“Great. How about pizza? There’s a hockey game tonight, the Travelers last away game before they head back to town. Want to watch with me?”
“Sure.”
“Great. I’ll bring the pizza. Say a half hour?”
“Sounds good. See you at my place.”
She wrapped up and headed home, stopping at the store down the street for a few things before going up to her apartment. She made it with five minutes to spare before Stella rang the bell. She opened the door to the smell of some very tantalizing pizza.
“My stomach is growling,” Carolina said as Stella came in.
“Mine, too. You’re lucky there’s any pizza. I almost ate it on the way.”
They grabbed plates and drinks, then sat in front of the television. The game was just getting under way. Carolina zeroed in on Drew, that tingle in her stomach prominent as always as he skated down the ice.
They ate and talked, mostly about the game.
“No wonder they’re losing,” Stella said. “There’s something wrong with Mangino. Does he have an injury?”
Carolina gave her a blank look. “Like I would know anything about the Travelers goalie?”
“Well, you have the relationship with Drew. I thought maybe you’d have some insider intel.”
“And you’re sleeping with Trick.”
Stella shrugged. “We’re just having sex. You and Drew have something else.”
Carolina blinked. “What do you mean, we have something else?”
“Oh, please. You brought him home with you for Christmas, and then he whisked you away for New Year’s. That’s a relationship, honey, not fuck buddies.”
“He’s also Gray’s best friend.”
“So? What does that have to do with your relationship with him?”
“That’s why I invited him to come to the ranch for Christmas.”
Stella took a big bite of pizza, chewed, and said, “Uh-huh.”
“Seriously. My relationship with Drew is the same as yours is with Trick.”
“Bullshit. It’s totally different. Your eyes light up when you talk about him. Even when you watch him on TV. It’s like you’re in love with him.”
And there was the word, the one she’d avoided even thinking about. “I am not in love with him.”
“If you say so. But you are in love with him.”
“Don’t tell me how I feel, Stella. We’re just having some fun. And we’re together a lot because of the fashion line.”
Stella waved her hand back and forth. “Denial, denial, denial. What are you so afraid of? He’s not a bad guy. He’s damn fine looking, seems to treat you well, you two have fun together, and obviously the sex is off the charts because you spend a lot of time in bed together. So what’s the problem?”
Carolina frowned. “The problem is, my career is just about to take off. The very last thing I need is a relationship. And yes, he is all those things. But love doesn’t fit into the picture for me right now.”
“Oh, how sad that falling in love is so inconvenient for you. Should I open a bottle of wine and we can have a pity party?”
Carolina stood. “What the hell is wrong with you, Stella? Why are you pushing this?”