Page 69 of The Chemistry Coach
Roxie asked the next question.“Did it live up to your imagination?”
Daisy glared at her best friend and elbowed her in the ribs.“Oh!”Roxie said, trying to wave away Daisy’s irritation.“I told Hazy and Valentine the whole story.”
That earned Roxie a pinch.“What the fuck, Roxie?That’s totally overstepping.”
Roxie rubbed at the sore spot Daisy had left on the underside of her arm.“Jesus Christ, you didn’t need to do that!”
Hazy butted in.“It’s fine.We figured it was something weird with how you were acting at the shelter.So you’ve had a fangirl crush on him for years, no big deal.”
Daisy was tired of hearing that something she’d spent countless hours stressing about was ‘no big deal’.
“It was a good date; I don’t know what else to tell you.”
Hazy had to make it weird.“How disappointed are you that Roxie interrupted you?”he asked with a smug smile.Daisy rolled her eyes and flipped him off.
“Why are you in my home instead of his?Maybe he’d like to be bombarded with this inquisition.”
Valentine snorted.“He’d never let us in the front door.”
Daisy didn’t doubt it.
They watched two random strangers navigate their arranged marriage on TV.Daisy cuddled into Roxie’s side when she got sleepy.Her heart warmed at the sight of Valentine and Hazy in a similar position.Daisy loved how close they had gotten.
When the episode ended, Roxie clicked play on the next one and asked, “Is there going to be a second date?”
“We didn’t talk about it.”
Valentine asked a follow-up question.“Do you want a second date?”
Daisy didn’t have to think about it.She’d take as much of Connor as he would give her.“Yes.”
The next few days rushed by in a blur.The Connors weren’t around much, busy with two sets of back-to-back games in the same week.
Daisy and Roxie released a podcast episode after each game, proud to report that the Connor line, while not quite as productive as the fateful hat trick game, was producing solid numbers.The work they had put in was finally coming across in their performance.Hazy and Valentine were happy to give them exclusive comments after each game to set them apart from other media.Their numbers were amazing, and a local bar had offered to sponsor a few episodes.
Daisy and Connor had been texting, but they hadn’t talked about a second date.She hoped she’d get some clarity after their last team-building event.
Daisy had prepared a scavenger hunt around their favorite spots in the city, hoping the familiarity would bring the boys closer.None of them were playing in the NHL All-Star Game, so she scheduled it for the first day of their week-long break.
She was putting together the clues when Annie invaded her office.The teenager plopped down in the armchair, grabbed a piece of candy, and propped her feet on Daisy’s desk.
“My dad needs to talk to you.”
Daisy straightened the stack of disheveled clues, shoved Annie’s feet off her workspace, and headed to Rob’s office.He looked up from his work with a grim expression when she knocked.
“Daisy, come on in.Close the door, please.”
Daisy frowned but closed the door and sat across from him.“Is there something I can help you with?The Freeze are coming in an hour, and I have to set up.”
“That’s what we need to chat about, anyway.”
Red flags flew through Daisy’s mind, her heart rate increasing.“About the Freeze?”
Rob pressed his lips into a thin line.“It’s come to our attention you’ve violated your NDA.”
Daisy replayed podcast episodes in her head, trying to recall the moment she had slipped up.Nothing came to mind.
“I don’t think so.”
