“Oh, Mia, I’ve got a million things to do tonight.”
“You don’t need to stay out late, just come and have dinner.It’s way better than those damn pot stickers I know you’re planning to eat,” Mia held her hands together to beg, her sweet doe eyes imploring Aspen’s capitulation.
Outside of wondering about Connor and replaying their kisses in her mind on repeat, there wasn’t much more to her night.
Lame, at best.
“Mia, I don’t know...”
“If it helps, we can talk about the hockey camp and where you’ll stage the snack tables.So see, it will be just like work.”
“And your friends won’t care?I don’t want to intrude on a standing girls’ night out.”
“The more the merrier, and believe me, you’ll be doing me a solid,” Mia must have sensed Aspen began to teeter and went in for the kill.“And we’re meeting at six, so you’ll be home by eight to get your rest, unless you want to stay out later, that is.”
“Fine.Sold.Thanks for the invite, Mia,” Aspen smiled, and felt light at the thought of meeting up with Mia and her friends.Much better than pining, noooo, pondering about Connor.
Speaking of Connor, her hunky handyman planned to visit her shop the next day, so dinner with Mia and company was needed to calm her nerves and other parts of Aspen’s body.
“We’re meeting at the Hickory House in Cherry Creek.Do you want me to pick you up?”
“Nah, I’ll meet you guys there.”
The pair quickly finished closing the bakery for the day and Aspen retreated to her apartment to get ready for the dinner.
Aspen used her diffuser to dry her thick coppery curls, but found her mind drifting to Connor.Their sultry kiss he left her with screamed of want, but he pulled back when things got interesting.
Alone with her thoughts, she contemplated her feelings about Connor and the want that filled her body both in his presence and absence.In all honesty, Aspen wasn’t sure what she wanted.She had far too few moments of frivolity, but she couldn’t deny her attraction to the enigma of a man with more facets than a five-carat diamond.
Enigma or not, the bright light and intense heat generated between them mirrored welding sparks and made her want him more with each interaction.But where did he stand?Why did he pull back?WhatdidAspen want?
Enough.She’d see Connor soon enough, tomorrow in fact, and talk through this connection that constantly simmered between them.
Aspen nearly barked out a peal of laughter at her bold prediction that she’d speak with Connor about their ‘connection.’Aspen’s reality featured her chewing on her thick tongue trying to find words and tripping over her feet in bouts of clumsiness.
She knew she’d continue to bound along the stream like a bobber at the end of a fishing line when it came to Connor.
With that ridiculous thought, she put her hairdryer into her hallway closet along with fantasies of Connor and finished prepping for an obviously much needed girls’ night out.
Aspen donned a denim Ralph Lauren dress with capped sleeves that hit just above her knees and her go-to petal pink Vans, and made the trek to Cherry Creek where Mia and her gal pals were meeting.
Aspen hoped the noise of the eatery, along with the conversations with the women, would give her mind a reprieve from her business, whittling down her loan, and one incredibly hot hockey player who knew his way around construction, the kitchen and kissing.She definitely needed a girls’ night out.
