Plié and Clout

Chapter 19: Sweet

Oh shit.

Shit shit shit.

Bad news for me. Bad bad news.

"I'll order, what do you want." I'm leaning over the side of the table, she's sitting already, looking up at me.

"Just hot chocolate, thanks." I smile, letting her hand slip from mine and wandering my way to the counter, where I know Sam knows me because apparently somewhere in the Nico and Fen drama, he dated her for like two weeks.

"You're, uh," He taps the side of his head. "Steph Sagamore, yeah?"

"Uh-huh." I sigh.

"Weird how many of you guys end up in here. What do you want to order?"

"A hot chocolate and I don't know, what do you suggest."

"I've got a pumpkin spice hot chocolate that a lot of people like." He shrugs.

"Yeah, I'll go for that," I pull my wallet out of my back pocket.

"So, you dating her, or?" Sam leans on the counter, smiling, trying to make basic conversation.

"Yeah, uh-huh," I laugh. "That's August, she doesn't like hockey and she has no idea who I am."

"For real?" He raises his eyebrows. "What's the story with that? Why?"

"Yeah, thinks I'm a 9-5 engineer," I snort. "We've only started dating, and I just don't want to end up like the older guys, clout and trophy wives, you feel?" It's happened before and I never want it to happen again.

"Man, you Wolves players keep getting more interesting, but yeah, I'll keep it down," He winks at me. "You committed to the story, or?"

"Oh, yeah, I guess" I laugh and he starts to make the drinks. "I've been running with it about a month now."

"Impressive, eh?"

"Yep, thinks my last name is Gallagher," I shake my head. "I went to UMaine, ended up out here for a reason not explained, and end up on a load of business trips."

"Man, Steph, you're up to your neck in this," He sets the hot cocoa on the counter next to him. "You feel guilty at all?"

"Not, not yet, really, I know I will, but, not yet."

"Alright, she's probably wondering what you're talking about up here, don't get her suspicious, that's not going to be good." He snorts. I laugh and turn around, wandering back to the table.

"That took you a minute." August is sketching on a napkin.

"Yeah, we kind of know each other, but not entirely, we're mutuals."

"How do you know him?" She slides the napkin over to me, a tree.

"Friends with a coworker," I mumble. This is dangerous territory. "Coffee shops always feel weird."

"What do you mean?"

"Uh, like," I shake my head. "Like I could walk into this coffee shop, right here, Regina Saskatchewan, and walk out, somewhere else, I don't know, Washington D.C. they all have the same kinda vibe."

"Simple solution to space travel," She chuckles. "You put coffee shops up on Mars and people will just confusedly walk out of them occasionally."

"I could imagine it." I sigh and lean back on the bench. "I'm exhausted."

"I can see it." She says. I look over at her. "Something happening at work too, or?" Yeah, first couple of games around this time, I've taken quite a lot of hits in the last two days, yesterday was LA and today at practice we did checks non-stop. 

"I'm just stressed," I sigh. They're starting me, which is incredibly pressuring, I knocked the guy off the starting line and he's out for me, I swear. "I don't like traveling so much for work, I feel weird leaving Jilly for several days with Helen, I don't know, I just, I'm gone at least once a week and it's like I'm not even living at home."

"Why do you travel so much?"

My brain falters and I take a second to answer. "I'm a sales rep, so I have to go all those places," I shake my head. Jilly came up with that one and I barely remembered it.

"Is it year 'round, or-" Sam walks over with the two drinks and I smile at him as he sets them down. "Thanks."

"Thanks," I say it at the same time as August, which makes her smile. Sam winks at me, then wanders back up to the counter. "No, it's just during the winter."

"Weird." August mumbles.

"It's just because they do construction during the summers, I'm only there to talk them through stuff, look at the spot and scope, I get a break from June until October." that was good. I'm impressed with myself for that one.

"So, you still work like school, half the year you're busy and stressed and then you've got free time."

"Well, I still work in the summer, just not as much," I shrug and take a sip of the drink. Ooooh, this is nice.

"Can I try that, you just made a face." She smiles and I slide the hot cocoa across the table to her.

"Ooh, that's," She takes another sip. "That's really sweet."

"Mhmm, just how I like it." I raise my eyebrows at her and she gives me a little frown, creasing the spot between her eyebrows. 

"Sweet tooth, huh?" she gives me a smile and I feel my brain stagger for a moment. 

"Did you expect anything different?" I tip my head to the side to see what she'll do. She tips hers to the other side, her hair falls off her shoulder. 

"Nope," she lets out a little laugh. "I totally expected you to have an affinity for sugar."

"My mom always said I'd grow out of liking sugary stuff, you know because a lot of sugar is a lot of sugar, but damn." 

"It looks like you never did." 

"Not at all." August is straight-up beautiful. I've said this before, and I'll say it again. It's a goddamn miracle she went for me. She's got these big honey eyes that never ever miss a single trick. When she smiles, everything about her lights up, and if she's embarrassed in the slightest, her shoulders rise up. She's short and perfect hug size for me. I haven't tried it, but I'm pretty sure I could set my head on hers in a hug. Her hair is never just perfect. It's always a little messy on one side or not quite in the right spot. If it's in a bun, there's always a little sticking out. 

Somehow, in some way, my mediocre-looking ass managed to get this girl. It's wild.