“What?” Stephanie knew that guys liked to give each other nicknames but this was way out of left field.
His stare left Mason and shifted to her. The second their eyes met, she found it hard to breathe. She’d never heard of eye contact causing the wind to be knocked out of someone, but that was exactly what she was experiencing. Thankfully, he spoke and gave her some time to figure out how to get oxygen in and out of her lungs like a normal human being again.
“You said that since it was just you now, you don’t cook because you don’t like to do dishes and so you order Fresh and Healthy meals. So is he the reason it’s just you now?”
“Oh!” Stephanie was in shock. “You remembered that?”
“Of course,” he replied like that was a given.
It wasn’t. She talked all the time and people didn’t listen. Simone didn’t listen. Her patients didn’t listen. Her co-workers didn’t listen.
“I think I’m in love.” Dax wedged himself between them and draped his arm over Ace’s shoulder.
“I’m flattered, but you’re not really my type,” Ace shot back without skipping a beat.
“Not you, although if I swung that way, I’d turn you.” Dax winked before pointing across the bar to where Virginia Valentine was signing autographs. “Her. She’s…”
“She’s amazing,” Stephanie interjected.
“I was going to say perfect, but amazing works.” As Dax stared across the room, Stephanie could practically see cartoon hearts floating around his head. “I’m gonna marry that girl.”
She started to laugh, but she stopped herself when she couldn’t tell if Dax was serious or not. Just in case he was, she thought she should point out, “Oh, um, I think she’s actually dating Derek St. Vincent.”
Dax’s confidence didn’t waver. “You can’t believe everything you read.”
As if on cue, Virginia and a man in a suit with a slick haircut began walking straight towards them. Stephanie noticed that Dax stood a little taller and she was pretty sure his chest puffed out a little.
As she looked back and forth between the country singer and Dax she had to admit, they would make a cute couple in a very all-American way. Virginia had blonde hair and blue eyes. She was petite, probably only around five foot two and absolutely stunning. Dax was over six feet of chiseled, lean muscle. She was the quintessential cheerleader to his football player. Stephanie couldn’t help but smile at the two of them.
That smile fell however when she watched Virginia wave at Dax but hug Ace. It shouldn’t bother her that the singer had her arms around him, but it did. She didn’t like it. Not one bit. Their embrace probably only lasted a few seconds but it felt like forever.
As they separated she noticed that Dax didn’t look too happy about it either.
“Do you two know each other?” He asked the question Stephanie was wondering herself.
When she’d asked Ace earlier he’d said no, not really. But that didn’t seem like a no, not really hug.
“We met earlier tonight and chatted.” Virginia smiled as she turned towards Stephanie. “Hi, I’m Ginny.”
“Hi, I’m Stephanie. You were amazing tonight. ‘Crossing Hearts’ is one of my all-time favorite songs and the acoustic version you did tonight was…amazing. And you and Chase singing ‘Head Over Heels’ was…so amazing.” Stephanie could hear herself starting to ramble and repeat words so she shut up.
It was unnerving how quickly catty jealousy had switched to creepy fangirl.
“Thanks.” Virginia leaned in closer to her and spoke lower. “We’re actually thinking of re-recording it as a duet, but we haven’t announced it yet.”
“The car’s here.” The man in the suit with the slicked back hair interrupted, never looking up from his phone.
Stephanie saw a flash of disappointment in Virginia’s eyes, but she quickly masked it with a bright smile. “Thank you so much for having me. It was great meeting y’all.”
She hugged Ace. Again. But this time she also hugged Dax and then Stephanie as well.
When she did she whispered into Stephanie’s ear, “I saw you and Ace dancing. You have a good one there. You’re a lucky girl.”
“Oh…no…we’re not…” Stephanie tried to correct her wrong assumption but the hug was over before she could and Virginia was getting whisked down the back stairwell.
Ace, Dax and Stephanie all watched her go. When she was no longer in sight Dax cursed under his breath.
“Why didn’t I say anything?” he asked Ace and Stephanie.