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“ T his way, ladies,” the hostess tells us, waving for us to follow her.

I finally recovered from my horrendous cold and was in desperate need of social interaction. So, when Tess suggested we go to brunch in Uptown, I jumped at the opportunity. I still haven’t told Tess about Tristan coming over and nursing me back to health a few days ago. Or that he ended up spending the night.

We sit down in a patio area since Tess brought her small dog, Pippa, with her. I swear if she had the option of bringing her dog to work, she would. It is a really nice spring day and the real Texas heat hasn’t set in. I think we still have another couple of months left before it feels like the surface of the sun here.

“I’m so relieved you are feeling better, B. I’ve missed you at work. The kids have been extra crazy. I think they can feel that it’s close to springtime. Also, they have been dropping like flies. No doubt you got your terrible cold from one of those little gremlins. I’ve been popping elderberry gummies like nobody’s business.”

I laugh. Tess takes a sip of her coffee and leans closer across the table. “So, anything interesting happen while you were recovering?”

“Well Bradley came over and dropped off what he thought was a nice little care package–canned chicken noodle soup.”

“Um, does your brother not know you at all? You hate canned soup. It’s official, he is going to win the award for the most clueless brother. I guess he earns some brownie points for going over in the first place, though.”

“Right? Anyway, I thought that’s where my night was going to end. I snuggled up on the couch and continued to binge watch Friends . After like one episode, I heard a knock at my door. I totally thought it was Bradley because he has my extra key fob so I didn’t even check who was outside before opening the door. Guess who was there?”

“Hmmm… oh my gosh! Was it Nick coming to win you back?”

“No. Not even close.”

“Then, who? You know I suck at guessing.”

“Tristan.” Tess’ eyes widen and her mouth drops open. “He brought me my favorite ramen, a medicine ball, tissues and other cold provisions. Tess, he even bought me more chest rub!” Tess is still in her shocked mode and rendered speechless, so I continue, “Also, he might have stayed overnight. In my bed.”

“What? Why would he stay? Was he trying to seduce you while you were sick?”

I bite my bottom lip. “No, it wasn’t like that. I may have… asked him to stay?” That whole encounter in my room is a little hazy. The one thing I do remember clearly are his large hands grabbing me and pulling me closer to him. The heat and tingles that ran through my body had me thinking for a second that I was getting a fever. Nope. That’s just how my body reacts to Tristan Lawson touching me now. It is my new normal. I don’t think anyone would ever forget the way that man’s hands feel on their body once he has run them all over. I blame my deliriousness for my uninhibited actions of letting him care for me the way he did. That is a way a boyfriend would take care of their girlfriend.

But I don’t let my thoughts go there. Not in a million years would I ever actually date Tristan.

And if snuggling with me throughout the whole night wasn’t enough, when I woke up the next morning, he had already Doordashed some coffee–a pistachio latte, to be exact. It’s not always available to order and is only around for a couple of months, if that. He somehow remembered that is my go-to coffee order in the late winter months. This gesture, along with the countless other ones he did for me the previous night, was too much for me to handle. And because I am a chicken and don’t know how I really feel about Tristan, I freaked out and literally pushed him out of my apartment. I haven’t heard from him since. Maybe he finally got the message that nothing will ever happen between us. Ever.

After dispelling all of this information onto Tess, she crosses her arms and gives me a suspicious look. “Wait, let me get this straight. He slept over? And you guys didn’t do anything ? You are telling me that one of the hottest hockey players in the world slept in your bed and you didn’t make a move or he didn’t make a move?”

“We didn’t do anything that night.” I purse my lips and avoid eye contact with Tess because I already know my comment has sparked a fire I can’t extinguish.

“Brooke Beckett! What do you mean that night? There was another night where something happened?”

So I tell her all about the pure hat trick night. About the frosting. About all the ridiculously hot things he did to my body that no other man has ever done to my body before. When I am finally done spilling the tea, Tess’ expression is one of pure excitement and intrigue.

