As the song came to a climax, the room erupted into applause as they rewarded the Stone brothers with a standing ovation. True got to her feet and put her fingers to her mouth, letting out a loud whistle. This performance had definitely made True’s night and won over the crowd.
Xavier had been reluctant to take the stage, but he’d performed like a pro. She liked that he was a team player. And he sure knew how to move those hips, she thought as she fanned herself with her hand.
“A round of drinks is on Caleb,” Xavier informed Bonnie, who quickly let the crowd know the good news. An immediate roar ripped through the patrons.
“Hey!” Caleb protested. “I never said that!”
“And I never said I would do karaoke tonight,” Xavier said, shooting him a pointed look. “Why don’t you settle up our tab as well,” Xavier suggested. Caleb shook his head and headed off toward the bar with Landon. Xavier could hear him grumbling as he walked away.
“Bravo!” True told Xavier as he sat back down.
“Thanks. So, what do you do on a night off?” Xavier asked, his eyes like laser beams as he stared at her.
“A night off? What’s that?” she asked in a teasing tone. She needed to do something to defuse the electric tension between them. It was so combustible, she thought flames might erupt.
“Well, I’m hoping we can hang out sometime. Maybe you can show me around Moose Falls. Or you can teach me how to bowl.” His smile was flirtatious, and there was no doubt now that he was interested in her. It was written all over his beautiful face.
“I don’t want to be anyone’s winter bae,” she blurted out.
There. She’d said it. Gotten it off her chest. Only now Xavier was gaping at her as if she were an alien from outer space.
“Come again?” he asked, a look of confusion etched on his face.
“A winter bae. You know, someone to keep you warm during the winter. I’m not looking for anything serious right now, but I also don’t want to have a fling with my boss’s grandson.”
Xavier’s jaw dropped. He began to sputter. “True, no offense, but your mind is a terrifying place. I have no idea what you’re talking about with this winter bae thing.” Xavier held up his hands. “And to be honest, I’m not sure I want to know.”
True folded her arms across her chest. “I’m just a realist. Imagine you’re me for a second. I run a tavern in the wilds of Alaska.” She jerked her chin at him. “You are a famous athlete. I’m sure you’re used to getting any woman you want.”
He made a face. “Not true.”
She felt a little bad about making that statement since she knew his ex-fiancée had broken up with him. True couldn’t conceive of a woman ending a relationship with this delicious man. But maybe he had a ton of flaws she hadn’t yet seen. After all, she barely knew the man.
“Don’t get me wrong. I like myself. I’m reasonably attractive, hardworking, and trustworthy. But I’m not used to dating… football players. And I’m guessing you haven’t gone out with many tavern managers.”
“Reasonably attractive?” Xavier asked, raising an eyebrow.“Don’t sell yourself short. Have you looked in the mirror lately? You’re gorgeous. And that’s not why I want to spend time with you. You fascinate me, True. And if I’m being completely honest, it’s been a long time since I’ve wanted to hang out with a woman. I’m not saying we should get married or anything,” he said with a chuckle, “but keeping each other company might be fun.”
“So, why me?” she asked. She was genuinely intrigued. It sounded like they were both very casual in their outlooks on dating.
“Why not you? You’re interesting and funny as hell. You make me laugh even when you’re plotting against me with ghost pepper wings. And trust me, I haven’t laughed a lot over the past few years. That’s a huge plus for me.”
True nibbled on her lip. “Did I apologize for the wings? It wasn’t the best way to welcome you to town.”
He cocked his head to the side. “I have the feeling that you had your reasons. Am I right?”
“Maybe a little bit,” she admitted. She didn’t want to tell him that his arrival in Moose Falls had felt a bit threatening to her. If she did, Xavier would probably think she was petty. And he wouldn’t be wrong. Serving him the ghost pepper wings had been a ridiculous reaction to his arrival in town. Now that she was getting to know him better, True was ashamed to have gone down that road. He was proving to be quite different than she’d imagined.
For lack of a better word, he was dreamy.
“I’ll let you tell me all about it when we go out.” He locked eyes with her, pinning her with his intense gaze. He exuded confidence.
Suddenly, she was tongue-tied. He had this magnetic effect on her. True couldn’t come up with a single plausible reason not to hang out with him.
“Can I see your phone?” he asked, holding out his palm.
True took her cell phone out of her back pocket and handed it over.
“I’m going to put my name and number in your contacts.” His fingers began moving across her phone. “The ball is in your court,” he said, handing her phone back over to her. “No pressure.”
