Romance Reflections on Ice

As promised, Dylan arrived to pick her up for the gathering at Vivian's at five o'clock the following day. Cassia offered to drive, since she knew the way, and Dylan agreed.

"So who all will I be meeting tonight?"

"My friends, Vivian, Olivia, Carol and Janis." Cassia turned to him with a smile as they buckled in. "But I've told you about them before."

"Yes, you have."

"Then there's Troy, the groom-to-be, his best man, Howie, and the other groomsmen, Adam, Zach, and Tyler."

"And you know all them?"

Cassia shook her head as she turned the car at the end of the block. "I know Troy, obviously, and his brother, Adam, and Howie, since we all went to high school together, but I've never met the other guys. One's his cousin, and the other is a friend from college."

"Gotcha. Anyone else?"

"Just their girlfriends, and Olivia's husband, and Janis' fiancé."

"What about Carol's boyfriend?"

"Oh, well, they're not together anymore."

Dylan gave her a surprised look. "What happened? You told me they'd been together for a while."

"They were, and I don't know all the details yet." Cassia recapped her impromptu adventure from the day before.

"Wow." Dylan let out a low whistle. "All I did was play a game yesterday."

Cassia grinned. "And you won!"

"Well, not me personally, but yeah, the team." Dylan returned her smile.

"I watched it. You were great."

His ears turned pink and he shrugged. "Thanks."

They fell silent for the next few blocks, turning into a quiet residential neighborhood. They rolled up in front of the house Vivian and Troy had purchased a few months before.

"This is it." Cassia took a deep breath as she released her seatbelt. "Are you ready?"

Dylan glanced at her and nodded. "Of course."

"You sure?" Cassia smiled. "There are going to be a bunch of women here."

He laughed. "They're all taken, so I'll be fine."

Cassia nodded, not mentioning that Carol was newly single. They climbed out of the car and Cassia led the way towards the laughter and chatter in the back yard. The rounded the house and Janis was the first to spot Cassia.

"Hey!" She hurried over and gave Cassia a big hug. "Is this Dylan?"

Cassia ignored the look Dylan gave her. "Yes. Dylan, this is my friend, Janis."

He shook her hand. "Nice to meet you."

As they spoke, Vivian and Olivia came over, and Cassia introduced them all to Dylan.

"Where's Carol?"

Janis smirked. "Probably still trying to get out of bed."

"Janis told us about what happened." Vivian clucked her tongue. "I feel so bad for her. I thought she and Brad were the real deal."

Olivia shrugged. "I guess they weren't meant to be."

The four friends shared a commiserating look before Vivian turned to Dylan and touched his arm. "Can I get you something to drink?"

"I'm all right for now, thank you."

"OK. Come in and meet everyone else."

They followed as Vivian led the way, introducing Cassia and Dylan to the groomsmen, and their dates. Zach, Troy's cousin, had brought his high school sweetheart, Heather, and Howie's wife, Jill, was friendly and, having grown up in Minnesota, a big hockey fan, one who actually recognized Dylan. The other two guys, Adam and Tyler, hadn't arrived yet, but would be bringing their girlfriends. Olivia introduced Dylan to her husband, Ethan, and Janis' fiancé, Matt.

Last, he met Troy, who was manning the grill, checking the temperature. "Nice to meet you, Dylan. Vivian said you guys just met?"

Cassia and Dylan exchanged a look and Cassia shrugged. The way they'd met was no secret, but she decided they may need to get some other 'facts' straight before anyone asked too many questions.

"Yeah, we met a few weeks ago."

Troy turned from the grill, setting the lid down. "You going to be able to make it to the wedding?"

Cassia clapped a hand over her eyes. Yes, they'd already arranged for Dylan to take her, but no one else knew that. For all Troy knew, Cassia hadn't even asked him yet. Leave it to one of the guys to get right to the heart of the matter.

Vivian, who'd approached just as her fiancé asked the question, gasped and slapped his arm. "Don't ask that."

Troy looked mystified. "Why not?"

But Dylan was laughing. Cassia looked up and saw him nod. "Yeah, we checked my schedule, and I'll be there."

Troy grinned. "Awesome. Come on, let's get a beer, and I can tell you some stories of Cass from high school."

