Reflections on Ice

Dylan's heart hammered against his ribs for several minutes after he left Cassia's side to join his team on stage. He sought her out each time he looked into the crowd, but it was a full room and he couldn't be sure of where exactly the table had been. Or what had happened a few minutes before.

He lifted a hand and rubbed his face, feeling warm under the collar. Man, she must think he was a grade-A fool. She'd just been messing around and he'd nearly kissed her. He couldn't let it happen again. This was a temporary agreement, between friends. He had no business expecting any more from her.

Applause erupted as the general manager announced the final total for the charitable donation for the night. Dylan clapped his hands and smiled, glad the event had gone so well. Then he and the other players started to file off the stage.

Jake nudged Dylan with a hand. "Do you and your girl want to come play poker over in that corner?"

"I have to go find her."

Tristen, on Dylan's other side, laughed and slapped a hand to Dylan's shoulder. "You lost her already? Is that because you said the wrong thing?"

Dylan turned a scowl on his teammate.

"Or because you said nothing at all?" Tristen laughed at his own joke.

Jake rolled his eyes and shoved Tristen off-balance. "Don't listen to him, Sams. Go get Cassia and bring her over. We'll save you guys a couple spots."

Dylan nodded and wound his way through the crowd. He was stopped numerous times to shake hands, take a few pictures and sign a few autographs. Normally, he didn't mind. It was what was expected of the players at events such as this and it's how they managed to raise so much money. But when he stopped for the tenth time, within sight of the table he'd left Cassia at, he was ready to tear his hair out.

This time, when someone touched his arm to stop him, he had a difficult time not letting his frustration show. Then he realized it was a young woman and her friend, both smiling and insisting they take pictures with him.

"I'm just such a huge fan." The first one pressed up to his arm and stood on her toes to bring their faces closer together as she held her phone up with one hand. She snapped a picture before Dylan even had a chance to react. "Oh, you're not smiling!" She giggled, giving his arm a light smack.

"Oh, sorry." He cleared his throat and tried to smile.

"We have to do it again."

When she moved close again, she slipped an arm around his and turned her body so he felt her curves against his side.

Dear lord, what the hell is she doing?

He tried to focus on the phone and smile, but he caught sight of Cassia moving towards him. She spotted him there with the two young women and stopped. A second later, a smirk curved her lips and she strode forward.

"There you are, baby." She walked right up to his other side, slid her hand into his and put her other hand on his face, drawing him down to kiss his cheek. "I've been looking for you all over."

The girl on his other side dropped back, a sour look on her face. "Oh, is this your girlfriend?"

Dylan glanced at the girl before looking over at Cassia. Cassia grinned back, still holding tight to his hand, though her other hand had slid down to that top button on his shirt. She played with it, her fingers brushing the skin of his neck. Suppressing a shiver, he turned back to the young woman.

"Yeah, this is my lady, Cassia."

Cassia laughed and Dylan felt her warm breath. "Lady. I just love when he calls me that."

The girl offered them a tight smile, before she flipped her hair over her shoulder and wandered off through the crowd.

"Boy, Samuels. You are a sitting duck with these women, aren't you?"

Dylan laughed and nodded. "Thank you for saving me."

Cassia hadn't let go of his hand yet but she moved back so he could see her face. "Seems like the event is a huge success."

"Yeah, it is." Then he remembered Jake's offer. "Do you want to go play poker with some of the guys?"

Her grin widened. "Poker with the Dallas Stars? Yes, please."

Dylan tugged her through the crowd, not letting go of her hand either. They stopped for a couple drinks first at the bar, and then found his teammates at a poker table in one corner of the room.

"Cassia! Come sit with me." Tristen patted the empty chair beside him.

"Uh, I think I'll take this chair." Cassia pulled the one out between Paul Scott and Jake. She set her drink down and looked up as Dylan hesitated. "Aren't you going to play?"

"I've never been much good at poker."

"Come on, Sams." Tristen patted the chair beside him again. "We'll go easy on you."

Dylan sighed and moved around the table to take the chair. It put him right across from Cassia, so it wasn't all bad. She grinned as Jake started to deal.

"Of course, it's Texas Hold 'Em."

The players around the table laughed and clapped. A few people stood around behind the chairs as well, and Dylan felt more than a little self-conscious. But as the cards were dealt, and everyone started to place bets, he relaxed. He'd played the game for years, with teammates and his friends back home, so the rules didn't worry him. He'd never been good with reading people. He, on the other hand, was an open book, or so he'd been told.

