“And then you ran out on him and haven’t spoken to him again. So what does that mean?”
Sometimes her best friend irritated the crap out of her. “It doesn’t mean anything, other than we’ve both been busy.”
“Or, it means that you got exactly what you wanted from him, and now you have no more use for him.”
Frustrated, she shook her head. “That’s not what it means at all.”
“So you do want to see him again.”
“I didn’t say that, either.”
“So you’re done with him.”
She laid her head in her hands. “You make me crazy, Stella.”
“It’s a particular talent of mine.”
Carolina lifted her head. “It just happened between us. It didn’t really mean anything other than we slept together, had one night together, and now it’s probably over. Except I am using him as a model for my line, so I guess I’ll be seeing him again.”
Stella leaned back and sipped her tea. “And how do you feel about that?”
Carolina let out a sigh. “Stella, spending a lunch hour with you is a lot like talking to a therapist.”
“So, you do feel something for him,” Stella said with another victorious smile.
“You’re a giant pain in my ass.”
“That’s what best friends are for.”
? ? ?
TWO WEEKS OF ALMOST NONSTOP ROAD GAMES WERE taking their toll on Drew. They’d had one series of home games, but it seemed as if he’d blinked and they were back on the damn road again.
He was cranky. They’d lost three games and he wanted nothing more than to get back to the Garden and the home crowd again. This new season wasn’t starting out the way anyone on the team expected, and if they didn’t turn it around soon, it was going to be a dismal one.
Even worse, after practice today he’d found a voice mail on his phone from Carolina. Using her most professional voice, she’d asked him about meeting with her. Not to see him personally, but to get together to meet about her line.
There wasn’t a single word or phrase she’d used in that voice mail that had been personal in nature. It was like that night they’d shared hadn’t even happened. Couple that with the disappearing act she’d pulled, and his lousy mood had increased, if that was even possible.
“You practicing your scowl for the game tonight?”
His gaze shot up and he glared at Trick. “What?”
“Hey, that’s an even better one. You should try that one on Vancouver tonight.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
Trick shut the door to his locker. “Man, you’re grumpy. You need to get laid.”
“Fuck you, Trick.”
Trick just laughed. “That mood has got to do with a woman. A certain pretty brunette I met at the bar a couple weeks ago?”
“I don’t want to talk about Carolina.”
“So it is her.” Trick took a seat on the bench next to Drew. “Did she dump you?”
“No, she didn’t dump me. Well, maybe. I don’t really know.”
“You don’t know? What the hell, man? Has it been that long since you’ve been given the boot by a woman you can’t tell when you’ve been dumped?”
“Actually, I’ve never been dumped.”
Trick let out a snort. “Every guy has been kicked to the curb at least once. You either didn’t recognize it or didn’t care. And now you have, and you do care, so you don’t know what the hell to do. Like now, with the hot brunette.”
“Her name is Carolina.”
“That’s right. Carolina. So Carolina dumped you.”
Maybe she had. He’d never been with a woman he liked enough to care whether she wanted to see him again or not. He searched his memory to try and remember if any of the women he’d dated in the past had ever given him any signals about not wanting to see him again.
Maybe there had been a few in his past, and he just hadn’t read the signals. Nothing like being self-aware.
But with Carolina, he had no idea. He dragged his fingers through his hair. “I don’t know, Trick. With the road trip, I haven’t had a chance to talk to her. But she does want to see me. She left me a voice mail.”
“That’s a good sign then, right?”
“It’s about the modeling thing for her fashion line.”
“Oh.” Trick slapped him on the back. “Start there. If you like her, it at least puts you in front of her.”
“I guess. I don’t know. Women are a lot of work.”
Trick stood and grinned. “But so much fun to play with.”
THIRTEEN
CAROLINA FINISHED UP SOME PAPERWORK AND LOOKED at her phone, answering a few text messages and emails.
She cleared several off her phone, leaving the one she’d gotten from Drew three days ago.
Out-of-town games. Back on Friday. Will call you.
Terse. Noncommittal. And decidedly not warm or friendly.