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  While Audrey still giggled, Tate said, “I like to sleep, a lot.”

  Audrey looked over at him, confused, “Huh?”

  “No one knows that, everyone thinks I’m always ready to go, but really, I could sleep for days.”

  A smile tugged at Audrey’s lips, “Then why don’t you?”

  “I don’t know. I try but sometimes it doesn’t work.”

  “There’s pills for that.”

  He chuckled, while he nodded, “Yeah. I don’t like pills.”

  “Me neither,” Audrey agreed, “I also, love to sleep. I can be found at work passed out on my desk because I hate my job.”

  “Still?” Tate asked.

  Audrey nodded, “Still, I think I’ll always hate it.”

  “Then quit.”

  “Nah, my dad would flip and what would I do afterwards? I know customer service, it’s what I grew up doing,” Audrey said sadly, “I’ll probably be stuck there the rest of my life.”

  Tate’s brow came together, “Why do something you don’t love?”

  Audrey shrugged her shoulders, moving her hands up and down the silky fabric of her tights. “Cause my family loves it. Its kinda weird that I’m the only one who doesn’t love it, maybe I just need to wait it out, see if my love for it comes later.”

  Tate shook his head, “How long have you been there?”

  Audrey smiled shyly, “11 years.”

  Tate scoffed, “If it has not come yet, I do not think it will. You can’t wait around for something to become good, it either is, or isn’t.”

  Well didn’t that just apply to a few things in Audrey’s life at that moment?

  “I know, but I don’t want to disappoint my dad.”

  “I get that, but I doubt he would want you to be unhappy.”

  “You don’t know my dad. It’s his way or the highway,” Audrey said with a shake of her head.

  “Well that is not fair.”

  Audrey shook her head, “Life isn’t fair.”

  Tate smiled, “I guess you are right, but I still think you should do what makes you happy.”

  Audrey smiled, hugging her legs tighter as she watched Tate munch on popcorn. She didn’t know why, but she wanted to tell him everything. Even about the biggest mistake of her life. Was it because then she was sure he would be scared away, or was it because she honestly wanted to tell him?

  “I want to own a cupcakery,” she found herself saying in a small voice.

  Tate looked over at her, “What is a cupcakery? It sounds tasty.”

  Audrey giggled, “It’s like a bakery, but only for cupcakes.”

  “Sounds like the greatest plan ever. You should do that.”

  Audrey smiled, she would do anything for that dream, but until she grew balls to leave the family company, that dream would always be out of reach.

  “That’s a dream, eh?”

  Audrey giggled, “Eh?”

  Tate shyly grinned, looking up towards the ceiling, “Hey, don’t make fun of my accent.”

  “I love it! Do the ‘eh’ more, it makes me giggle.”

  Tate rolled his eyes, “I’m not going to do it ever again. Not around you.”

  Audrey took hold of his arm, laughing as she shook it, “Don’t be like that! I love it….eh?”

  Tate laughed shaking his head as she giggled. She hadn’t giggled, or laughed so much in her life. Being around him, she couldn’t help herself . He just made everything so much funnier.

  “Sorry,” she laughed, moving her fingers under her eyes, to catch her tears, “yes, yes, it’s a dream.”

  Tate shook his head, smiling as he moved his finger up and down the dewy can, “Okay, well, I have a dream.”

  Audrey couldn’t help it, she snorted with laughter.

  ***

  Tate narrowed his eyes, shaking his head.

  Even though he was pretty sure Audrey was laughing at him, he couldn’t stop his grin. Her laugh was infectious, hell, all of her was infectious. Not even hanging out with Lucas, Erik, or Phillip could amount to the good time he was having with Audrey. Her commentary on her favorite show was hilarious. When she would giggle, it was as if her whole body was laughing. She was beautiful and, God, he wanted more.

  Tate wanted to have her wrapped up in his arms, her body shaking his with her laughter. He wanted to stop her laughter with deep seeking kisses. Tate wanted to calmly lay her back against the couch and just lay on her. Feel her heat against his. He wanted to fall asleep and wake up to that beautiful glowing round face. Of course, he wanted to get her naked, but this was more than that.

  What it was, he wasn’t sure, but it was more.

  Looking over at a hysterical Audrey, he tried to scowl at her, but a grin tugged at his lips. Audrey held up her hand, still laughing with the occasional snort.

  Damn, she was cute.

  “Oh my God! I am not laughing at you, oh my God!” Audrey said. When she finally stopped, her eyes were dripping with tears, “No, have you seen Tangled? There is a part when they are like, ‘I have a dream! I have a dream!’ But at the beginning of the song, this guy goes, ‘I had a dream once.’ It’s me and Aiden’s favorite Disney movie, you reminded me of that. I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to laugh so hard.”

  Tate shrugged his shoulder, “No, it is fine. I just won’t tell you since you will laugh.”

  Audrey’s mouth opened in a little ‘o’ as she took a hold of his wrist, her head shaking quickly, “I would never laugh at it! I’m sorry!”

  Tate smiled as she looked up at him with those big caramel eyes. They were dusty with happy tears. He liked them that way. “Alright, hockey is my dream, I love it, but if it didn’t work out for me, I would want to be on a stage playing music for people.”

  Audrey nodded, her lips curving in a sweet smile, “You are super good, I listen to you all the time.”

  “Really?” Tate asked, surprised. “How?”

  Audrey looked away, pulling her knees up in her arms again. He loved the view the yellow shorts she wore gave him, if only she didn’t have those blue tights on. He would have enjoyed a little peek of her tan skin but just being this close to her without her being standoffish was enough. His plan of being friends before moving on to what he really wanted was working. Audrey just needed a little time, and he would give it to her. Not much, but enough for her to realize he could be the guy for her.

  “From my closet. I lean against the wall and listen. You’re amazing, Tate. Really,” she said shyly. Her cheeks were pink and she wouldn’t look at him, which was probably for the best. He would probably kiss her if she did. He liked that she appreciated his talent.

  “Thank you,” he said, keeping his mouth busy with his beer while still watching her. It was hard not to watch her. She captivated him.

  “So I got a question.”

  She looked over at him, and he nodded, “Okay?”

  “How long were you with your ex-fiancé?”

  Tate leaned back, taking in a long breath as he moved his hand up and down his neck, “Um, we dated about six months before I asked her, then we were engaged for a year before she broke it off.”

  Audrey nodded, “So you knew you wanted to be married to her?”

  “I thought I did, but I guess I was wrong because I don’t cry over her, or miss her. I haven’t talked to her in almost a year and a half,” he said with a shrug of his shoulders.

  “How did y’all meet?”

  Tate smiled, “In the hospital, I had broken my arm while trying to play without my pads. Stupid move on my part.”

  “Wow, that was kinda stupid there, guy,” Audrey laughed, “so was she hurt too or something?”

  Tate shook his head, “No, she was my doctor.”

  Audrey’s laughter completely stopped. She sat up, her eyes wide as she asked, “Excuse me?”

  Tate didn’t understand, “What? She was my doctor; she did the surgery on my arm and basically took care of me through the whole recovery.”

  Audrey blinked a fe