Three hands in, he was almost out of chips, and decided to put himself out of his misery. He eyed his three of hearts and five of spades and shoved his remaining chips into the middle. "All in."

Tristen chuckled and matched his bet. The others around the table did the same. When Dylan looked up, Cassia was staring back at him.

She chewed on her bottom lip for a second before dropping her cards. "Fold."

Dylan didn't know why she'd done that. She'd been doing really well so far, her pile of chips easily triple his own. She shrugged at his look and he smiled. He didn't care, really. He was having a good time and hoped she was.

The hand ended a minute later and Dylan threw up his hands. "Someone had to be first."

There was laughter as he pushed back from the table. He circled around to Cassia's side, bending close while Paul shuffled and dealt the hand. "Do you want another drink?"

She looked over her shoulder at him, their faces close. "I don't think I should. This is a serious game."

Jake chuckled. "It's only serious if you want it to be."

Cassia glanced at him before reaching for her chips. "Who's ready to up the blind?"

Someone whistled, and then Jake grinned, tossing in his chips for the big blind. "I'm in. Let's dance, sugar."

Dylan couldn't help but laugh and straightened, content to watch Cassia play.

The next several hands disposed of three more players around the table, leaving only Cassia, Jake, Tristen, and Paul's wife, Alice.

"Paul, help me." Alice tugged his hand and brought him close. "I don't know what to do!"

There was laughter and some razzing from the others at the table.

"There's no helping in poker." Tristen waved a hand in protest. "Get away, Scott!"

"Shove it." Paul flipped him off as he leaned over his wife's shoulder to lend advice.

Dylan, who'd been hovering around on Cassia's side of the table, took the momentary lapse to bend closer. "Do you need my help?"

Cassia turned with a laugh. "You're very sweet to offer, but I got this."

Jake scoffed beside her. "Put your money where your mouth is. You're big blind."

"Cool your jets, Brown. You'll get what's coming to you."

Dylan laughed and straightened. No, Cassia didn't need his help. He supposed growing up with three brothers and working her whole life in a garage had taught her how to deal with all kinds of men.

John nudged him with an elbow. "She's a shark, man."

Dylan grinned and nodded.

"Don't ever let her talk you into strip poker."

For a second, Dylan couldn't think of a response. A burst of laughter from the table drew his attention, saving him from replying to John.

And just like that, it was over. Cassia shot to her feet, handfuls of chips scattering everywhere in her excitement. Everyone laughed as she tossed a couple towards Jake. "Here you go,

sugar

. Why don't you buy yourself something pretty?"

Jake scowled, pocketing a chip even though they were worthless, but he broke into a smile a moment later. Standing up, he extended his hand towards Cassia. "Well played, Cass. Well played."

Cassia shook his hand, the grin on her face the whole time. Then she turned to Dylan and launched herself at him. Startled, he caught her against his chest as she wrapped her arms around his neck. His teammates eyed him with knowing smiles as he hugged her back.

Stepping back, Cassia looked into Dylan's eyes, and he could see she was still wound up from her victory. "That was so much fun. It reminded me of all the times I'd beat my brothers when we'd play games."

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself." He hoped she didn't notice the waver in his voice. God, she'd felt so nice pressed up against him.

She nodded and pulled away, looking around. The table was filling with a new set of poker players, eager to win their own piles of the toy chips, and some people had wandered off for drinks.

"Should we move on to the craps tables now?"

Dylan laughed. "If you want, we can."

Cassia's gaze shifted around the room once more and she shrugged. "I don't think my luck would be as good."

"Do you want something to drink?"

She shook her head. "No, I've had enough, I think."

Dylan glanced around and leaned close. "If you want, we can leave. I don't think anyone would notice."

Her eyes came back to his. "Are you sure? I don't mind staying a little later."

"No, it's fine. I don't have to stay for anything else. I've done my part."

She smiled. "What, when you stood on stage for the speeches?"

He nodded.

"And you did it so well!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." He gave her a playful push, in response to her teasing tone. "You want to leave or not?"

"I guess we can go. I do have to work in the morning."

Dylan nodded and took her hand as he turned to lead them through the waning crowd. They said 'good-bye' to a few people on the way, retrieved her coat, and headed outside to the valet stand. The drive home didn't take long, and Dylan walked her up to her door.

