Romance Reflections on Ice

Cassia whirled around, suds splattering on the floor. Alex sauntered into the kitchen and walked over to lean a hip against the counter beside her. His eyebrows lifted at the sight of her soapy hands and that self-satisfied smile appeared on his face.

"What do you want?"

His smile widened. "I wanted to talk to you. I've missed you."

She doubted that and turned away, putting her hands back into the sink.

Beside her, Alex shifted closer. "I have. You never gave me a chance to explain about that day and what you saw."

She shot him a narrow look. "I know what I saw. It hardly requires further explanation."

"Oh, come on, Cass. She was nobody."

Cassia wondered how she could get rid of him. "She was somebody, Alex. Even if you'd only met her that day."

"She meant nothing to me."

Cassia sighed and looked up at him. He was smiling at her, his chin tilted down, the look in his eyes one he meant to be cajoling. Cassia wasn't a fool. She wasn't the type of woman to cave in at a soft look.

"I don't even know how she ended up at my place."

"You brought her there, Alex. And then you both got naked, and fucked on the couch, with you knowing I was going to be there any minute." Cassia pulled the last of the dishes out of the sink, setting them on the rack. Then she faced Alex while drying her hands. "I think you wanted me to see you. Maybe even join you, who knows."

Alex chuckled and moved closer, reaching for her. Cassia dodged his grasp and crossed the kitchen to stand out of range.

"I'm just glad it happened so soon." Cassia set the towel on the kitchen table. "At least I didn't waste a year or more on you."

Alex's expression hardened for a moment before it softened again and he strode towards her. "Listen, I'd like to make it up to you."

"Why?"

"I feel bad about how things ended. Whatever you say, I think we could have been something special."

Cassia wanted to laugh. What a ridiculous conversation. "I don't think so, Alex."

"You're so stubborn." He stroked a hand down her arm before she jerked away from him. "Your mom told me about the wedding."

"What?"

"I'm invited, too."

Cassia frowned. "You are?"

"Sure. I've known Troy for ages. We all went to high school together."

That was true, even though she'd forgotten how connected Alex was with everyone. Everyone she knew had known everyone else for ages. Her older brothers, Alex, and Troy, Vivian's fiancé, had all been friends, and teammates in high school. It made her realize that the twins would probably be at the wedding as well. What a fun night it was going to be.

"Your mom told me that you've got no one to take you."

Cassia was going to throttle her mother. She'd had it up to here with her meddling.

"And since I'm going anyway, why don't we go together?"

She did laugh then, a short burst that surprised her as much as it did Alex. "You've got to be kidding."

He shook his head. "It's the least I can do."

Cassia's mirth dissipated in a rush. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Well, I know how hard it can be to go to a wedding alone. Especially since all your friends are married, or close to being married." Alex's smile was smug once more. "You don't want to go alone, do you?"

That's it. Cassia clenched her hands into fists and walked right up to him. His eyebrows rose but his smug smile stayed in place. "I would rather go to a dozen weddings alone than go with you to one."

"You don't mean that." He reached out and brushed a strand of hair from her cheek. "I'm Alex Donnelly. Who wouldn't want to go to a wedding with me?"

"Me." Cassia whirled away before he could touch her again. Her skin crawled as it was.

She stalked out to the living room, grabbed her coat off the back of the sofa and faced her family. "I'm leaving. Thank you for dinner."

Her family turned to her, all with identical expressions of surprise at her tone. All except for Kyle, the only one who had sided with her when she'd told them about her break-up.

"See you later." Cassia turned and stormed out of the house without another glance.

Shoving her hands in her pockets, she walked away from the house, wanting nothing more than to put as much distance between herself and Alex as she could. She strode right past the turn to her street and kept on going. She was too angry to go home. She needed to calm down first. Or drink a lot.

Once the thought was in her head, she knew where to go.

Heading down one block, then over two streets, and on for another block, she reached the strip with her diner, Janis' gallery, and Tapley's. She wondered if it there was another night of First Impressions going on, which made her smile, breaking through some of the anger she felt. Speed dating was out of the question but she wanted a drink. Bad. So she crossed at the lights, and hurried to the main door of the bar.

