Standing, I pretend to be surprised.
“Celebrity?! No way. Is Henry Cavill here?” I say loudly, ensuring both Dom and Aaron can hear me as I walk out to greet them.
Dominik pulls his hand out from behind him, holding an enormous bouquet of red roses.
Fucking hilarious.
Tracy’s eyes dart back and forth between my brother and Dominik. It’s unlikely that she has even taken notice of the flowers.
Good, so not a trigger. Phew.
“Oh, it’s you two.” My face drops before I readjust the smile back on my lips. “What a nice surprise, indeed. What are you guys doing here?”
Aaron moves closer and plants a gentle kiss on my cheek. He looks impressive in a navy suit that seems freshly pressed. His dirty blonde hair is slicked back, and he smells like bergamot and something else I can’t place.
“The surprise was Dom’s idea. Sorry,” he whispers in my ear before pulling away.
“Tracy, this is my brother Aaron, and this is—” I begin to introduce Dom, but she cuts me off.
“Dominik Lewis. What a pleasure to meet you both. I know you probably can’t tell, but I’m a big fan.”
Oh, we can tell, Tracy. I need to remember to give Tristan a big hug when I see him next. He’s a genius.
“I had no idea you were a hockey fan, Tracy. I would have asked Dom to come by sooner if I had known.”
Her eyes fly to me. “Are you kidding me?! We’re huge hockey fans at my house. We don’t miss a game. Especially me since you became the captain… We know you’re going to bring the cup home.”
Wow, what a compliment.
Beaming with charm, Dominik smiles brightly. Just like before every game, he’s putting on the same performance.
“That’s the plan. And these are for you, Tracy.” Dominik hands the bouquet of roses to my boss, making her light up instantly. I watch her face changing colors, from pink to a burning hot red.
“Oh my gosh, this is so thoughtful. For me? I figured after last week, they would be for Zoe.”
And then he finally looks at me, taking my breath away with those eyes.
A week wasn’t enough time to build an immunity against him, it would seem.
“Nah, my girl has apparently had her fill of flowers. I’ll have to sweep her off her feet in other ways.” He winks, and my stupid knees nearly give out.
What is the matter with you? Get a hold of yourself. It’s all an act.
It’s hard to remember that when he’s looking at me like this.
“That’s so sweet!” Via pipes up from behind me, clearly needing to get in on the action.
“Sorry… This is Via. Dom, Aaron.” I point to the guys, getting flustered by all this attention.
Via and Aaron shake hands, but he quickly pulls away and discreetly wipes his hand on his pants, which doesn’t go unnoticed by Via. He clenches and unclenches his hand, forming a fist.
That’s strange.
“Nice to meet you both. Zoe has told me so much about you.” Even if that hurt Via’s feelings, she doesn’t let on. I would be crumbling on the inside.
Also, why did she just say that? I squeeze her back, and she smacks my hand away.
“Is that so?” Dominik cuts her a glance before his eyes land on me again. He’s a truly remarkable actor. He could give Brad Pitt a run for his money. I must remember to inform him about his incredible lying skills if we ever speak again, or I could tell Tristan and have him relay the message.
