So I decided to back away. This past week, Sutton has texted me a few times to get together. I put her off by saying I was too busy and that I would get together with her when I had a chance. Of course, that day would never come.
And now I feel like shit because here she is…standing in Zack’s kitchen with a birthday cake to help me celebrate my day. So I wouldn’t be alone.
“Kate…this is Alex,” Sutton says as she points to the man standing beside her.
“Hi,” I say to him, a little starstruck to be looking at Alex Crossman…one of the best players in the entire league.
“Nice panties,” he says, and his eyes drop to the underwear still clutched in my hand.
“Oh, my God,” I gasp in absolute and sheer embarrassment, my face heating so hot, sweat pops out on my brow. Sutton jabs a sharp elbow into Alex’s ribs as I hastily stuff the underwear in my back pocket. Zack’s hand comes up to cover his mouth, desperately trying not to laugh, and Ben fortuitously is staring longingly at the cake.
Sutton shoots a glare at Alex, who chuckles and then reaches his hand out toward me. “It’s great to meet you, Kate. Sutton has told me so much about you.”
I shake his hand, again feeling guilty for putting Sutton off and realizing that I really can’t because she’s fabulous. I also experience a wave of sadness that Alex didn’t hear a damn thing about me from Zack. That is not a surprise, but doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt a little.
After Alex releases my hand, Sutton pushes past him, comes around the kitchen table, and wraps me up in a hug. “I’m mad at you for not telling me it was your birthday.”
I hug her back, squeezing hard so she feels my regret, and when we pull away, Sutton looks over at Zack with a grateful smile. “Thank God Zack called me once he found out. We just couldn’t let it go unrecognized.”
Zack shoves his hands in his pockets and shrugs nonchalantly. “I just passed on the info. Sutton got the cake and rushed over.”
“Can we eat the cake now?” Ben asks as he kneels on one of the kitchen chairs, elbows propped on the table as he hovers over the top of the cake.
“Only after we sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to Kate,” Alex says as he pulls out a lighter and proceeds to flame the candles on the cake. The glow is bright once they’re all lit, and I’m guessing they actually put twenty-four on there.
Then they proceed to sing “Happy Birthday” to me.
It embarrasses me and warms me all at once. Alex puts his arm around Sutton’s waist and pulls her in tight as they sing, both of them smiling at me brightly. Ben stares at the cake as he sings, and a glance at Zack finds him leaning back against the kitchen wall, hands still shoved in his pockets as he sings. His eyes are pinned on me, his face unreadable, but I can feel the force of his look.
When the last notes fade out, Ben yells, “Blow the candles out, Kate!”
I walk up behind the chair Ben is in, put my hands on his shoulders, and lean over him. I take a deep breath and do an admirable job of extinguishing all the candles.“Let me get some plates and forks,” I say as I turn toward the cabinets.
Sutton reaches out and grabs my hand, shaking her head in admonishment. “Uh-uh-unh. It’s your birthday and you are now officially off duty for the rest of the day. I’ll get them.”
Zack and Alex talk about the first playoff game set next week against the Atlanta Sting while Sutton gets the plates and cuts the cake. She hands me the first slice and says, “Just a small piece. Don’t want to ruin your dinner.”
Dinner? Crap. I need to get that started. I start to put the plate down, but Zack breaks off his conversation with Alex and says, “You’re not cooking tonight.”
I cock an eyebrow at him, really not wanting to risk Zack cooking. The very few times I’ve suffered it, I proclaimed he was not allowed near the stove again.
“Sutton and Alex are going to watch Ben and I’m going to take you out to dinner for your birthday,” he says casually.
Out to dinner? With Zack? Just us?
I’m not sure what I’m giving away on my face, but Zack adds on hastily, “It’s what any good employer would do for his employee.”
I refuse to show anything but a bright smile. I refuse to let him know that also twisted the knife just a bit. “Sounds awesome,” I say in a half-truth, half-lie. “I need to get a shower still.”
“We’ve got some time,” he says, and accepts a slice of cake from Sutton. “Finish your cake; then you can go get ready.”
Then he turns back to Alex and ignores me the rest of the time we are eating.
Chapter 23
Zack
I wonder if there will ever come a day when I don’t suffer from some form of guilt. Whether it be the accident, the fact I didn’t give Gina what she truly desired, or the way in which I know I’m fucking with Kate’s feelings, it seems I do nothing but swim in a thick, viscous pool of remorse.
I feel like absolute shit about Kate’s birthday. Not that I missed it, because how was I supposed to know what day it was? I mean…yeah, I could have looked at her application, but seriously…I’ve never been good at remembering that shit. It’s a guy thing.
No, I feel like shit because of the fact that Kate clearly would have never told me about it because she believes deep down inside that I don’t care about her birthday.
I didn’t think it was important, she said.
The translation was easy enough.