Chapter 4

Hannah

A ll day long I have a knot in my stomach as I wonder when the flowers will arrive. I watch the team practice on the ice, snagging a few shots on my phone to post online. I've found that a mix of professional shots and the candid ones had different audience reaches. The posts for the Sweetheart game are up and doing well. For once the comments are positive and people are asking if the Kiss Cam will be up and running at the game. I make a note to get footage later to see if there will be something good to post later. Normally I go with the highlight reel, but the Kiss Cam has potential. Then I get to triple checking everything once more.

My phone buzzes.

Maria: Speed Dating tonight! Don't be late, Charlotte and I need a wing-woman.

I snort and text back.

Me: Oh please. You know you only need to bring a plate of something from your bakery and the guys will come flocking.

Maria: As if. If I hear one more guy tell me I should cut carbs…

Me: Preaching to the choir.

S eriously, when I'd tried online dating my inbox was flooded with messages to hit the gym or try some MLM meal replacement program to lose the extra weight. People can be jerks. There are only two groups of people I feel comfortable around. Book club and the team.

From the moment Maria invited me to book club I'd found my people. Book club is an excuse to gush over fictional book boyfriends, eat all the treats I normally limit myself on, and hang out with the best ladies who accept me for me. My friends don't watch or shame me for eating anything. They bring food because they intend for it to be eaten. My sister would be horrified.

The team, well I never have to worry about someone telling me to watch what I ate when anyone of the guys can bench press me and they all eat like they are starving. Hockey players are big and I'd always been told it was too bad I was a girl because Lou and I would be unstoppable. As much as I grumble about Lou, in moments like that I was glad Lou made people regret it if they hurt my feelings.

The familiar squeaky wheel of the delivery cart reaches me, and I put my phone down. Then I think about how fun it would be for fans to see the flowers and I decide to take a few more photos. The overpriced bouquets of red roses mock me from Sam's delivery cart. He's stopped the cart in the hallway outside my office, using it as a base point as he delivers flowers to the other hockey team employees in the area. Seeing as most of the people I work with are men, they are probably taking those flowers home with them at the end of the day.

Tiffany of course squeals loud enough from her office across the hall when Sam delivers a red rose bouquet to her. She'd bragged more than once about her long distance boyfriend who likes to spoil her.

Sam's cart has two bouquets left. One was a glass vase filled with two dozen long-stemmed roses and baby's breath that looked like something out of a wedding catalog. It is so pretty it makes the small wilted bouquet of six long-stemmed roses look all the sadder. I know the sad flowers are for me before Sam reads the card on it.

He reads the card for the third time and frowns. I've been waiting all day for these flowers to be delivered, but I suppose I should give the florist grace since it is Valentine's Day and I'd ordered the flowers at the last minute for myself after wallowing in my singleness. Next time I'll opt for a banana fudge milkshake and the last of the Girl Scout cookies I've been saving in the freezer.

Now I'll have to carry the pitiful flowers with me to speed dating. Which of course will not do me any favors.

A commotion catches my attention and I watch as my brother Lou stomps up to the cart. He completely ignores Sam as he picks up the vase with the gorgeous roses and whirls around to a few of the other hockey guys on the team.

"Dan the vase is here!" He waves the vase around like a trophy.

Visible relief washes over the team goalie as he takes the vase from Lou. No doubt the roses are for his new wife and are meant to be delivered to the sports medicine office for her. But it is almost closing time, and I'm sure the two of them will want to go home. Nate slaps Dan on the back like men do and says something to him. But I don't catch what because of the fourth hockey player outside my office.

Matt.

He looks even better than he had this morning. His dark hair is styled in that combination of just showered and finger combed. A signature smirk on his face as he stands with his hands in his pockets as Nate and Dan get the flowers from Lou before he can drop it.

Sam frowns at Lou. "You're not supposed to touch people's deliveries."

Lou places a hand over his heart, and with an overdramatic look of remorse that I don't believe for one second, says, "It was a quest of the utmost importance. Dan couldn't stop a puck to save his life he was so distraught over the lost flowers destined for his love. As penance, I shall help with the rest of your deliveries."

Sam and Lou reach for the pitiful bouquet at the same time.

Lou is faster.

Cold horror washes over me as Lou picks up my clear cellophane-wrapped bouquet and reads the card.

In slow motion I can see his posture stiffen and his smile is replaced by a scowl.

He stomps all two hundred and fifty pounds of angry hockey player into my office. Matt, Dan, and Nate follow behind him, too curious for their own good. I swear hockey players can be as bad as my Gram's knitting circle when it comes to gossip.