"You don't need to walk me right to my door."

He shrugged. "I just want to make sure you don't start to fall asleep like last time."

She rolled her eyes. "I was way more drunk that night." She shot him a narrow look. "Thanks for reminding me."

He laughed. "It's what friends are for."

She paused, her keys rattling in her hand, as they reached the door to her apartment. Turning, she smiled at Dylan, and he smiled back, shoving his hands in his pockets to keep from reaching for her. He might not have great luck meeting women, but he knew what followed when a man walked a woman to her door at the end of a date.

Except it wasn't a real date.

"I had a great time. It was a lot of fun meeting all the hockey players I've been watching for years."

"You should come to a game."

"Really?" Her eyes widened for a second, and then her expression sobered. "I wouldn't have anyone to go with."

"None of your friends would want to go?"

She sighed. "They might, but then they'd spend the night asking me all kinds of questions."

"What about your mom? You said you watched with her all the time when you were growing up."

She frowned. "Yeah, well, I haven't really been speaking to her."

"Oh, right." Dylan nodded, recalling what she'd told him about the family dinner. "Well, some of the girlfriends and wives would be there. You met some of them tonight."

She looked at him, a small smile curling her lips. "Are you just trying to get me to a game so you can show off for me?"

He scoffed but he could feel his ears heating up. "I don't need to show off. You already think I'm a superstar, right?"

She grinned. "You bet."

They fell silent, grinning at each other. Dylan flashed back to that brief moment earlier when he'd felt her breath on his lips, and his smile slipped. He cleared his throat and rubbed his neck with one hand.

"So, should I come pick you up on Sunday for the cookout?"

She blinked and nodded. "Oh, yeah. We should definitely arrive together for that."

"OK. What time?"

"Around five, I think. Since it's Sunday, it won't be a late night."

"Sounds fine. I'll see you then." He turned to go, getting himself away from her before he let himself think it was a real date again.

"Dylan, wait."

He turned to face her. She opened her mouth, then closed it, taking a step towards him. He waited, his heart beating double-time.

"Uh, have a good game tomorrow night."

He smiled and nodded. "Will do. Have a good night, Cassia."

"Good night."

He turned and left then, hurrying down the stairs and out to his truck. After he slid behind the wheel, he didn't start it. He sat there for a long minute, his eyes on the steps leading up to her apartment. Damn. This was going to be a lot harder than he thought. Had he made a huge mistake in agreeing to pretend?

With a sigh, he jammed the key in the ignition and drove away.

****

Cassia didn't speak to her brothers at work the next morning. She worked her four hours and went home before anyone could corner her and ask her about her date. Although, after her outburst the day before, she didn't know if anyone would have the balls to question her on it so soon.

At home, she cleaned up, made something to eat and flipped through the newspaper Kyle had left on the kitchen table. She saw that he'd circled a few jobs ads, and a few places to rent as well. She smiled, thankful that she didn't need to start needling her brother about finding a place. She knew he must be as miserable sharing her cozy apartment as she was. On the other hand, it was nice having someone around to talk to, and she had always been close to Kyle.

Her phone rang, bringing her out of her reverie.

"Help!"

"Janis? What's wrong?"

"Carol just broke up with Brad and she's drunk."

Cassia sat up straight, her wide eyes going to the clock over the stove. "It's two o'clock in the afternoon."

"I know! I took her to lunch to talk and she drank two martinis in ten minutes. And that was just the start."

"Oh jeez." Cassia shook her head, already on her feet. She headed for her room to change out of her sweats. "Where are you guys?"

"Tapley's. She came down here to meet me on my break, and my boss is calling me every five minutes, asking when I'll be back, but I can't just leave her here."

"I'm on my way. Five minutes."

"Oh, bless you, Cass."

"See you soon."

Cassia ended the call and tucked her phone in her back pocket. She changed shirts, pulled her hair into a ponytail and grabbed her keys from her dresser before heading to the front door.

She passed Kyle on the way out and left the door open for him, but didn't stop. "Can't talk. Drunk friend."

"It's two o'clock in the afternoon." Kyle's surprised voice echoed down the hallway, his reply making Cassia laugh. They were more alike than she cared to admit.

She drove, even though Tapley's was only a short walk away. She'd need to drive Carol home and Carol's place was across town.

