have people talk crap about me by being on a dating show, but Maxime hadn’t.
“Just make sure you set your boundary with her right away,” Sierra says. “Veronica backs off women she can’t push around.”
“I learned that the hard way,” JoJo says. “I was the recipient of some of her hurtful comments, and it shook my confidence in Cade. But you know who came to my rescue that night? Maxime.”
My emotions shift in an instant. “Maxime?”
“He saw I was upset, and he talked to me. Maxime was level and rational and made everything clear,” JoJo says. “You have a good guy in Maxime, Skye. I know what you’ve been through, and I wouldn’t tell you to date him if I thought he’d hurt you. I honestly think in my heart he could be the best thing to ever happen to you if you let him in.”
Let him in, my brain repeats.
I’ve already taken a few steps in that direction, by being vulnerable and open in sharing my Is It Love? experience with him. I accepted that first date on Valentine’s Day and kissed him freely at the end of the evening. Now I’ve accepted his offer to come to his game tonight and go to dinner with our friends afterward.
We are at the beginning, I think, absently running my finger around the rim of my wine glass. But it’s a good beginning.
And I can’t wait to see him play tonight as the next part of our journey.