“Woman! How did you not immediately tell me what happened that night? I knew he had to be good in bed. Well excuse me, he sounds amazing in the kitchen with you splayed all over the counter.”

“Tess!” I glance at the table next to us, where funnily enough are seated two old ladies who look as though they have been friends for decades, also just catching up, still drinking bottomless mimosas and eating pastries. Goals. I just hope they didn’t overhear what Tess just said. I can feel my cheeks heat up regardless.

Tess raises her eyebrows. “So are you guys like a thing now? Oh my God, I love that for you.”

I don’t know? Are we a thing? I’ve actively avoided talking with Tristan about what happened that night because I am too scared of the implications. Also, I am fucking terrified about how my body is now reacting when anyone mentions Tristan’s name or anytime I see his face. Living in Dallas, it is impossible to avoid all the billboards, and now that we are in Uptown, they have Storm posters in almost every shop window. I can’t escape Tristan Lawson. And now he is in my head more than usual.

“I honestly don’t know what we are.” I finish my first mimosa and Tess waves down the waiter so he can pour more into my glass. I drink half the glass and tap the side of it.

“Well, I know one thing is for sure,” Tess says with a serious expression.

“What’s that?”

“I’m never going to see cupcakes the same again. You both have ruined them for me, but in the best way.”

I blush. “Oh my God, Tess!”

She smiles. “I just love this for you. I mean, one of the reasons you broke up with Nick was because he was too vanilla. Too safe. Right?”

I shrug. “Right.”

“It seems like Tristan is definitely the opposite of vanilla. In every way. You met your match with Tristan, Brooke. I don’t know why you are resisting him so much. I wasn’t even there and you describing what you did on that kitchen counter is what girls and let’s be honest, guys dream about. I know that would be a dream I would want to come true. There’s that thin line between love and hate.”

“I’m resisting him so much for a plethora of reasons.” Mainly because he called me ugly and not his type the night I met him. He finds every opportunity he can to tease me. He has slept with so many women I don’t think I can count them on my two hands. So who is he comparing me to when he is with me? Also, he is my older brother’s best friend. That’s a whole other line that I don’t know if I want to continue crossing. No matter how much I loved the way Tristan’s hands, lips and tongue felt on my body.

I swallow hard. “Reasons I don’t feel like getting into right now. Can we please talk about something else other than Tristan? What’s new with you?”

“You’re not getting off that easy, B. We are going to continue this conversation at a later date. But since you asked…”

After brunch, we need to kill some time and sober up before driving home. It also gives Tess an excuse to get a nice walk in with Pippa. We stroll around West Village and come across a storefront with an “available to rent” sign in the window. It’s a corner lot with a lot of potential for my dream bakery. There is faded green trim on all the windows and an existing awning outstretched overhead. The worn brown door has a brass handle and there are remnants of where the old sign hung above the door frame. The retail shops, restaurants and small movie theater that surround the two-block radius of West Village would bring in a good amount of foot traffic. Although there is a Starbucks at the opposite corner – far enough away that I could serve coffee for my customers as well. That is part of my business plan. Even if it doesn’t happen right away, I want to grow into a bakery that serves an array of coffee choices. Cupcakes and other baked goods will do for a bit before I can expand into the coffee sector.

I can see it all. I actually have a big 3-inch binder with an entire business plan and I drew up some designs for how I want the exterior and interior to look. Brooke’s Bakes. It will have a bright green door with cute pink metal tables along the three big windows on each side of the entrance. Pink and green flowers will cover the main store sign and cascade alongside the big green door. I want a large, clean, white display case and counter with floor-to-ceiling white built-ins behind the counter where I can also display merchandise and extra treats. The walls will be painted a light pink shade and the floors will be light wood. There will be comfortable suede green and pink chairs around square white marbled tables with gold bases. Long, thin Edison bulb light fixtures hanging over the space. Fresh pink flowers as the centerpiece at every table. A pink neon sign with the lit-up words “How Sweet It Is…” because I love that song.