"Don't you dare."

Troy winked at her and turned away with Dylan at his side as they walked into the house.

Vivian turned to Cassia. "I'm sorry, Cass. I told Troy not to be an ass."

Cassia shook her head. "It's fine."

Vivian broke into a wide grin. "I'm so happy you brought him. He's so cute, Cass!"

Even as her cheeks warmed, Cassia nodded in agreement. "He is, isn't he."

Just then, Carol arrived and the girls hurried to her side.

"How are you feeling?" Janis reached her first and took her arm.

Carol groaned. "I feel like hell. Why did you let me drink so much?"

Janis smiled. "Sweetie, I couldn't have stopped you. The martinis disappeared before the waiter was even two steps from the table."

The other girls laughed and Carol managed a smile. They all moved through the yard to one of the picnic tables set up, and sat down.

"Do you want to tell us what happened?" Olivia asked.

Carol frowned but told them all about her blow-up with Brad on Friday night. "He basically said he didn't want to marry me, and he'd realized it when I kept bringing up the wedding plans and all."

Vivian reached for Carol's hand. "But you guys weren't even engaged."

"I know! I told him that, and that I never said I wanted to marry him either."

"Oh, Carol." Olivia shook her head.

"He said I kept talking about it, and hinting, and he was tired of me trying to pressure him. I tried to tell him that I wasn't pressuring him, that I only talked about the wedding because I was excited for you." Carol gave Vivian a weak smile. "But he didn't want to hear it." She blew out a breath and pushed her hair off her face. "It spiraled from there. There was name-calling, a lot of swearing, and then he just... left."

"I'm so sorry, Carol." Janis hugged her.

The others echoed her.

"Thanks, guys." Carol sniffled and rubbed her nose before she glanced up and blinked. "Who is that?"

They turned to see Troy and Dylan walking out of the house, drinks in hand. Troy stopped to talk to the other guests but Dylan kept walking towards Cassia.

"That's Dylan, Cassia's boyfriend." Vivian leaned close to Carol, her voice low.

Cassia shot her a look. "We haven't started calling each other that."

Vivian smiled. "Fine, he's your date, and soon to be your boyfriend."

"Shut up."

Dylan approached, hesitating for a moment when he saw all their eyes on him. "Uh, hi. I brought you something." He handed the red plastic cup to Cassia. "It's just soda."

"Thank you." Cassia took it, and held a hand towards Carol. "Dylan, this is my friend, Carol."

"Oh, nice to meet you." Dylan's voice softened with sympathy. "Can I get you a drink?"

Carol blinked again, clearly surprised by his offer. "Uh, sure. Just water, please."

Janis snickered and Carol elbowed her.

"Coming right up. Anyone else?"

The other girls shook their heads and Dylan turned to head back to the house.

"Oh, he's so sweet, Cass." Olivia clapped her hands once. "You are so lucky. Ethan hasn't offered to get me a drink since 2015."

They laughed, even Carol, and Cassia smiled, sipping her drink.

They chatted about Vivian's last dress fitting until Dylan returned, and then Cassia stood up, taking his hand and leading him a few feet away from everyone else.

"What's wrong?"

She shook her head. "Nothing. I think we should maybe get some details straight."

Dylan smiled and nodded. "I agree. I wasn't sure what to say when I met Troy."

"Exactly." Cassia glanced over her shoulder to find her friends all watching them with avid interest. She scowled at them before pulling Dylan further away, until they were on the far side of the big oak tree in the corner of the yard.

He chuckled. "They're going to think we're making out."

Cassia laughed, though it sounded strained, even to her own ears. "Let them."

Dylan smiled down at her, leaning a shoulder on the tree trunk beside her. "So. Details?"

Swallowing, Cassia nodded. "Yeah. Well, I already told my friends about Tapley's so that's fine."

He nodded. "Right. What about dates?"

She chewed her lip. "I don't know. What should we say?"

"Maybe we should just stick as close to the truth as we can. We have talked on the phone a couple times, and met up for coffee a few times, too."

"Yeah." Cassia nodded. "Yeah, OK." She thought about it for a second, and frowned. "What about other stuff?"

"What other stuff?"

Cassia felt her face start to burn and looked down. "Um. You know. Other... stuff."