Inside, it was busy and very warm. Any other time, Cassia would have called one of her friends to meet up but she didn't feel like waiting for someone to join her. So she made her way through the crowd and was happy to find a free stool at the bar. Less than a minute later, the bartender crossed to her side and leaned over.

"What can I get you?"

Cassia ordered something fruity and full of hard liquor. The bartender nodded and mixed it up for her. Handing over the money, Cassia started drinking before the woman even brought her change. A minute later, she ordered another, making the bartender laugh.

She drank the second one a little slower and looked out over the crowded bar as she did. She'd always liked Tapley's. It was a good place to drink, without the pressure of being a nightclub. They had decent food, excellent service and clean restrooms. Most of the time, coffee and pie was enough for Cassia, but tonight had been a trial, to say the least.

She eyed the crowd, wondering if anyone else there had ever dealt with a meddling mother, older brothers who think they know everything, or a pro-athlete ex-boyfriend who thought he was God's gift to women.

A draft rushed over Cassia's skin as she sipped her drink, and her eyes went to the doorway. Where she saw Dylan Samuels walk in with another player from the Dallas Stars. It took her a moment to recognize him, but it was the captain, Jake Brown.

"You have got to be fucking kidding me."

Cassia didn't realize she'd spoken out loud until the guy on the stool next to her swiveled around to give her a look. Flushing, she turned and faced the bar, wondering if she could finish her drink and sneak out with Dylan seeing her.

What was he even doing there? Did he actually live that close? Had his experience with First Impressions not turned him off of ever coming back to Tapley's?

Looking over her shoulder, Cassia couldn't see him or Jake any more. Breathing a sigh of relief, she lifted her drink to her lips and finished it with a long swallow. The bartender returned, a smile on her face.

"Another?"

Cassia glanced over her shoulder once more before nodding. "Please."

The woman mixed up the drink and slid it across the bar before turning to the next person.

The crowd was heavy around the bar, a fact for which Cassia was grateful. After another few minutes, she leaned an elbow on the bar, feeling the booze settle through her. The arguments of the evening started to dim and she began to feel more relaxed. She watched the bartenders moving around before her, and felt people pressing in on one side or the other, as the crowd moved around her.

She lifted her drink to her lips, looking around behind her again. She didn't see Dylan or Jake, and wondered if maybe she'd imagined them walking in. All of a sudden, the next three stools emptied as the men who'd been occupying them paid and moved away. She looked at the empty seats for a long moment, feeling as if everything was in slow motion. She had maybe downed her first two drinks a little too fast.

Someone moved forward to take a stool, two someones, and Cassia lifted her eyes to their faces. The first guy, an arm full of tattoos, turned and smiled at Cassia. She smiled back. He had messy, short, brown hair and dark eyes, and his smile was wide. He was a player, she could tell.

"Hi. I'm Jake." He slid on to the stool beside her.

That was when she saw Dylan beside him, standing on his left side, gaping at her.

She wanted to laugh. Of course it was Jake Brown and Dylan Samuels sitting next to her. Of course she was already half-drunk and feeling fuzzy. "I know who you are."

Jake's eyes widened. "Really? I don't often get recognized."

She nodded. "Well, you're not a football player. But then, I've always been a bigger fan of hockey."

"Lucky for me." He leaned his elbows on the bar. "Can I buy you a drink?"

She shook her head, brandishing her still half-full glass at him. Then her eyes went over Jake's shoulder to Dylan, who'd slid into the next stool.

Following her glance, Jake leaned back and clapped a hand on Dylan's shoulder. "This is Dylan Samuels. Or did you already recognize him, too?"

Cassia shook her head. "I know Dylan."

Dylan met her eyes and smiled. "Hi, Cassia."

Jake looked back and forth between them. "You two know each other? How?"

"Long story." Dylan flagged the bartender and she stopped across from them. The guys ordered drinks and Cassia sipped hers.

Well, she thought. This is a pleasant surprise. Who'd have thought she'd ever sit beside Jake Brown and Dylan Samuels, drinking in a bar she'd been frequenting since she'd turned twenty-one.

"Come on, you guys have to tell me how you know each other." Jake took a long draw on his bottle of beer and his expression changed. "Wait, was it that speed dating thing?"

