Page 12

I groan. In all my excitement, I forgot to tell Fe it’s Theo.

Damn it. Now my mouth isn’t working, and I’m suddenly feeling shy.

What the fuck? I never feel shy. I wanted to tell Felix before we got here so he wouldn’t be so shocked.

I want real advice. Not for my little brother to tease me over my celebrity crush.

“Uh, maybe you’ve seen him here before?” I say weakly.

Felix shakes his head. “No, that isn’t it.”

I yank Felix by his arm and usher him toward an open booth. He giggles and places his milkshake on the table before sliding in. “I’m on to you, Aid.”

I plop down on my side of the booth. Before I can explain, Kayla passes Theo the pad of paper to take orders, and suddenly, Theo is walking toward us. He’s no longer smiling. He looks guarded, his eyes bouncing back and forth between Felix and me. Oh crap. It probably looks like we’re on a date.

“Don’t make a big deal about this, okay?” I whisper to my little brother. Images of Felix teasing me throughout the years whenever Adrian was on TV come to mind. Oh, no. Oh no. This was such a bad idea.

“A big deal about what?” Felix bats his lashes innocently, right as Theo stands in front of our booth.

He glances between my brother and me with a small smile, but something about it seems forced. “Hey,” he says casually, making eye contact with me.

My face grows hot under his stare, and all I can do is blink up at him.

Internally, I’m screaming at myself to say something, but it’s as if I’m frozen in place.

I used to get this way around guys I found attractive, but it’s been years since that happened.

Slamming my mouth shut, I just stare up at Theo, knowing that if I say anything in this moment, I’d just word vomit and embarrass myself even more.

Before it can get too awkward, Felix holds his hand out to Theo. “Hey. I’m Felix.”

Theo glances down at my little brother. “Hi, there. I’m Theo.”

“Theo, Theo, Theo. Hmm.” Felix taps an index finger playfully to his chin. “Why do you seem so familiar?”

Theo’s posture changes. He straightens his shoulders as if bracing himself. Maybe he really doesn’t want people to know who he is.

“Are you a hockey fan?”

Felix’s face scrunches up, and it’s as if my awkward bubble of tension pops.

I burst into laughter right as Felix speaks.

“No. I’m definitely not a fan of hockey.

It’s a bunch of neanderthals skating around like ballerinas playing with sticks until one wrong move, and all that caveman aggression comes forth, and suddenly everyone’s fighting or slamming each other into the boards. No, thank you.”

I can’t help myself. I grin at my brother. He’s always had such a crazy imagination.

Theo’s lips twitch. “That’s oddly…accurate. My name is Theo Walsh. I used to play in the NHL.”

Felix flutters his lashes before clarity hits him. Then a slow smile spreads across his lips. “Well, well,” Felix drawls. “Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world.”

“Casablanca?” Theo’s intense blue eyes meet mine. “Okay, so you’re the rom-com guy Adrian mentioned. Well, I hope the two of you have a nice night together. Look, my shift is almost over, so what can I get you tw—”

“Felix is my brother,” I blurt. “The rom-com guy I watch movies with? He’s my brother.”

“Ah.” Theo’s whole body seems to relax, and suddenly that lazy, sexy smile is back on his lips. “Your brother.”

I nod eagerly. “My brother.” Theo and I stare at each other for a few moments, and I swear it’s as if we are lost in one another’s gaze. The spell between us only breaks when Felix clears his throat.

“Right,” Theo says. “What can I get you two?”

Since I’m a little tight on funds this week, I order a Shirley Temple, remembering how good it was last time. Just then, my stomach growls. Both Theo and Felix glance down at my stomach, and I bite my lip.

Theo gives me a stern look that makes my toes curl. “Adrian—”

“Why aren’t you ordering anything else?” my brother asks.

“Felix.” I kick his foot under the table. “I don’t really have the funds to eat out right now.”

Felix rolls his eyes. “Then why did we come here if—”

“Let me get you something,” Theo interrupts. “Both of you, on the house. You probably just got out of practice, right?”

I sigh. “Yeah, about two hours ago.”

“And did you eat anything after practice?” Theo’s voice grows with determination.

I shake my head, suddenly feeling small. I was too eager to get ready and come here. Then I spent most of my cash on Felix’s shake.

“You can’t do that to yourself. You need to eat. Let me treat you both.”

I start to protest, but Felix cuts me off. “On one condition,” he says, smiling up at Theo. “You can get us food on one condition.”

Theo grins. “And what’s that?”

I kick Felix under the table again, but he just ignores me.

“You order something for yourself and join us.”

My heart skips a beat before it starts racing frantically in my chest. What. The. Fuck? I’m going to kill my little brother.

“Deal,” Theo agrees easily. “Any allergies or things you two dislike?”

“Nope,” Felix replies. “We’ll eat about anything. Especially this one.” He points at me.

Theo beams. “Good. As an athlete, you need all the extra calories you can get. I’ll be right back.”

My mouth falls open. Theo finally looks my way and tosses me a wink. With that, he rushes off.

Felix leans toward me from across the table. “Is it just me, or did he seem really eager to take care of you?”

I sputter. “What?” My heart pounds as I replay every little embarrassing detail. I’d be lying if it wasn’t what I was just thinking, too.

