38. Dr. Aurora James at your Service

THIRTY-EIGHT

Dinner after the game was located at a fancy restaurant whose name I couldn't pronounce. The food was something Italian, and the scent made my mouth water the moment we stepped foot in the building. It was slightly crowded and I knew people were watching us, but we were quickly directed to a private back room. A long table sprawled the length of the room, where some of the biggest names in Seattle sports sat, chatting like it was a family dinner. I tried to hide my interest but I cataloged the athletes in my head. Hockey, hockey, basketball, baseball, and even a couple football players whose names I couldn't remember.

"You look a little starstruck," Parker whispered in my ear.

"How are you not?"

He moved my hair and pressed his lips to the base of my neck. "I was once, but they're my friends now. They're all pretty modest, so just be yourself."

It was going to be hard for me to act normal with Parker this close to me. I wasn't the best at first impressions under normal circumstances, and this definitely wasn't normal. Parker thought it would be a good idea to tell me how he wanted to spend our kid-free night in the car on the way over.

"How do you like Seattle, Del?" Noah and Jo were sitting directly across from us, and both sent us knowing looks. I wasn"t sure if it was because of Parker's flirting, or the fact that a Stanley Cup winner was talking to me like I was an old friend, but my face was fifty shades of red.

Noah Kelly was currently the leading goalie in the NHL. He was a veteran from Canada that girls were a fan of, even those who didn't know hockey. He was beautiful in that rugged kind of way that made you feel small and protected. He dwarfed his petite wife by at least a foot and had his long blonde hair pulled into a bun at the nape of his neck. He was smart, handsome, and like Jo had said, the best husband and father. It was easy to see in the confident and affectionate way he interacted with his family.

"I've always wanted to visit."

"She likes Twilight," Peter interjected with his mouth half-full of spaghetti.

I glared at him. I wasn"t ashamed of my love for the comfort movie that I watched every time it rained, but I probably wouldn't have announced it to a table full of professional athletes.

I pretended Peter didn't say anything. "It's beautiful here. My sister, Lottie, used to travel here for work."

"Lottie still with that guy?" Peter asked, trying to be sly, but I saw his interest when Lottie and I visited Parker in Buffalo a few years ago. We left the boys with my mom for the weekend and had a girls trip. Peter flirted with her until she told him his attempt was cute but she was married. He'd asked if it was happily, and her hesitation made him ask the same question every time I"d seen him since.

Parker sent Peter a silencing glare. "Yes."

Jo jumped in to cover the awkward silence. "We have a cabin up north a few hours. We should all go sometime! I bought it because of the Twilight vibes."

"Definitely. Is it too early to ask you to plan a trip back before Parker"s season starts?" Noah raised his glass with a thought. "Maybe Christmas?"

"I don"t know…" I trailed off, not wanting to deny their generosity.

"I think we want to be back home with our parents since it's Lily's first Christmas," Parker spoke up.

I felt a rush of relief that I didn"t have to be the bad guy. We hadn"t talked about it yet, but I didn"t want our parents to miss out on her first Christmas either.

"Totally agree. You should be home for that. What about New Year's?"

"That would be amazing," I answered. "As long as we can make it to the airport. Iowa winters are unpredictable."

"Okay, it"s a date!" Jo clapped her hands and poured more wine in both of our glasses. The conversation continued and they told me stories about their trips to the cabin, two of which included Parker. I tried to not let my expression change when they mentioned the first trip and how he'd been heartbroken and refused to do anything fun. Parker squeezed my leg under the table in reassurance. I hated thinking about all the time we'd wasted.

I excused myself to use the bathroom and Jo tagged along. We were washing our hands when she asked the question I'd been dreading all night.

"So… I take it Parker doesn't know that you're Aurora."

I pumped the soap dispenser a few more times than necessary to avoid answering while I gathered my thoughts. I didn't have the best track record making friends with girls. I'd wanted a girl best friend to gossip with or ask mom questions, but letting someone into my life meant I had to keep secrets from them. First, it was about being an author, and then it included Parker and Lily. It wasn't worth it at that point. But Parker trusted Jo and I wanted to as well. Her stare in the mirror wasn't malicious but it was guarded.

"No, he doesn't."

"Why not? He'd be proud of you."

I turned the faucet off and dried my hands with a plush white towel before placing it with the other used ones. I could count on one hand the times I'd been at a restaurant that used actual hand towels.

"I haven't told anyone. The only people that know back home are my editor and my grandma. I can't believe you even recognized me."

"I was at your last signing in Chicago, but they closed down the line before I got the chance to talk to you."

"You were?" My brain was going to explode. I stayed and met readers an hour later than planned, but I'd taken Lily on that trip with me, and Thomas called saying he needed help with her.

Jo nodded. "I have every book you've ever published. I was about to word vomit that earlier before you looked like you were going to start crying or have a panic attack."

Her assessment wasn't far off. "I've never had anyone recognize me before. It was terrifying and really cool at the same time."

We shared a grin.

"I'll keep your secret, but will you sign all my books?" I quirked an eyebrow, and she quickly amended, "Not as blackmail or anything. Just because I'm your biggest fan."

"Okay, I think I can make that happen."

"I also need to know your inspiration for the sex scenes. Is Parker really that good in bed?"

"Aaaaand that's where I draw the line. Time to pretend this conversation never happened."

Jo saluted me, and we walked out arm in arm.

"Little does Noah know you're the reason we have Ana. I jumped his bones after reading the one about the best friend's brother."

She slipped that last line into the conversation, and I choked on my saliva as we approached the table. I tried my best to play it cool, but that one caught me off guard. I was still getting used to the fact that people read my books—actual, real people—and they really thought they were good. I was taking Jo's comment to the grave, though.

"Everything okay?" Parker asked when I sat back down in my chair.

"Oh, she's fine. Better than fine, actually!"

I widened my eyes at Jo, begging her to be cool. She was obviously not as sly as I hoped.