Page 1 of The Defenseman

1

Alexa

Tonight was not going the way Alexa Mead had anticipated. This was supposed to be the big night. This was supposed to be the night Tim finally proposed. They had been seeing each other for a year and they had talked about settling down. They did what all couples typically did, in the same time frame they did. They followed the rules. They didn't rush into things but they didn't waste time, either.

This was around the time a proposal should happen.

But Alexa was wrong.

Tim showed up at her place around seven fifteen even though their reservations were for seven thirty and there was no way in hell they were going to make it across town in Houston traffic at that time. It didn't matter that Alexa was the younger sister of one of Houston's darlings—Dan Meadow, the goalie for the Houston Rangers. Nobody knew who she was and Mead was not an uncommon name, even in Texas. Tim, on the other hand, didn't really have a claim to fame except for his good looks and charm, and he could typically get whatever he wanted with a carefully placed smile and a compliment laced with sincerity.

Almost anything he wanted.

The two hadn't actually had sex yet.

Alexa felt herself shift uncomfortably just thinking about it as Tim waited for the pretty hostess in the crowded restaurant to see if there was any place to fit them in now that it was just before eight and they had given away Tim and Alexa's reservation because they had been no-shows for nearly a half hour. This was at Tim's request, but Alexa did not think Tim would be able to charm his way into this restaurant. There were too many people here. Even the bar was crowded with people opting to stand and drink rather than wait for an empty seat to appear.

"It'll be fine," Tim said, squeezing her hand without looking at her.

Alexa bit her bottom lip. It wasn't as though she didn't believe him—though, in this case, she was doubtful. It was more that this was his fault. If he had picked her up at six thirty like she told him to, they wouldn't be in this predicament. Now what were they going to do if the hostess came back and said no? How would the proposal go from there?

She didn't want to think about it.

The high heels she currently wore began to pinch the backs of her feet and she popped one of her knees so her heel wasn't rubbing so thoroughly against the material. She'd wanted to be sitting down by now, eating her grilled chicken and asparagus. She wanted to be sipping red wine and avoiding the bread basket, but indulging in just one piece and lathering it with butter. She wanted to be thrilled when Tim got on one knee and everyone around them stopped their conversations to watch a perfect proposal go down.

And now, none of those things would be happening.

"Look," Tim said, turning his attention to the remaining hostess. "Isn't there anything you guys can do? I mean, she's Dan Mead's little sister."

"Tim," Alexa said, feeling her cheeks pinch. She hated when Tim tried to name-drop her brother in order to get preferential treatment. Tim wasn't even a huge hockey fan and rarely went out of his way to talk to Dan when they were all hanging out. It bothered Alexa that he would try to use Dan to his advantage when it was convenient for him but couldn't be bothered to do the same when Dan was actually around.

"Who?" the hostess said, pushing her brows together as she reached behind the counter and pulled up two menus for the couple she was helping.

"The goalie?" Tim asked before scoffing and rolling his eyes. "Never mind. If you've never heard of him before, it's not going to help now."

The hostess gave him a look, probably due to his condescending tone. Alexa didn't blame her. She shifted her weight, trying to ignore the way her heels continued to rub against the shoes.

After another moment, the first hostess came back with an apologetic smile. Alexa didn't need to hear what she had to say to know. Unfortunately, there was nothing they could do. They should have been there on time.

"Sorry for the wait, but……"

Alexa didn't bother to hear her finish. Her thoughts took over. If Tim had just picked her up on time, this wouldn't have happened. If he had been a little bit nicer to the hostesses without dropping her brother's name, maybe they would have offered to squeeze them in between guests. This wasn't the restaurant's fault, it was theirs. Really, it was Tim's. And instead of just taking responsibility for his mistake, he was fighting with everyone about what should be done and why.

"Is there a manager I can speak to?" Tim asked.

Alexa shot Tim a look. People were already staring at them with looks on their faces. Some had pity, others had annoyance. Others were murmuring under their breaths about reservations and being on time. Alexa couldn't blame them. She had always judged those couples who pushed when maybe they should have apologized for their tardiness and gone somewhere else. Alexa had had those same thoughts: If you really wanted to eat here, maybe you should have gotten here on time.

Next time, Alexa would ensure that they met up rather than have Tim pick her up. At least she knew she would be here on time. And if she had to wait for Tim, so be it. She could do so sitting at their table with a glass of red wine and a basket filled with bread.

"Tim," Alexa said before the hostess could respond. "We were late. Let's not make a big deal out of it. We can go somewhere else."

"I'm happy to call any other restaurant and get you in there," the hostess offered. This time, she kept her gaze on Alexa—probably because Alexa was acting like the reasonable one.

Alexa turned to Tim. This was his night. The big night. The night he decided to ask her to marry him. There was a little blip in their plans, but so what? She wouldn't have cared if he took her to a small diner and proposed there. However, she didn't want to take away from the fact that the plans were up to him. She couldn't make the decision because she didn't know what he wanted.

"No," he snapped. "It's fine." He glanced over at Alexa and nodded his head toward the door. "Let's go."

Alexa didn't appreciate the gruffness of his voice. It wasn't her fault that they were in this predicament. If he had just gotten here on time, if he had picked her up when she told him to pick her up, none of this would have happened in the first place.