At least I can admit that. I feel like admitting it is the first step to working through it.
Yes, I’ve grown and shit.
Still, this is going to be awkward. It’s one thing hanging out with them when Hansley’s around. Which doesn’t happen often, either, but it has on occasion. I think he wants me to make friends. He’s not pushing his friends on me, but he’s giving me the opportunity.
He offered to take me with him to the Frozen Four game, but I wanted him to have his entire focus on his team. Win or lose, they deserve all of Hansley right now. And when I’m there, I have a lot of his attention—which I love more than anything—but they need his undivided attention right now.
When I said I was just going to watch from home, he suggested Alka and Declan come over and they can help me understand the game. Honestly, I’ve tried to figure out what the hell is going on. I’ve even lowered myself to online research. I have a ‘hockey for dummies’ book stuffed under my couch so I can quickly reference it when I need to, but no one sees it.
I’m like, 60% there, I think. Hansley isn’t wrong when he suggested I should watch the game with someone who knows hockey because they can explain something I don’t understand in real time without me trying to explain it when asking him later.
Somehow, I agreed to have Declan and Alka over in Hansley’s absence to watch his game with me. I’m not even sure how that happened, but the next thing I know, I’m in a group chat with them and they’re making plans.
More times than I’ll admit, I’ve toyed with the idea of canceling. I can go watch the game with Sugar. Not that she knows a damn thing about hockey, but it won’t be awkward hanging out with my sister. This is going to be like three hours of fucking weird.
The knock on my door makes me flinch. Damn. My window of time to cancel has passed. Sighing in resignation, I drag my feet to the door and open it.
They’re smiling, both holding big bags. A waft of amazing food smells hit me like a wall.
“Hey, Lemon,” Alka says.
I smile. Pretty sure I manage one that isn’t also a scowl. Taking a few steps back, I let them in and shut the door behind them. When they’re done kicking off their shoes, I lead them inside and to the living room.
“Want to set up the food here?” Alka asks.
I look at their bags and nod. The living room is on one side of my kitchen, so the peninsula separating the two spaces isfilled with drinks. That was my job when I told them I don’t cook. I refused to say Ican’tcook because that can often lead to someone feeling the need to offer to teach me and no. I’m good, thanks.
Hansley bought me an all-in-one gadget that is the size of a microwave and has that technology but it also air fries, broils, rotisseries, toasts, and all sorts of shit. He bought me a book to go with it and it’s freaking awesome; I’ve been using that a lot. But I’m not sure that’s really considered cooking.
But anyway, I was in charge of drinks. I have beer, tea, wine, a few things for cocktails, soda, and one of those fancy coffee machines that makes all the things. We’re set on drinks. Oh, and water.
Standing over them, I watch as they unpack food container after food container. I don’t know what half this shit is, but fuck, does it smell good.
“I don’t take credit for most of this,” Alka admits. “Oscar loves to cook his family recipes. It’s best not to ask me what it is either. I have tried it all and it’s amazing. That’s as much information as I have.”
“And I can’t take credit for any of this,” Declan says. “It’s all Daddy Quin.”
It’s weird that he calls Quin Daddy. Hansley says it’s not in a kinky way, but because Quin takes care of them all. I still think it’s weird that he does so in front of other people. Though I suspect he only does it in front of people he’s comfortable with. Which kind of makes me feel good.
“Uh…” I glance at my drink station. Maybe I should have added some edible flowers or something. They went all out. “Want something to drink?”
“Yes,” Alka says and the two of them head to the counter to look at my spread.
“Damn, Frosty,” Declan says. “You know that there’s only three of us, right?”
I make a pointed look at the amount of food they brought, though neither of them are looking at me as I do. “You brought enough for my football team,” I counter.
Both men snort.
“I’ve seen your guys eat. I could probably feed three of them at most,” Alka argues.
My team is having a big viewing party today with tons of food and drink. Peyton invited me, but I’d already committed to this. Though it felt like a reasonable enough excuse to cancel. When I mentioned it to Hansley, he gave me an expectant look. He expected me to cancel, too.
It means a lot to him though. He wants me to get along with his friends, it’s important to him. When I realized that, I decided I would put in the effort. It’ll be fine.
While they’re both occupied at the drinks, I pull out my phone and take a quick picture of the food to send to Hansley. Then I type?—
Lemon Frost
