An Instant Attraction

Chapter 14

Kristin and I arrive first and get seated at a table that will work for our group. Within minutes Luke, Tyler and Courtney walk in and join us. I'm disappointed when I see that Dex isn't with them. My phone buzzes and I glance down to see his name on the screen. I quickly grab it off the table, but I'm pretty sure from the look on Kristin's face that she saw his name too. I look down and read his message.

*You look beautiful tonight

I can't help but smile. Even through text messages he manages to make me feel tingly all over. I type a response and hit send. *You are so full of it; you have no idea what I look like right now. Maybe I'm sitting around in dirty sweatpants.

My phone buzzes again in my hand *dirty sweatpants...hot! Now you have my attention 😉

I giggle as I read his message, but before I can reply Kristin catches my attention pointing towards the door. I look over to see Dex standing there with a large grin on his face. I smile and watch as he walks towards the table. He looks amazing in a pair of dark wash, loose fit jeans and a simple gray t-shirt. He has a red baseball cap on his head, and when he takes it off his hair falls slightly touching his forehead. He sits in the empty chair beside me, placing his hand lightly on my knee under the table.

He leans close to me and whispers, "You really do look stunning." My mind and body are humming. Between the closeness of our bodies and his large hand touching me, even if it is just my knee. What is happening to me?

We order drinks and make light conversation about school starting. The guys talk a little about the upcoming hockey season, which I'm surprisingly able to keep up with and understand. I'm thankful that Kristin suggested following the team on Instagram. I've seen a few small video clips, but I can't wait to actually see them play live. The topic eventually settles on a possible party tomorrow night. Kristin really wants to have an "end of summer" bash and she's trying to convince Luke and Tyler to have it at their place. I'm listening to her talk and plan, but I'm also focusing on the fact that Dex hasn't moved his hand from my leg and he's moving his thumb ever so slightly in a small circle. Kristin begins clapping her hands in delight as Luke caves easily to her charms and it's decided that there will be a party tomorrow night.

My first pineapple margarita was delicious, so I decide to order another. Our food is delivered along with our second round of drinks. I feel slightly disappointed when Dex removes his hand to start eating. He looks at me with a smile and I can feel my pulse quicken.

As we finish eating, he leans close to me and asks, "Can I drive you home tonight?"

"Okay," I respond quickly, but my voice is so quiet I almost don't hear it myself. Kristin has decided to stay at Luke's for the night anyway so that she can help clean and set up for the party tomorrow, so her driving me back to the apartment would have been a little out of her way anyway. As we stand and leave the table, I grab Kristin's arm so that she'll walk beside me. "Dex offered to drive me home," I tell her.

I can tell she's excited for me just from the smile that takes over her face, but she still asks, "Are you sure?" doing the good cousin duty. I shake my head yes knowing that I'm probably smiling like a fool. The alcohol and the closeness between us at the table have made my head feel light and a little fuzzy. I like the way I feel when I'm around him, like my body has this extra energy that's buzzing through me. I want to see if maybe he feels the same.

We say our goodbyes in the parking lot and I watch Kristin, Luke, Tyler and Courtney pile into Kristin's car, giving them all a small wave. I'm surprised when Dex takes my hand and leads me across the lot towards his car. We approach a black Range Rover and he opens the passenger side door for me to climb in. The ride starts out quiet with only the sound of the music coming through the speakers, but then he asks me about my major and the process of transferring schools. We continue to talk about school during the rest of the short ride, and I learn that he's majoring in business but obviously he really wants a future in hockey. He tells me all about going pro and how he was drafted by the Boston Bruins during his freshman season. He explains how he decided to stay at BU to continue to develop his skills and enjoy the college experience a little longer. He tells me that he'll probably go to Providence next year to join the Bruins affiliate team.

"How old were you when you started playing?" I'm curious.

"We had skates on pretty much as soon as we could walk," he smiles. "My dad and my uncles played growing up too. My dad never made it to the college level, but one of my uncles did. He actually played for a few years in Chicago and then St. Louis before his knee gave out on him and he had to retire. It definitely runs in the family."

Dex pulls into the driveway and I realize I'm not ready for our time together to be over. "Did you want to come in?" I ask. Without a response, he opens his door and gets out, prompting me to do the same. He takes my hand again as we walk up the steps and towards the apartment together and I can feel the waves of excitement rushing through my body.