Page 24 of SlapShot Sweetheart

Today?

Yes, today.

Did you want me to?

Answer the question

Did something happen?

Sighing in frustration, she took a photo of the pink roses and texted it to him as if to say, ‘See! This!’ and saw the three dots appear, realizing he was typing. It sure was taking him a while to respond, which made her wonder if it was him or if he was typing a long response.

Pretty

That’s it? Pretty?

Do you like them?

Are they from you?

Would you like them if they were?

Why do you have to answer a question with another question?

Why is the sky blue?

??

She saw the little winking emoji – and despite how infuriating it was for him to be so evasive, she was starting to wonder if Theo was her mysterious person… and what that would change between them. Was the weird man even capable of doing something so romantic and sweet? He sure didn’t seem like a poet-sort-of-person, but even a blind squirrel could find a nut if he looked hard enough and kept trying.

What do you want?

I was just going to tell you that when you park on Friday, pull into the garage and tell the attendant your name. I’ll have a parking pass waiting for you that gets you onto a private level.

Clicking his profile, she dialed his number.

“’Allo?”

“Don’t ‘Allo’ me, you Frenchman. What kind of nickname is ‘Sticks’?

“Sticks? Like Hockey sticks?”

“I knew it!” she harrumphed. “It’s you, isn’t it? You’re the guy in the orange SUV that did all the romantic cutesy stuff – aren’t you?”

“Aimee, I drive a green Jeep. You saw it the other day.”

And she blinked, confused. She did see the green Jeep and remembered thinking about those big ol’ elaborate rims were almost too ostentatious for the vehicle. He wore a lot of green, black, and gray… drove a green Jeep, and the team’s colors were the same - definitelynotorange.

“Aimee?”

“So that wasn’t you driving an older orange SUV leaving my house? You didn’t leave the flowers?” she whispered weakly, feeling keenly disappointed deep down within her soul, realizingthat she desperately wanted Theo to be her mysteriously romantic man. “I don’t understand what is going on...”

“Did you want me to bring you flowers?”

“We’re… friends.”

“Do you want us to be more than friends?”

His voice was so quiet, so softly spoken, that she immediately felt tears sting her eyes. All of this was so confusing, so frustrating, and disappointing that she didn’t know what she wanted anymore.

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