Dylan nodded, and Jake laughed. Dylan looked down at the bottle in his hands as his ears turned pink at the top. Cassia had to smile at that. He really was adorable when he was embarrassed.

"You told your teammates about that?" She leaned around Jake to talk to Dylan.

He shook his head. "I told Tristen, and he opened his big mouth."

Jake chuckled. "I think it's great. Dylan doesn't seem to have much luck with the ladies." He turned his gaze on Cassia, the look in his eyes changing. "Although, I guess that's changed."

Cassia smiled back at him. "Maybe it has. I certainly have no complaints."

Dylan's eyes widened and Jake laughed.

"Well, I'll give you two some space." Without another word, he slid off his stool, leaving Cassia leaning towards an empty spot, Dylan across from her.

"Hi, Dylan."

Dylan smiled, looking uncertain, but he moved onto Jake's vacated stool and Cassia straightened. "Have you been here a while?"

She shook her head. "No." The room spun for a moment. God, she was such a lightweight when it came to drinking. She pushed the half-finished glass away from herself. "I was at dinner with my family and needed a drink."

Dylan's eyebrows rose. "Really? That doesn't sound good."

She met his eyes, noticing, not for the first time, how blue they were. She also felt like she was leaning too close to him. Making herself sit up straight, she braced herself on the bar. "It wasn't a good dinner."

"Bad food?"

Cassia smiled and shook her head. "No. My mom is a great cook."

"What happened?"

Cassia sighed and propped her chin in one upturned hand. "Do you really want to know?"

He shrugged. "If you tell me why your day was bad, I'll tell you why mine was, too."

"OK." She nodded. "Deal."

Dylan smiled. "You first."

"My mother invited my ex-boyfriend to dinner even though we broke up last year because I found him naked with another woman." She paused, watching Dylan's expression grow more astonished. "Having sex."

"I gathered." His tone was wry. "And your mom thought it was a good idea to invite him to dinner?"

"Apparently. To be fair, she didn't know what really happened."

"Wow. Well, you win. Your day was worse."

"Oh no." She shoved him with one hand. "You don't get off that easy. Tell me what happened to you that was so bad."

Dylan chuckled. "It wasn't actually all that bad. Tristen told the guys about the speed dating thing and they made fun of me after practice."

"I'm sure that was bad enough." Cassia smiled, imagining the kind of ribbing he'd have dealt with. "What did they say?"

He gave her a brief recap of the locker room talk and she laughed.

"They wouldn't shut up until—"

She watched him, saw the way he stopped himself halfway through. "What? They wouldn't shut up until what?"

Dylan shook his head. "Never mind."

"No. You have to tell me." Cassia leaned closer. "I told you about my ex-boyfriend."

"Probably because you're drunk."

"Probably." She had to agree, and smiled. "It's why we're talking, right?"

He smiled. "Right."

"So, what did you say?"

Dylan blew out a breath and rubbed his chin. "Fine. I said I'd met someone, someone I liked."

"You did?"

The look in his eyes shifted as she watched him. The thought that occurred to her at that made her sit back. No. There's no way he meant her. Turning, she leaned across to get another drink from the bartender, forgetting that she'd stopped drinking for a reason.

As she sipped her fresh drink, she could feel Dylan's eyes on her. They didn't say anything for a few minutes. The music and noise of the crowd rose and fell around them. Then someone stumbled against Cassia and she slid towards Dylan with a gasp.

"Whoa. You all right?" He caught her, even as what remained of her drink slopped onto his hand.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Dylan." Cassia tried to right herself, but slipped off the stool. Dylan went with her, keeping her on her feet. Before she could say anything, Dylan had scooped the drink out of her hand and set his own bottle on the bar.

"Why don't I walk you home? You live nearby, right?"

Cassia looked up at him, feeling her cheeks warm. She might be tipsy, but she was aware that she was making a fool of herself. Stupid Alex and her meddling family. She was only there because of them.

"Wait here. I'm going to find Jake and let him know."

Cassia nodded, feeling more foolish with each passing second. Dylan hurried through the crowd, seeking out his teammate and Cassia watched him go. How could she have let Alex get to her? It had been nearly a year already. Maybe it was that he'd brought up her still single status and the fact that she'd see him at Vivian's wedding. That she'd be attending alone.