We both watch him as he talks to Kayla, takes off his nametag, and places it under the bar. She laughs and gives him a shove before he eagerly rushes to the back and disappears behind the swinging doors.

Felix kicks me in the shin. “Yeah, not stalking him, my ass. Why didn’t you freaking tell me the guy you’re crushing on is the same guy who helped little baby Adrian come to the realization he’s as gay as a rainbow?”

“Hush, you. I don’t want anyone to overhear us.”

“You should be happy I invited him to hang out with us. Now you can really get to know him. Oh! I can’t wait to interrogate him. No one knows what he’s been up to since he retired.”

“Oh my gosh. You aren’t going to interrogate him. Haven’t you ever thought that maybe he doesn’t want the world to know what he’s been doing? I get the impression he needed time to heal.”

“But don’t you want to find out what he’s been up to for the past five years?”Nodding, I bite my lip again. “I do. But is it crazy to want to hear it from him? To build something I’ve always craved from a potential partner?” And a Daddy? “And what’s that?” “Trust and loyalty.”

Something flickers across Felix’s face, but it’s gone before I can even analyze it.

“Okay, the food will be here in about ten minutes. Until then, I got us some chips and salsa to snack on.” Theo places the chips in the middle of the table. “Scooch,” he says, sliding down into my side of the booth and pressing against me.

I scoot over enough to give him plenty of room, but he continues to slide closer until our thighs are touching under the table. Theo stretches out his arm, casually placing it behind my shoulders. He isn’t hugging me to him, but I can totally pretend he is.

Felix gives me a wide grin, as if he knows my skin is on fire. Hell, I’m probably as red as a tomato, but at this moment I wouldn’t change a thing.

Of course, this is when my stomach decides to growl loud enough to be heard over the background music. Again.

The three of us burst into laughter. I take a chip and get a heaping amount of salsa on top. “Oh my gosh. This is good. I don’t think I’ve eaten here before.”

Theo nods. “They make pretty decent food here, especially for the campus lunch rush. Since we’re so close to everyone, the boss realized students might want to eat here too.”

That makes sense.

“So,” Theo hedges. “Did you get your friend home safely the other night?”

For a moment, I’m confused until I realize who he’s talking about.

Felix laughs and snags a chip and dips it into the salsa. “You mean Guy? Oh, my gosh. Adrian. Tell him the story.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Theo cock a sexy, thick eyebrow.

“Guy is Coach’s son.”

Theo’s mouth falls open. “Wait, little baby Spencer? Damn.” He scratches his chin.

“I remember the kid when he turned seven. He used to hang out and watch us during practice when I was on the hockey team. That had to have been what?” Theo counts with his fingers.

“Eleven or twelve years ago… wait a second.”

Theo leans away from me to look me in the eye. I turn my face toward him.

“That would make Spencer, or excuse me, Guy, only eighteen. He was drunk that night.”

I nod, launching into the story of how I took him home and how Coach answered the door.

“Damn,” Theo laughs. “No wonder Coach was taking things out on you during practice. I’m going to have to tell the bossman to crack down on the IDs.”

I glance back at Theo with a grin. “Wait, you were there? At practice?”

Now it’s Theo’s turn to blush. I’m vaguely aware of Felix’s head bouncing back and forth between Theo and me.

Rather than shy away, Theo smiles again. “I was too curious about this hockey player I met the night before, and showed up in my advance finance class the next day.”

My chest fills with warmth and happiness.

Kayla arrives at our table with our drinks, followed by another coworker who brings our food. Seeing Theo’s order makes my mouth water. Two kinds of melted cheese overflow juicy double cheeseburgers, accompanied by a large, heaping bowl of salad.

Theo reaches for the tongs and serves a large portion of salad onto my plate.

I notice the way he adds extra cherry tomatoes.

My brother doesn’t miss the move, either.

Felix nudges me under the table and grins before handing Theo his plate as well.

Theo doesn’t even miss a beat, serving Felix salad like we’ve done this a million times.

We spend the next thirty minutes eating and reminiscing about how significant Coach Wilson is to each of us, Felix included.

I’m shocked to find out that Theo has kept in touch with Coach all these years, but hasn’t seen him in person since enrolling back at Brynn U.

I get the impression he’s a little nervous about seeing his idol after retiring.

We laugh and bond over our crazy stories, and all the while, Theo keeps his thigh pressed firmly against mine.

“Wait,” Theo says, leaning back and pushing his empty plate away. “What did Coach say to you before practice? You know, the day after you delivered his son to his doorstep.”

I groan, giving him the condensed version of Coach Wilson’s lecture.

Theo laughs. “There’s no way he said you should have a fake relationship.”

I nod. “It’s true. I mean, I couldn’t really tell if he said it as a joke, but he seemed pretty serious. Honestly, the more I think about it, it’d be an easy solution.”

“Wait.” Felix points his index finger back and forth, bouncing between Theo and me. A wide grin spreads across his face. Oh crap. I know this look. I don’t like this look. What the hell is he up to?

I narrow my eyes. Felix has always been the sweet one of the two of us, but sometimes he has his moments when he decides to be mischievous, and even more so lately.

“You two. The two of you.” He claps his hands together eagerly. “Wait, this is perfect!”

“What the hell are you going on about?” I ask.

“The two of you should fake date!”