“Another cider?” Noah asks, his eyes gleaming. “Come on, you have to try and drink from the horns…”
I laugh and shake my head. “I’m not drinking from one of those things!”
I look across to the couple beside us. A bulky man, his beard as full and tangled as I’ve ever seen, is lifting a horn-shaped flask to his lips. This is a hockey themed bar, and the most popular place in Vancouver to celebrate when the team wins. The brawny fan gulps down, and the beer-filled horn rises as he tips. The woman next to him is holding one, too, her bright red Vikings jersey matching everyone else sitting along the bar.
“And you call yourself a Viking…” Noah teases.
“I never said that,” I say, raising my brows playfully. Noah gasps and his mouth hangs open until I slap his arm. “OK! OK… I’m a Viking. I love them. I love them so much…”
Sarcasm drips from my lips and Noah crosses his arms across his broad chest. He narrows his smoky gaze to me, and I push down on the warm feeling flushing my cheeks. His lips curl humorously, and when end up laughing uncontrollably together. Something inside me twists at the sound of his chuckle. It’s deep and raw. It’s untameable and rough.
I’ve spent the last hour telling myself he’s not interested, so don’t even bother. So what if he’s bought all my drinks since we sat up at the bar? And just because he’s ditched his teammates to sit with me… That doesn’t mean anything.
Does it?
Noah waves his hand at the bartender. There’s a line up for service, but when the bartender sees its Vancouver’s favourite son waving at him, he’s pouring fresh drinks for us instantly. He whips over with two freshly poured pints of warm cherry cider, in glasses, not Viking horns, and leaves with a wink directed at Noah.
“Wow… It must be nice being a famous hockey player in Canada…” I say, holding my glass for a cheers.
Noah clinks my glass. “It has its perks.”
Ellie’s here somewhere. She’s attached at the hip with that hockey player, and as her best friend and knowing her like I do, I know she’s smitten with him. Searching the room for my friend, I feel a pressure in my belly, and I know I can’t hold it in any longer.
“I need to go to the ladies,” I say.
“I’ll wait here for you,” Noah says, and when I rise to my feet, he rubs my upper arm with a soft caress. “Don’t pee long…”
I roll my eyes at the terrible joke and force myself to make my way across the bar, my arm still burning from Noah’s touch.
The floor area of the bar is packed with bodies. Music is pumping from a jukebox in the corner, a few couples dancing in circles in front of it. A wave of people sporting red hockey jersey’s light up the orange glow under the lights. There are drinks spilling and splashing to the sticky floor, as crazy fans celebrate the last-minute win of their favourite team long into the night.
I smile.
It’s good to be home.
I reach the dark corridor that leads to the ladies room and take a glance back over my shoulder to the bar. A blonde girl is moving in and hoisting her tiny frame onto the bar stool I was sitting on seconds ago.
My stomach sinks. My ribs feel like they’re pulling in tighter, restricting my heart from beating. My body sways on the spot and I gulp down, suddenly needing the wall to uphold my balance.
“Hey babe!” A cheerful voice beams from behind me, causing me to jolt on the spot.
I look to see Ellie’s bright eyes sparkling. Her lipstick is smudged and as I look over her shoulder, Miles is strutting up the corridor behind her, adjusting himself at the front of his trousers. He stands behind Ellie and reaches down, fondling her in an area I don’t want to know about. She jumps on the spot with a squeal, her eyes popping. My expression hardens, and as it does, Ellie smacks his hand away from her backside, looking at me with a stiff smile.
“Everything ok? Is something wrong? You look like you’ve seen the Vikings lose…” Ellie says, lowering her concerned gaze to me.
“I’m fine…”
I’m lying. I’m not fine.
I glance back across and the blonde has her hand running down Noah’s arm. She’s smiling, her teeth so white I can see the glow from where I’m standing. She’s tilting her head and giggling. Her hair is flowing smoothly down her body, and the low-cut top has a giant ‘V’ stretched right across the bust, making her perfectly shaped breasts pop.
She’s everything I’m not. And Noah seems to like that.
“I’ve got to go to the bathroom,” I say, and push past Ellie and Miles. She’s yells something out, but it’s a blur and I don’t really care right now anyway.
Idiot. Fucking idiot.
I lock myself in the cubicle and takes deep breaths to stem my scattered breathing. My heart is racing, and I pace one step back and spin, repeating it over and over while slapping my palm against my forehead.
I shouldn’t have let myself believe it. He’s Noah Edwards for fucks sake. As if he’d ever be interested in taking my virginity? He’s not interested in me. That wasn’t flirting. I’m his twin sister’s best friend, he was just being nice. She ditched me so he filled in and that’s all there is to it.
“ARRGGH!” I scrunch down and scream.
I’m a fool for wanting him anyway. It was never going to happen. I mean, look at him. He’s a famous hockey player. He could have any woman. Hell, he could have any man he wanted, judging the way some of the guys in this bar were looking at him… So why would he want me? A plus-size chick with thighs wider than Ontario?
Not only that, but what would Ellie think? It’s part of the best friend rulebook, isn’t it? You don’t date your friend’s brother. It’s forbidden. It’s distasteful. It’s wrong!
I pull the door open and drag my feet to the sink. Leaning down, I splash cold water over my face. I catch my sad eyes in the mirror and shake my head.
“Just go home…” I whisper to myself.