When she looked up again, his ears were pink and he was rubbing his neck. "Well, I mean, you can tell the girls whatever you want, I guess."

"What about you?"

He let out a short laugh. "Guys don't usually talk about stuff like that. Especially not guys who've just met."

Cassia laughed. "Right. I didn't think of that."

"So." After a moment, he leaned a little closer, his smile wider. "What will you tell your friends?"

Cassia blinked, caught in his gaze. Why was he leaning like that? "I don't know. I'll just make something up."

"What if we give you something to talk about now?"

"W-what?"

He bent closer, putting his mouth close to her cheek. She swayed towards him, until she heard his voice. "They're watching us."

"Oh God." She squeezed her eyes shut and put a hand on his shoulder. "Are you serious?"

When he nodded, his chin brushed hers and he pulled back enough for her to see his eyes. He looked nervous as he lifted a hand - was she imagining the tremble? - and brushed her hair over her shoulder. His gaze drifted down to her mouth and she licked her lips, feeling self-conscious. They had not discussed this sort of thing ahead of time. It hadn't even occurred to her that they'd have to actually put on a show.

He touched her hair again, and this time his fingers brushed her skin, making her shiver. He paused, his eyes lifting to hers, and his hand stayed at her neck, his palm coming to rest on her collarbone.

"I, uh..." She cleared her throat and tried again. "Are they still watching?"

He gave a slight nod, his eyes darting away for only a second. "Do you want me to?"

"What?"

His lips tilted in that crooked smile she liked. "Kiss you."

That sounded like the best idea she'd heard in weeks. And yet, as he leaned closer, his other arm going around her waist, she could feel him trembling.

Oh man, she was a real jerk. No, she wasn't going to take advantage of the situation. He was clearly uncomfortable with the display they were already putting on.

She pressed a hand to his shoulder to stop him. "It's OK. I'm pretty sure we're already giving them something to talk about."

He nodded, though something flashed across his expression that she couldn't read.

She leaned back against the tree, which forced him to move his arms away. "Besides, it was enough of a surprise for them to see me arrive with you."

His smile widened and he nodded again. "Good point. You should have heard the razzing in the locker room yesterday."

She grinned. "Oh yeah? What did they say?"

"Well, some suggested I'd paid you to go with me."

Her jaw dropped. "Are you kidding me? What a bunch of assholes."

Dylan laughed and Cassia's face burned. Real classy.

"Sorry. Sometimes I don't think before I speak."

"No, you're not wrong. I said the same thing." He shifted on his feet. "Jake likes you though. Couldn't stop talking about how you'd wiped the floor with him at poker."

Cassia laughed. "He had no way of knowing that I'm the family champion."

"He wants a rematch."

She scoffed. "Tell him, anytime."

He laughed and there was a louder commotion behind them. Cassia turned to see that Adam, Tyler and their dates had finally arrived. Along with someone else who wasn't a part of the wedding party.

"Oh, shit."

Dylan moved to stand at her shoulder. "What's wrong?"

She turned her back on the new arrivals and looked up at Dylan, clutching the front of his shirt. "Kiss me."

He started, his eyes going wide. "What?"

"Please."

He still hesitated, his gaze darting over her shoulder before she lifted up on her toes and pressed her lips to his. For a moment, she thought he would shove her away. He didn't move, clearly caught by surprise.

Then his arms closed around her back and he tilted his head, joining the kiss. With gusto. His mouth was warm, soft, and yet he kissed her with enough pressure that a tingle shot down her spine. She put her hands around the back of his neck and clung to him, forgetting in the next few seconds about who she'd seen.

Dylan's mouth opened and she obliged in kind, shivering all over as his tongue touched hers. He made a noise and lifted her almost off her feet, one hand going to the back of her head, holding her, and taking the kiss deeper.

Cassia clenched her hands in his hair, letting him take her weight in his arms. Why had she said no the first time? She'd never say no again. She wanted more.

The sounds of whistling and hollering brought her skidding back to reality. Dylan released her at the same moment, their eyes opening to each other's startled looks. Cassia's lips tingled as his exhalation brushed across them. She saw him swallow, the muscles in his throat working, and her mind shot through several images of more kisses, in more places, until Dylan cleared his throat.