"Hey." Dylan appeared by her side again.

"Hi." She looked down, feeling embarrassed.

"Ready to go?"

She nodded. She really was. She was ready to get over everything and get on with her life. She just didn't know how.

They left the bar and the slap of cooler air outside went a long way to sobering her up. Dylan stuck close to her side as they turned to walk up the sidewalk towards the first intersection.

"Are you up for some pie?"

Cassia glanced across at the Lone Star Diner and shook her head. She loved Sally's pies but didn't think she had the energy now to sit on a stool.

"Home, it is then."

Dylan put his hand on the small of her back as the light changed and they started to cross. Cassia didn't know how she felt about that, but it sure didn't make her skin crawl like Alex's touch had.

They walked another block and a half before Dylan spoke again. "Which way from here?"

Cassia looked around and pointed. They walked on in silence for several minutes again.

"Are you all right?"

She looked up at his question and nodded. "I'm fine. Why?"

"You're just not saying anything." He smiled at her. "I hope I haven't done something wrong."

"No. You didn't." Cassia sighed and paused at the next block, waiting for the light to change. "It's just... I'm just tired, I think."

"And drunk."

A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as she met his gaze again. "Yeah. And drunk." The light changed and they started to cross but Cassia tripped off the curb. Dylan caught her with one arm and she grabbed his shoulder. "Jesus. I'm a mess." For an inexplicable reason, her eyes filled with tears and she jerked away from Dylan as she got a hold of herself.

"Cassia, what is it?"

She sucked in a breath, and then another, deep ones, and rubbed her eyes until the feeling passed. She didn't know how to answer him. "Nothing."

Squaring her shoulders, she turned the corner and started up the next street until they hit her neighborhood. Dylan stuck close to her side but didn't touch her again, even when she wobbled on the occasional crack in the sidewalk. She'd be so happy to get home and collapse in bed. Those few drinks had gone straight to her head, and in spite of the air, her head was still fuzzy.

They reached the donut shop, next to the small general store, which was next to the dentist's office, along with a few other small shops.

"You live at the dentist's office?"

Cassia let out a little laugh and shook her head, her hand fishing in her pocket for her keys. "No. Over here."

She walked to the door at the end of the row of shops and turned the key. The air in the stairway was stuffy and she wavered on the first step. But Dylan was there, his arm around her waist and Cassia gave up, leaning her weight on him.

They made it to the second floor and she mumbled her apartment number to him, feeling her eyes drooping, the closer she got to home. At her door, she fumbled with the keys before dropping them. Groaning, she turned and rested her back against the wall beside the door. How was she supposed to bend over for the keys when she couldn't keep her balance?

"Hold on, I got 'em." Dylan held her arm as he crouched and scooped up the keys. As he stood upright again, Cassia grabbed his arm and pulled him close. His eyes grew wide and Cassia let her head drop back to the wall. She'd probably scared him when all she wanted to do was thank him.

"Thank you, Dylan Samuels."

"For what?" His voice was very deep. She liked it very much.

"For walking me home." She put one hand on his shoulder and smiled. "I couldn't have made it without you."

His expression softened and he smiled. "You're a capable woman. You could have figured it out yourself."

"I don't want to." Her eyes closed. "I'm tired of figuring it out by myself."

Dylan didn't say anything. A moment later, she felt him shift and when she opened her eyes, he had moved away. She didn't want that. She grabbed his jacket and yanked. He stumbled forward, pressed against her, and his hand clapped on the wall by her head to stop himself from squishing her.

She looked up into his eyes. They were very blue, and the lashes around them were dark and thick. She liked his face. It was a kind face. Except for that scar on the ridge under his left eye. She knew that had probably come from a fight. He wasn't the type of guy to get in a fight every game but she had seen him drop his gloves a time or two.

Lifting a hand, not really sure of what she was doing, she touched the scar and heard him suck in a breath. Her eyes flicked back to his, and she noticed how close he'd leaned in.

"Cassia..."

She swallowed. Her brain was so foggy. She wanted to say something, make a response of some kind, but she couldn't. Her lips parted, just as the lock clicked in the door beside them and the door swung open.

