Aiden resumes drumming his fingers on the table. “It’s probably not the answer you’d expect of a hockey player my age. But yes. I like sharing stories and laughing with good friends and family. Add in some good food, some bottles of wine … nothing beats it. I like that so much more than hanging out in a bar. Do you think that’s weird?”
Do I think that’s weird?No, Aiden.I think that’s perfect.
“I agree with you. That’s a perfect night out with friends.”
His fingers stop drumming.
Nothing is said between us, but a sense of understanding washes over me.Aiden is different, my heart whispers to me.I like that about him.
He shifts his attention to his coffee, breaking the moment.
“Friends and family matter to you,” I say.
Aiden takes a sip of coffee and looks back at me. “Yes. I’m lucky I’m close to my brothers. I love that Wyatt and I are playing on the same team. We haven’t done that since high school. And it’s a good dressing room. I felt as if I fit right in, you know?”
“Friends matter to me, too,” I say. “I’m still trying to find my way with that here in Miami. In college, it was so easy to fall into friendships. You’re surrounded by people your own age, with a lot of people open to making those connections. I bet the dressing room is similar in that way. You’re surrounded by guys who love the same thing as you do, and you bond when you become a team. But it’s much harder for me to build those friendships in the working world. I would love to have that core group of friends again. I miss that.”
“I think it takes time to find your people,” Aiden says thoughtfully. “You’ve had to start a career in a new city—that’s never easy.”
“It’s been a lot harder than I thought,” I admit. I don’t want Aiden to feel sorry for me, so I quickly flash him a smile. “But I know it will happen. I just have to keep going out and meeting people until I findmypeople.”
“You will,” he reassures me. “Sooner than you think.”
We go on to talk for a long time, discovering things about each other. I find out the scar over Aiden’s left eyebrow is from a stick that got up under his visor, and I show him a scar on my neck from a stupid curling-iron accident. We each share some funny stories from our time in college and things we’ve discovered we like about Miami. We talk more about our pets, and I love that he’s as big of an animal person as I am. We’re both sports fans and spend a lot of time watching it on TV. Obviously, I love soccer, and he’s a huge football fan.
But I also discover how deep his passion for hockey runs. How hard he’s worked at his game, and how proud he is to be an alternate captain for the team. This is the first time he’s worn the A on his jersey, and Aiden says it’s an honor and a privilege to be seen as one of the leaders for the team. He believes in leading by example on and off the ice and conducts himself accordingly. Aiden tells me he promised my dad he’d make sure he never regretted making him an alternate captain.
It’s just more for me to like about him, the way he sees his role on the Manatees. There’s a maturity in the way he speaks, and he not only respects my dad, but the game itself.
After we each get refills on our coffees, I decide I want to take our questions in a different direction.
“So what about your dating life?” I ask, swirling some half-and-half into my coffee. “When was your last significant relationship?”
Aiden begins drumming his fingers rapidly on the table. “You meanlackof dating life?”
Is he embarrassed to tell me this? Is that why the fingers are anxiously drumming again?
If that’s true, it’s about the swooniest thing EVER.
“I doubt you have a lack of one,” I tease. “If you do, it’s by choice. Or do I have to pull up the number of women on TikTok and Connectivity Story Share who want to tattoo your number on their bodies?”
Aiden stops drumming and shoots me a mortified look. “You’re making that up.”
I burst out laughing. “Oh, I am not. Would you like me to show you?”
Even in the dim lighting, I can detect a flush once again climbing up his pale neck. “No, I donotwant you to show me,” he says quickly.
“Okay, I won’t. But when was your last significant relationship?” I ask.
Aiden doesn’t say anything. For a moment I panic, wondering if I reached too far with that question.
“Okay, you really want to dig into my relationship history, which I will allow only if I get to dig into yours,” he finally says.
Okay, I didn’t go too far. Whew.
“Yes, you can.” I quirk a brow at him. “But you might be disappointed with my answer.”
“Intriguing,” Aiden says, his voice low.