"Do you want to tell me what that was all about?"

She lifted her eyes to his, startled to see that he didn't look surprised anymore, and not entirely happy. She lowered her hands to his arms and put all her weight back on her own two feet. "It'll be clear in a minute." She squeezed her hand on his arm. "I'm sorry."

His expression softened, returning to his usual relaxed countenance. "Don't ever be sorry for that."

She knew her face was red and she had to look away.

"Are you two done over there?" Troy's shout brought them apart altogether.

Cassia took a fortifying breath and turned to face the crowd of onlookers. She smiled as Dylan closed his hand around hers and they walked across the yard.

Vivian took over the situation, reaching out for Cassia's free hand as they approached. "Cassia, you remember Adam, Troy's brother?"

"Of course. How are you, Adam?"

He smirked at her, so like his big brother. "Not as good as you, apparently."

There was another round of hooting and whistling, and Cassia wanted to die. Vivian shushed everyone, still holding Cassia's hand, as more introductions were made.

Dylan and Cassia met Adam's date, Nora, and Tyler, Troy's friend from college, along with his wife, Kristi. Finally, they turned to the latest addition to the party, and Vivian squeezed Cassia's hand.

"And you know Alex."

Cassia nodded, taking a step closer to Dylan's side and grateful for her friend's unspoken support. "Hello, Alex. What a surprise to see you here."

"I ran into Adam at the gas station on the corner." Alex was smiling, but Cassia could see something else behind the smile, a sneering look she didn't like. "He insisted I stop in and see everyone."

"How thoughtful."

Vivian squeezed her hand and pulled her away from Dylan and everyone else, making a beeline for the house. Cassia went, throwing an apologetic look over her shoulder at Dylan. Olivia, Carol and Janis all followed as they hurried into the house, Vivian slamming the door behind them.

"Cass, I am so sorry."

"It's not your fault." Cassia didn't know whether to laugh or cry. This whole evening was not turning out the way she'd thought it would. "You couldn't have known Adam would bring him."

Vivian nodded. "I don't think Adam even knows what happened. I mean, I never even told Troy."

"Why not?"

Vivian shrugged. "I didn't want to go blabbing about it all over, and embarrass you."

Cassia smiled at her friend. "Thanks for that."

"I can't believe that snake had the nerve to show up." Janis crossed her arms over her chest, her expression sour. "He had to know you'd be here."

"Maybe that's why he did." Carol leaned on the kitchen counter. "He's exactly the kind of guy to pull a stunt like this. As if the idea of a woman choosing to not be with him is crazy."

"Totally." Olivia nodded. "But you should have seen his face when we all saw you kissing Dylan."

Cassia felt hot all over at the thought. It had been such a brief kiss, but she was sure she was reeling more from that than Alex's appearance.

"You couldn't have timed it better, Cass." Janis grinned as she touched her arm.

Cassia felt her skin prickling with embarrassment. Sure, it had been well-timed because she'd spotted Alex and thrown herself on Dylan. How could she go out there and face him now? He probably thought she was crazy, especially after she'd vetoed his suggestion right before.

The other girls chattered on for a few minutes, making Cassia relive the moment. She moved around them, heading for the fridge and searching for a cold drink. She downed half a bottle of grape soda before turning around again.

"So, is he a good kisser, Cass?"

She met their curious looks, a smile creeping across her face, before she nodded. Yes, he was good. Better than she'd have guessed and better than she felt she had a right to.

Her friends were silent a moment before they broke into identical squeals. Cassia laughed. "You guys are impossible."

Vivian darted over to hug her. "I'm so happy for you, Cass. He seems super nice."

"He is. So considerate, too." Carol still had her cup of water in hand that Dylan had brought her, and was looking more relaxed than she'd been when she'd arrived.

"And he's hot as hell." This from Olivia, who fanned herself while the others nodded in agreement.

"And that kiss." Janis clapped a hand over her mouth for a second. "I mean, I swear, I could almost feel the heat from where I was standing."

Cassia went right back to feeling embarrassed. "Please, can we change the subject?"

They laughed and hugged her in turn before doing as she asked.

"Well, what do we do about Alex?" Vivian asked.

