Clara’s reply was immediate.‘Thanks. I’ll do that. And she says I need to finalise the guest list today. Do you need a plus one?’
Hel hesitated, her fingers hovering as she decided what to reply. Without a conscious decision, her eyes rose to Frost. Maybe he would be her date? He wouldn’t be phased by the Hollywood side of things, as she had Googled him and found in the world of sports in America and Canada, he was a big deal. In fact, he was massive.
She shook her head to clear the errant thought. She couldn’t ask a man like Frost, who, while she had initially thought if he didn’t have a girlfriend, he might be someone she could get to know a bit better, she now realised the extent of his fame and how far out of her league he was, so she needed to put it out of her head.
Leaning back in her seat, Hel sighed. She didn’t want to go to the wedding alone. She wanted a date. Well, it was still weeks away, maybe she would meet someone before then that she could take.
She pictured her roster over the next few weeks. Between that and the extra work she was doing for the hockey team, there was no way she would have enough time to go on any dates, let alone date someone and invite them to a wedding.
‘I had better say no. I don’t want you to waste a place.’Hel loved Clara, but she was so in love that it made her jealous at times, and it stung a little that she would be alone at her wedding.
‘I’ve got a great plan.’
Hel cringed when Clara’s message arrived, knowing her plan wouldn’t be great and would likely make her feel embarrassed. She just hoped Clara wouldn’t try to set her up on a pity date with one of Taylor’s actor friends. She didn’t think her self-esteem could cope with that.
Her eyes rose to Frost. Maybe she should ask him after all?
‘You should ask Frost.’Clara sent her.
To see it in writing, rather than as an abstract idea in her head, made Hel blush to the tip of her ears.
“Is your friend sending you dirty messages?” Frost enquired, his voice holding a slight edge that had her glancing up.
Hel was surprised to see him staring at her, a frown pulling down on his brows. Was he annoyed someone might be sending messages which would make her blush?
“No dirty messages.” Hel fought hard to get the heat in her cheeks to recede. But the relieved look on his face didn’t help things.
Glancing down at her phone to avoid looking at Frost, she saw another message from Clara.
‘He’s single. I looked on Star’s social media, and she’s posted that she’s single and ready to mingle and is looking for an Aussie croc hunter.’
“She’s asking if I have a plus one for her wedding,” Hel lied.
“And do you?” Frost tilted his head to the side as he examined her.
“No. I’m single as a pringle.” Hel cringed. Why had that phrase left her mouth? It was something her dad would say. She was thirty-five, not a sixty-five-year-old grandad.
‘ASK HIM.’Clara’s text message shouted at her, which didn’t help her flustered state, so she stuffed her phone back into her handbag after putting it on silent.
“Me too,” Frost replied wryly. “Can you add some Pringles to the bread and milk?” He grabbed his own mobile off the coffee table. “What’s your phone number? I can text you if I think of anything else.”
Hel’s flush roared back up her cheeks, and she spoke firmly to herself. He wanted her phone number for groceries. Nothing else. GROCERIES.
“Of course.” Hel was sure her voice sounded a little squeaky and hoped he didn’t notice. She gave him her number, then got to her feet. “Right. I’ve bothered you enough. I’ll see you tomorrow evening. Don’t stand up. I’ll see myself out.”
She felt her phone vibrate in her bag and gave it a disgusted look. It would be Clara nagging her, and she would probably recruit Sadie to join in.
Rushing away from Frost, she waved over her shoulder when he called out goodbye.
CHAPTER 15
FROST
Frost’sheartsankatthe look she gave him as she left, a look of disgust. He thought they were getting on well. He had even wanted to offer to be her date at her friend’s wedding.
But she clearly just felt sorry for him, was visiting him in a professional capacity, and all she could see was a washed-up hockey player who was probably going to walk with a limp for the rest of his life.
Shit. He’d had this stupid idea that now Star—nope, he wasn’t calling her Star any more—Patricia was gone, that he would have a chance with the red-headed doctor who haunted his dreams. But the look on her face said it all, she wouldn’t be interested in a has-been.