Holding up the flowers he stares me in the eye, "What's this?"

I link my fingers together so my hands won't shake, and lean forward to rest my elbows on my desk. "They're called roses."

His scowl grows. "Don't sass. You know that's not what I was asking. Hannah, who sent these?" His voice holds a hard edge I've heard many times over the years when his overprotective, neanderthal-brother-brain takes over.

The horror starts to ebb away, and laughter wants to take its place. I couldn't have planned for a worse scenario, but for once I have my brother panicked over a prank. Big brother Lou is worried about a fake admirer.

"Doesn't it say on the card?" I bite my cheek to hold back a smile, since I know it doesn't.

He looks at the card and reads it out loud. "I hope your day is as beautiful as you are."

Nate puts a hand on Lou's shoulder. "Lou calm down."

Lou whirls as he looks at his friends. "Did one of you send this to mess with me? No one messes with my sister!"

"Really?" Matt stares at him, his voice as hard as Lou's. "If I sent Hannah flowers they'd be better than lover boy's over there."

My breath catches and my imagination goes wild. Did Matt send flowers to someone today?

"Hey!" Dan protests. "These were the best the flower shop had."

"Yeah." Nate joins in. "Everyone knows Hannah's a gem, and they'd be an idiot to upset you."

Tiffany walks over to inspect the scene Lou has caused. "All this fuss over those ugly things?"

I frown.

Lou ignores her and turns back to me. "Who sent these?"

My phone buzzes.

Lou grabs my phone out of my hand as it buzzes again. He knows my passcode and types it in.

"Lou give that back." I reach for my phone.

His expression grows darker. "Speed dating. Really?"

Tiffany's laugh causes a wave of embarrassment to wash over me like the ice bucket challenge. Matt ushers everyone but Lou and I out of my office and closes the door so we'll have a little bit of privacy.

My voice is quiet and small as I tell my brother, "I'm not going by myself."

His anger falls away, as he looks at me with concern. "You know that's not safe."

"Maria and Charlotte will be with me."

He looks away as he thinks.

A moment passes, then two without either of us saying a thing.

"Lou."

"Hannah."

I snatch my phone back from him. "You really need to grow up. I'm not twelve."

"You're still my little sister."

"By a few minutes, and I'm convinced you cheated."

My familiar barb lands.

He shakes his head, a small smile of amusement makes an appearance for the first time since he'd picked up the flowers. "That's not how that works."

"You don't even have the lady parts to make a baby and I say it is."

"Whatever. What time is speed dating?"

I throw my hands up in the air. "You don't need to know."

"I've been looking for someone to settle down with."

"Is that why Mom complained about your date with Cinnamon?"

He shrugs and I know I've gone too far. Lou likes to put on the act of an easy going, fun-loving, serial dater. But I know he hasn't been the same since his ex. He keeps his dates at arm's length for a reason, and while he is photographed with lots of women on his arm, I know none of them go further than that. He'd wine and dine them, and then drop them at their doorstep to make sure they got home safely.

My shoulders slump in defeat. "It's at six."

His face lights up. "Tux or jersey?"

I groan. "Don't make me regret this."

"I'm just watching out for you."

"T-shirt. I don't need all my Sweethearts promo going out the window because you're spotted at the bar."

"Need me to pick you up?"

"Nope. I'm picking up Maria on our way over."

He gets that glint in his eye that sparks whenever Maria is mentioned.

"No. Whatever you're thinking just don't."

He holds up his hands, "I wasn't thinking anything."

"And I'm a dumb blond."

"I'm not the one that said it."

I look for something to throw at him, and he slips out the door.

Sam stands by the cart in the hallway. "So do you want the flowers?"

I look over and discover Lou put them back on the cart. The petals look like they are barely holding on.

"Yes, I want my flowers."

I take my sad bouquet back to my desk where I shut down my computer, pick up my purse, and decide I am done for the day. After locking my office I check my texts as I walk toward the elevators.

Maria's message that Lou had flipped out about was letting me know that Charlotte was running late and might not make it.

My boss joins me at the elevators.

"Hannah, have dinner with your special someone?" He asks.

I tilt my head in question. "No."

He points at the flowers sticking out of my other hand. "Did Lou get you those?"

"Oh." I feel myself blush. "No. Uh..."

He pulls the card off of the bouquet, "A secret admirer then. I hope it's not someone on the team, you know there's that clause in your contract."

"I know Stuart."

"Good. I'd hate to lose you and your brother."

"My brother?" I knew Lou had something to do with my contract all along.

The elevator opens.

"Oh shoot, I left my keys in my office." He backs away. "Here's an idea, have a secret admirer activity with the team. The fans would love it."