Olivia smacked a fist into her open palm. "Kick his ass outta here."

"No." Cassia shook her head. "You can't just tell him to leave. Everyone will wonder why and I really don't want to have to explain."

Her friends looked like they wanted to protest but she insisted.

"And I don't want to make tonight about me." Cassia put her arm around Vivian's shoulders. "This is all about you, Viv."

"You're a good friend, Cass." Vivian hugged her back. "Are you sure you can deal with him being here?"

Cassia drew in a deep breath and nodded. "I can manage for a few hours."

Janis grinned. "Dylan will be enough of a distraction."

Cassia rolled her eyes as the others laughed. They agreed to have as little to do with Alex as they could all night and got some drinks before heading back outside.

Everyone was standing or sitting around, talking, while Troy and his brother stood at the grill, starting to cook the meat.

Cassia looked around for Dylan and found him chatting with Howie and Jill. She hurried across the patio to his side.

"Hi." He looked down with a smile as she slipped her hand in his. "Is everything OK?"

"Oh yeah." She let out a breath and nodded. "Everything's fine."

"Dylan was telling us about his game last night." Jill grinned. "I can't believe I'm talking to a real live hockey player."

Cassia laughed. "I think you and I must be the only hockey fans in Dallas."

"My sister and I watch games whenever we can, over Skype."

"That's a great idea. Does your sister still live in Minnesota?"

Jill nodded. "She's going to be so jealous when I tell her I've met Dylan Samuels."

Cassia glanced up at Dylan, grinning when she saw his ears. "Well, he is a superstar. A big superstar."

Dylan choked on his drink and sputtered for a second. Cassia squeezed his hand while Jill nodded, oblivious to their inside joke.

"I'm getting hungry." Cassia turned back to Howie and Jill, as Dylan wiped his chin. "How about you guys?"

They nodded and all turned to stroll towards the patio, where Vivian was setting out the side dishes, paper plates and plastic cutlery. Dylan tugged on Cassia's hand, pulling her back from the crowd.

"Are you sure you're OK?"

She nodded. "Listen, I am sorry about putting you on the spot like that."

"Don't worry about it." He glanced over her shoulder, his eyes narrowing when they landed on Alex. "So that's the ex-boyfriend? The one your mom invited to dinner that night?"

"That's him."

"How did he end up here?"

Cassia explained. "It's tough, because no one knows the whole truth, and everyone's been friends since high school."

"He's like a bad penny." Dylan shook his head. "Wait, does this mean he's going to be at the wedding too?"

"Looks that way."

"Damn." Dylan let out a breath.

"I'm sorry."

"What for? You didn't invite him."

Cassia shrugged. "It's just... this is all turning out to be more complicated than you probably expected."

"I can handle it."

"Are you sure? I can make something up and you don't have to do it anymore."

"And let you go to the wedding alone?" Dylan shook his head. "Not a chance. You're stuck with me now."

Cassia couldn't help but smile. Stuck with him, as if she didn't already find him attractive enough. Now she knew how he kissed, and the way his arms had felt around her body. Add in his gallantry, the way he'd treated her friends so far, and how he kept her close now, knowing that Alex's presence was bothering her. She was in over her head. A month with him as a fake boyfriend was going to destroy her.

The rest of the night passed uneventfully. When Dylan noticed Cassia starting to shiver, he suggested that they leave.

Alex overheard and decided to add his two cents. "Yeah, she always was one to get cold even if it wasn't cold out."

Cassia shot him a dirty look and it was all Dylan could do to keep from punching the guy. All night, Alex had lingered close to him and Cassia, interjecting comments even if no one was talking to him. At one point, Dylan had pulled Cassia out of the group and into the house, heedless of the catcalls behind them. He didn't care. He'd seen how tense she was getting and did what he could to lighten the mood, making her laugh during their brief sojourn inside. It had worked for the most part, and Cassia had been able to relax for the rest of the party.

Now, Alex had to open his big mouth again. A fitting ending to the night. But Dylan had had enough. He wrapped his coat around Cassia's shoulders and gave Alex a hard look. "Lucky for me that I get to warm her up later."

The silence that followed was fantastic, as was the expression on the other man's face. Then everyone busted out laughing.