I remember when I was a little girl sneaking down the stairs to watch my parents dance to that song every Saturday night. It was their wedding song and any time this song came on the radio, they would be in the middle of the living room dancing in each other’s arms. I knew what my parents had was special and I hoped that someday I would have the same thing. A man to dance with to our wedding song. A girl can dream.

“So what do you think?”

Tess’ question jerks me out of my head, back to the present. She is peeking into the window. Pippa props herself on the glass, mimicking her owner.

“It’s perfect.” It really is, but I am already struggling with how much my apartment rent is increasing – I can’t imagine how much the rent would be for a space in the West Village. “Unfortunately, I don’t think I can afford it, Tess.”

She walks backwards to where I am standing. “Well, the only way you can know for sure how much it will be is to call this number. Take a picture and call.”

“That’s true.” I grab my phone from my back pocket and snap a photo of my dream space. One that I can surely never afford, but maybe I will print out this picture and put it into my scrapbook, along with what I want my dream bakery to look like.

“Promise me you are going to call, right? Because I know you, B. Don’t be scared to dream big. And before you say anything, it’s not a stupid dream or too big of a dream. No dream is stupid. It’s scary as hell to pursue something you are passionate about. But you will never know if you can make it a reality unless you try. And you know you have the biggest support system ever with me by your side. Hell, I may even quit teaching and help you run your business. I would love to be able to still hang out with you all day and be around all the sugary goodness.”

“Thanks, friend.” I give her a hug.

As we continue down the sidewalk, I look back at the storefront, trying to capture this moment. Also, trying not to get caught up in it.

“I’ll call tomorrow and see.”

“Good. And okay, I have one question for you and you have to promise you won’t be mad or annoyed that I asked this.”

“Tess, when have you ever held back on anything you’ve ever asked me? I promise.”

“Tell me again why you can’t ask your brother to spot you for this? Knowing Bradley, I am certain he would help you.”

I take a very deep breath. Of course this is something that has crossed my mind countless times. But deep down, I don’t want to ask my brother because Tess is right: he would help me in a heartbeat. Call me stubborn, but I want to do this all on my own. I don’t want to owe anyone anything. I want to prove to myself – myself more than anyone – that I can achieve my dreams just as much as my uber-successful pro athlete older brother. I know it’s not a competition, but I’ve always been known as Bradley’s younger sister instead of just Brooke. And it does wear on a person the longer that lasts. I love my brother and the fact that he wouldn’t skip a beat in helping me with this venture. But I don’t want to have to ask him for help.

Another factor is my mother. My mom would constantly treat this as another reason to remind me how great Bradley is and the only reason I was able to achieve my dreams was because of him. I don’t want that. Hell no.

“Because I just want to do this on my own. I don’t want to owe my brother anything. He also has a big wedding coming up and I know that they want kids. He is starting his life and just because I am his sister, doesn’t mean that I am entitled to whatever money he makes. I could never ask him to do this for me.”

Tess reaches into her purse for her keys and fiddles with them, “Okay, I understand where you are coming from. Just remember, B: it’s ok to accept help from others. You don’t have to pursue your dreams alone.”

“I know, Tess. Thank you.”

She opens her back door and lets Pippa in the back seat. She shuts the door and walks around her car to give me a hug, “Promise me that you will call them.” Then she pulls back and gives me a stern look. “Don’t be afraid of telling the world all that you are, B. You aren’t just a teacher. You aren’t just Bradley Beckett’s kid sister. The more you acknowledge that you are a baker and own that identity, the universe will help guide you toward the right opportunities and people.”

“I promise.”

She finally lets go of my arms and walks back toward the driver’s side, “Now, you’re sure you don’t need a ride back to your apartment?”

“I’m sure. I need to get more fresh air since I was cooped up in my apartment for a few days.” I blow her a kiss. “Love you! See you at work!”

“Love you!” She climbs in, starts her car and drives away.

I start walking toward my apartment, feeling this mixture of excitement and anticipation about the future. Change is coming and for the first time in my life, I want to welcome it with open arms.