Her brother poked his head out, saw them pressed together against the wall, and his eyes narrowed. He stepped into the hall and scowled at Dylan, who pushed away from Cassia.

"What's going on?"

"Hey, Kyle." Cassia looked at her brother and levered herself up from the wall. "This is Dylan. Dylan, my brother, Kyle."

"Nice to meet you." Dylan held up Cassia's keys and she took them from him. "I think you'll be all right now, won't you?"

She met his eyes and nodded. "Thanks again, Dylan."

His handsome face relaxed into a smile and he nodded. "Anytime, Cassia. Take care." And he turned and walked down the hall, back the way they'd come.

Cassia watched him go until his steps faded down the stairs before turning to face her brother.

"Who the hell was that?"

"Dylan." Cassia walked into the apartment, letting her brother close the door and lock up behind her.

"And who is Dylan?"

"He's really nice." Cassia didn't slow down. She walked down the hall, turned the corner, and went into her room. She managed to kick her shoes off before falling into bed.

Kyle followed, and stood in the doorway. "Are you drunk?"

"Yes."

Kyle grumbled something under his breath that Cassia didn't catch. A moment later, she heard her bedroom door close and she breathed a sigh into her pillow, passing out a few minutes later.

In the morning, Cassia smacked her lips, the interior of her mouth the consistency of a wool scarf. She sat up, eyes bleary, and looked down at herself. She was still fully clothed, but had managed to discard her jacket at some point. The light filtering in through her curtains told her it was late morning. With a groan, she rolled off the bed and rose to her feet.

In the bathroom, she downed two full glasses of water before brushing her teeth, and it helped to clear her mouth of the wooly feeling. Then she went back to her room, changed into some flannel pants and a sweatshirt before heading to the kitchen.

There was no sign of Kyle. She assumed he must be working, but she didn't care. She was just glad of the quiet apartment and the chance to relive the shame of the previous night without her brother around.

She started some coffee brewing in the pot and turned to pull out some bread out for toast. As she waited on the toaster and the coffee maker, she recalled her conversation and the extremely awkward walk home with Dylan. Covering her face with her hands, she imagined he must think she was a complete nutcase.

The toast popped and she pulled it out, slathered on the peanut butter, and ate it standing up while two more pieces of bread toasted and the coffee finished brewing.

After the four slices of toast, and a half a cup of coffee, her balance had improved but her embarrassment hadn't faded in the least.

God, what would he have told his teammate? She closed her eyes for a moment as she leaned against her kitchen counter, coffee cup warm in between her hands. They'd probably be laughing about her for weeks.

With a heavy sigh, Cassia pushed away from the counter and walked into the living room. A day on the couch, that's what she needed. Later, maybe a hot bath. After that, she had to get on with her life. It didn't matter how much she'd embarrassed herself the night before. She still had to earn a living, and somehow get through Vivian's wedding.

Dylan's words from the night before echoed in her head. She could figure things out on her own. It was the only way she knew how.

Their first game after the All-Star break was against Toronto, and the Stars came out strong from the beginning. Dylan was excited to get back into the swing of things. Practices were great, but nothing can compare to the excitement and energy of a game, even against a non-rival like the Leafs.

As the third period wrapped up, their 6-3 lead in bright lights overhead, Dylan couldn't keep the giddy grin from his face. He loved winning. Had always loved it. What athlete didn't? It's why they were all there. Sure, the money was good, but the playoffs and that Cup at the end was what it was really all about.

Tristen finished his last shift and slid down the bench beside him. "Great game, man."

Dylan bumped Tristen's fist with his own. "Yeah."

They watched the action on the ice for a minute, until the whistle blew on an offside call against the Leafs. In another several minutes, the horn blew, and the game was over. Dylan, Tristen and the rest of the team filed onto the ice, skated over to their goalie, high fives all around.

Later, in the locker room, Dylan was reminded that Jake had met Cassia, even if only in passing. He added the captain to his hit list.

"Hold up." Tristen dropped his pads on the floor before his feet. "You actually met someone at this dating thing?"

Dylan sighed and shrugged. "Yeah. So?"

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Dylan's responding look was pointed, and Tristen laughed.

"She's hot, too," Jake added.