Adam pounded Alex on the back. "He's got you there, Alex."

Vivian jumped to her feet and she and Troy saw Dylan and Cassia to her car in the front. "It was so nice to meet you, Dylan."

"Same here." Dylan smiled and held his hand out to shake hers, but she ignored his hand and wrapped him in a warm hug. "Oh, OK."

"Thank you so much for taking care of Cassia tonight." Vivian pulled back and pinched his cheek, like a fussy grandmother. "You're a keeper."

Dylan laughed and rubbed his neck to hide his embarrassment. "Well, thanks. I think."

Troy chuckled and shook his hand. "Glad you could make it, man. I'll see you at the wedding, I guess?"

Dylan looked down at Cassia beside him and nodded. "You certainly will."

"Great."

"Thanks for having us." Cassia gave Troy a hug first, and then her friend. "I'll see you later this week for your fitting."

"Yeah. Have a good night. Drive safe."

They stood on the curb and waved as Cassia and Dylan got in her car and drove off. Dylan let out a sigh and sank back into the seat.

"Rough night?" Cassia smiled at him.

"Not really. Last night's game was rough though." He rubbed his shoulder. "Got slammed into the boards in the second and there's a bruise the size of Texas on my arm."

Cassia cringed in sympathy. "I saw that hit. You took it like a pro."

Dylan chuckled. "It's what I am."

"Well, you're off for a few days, aren't you?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Don't have a game until Friday."

For the next few minutes they didn't speak. Dylan rubbed his shoulder and watched her out of the corner of his eye. They hadn't said anything about the kiss since it had happened. In truth, Dylan wanted to ask if she'd felt the same thing he had. Even now, recalling the soft weight of her in his arms had him shifting in his seat and forcing his mind to other things, like horse manure and vacuum cleaners. But she was still there, in the back of his mind, the feel of her, the taste of her lips. So help him, he wanted more.

"So you have another fitting this week?"

Cassia shook her head. "It's for Vivian's dress. She wanted us to be there, so we'll probably do dinner again after."

"Are you doing anything else this week?"

"I hadn't planned anything." She glanced his way. "Why?"

He smiled. "I said I'd take you to a movie."

"You don't have to do that." Her hands clenched and unclenched on the wheel. "We're not actually dating."

Dylan frowned and looked out the windshield. Yes, that was true. Maybe he needed the reminder. Screw it. He wanted more and there was only one way to get it right now. "This way you can tell your friends that we've got plans, and it won't be a lie."

She didn't say anything for several blocks. "What movie?"

"You can pick."

"Are you saying that because it's what a boyfriend would say?"

"No. I'm saying it because I don't care what we see, so long as I'm in a dark room with you."

She didn't look at him, but he saw the color in her cheek and smiled to himself.

"You don't need to say things like that either."

He shrugged. "Sorry. Chalk it up to my bad luck with women. I never know what to say."

She didn't say anything to that and Dylan let her mull it over. It was true, everything he'd ever said about his bad luck with women, being intimidated and never knowing the right thing to say. Then he'd met Cassia and from the first moment, there'd been no hesitation. Even with this awkward arrangement between them, he had no trouble talking to her. Maybe he'd tell her the truth soon, the truth he'd realized at his first taste of her. For now, he was still too unsure of how she might react and he didn't want to lose a friend either.

A few minutes later, they rolled up and parked on her street. They got out and Dylan walked her up to her apartment.

She faced him at her door, keys rattling in her hand. "Thanks for putting up with everything tonight."

He smiled. "It wasn't all bad."

She looked down and his own thoughts turned to that stolen moment by the tree. When she lifted her eyes to his again, she was smiling.

"And thanks for putting Alex in his place."

Dylan scoffed. "You didn't need me to do that. I'm sure you'd have come up with something if you hadn't been so cold."

Cassia laughed. "Probably."

They smiled at each other before she turned and slid her key in the lock. "Have a good night."

"You too. I'll call you later."

"OK. Bye."

He turned to go, listening as the door clicked shut behind him. The smile stayed on his face as he jogged down the stairs and up the street to where he'd parked his truck.

Yes. It was pretend for now. Somehow, he had to figure out a way to screw up his courage and tell her the truth. Soon.
​