Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 88143 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88143 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
“Well, well,” I say when I finally get close enough to her. “To what do I owe this surprise?”
She looks up and smiles. “I saw your cupcakes on Instagram.” She winks at me. “Sweet Zara.” She makes fun of the nickname.
“I already ate two,” I tell her, and I wish I was lying. “The red velvet and the carrot cake.”
“Ugh,” she says. Turning and opening the back door for me, she holds out her hands for the white box. “What’s left?”
“I think chocolate and vanilla,” I say, scooting over so she can get in.
“Ugh, those suck,” she says and opens the box and then glares at me. “That is not funny. This is a Reese’s peanut butter cupcake,” she says with a smile. She reaches into the box and takes it out and bites into it and some of the frosting gets on her nose. “This is the best thing I’ve ever tasted in my life,” she says between bites. “It’s so good.”
“Yeah, the other one is smores,” I tell her, and then the phone beeps in my pocket. I see it’s a text from Evan.
Evan: Don’t watch the game tonight.
I look over to see what Zoe is doing, and she is chewing the cupcake with her eyes closed.
Me: And why is that.
He answers right away.
Evan: Because I’m going to suck, and I don’t want you to see it.
Me: Doubt it.
I don’t tell him that I’ve watched every single game he’s played in the hotel room. I don’t tell him I’ve cheered so loud when he’s scored that the front desk called to check and see if I was okay.
I get home and walk into the house, seeing the mountain of mail that Zoe picked up while I was gone. I carry the suitcase upstairs and start a load of wash. Zoe comes back up carrying two glasses of wine.
“What time is your flight tomorrow?” she asks me, handing me one glass.
“My flight is at noon,” I tell her. “I get in at two.” Putting my glass of wine down, I go to grab my other luggage.
“How long are you there for?” she asks, grabbing her phone and lying on my bed.
“I swear, I thought I would get a little bit of a break after award season was over,” I tell her, looking at the closet and packing things. “Instead, it’s even more busy.”
“They all want to shop at Zara’s Closet.” She smiles at me.
For the next two hours, I show her the different outfits that I am packing, and she also takes a couple home to “spice them up,” as she says. When it’s close to seven, the doorbell rings. We look at each other and then walk downstairs. The man at the door holds two pizzas.
“Delivery for Ms. Stone,” he says and hands me both pies and then turns and walks away.
“I think your man is trying to get you to like him. You know the saying the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach?” she says, grabbing one box and bringing it to her nose and smelling it. “I’m starving.”
She walks into the living room, and I turn on the television and go to the guide. When I turn on his game, my sister moans.
“The least we can do is watch his hockey game.”
She looks over at me and glares. “He isn’t trying to get me to like him,” she says, and then I turn the volume up and see that the game has already started. I grab a slice of pizza and watch the game. Finally, when it’s the third period, Zoe gets up and stretches. “I’m bringing the pizza home since you are leaving tomorrow.” She puts the leftover slices into one box. “When are you going to be home?” she asks, looking over her shoulder.
“I don’t know,” I tell her the truth, and I stand. “I was thinking of going to the casino night and staying for a couple of days.” I try to avoid her stare by looking at the television.
She smiles at me. “Going to get the D.”
I shake my head. “Maybe not the D, but I am going to see him.”
“Does he know?” she asks me, and I shake my head
“I want to surprise him,” I say with my own sly smile. I hear the announcer say his name, and I look up to see the other team has scored.
“What a horrible turnover from Richards,” he says, and I watch the replay. “That is just a horrible, horrible turnover.” You see that he was trying to pass it to his line mate, and the defense got a touch of the puck, and the other team went out to score. “It’s a rookie mistake I don’t think he’ll make again.” The cameraman goes to Evan where he’s sitting on the bench. His hands are in front of him, and he is just watching the play. I turn off the game and walk Zoe out and then walk upstairs.