"Yeah?" Tristen grinned. "Would I like her?"

Dylan couldn't explain the surge of jealousy that rose at Tristen's words. He scowled, his mood no longer as light. "She wouldn't like you."

The men around them hooted with laughter and catcalled until Dylan stalked to the showers with a frown.

Under the hot spray, he wondered why he'd reacted that way. It wasn't like he had any kind of claim on Cassia himself. Sure, she was pretty, smart and funny, but she didn't even have his phone number and she hadn't offered him hers. Still, he couldn't forget the way she'd pulled him close the other night when he'd walked her home.

He turned, cranked one of the handles to cold and gasped as the water's temperature dropped. Good. He needed it.

An hour later, he and Tristen were in Tristen's car, headed home. They often carpooled to and from the games or practices. Tonight, with Tristen going on about Dylan's speed dating episode, Dylan wished he'd brought his own vehicle.

"I can't believe you met an actual woman."

"Well, that was the point of it."

Tristen chuckled and turned onto the next block. They'd be home in five minutes. "Yeah, but I've seen how you are with women. You barely look them in the eye."

Dylan shrugged. Tristen wasn't saying anything he didn't already know. "What can I say? I guess I got lucky."

With a laugh, Tristen stopped at a red light and looked at Dylan. "Lucky, huh? And it hasn't even been two weeks."

"My God, you have a one-track mind, don't you?" Dylan rolled his eyes.

That just made Tristen laugh. "So when do I get to meet her? You going to bring her home one night?"

Not ever, if he could help it. Dylan scratched his face as he considered how Tristen would get along with Cassia. Tristen was a star on and off the ice, never struggling with the ladies.

"We might have to get our own places."

Dylan nodded. "Maybe."

Neither of them needed to have a roommate. When Tristen had been traded to the team a year after Dylan, they'd become fast friends, and Tristen had moved in rather than worry about finding a place of his own right away. They hadn't seen the need to move, especially since they were barely home half the year, between away games and the off-season when they'd each head to their hometowns, Tristen to Brampton, Ontario, and Dylan to Okotoks, Alberta.

After another few minutes, they were parked in the underground structure of their apartment building.

Circling the car to walk beside him, Tristen nudged Dylan's shoulder. "Hey, you know, you can tell me to move out any time."

Dylan smiled. "Yeah. Maybe you should start looking. You're totally cramping my style."

Tristen laughed as they reached the elevator and headed inside. "All jokes aside, I'm happy that you've met someone you like."

Dylan felt his ears heat up but nodded, not meeting Tristen's eyes.

"Even if it does call her sanity into question."

"Eat me."

"Point made."

Dylan laughed.

They walked into their apartment a few minutes later and Dylan headed for his room, pulling his jacket off as he went. Tristen followed, not letting the matter drop.

"You know, there is that casino night for the team coming up. And that kid's spring event in March."

Dylan turned to eye his roommate. "And?"

"You should bring her."

"Why? So you can meet her and ask why she was crazy enough to ever talk to me?"

Tristen grinned and shook his head as he leaned in the doorway. "No. I want to see if she's real."

"Jake met her, he told you himself."

"He might be in on it."

Dylan rolled his eyes. He was getting tired of this. "There's nothing to be in on."

"I don't believe you."

"You don't have to." Dylan crossed his room to stand in front of Tristen. "I'm tired. Get out."

When Tristen stayed where he was, that mocking grin in place, Dylan shoved him in the chest and slammed the door. On the other side, Tristen laughed.

"Dude, I'm not letting this go. I will bug you about it until the end of time."

Dylan rubbed his face. "Why?"

"Because I can."

"You need to get a life."

"Your advice will be taken under advisement." Tristen's voice faded as he walked away.

Left alone at last, Dylan finished changing and slid into bed with a sigh. He never should have told Tristen about Tapley's in the first place. His roommate was a good guy, and a great hockey player, but he was a jokester at heart, and when it came to razzing his teammates, he was worse than a dog with a bone. When he said he wasn't going to let it go until the end of time, Dylan knew he meant it. If Dylan wanted any peace, he'd either have to ask for a trade to another city, or present Tristen with his girlfriend.

Shit. Dylan rolled over and groaned into his pillow. What was he going to do?
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