Inside Tapley's, it took a minute for her eyes to adjust, and then she heard Janis call her name. Waving a hand, Cassia hurried through the bar to the table her friends occupied.

"Cassiaaaaaaa!" Carol threw her arms up in the air at Cassia's approach, her drunken greeting carrying on for far longer than was decent.

Cassia bent down to accept her friend's hug. "Hi, Carol. How are you?"

"I'm fine." She waved a dismissive hand as Cassia sat down in the chair between the other two. "I'm so happy you're here. We're celebrating."

Janis shot Cassia a look. "She's insisting it's a time for celebration."

"It is!" Carol slapped her hands on the table. "I can do way better than Brad."

Cassia nodded, though she wasn't sure she agreed. She'd known Brad for a while, and she'd always liked him. He was friendly, smart, had a steady job, and had always shown his affection for Carol any time Cassia saw them together.

"And now you and I can go to the wedding together!" Carol grabbed Cassia's hand, squeezing hard enough to crack a couple knuckles.

Cassia figured this wasn't the best time to remind her about Dylan and extracted her hand with a wince. "I think it's time we all got out of here."

"Good idea." Janis hopped to her feet.

"But we haven't paid yet." Carol's head swung around, as if seeking the waiter.

"I paid already, sweetie." Janis took hold of one of Carol's arms. "When you were in the ladies room."

"Oh, OK."

With Cassia on her other side, they managed to get Carol to her feet and pointed towards the door. Carol chattered on between them, going on about the meal first, then the weather, before moving on to how men were all bastards.

"They're not all bad," Cassia felt compelled to reply. Even if she was play-acting with Dylan for the next month, she knew he wasn't a bastard.

Carol didn't want to hear it. "Yes, they are. You've had it right for the last year, Cass. Being an independent woman is the way to go."

Janis shot her a look over Carol's head and Cassia realized Carol was starting to slip out of their grasp. Tightening her hold, Cassia pushed open the big main door and they got Carol out onto the sidewalk. It was s short, stumbling walk to Cassia's car, but somehow, they got her buckled into the passenger seat.

"Oh my God." Janis held her head in one hand, her shoulders heaving from the effort. "I'm so sorry, Cass."

Cassia shook her head. "Don't worry about it. I wasn't doing anything."

"No, but I have no idea how you're going to get her inside once you get her home."

Cassia glanced at Carol, who was playing imaginary drums on the dashboard now. "I'll figure something out. Maybe Cole will be home and can help."

Janis laughed. "I'm sure she'd love that, having her hot neighbor see her like this."

"She should have thought about that before she decided to drown her sorrows so far from home."

"Oh, she's a mess, Cass." Janis sighed. "She didn't tell me everything before she got too drunk, but it wasn't good."

"Did he cheat on her or something?"

"No, but they had a nasty fight last night and he packed all his stuff and left. Then, this morning, she woke up to find that he'd left a box of all her stuff on the front porch for her. Brought it over in the middle of the night."

Cassia blew out a breath. Carol and Brad hadn't been living together, but they did have belongings scattered at each other's places, as all long-term couples did. "Damn."

Carol tapped on the window, and they looked over in time to see her put her lips to the glass and blow, her cheeks puffing out.

Cassia looked back at Janis, who had her lips pressed together. "Don't you dare laugh."

Janis gave her a quick hug, hiding her face, and bolted with an enthusiastic "Thank you!"

Cassia watched her go and steeled herself to drive Carol home. Inside the car, the scent of Carol's overindulgence was a bit overwhelming and Cassia put her window down as she started to drive.

For a few miles, neither of them spoke. Cassia watched Carol out of the corner of her eye but her friend was occupied with tapping some rhythm on the door handle and humming off-key.

"You know, I always knew Brad wasn't the one."

Cassia started, not expecting Carol to speak. "Oh?"

"Yeah. He was too stuffy." Carol turned in her seat to face Cassia. "I want someone fun, and sexy."

"You used to think Brad was sexy." Cassia didn't know if she would have classified him as such, but Carol had often gushed about their bedroom escapades at many a girl's night.

"I also used to think Captain Crunch was sexy."

Cassia laughed. "Yeah. And Tony the Tiger."

"He was!" Carol slapped her arm with a laugh. "I used to fantasize about Tony the Tiger seeing me naked and saying, 'they'rrrre great!' about my boobs!"