Page 13 of Snow, Ice, and Spice
A second later my brain kicks in.
Get your hand off of her, you creep.
I pull my arm away and take a step back.
“Sorry, um, I just…I mean, I’m sorry for teasing you.”
“It’s fine.”
“I can bring your bags to your room.”
“No need,” she says, her tone sharp, but lacking the bite she had earlier. And maybe it’s pathetic or weird or whatever, but it makes me think that maybe Maya didn’t totally hate me touching her.
Chapter6
Maya
“So how goes babysitting the hockey hottie? Anymore surprise makeouts?”
I roll my eyes while FaceTiming with Tori. “God, no. Don’t even bring that up.”
She giggles, her cinnamon-hued eyes bright on the screen. Tori works at Sweet Cheeks, the ice cream shop that Becca owns. Tori and I have become good friends ever since Becca and my brother Gage have been together. She’s sweet, hilarious, and lets me crash at her place whenever I’m in town and we go out for a girls’ night so I don’t have to stay with my mom or brothers.
“Okay, okay. I’m sorry,” Tori says. “I just can’t get over the fact that you’re living with Theo Thompson. I mean, what are the odds?”
“I’ve asked myself that same question a million times.” I grab my mug of coffee from the kitchen counter. “How are things at Sweet Cheeks?”
“Busy as ever. We’ve got lines two blocks long out the door in January. It’s wild.”
I smile. “That’s awesome. You and Becca deserve all the success.”
I still can’t believe how Becca and my brother Gage met. A year ago she drunk-DMed his TikTok account asking him to help her film sexy videos to boost her ice cream shop, which was struggling at the time.
“Tyler’s been by a few times to help us out too. So nice of him to do that.”
I don’t miss the hitch in Tori’s voice and the sudden brightness in her eyes. She bites back a smile. Her crush on him is so obvious.
“Yeah, Tyler’s a saint,” I joke. “Be careful, Tori, okay? I love my brother, but don’t let yourself get too attached. When it comes to dating and relationships, he loses interest. Fast.”
“I’m not attached to him,” she says defensively. “I just think it’s nice that he’s helping out.”
I hold back on saying more. Tori’s crush on Tyler is a touchy subject, and I don’t want to upset her.
“I’m so happy business is booming for you guys,” I say, changing the subject.
“Can you believe it’s all due to your hot brother’s TikTok account?” Tori teases.
“Oh my god, stop talking about how hot my brother is. Please.” I make a gagging noise. It’s no secret that Gage has a hugely successful TikTok where he prepares gourmet dishes while shirtless. And he always writes suggestive captions, which has made him a bonafide TikTok sex symbol.
As much as I love my big brother and am proud of his success, that doesn’t mean I want to see or picture him doing sexy stuff.
“I’m his sister,” I say to Tori. “I don’t want to hear about how sexy he is. That’s beyond gross.”
“Okay, you’re right.” She chuckles. “Oh, and thanks so much again for the earrings you gave me for Christmas. They’re so pretty, I love them.”
“Of course, I’m so glad you liked them.”
“My mom wants a pair for herself. Can you make some for her? I’ll pay you.”