He walks away without providing any further help, and now I have to come up with a PR campaign inspired by my fake flowers. Great.

N ew York has Hell's Kitchen, Glacier Bay has Maple Street. Just off of Main, it starts with the twenty-four-hour flapjack house that serves breakfast at all hours of the day. Next door sits the respectable sandwich shop with gourmet soups. The Thai place though, I can eat that every day and not get sick of it.

The Pizza Pub is hopping by the time I arrive. I grab the last parking spot much to the frustration of a blue SUV that will now have to search for somewhere else to park on Valentine's Day in the eatery. From the looks of all the cars the restaurants are filled to capacity for the holiday reservations.

My nerves are high as I reach for the door handle. Why had I thought speed dating was the answer to my singleness? Or let Maria talk me into this?

Inside the pub, I see two lines for the hostess stand, one for the men and one for the women. There isn't a lot of space and both lines are crowded. I can barely breathe as I stand in line waiting to write my name on a sticky name tag. There's not a lot of space between me and the wall and the longer I stand here without moving the more it feels like it's closing in on me. They made the lines wide enough for normal people. Not people with curves that would do better on a pro hockey player. Something I know too much about.

While Lou considers his wide shoulders and hips a blessing from the hockey gods, I find mine to be more of a curse. The mean girls I'd gone to high school with had told me plenty of times that they couldn't tell me and my brother apart.

Laughter pulls me out of those depressing thoughts.

Two guys standing in the line next to me are cracking jokes back and forth. I can't see the face of the guy with his back to me, but the other one is nice-looking enough as he makes a joke about a cow with no legs levitating. It's the kind of joke my dad would tell at Thanksgiving to the grandkids. The guy, not my dad, is dressed in a gray suit, white button-up, and a skinny red tie. The two of them continue trading bad jokes and I listen to them so I don't let the negative thoughts get to me again.

My line moves forward and finally, I get to hand over my name and email to the speed dating lady and put my name on a sticker. With a black marker I scrawl Hannah onto a name tag.

"Here's your list," The line lady tells me as she hands me a pencil and a piece of paper. "Put the name of your speed date down and then check yes or no to if you want their information sent to you."

"Won't we exchange numbers at the table?" I ask confused.

I've never done this speed dating thing before, but it just makes sense to me to trade numbers at the table.

She shakes her head. "This way makes it so people don't get their feelings hurt."

" Right because learning afterward a whole list of people said no isn't going to hurt. "

She continues on " You can get a drink at the bar, they aren't serving alcohol for the event, but will after. If you need something in your stomach put a food order in with a server after you pick any booth or table to sit at."

With a muttered thanks, I take my paper and try to navigate to an open booth. The sooner I can get a drink and find a spot to sit the better. Tables big enough for two are crammed onto the tiny bar floor, in addition to the booths set in a circle around the outside. All the booths are angled to have a great view of the square bar in the center of the room. TVs are on each side with highlight reels from last week's hockey games. Of course this was a sports bar, I really hope that Lou won't show up.

People with name tag stickers like mine are flirting around the bar in two groups. I squeeze between them, or try to but I bump into a man with a blue button-up shirt and dark hair. After apologizing to him, and waiting for the busy bartender's attention, I put in an order for a drink.

"Hannah!" Maria hugs me as soon as she gets close enough to, and the bartender quickly gets her drink order.

The man that I'd bumped into earlier, smiles at her, and offers to buy her a drink. After a brief flirty exchange, and a promise to keep a spot on her card for him, he happily moves aside so she can stand next to me.

With my glorious glass of caffeinated sugar, and a lime wedge on the rim of my glass of Diet Coke, Maria and I move away from the bar as soon as she gets her sparkling cranberry drink. I set my purse down in a booth and we both sit to chat in the little time we have left before things get started.

Maria takes a calm sip of her drink. I try to do the same, but my hand is shaking from the nerves.

"How are you so calm?" I ask her.

She shrugs. "Love will be or it won't. Fate can be a fickle thing."

"Please, you're going to have all of them checking yes by your name."

"I only need the one to check yes and he might not even be here tonight."

She stares into her drink as if it contains all the answers to her love life. Her demeanor is a bit more subdued and I want to cheer her up.

"Is it someone I know?" I ask looking around the room.

She laughs. "If I'd met the one, I think I'd know."

I'm just about to respond when a commotion at the door draws our attention.

"What's going on?" Maria asks.

Then we see Lou's face as he stands over the hostess at her stand. He towers over the people still standing in line, and I see more than one phone out to take pictures.

"You told him!" She gasps in horror.