I’ve spent a lot of time at Corks. First, as a UT student, when Corks still had $0.25 shots on Tuesday nights, although no one ever confirmed what was in them. Then, when the Coyotes took over the bar in my early twenties, I hung here with Mila on weekends.
But when I enter now, on the arm of Axel Daire, the atmosphere is different. I’m not just in a college bar or killing time with my bestie and her boyfriend. Instead, I’m here because there’s nowhere else I’d rather be. There’s no other guy I’d rather spend time getting to know.
“You made it!” Mila calls when Axel and I reach the bar.
I give a little wave before she wraps me in a hug. “You look hot,” she whispers in my ear.
My smile widens. I’ve played it safe—cardigans and taupe eye shadow—for too long. Ever since I made my peace with Josh, I’ve been embracing change more. And tonight, a swipe of pink lipstick and a summer dress makes me feel like myself. A more enhanced, happier version than I’ve been the past few years.
“Hey, Mais! I got your drink.” Damien grins, gesturing at the bartender.
I open my mouth to tell him I’ll take a margarita when I hear him call out. “A margarita, salt on the rim.” He orders a local beer for Axel, and it hits me how much these guys, this team, have welcomed me into their circle.
“Maisy!” The birthday boy smiles when he sees me. It’s big and genuine and crushes my lingering doubt about crashing his party. Cole slugs an arm around my shoulders. “Thanks for coming.”
I reach up on my tippytoes to hug him back. “Happy birthday, Cole.”
River slips off a barstool and tips his head for me to take it. I give him a grateful smile and slide onto the seat, feeling Mila’s and Axel’s and a lot of eyes on me.
“What?” I ask Mila.
She shakes her head, biting her lip as she studies me. “You’re the team’s sweetheart.”
I laugh.
She grins. “You seem different.”
I lift an eyebrow. “You want to psychoanalyze now?” My eyes sweep the crowded bar.
“No,” Mila laughs. “I just mean, I’m happy you came out, Mais. You look happy.”
I glance around at the guys, drink in the laughter and jokes. I take in the bar, bustling and noisy. When I look at Axel, I nearly drown in the heat flaring in his eyes. And I love that it’s offset by a flicker of protectiveness. For me.
Tonight, I don’t feel like an outsider in a group of friends. I don’t feel like the outcast, hanging on the periphery. Or the shorter, rounder Stratford sister. I’m here, people are happy to see me, and it’s an acceptance I haven’t known before.
“I am,” I say quietly.
Mila nods, understanding lining her face. “Good.”
“Here you go.” Damien passes me a margarita.
“Thanks, Damien.” I lift it in his direction before clinking it against Mila’s and taking a sip.
Mila and I make small talk as I watch Axel interact with his teammates. He doesn’t have the easygoing affability of Damien. He’s not sour and surly like River. He’s doesn’t exude edgy hotheadedness like Devon.
Axel’s the mature man on the team. He looks every bit the Brawler he’s known to be, but his demeanor speaks to a wisdom, an edge, that the other men don’t possess. He’ll rumble if need be, but he’d rather not if a few words will suffice. He’ll step up if he has to, but don’t waste his time. He knows who he is, what he wants, and is willing to do what it takes to ensure success—but never at the expense of someone else.
The fact that he’s giving me attention, a woman trying to find her footing after swimming in a pool of self-doubt and insecurity for too long, is exhilarating. It fills me with a confidence that my other encounters with men always lacked.
When Axel looks around for me, he doesn’t do it to make sure I’m keeping tabs on him, the way Josh did. Instead, Axel looks around for me because he’s looking for me. And when his eyes catch mine, he excuses himself from the conversation with Devon and steps to the barstool I’m perched on.
“Are you happy you came?” he asks, his eyebrows pulling together.
The smile I give him must exude reassurance because the line between his brows disappears and he gives me a lazy, half-smirk.
“I really am,” I confirm.
“Good.” He plants one huge hand on my knee. “I am too.” He watches me for a beat before adding, “I’ve never done this before.”
I wait for him to continue, but when he says nothing I prod, “Done what?”
He clears his throat, ducking his head as if embarrassed. “Brought a woman to a team thing.”
“Oh.” I tilt my head, wondering if he means this summer with the Bolts, or before when he played for the Seattle Rams.
“Ever.” His voice is thick, as if he’s admitting something he’d rather not. As if he can hear the question I didn’t voice.
“Huh?” I blurt out, wincing at how incredulous I sound. But…what? He’s never brought a woman to a team thing in his fifteen-year career?
I didn’t think it was possible for a man like Axel, with his size and bulk and general toughness, to become easily flustered. I was wrong. Axel’s cheeks heat and his eyes dart around the bar, clearly out of his comfort zone. It’s adorable and endearing more than anything else.
To ease his mind, I place my hand on top of his, pressing the warmth of his palm into my knee.
I wait patiently, my eyes glued to his face, until he meets my gaze and works a swallow.
“I mean, a few times, from when I was in a relationship. But that was over a decade ago. Before Seattle. I don’t…do this.” He looks away again. “Shit.”
I frown, trying to follow his line of thought. Does he regret bringing me? Is it too much, too soon?
“Lola’s here.” He snorts, shaking his head. “She’s trying to be a little sneak.” He heaves out a sigh, looking half frustrated, half amused. “You up for meeting my kid?”
My eyes widen as I try to keep up with the shifting conversation. Gone are my thoughts of too much, too soon. Because he’s asking me if I want to meet his daughter?
Granted, she’s a fully-grown adult and—
“Lola!” He waves a hand in the air, his voice booming.
I turn to see a beautiful woman blush a bright shade of red and try to duck behind a pinball machine.
Next to me, Mila cracks up. By now, Devon is standing in our circle along with Damien and Cole.
“Don’t call her out, man,” Damien advises.
“She’s embarrassed,” Cole confirms.
“I would be too if my grandpa was flagging me down like this,” River cuts in.
Axel gives him a dirty look and waves his hand again, more obvious this time. “Lorisse Daire, I see you!”
Mila groans and I sink down a bit on the barstool. Poor girl is really getting called out now, with other patrons glancing in her direction.
I recognize the server from the cafe, Jasmine, and grin. Jasmine pulls a bright-faced and obviously mortified Lola from behind the pinball machine and toward our waiting huddle.
“You are so fucking embarrassing,” River mutters.
“I never thought I’d agree with Patton, but he’s right,” Devon adds.
“Hey, D!” Jasmine calls out, punching Axel in the arm.
Axel gives her a look but doesn’t comment. His words are for Lola. “What the hell are you doing hiding being a pinball machine? Stop being a weirdo and come say hello to your father like the respectable woman I raised you to be.”
“Damn,” Jas whispers. “It’s like that, Lol.”
Now that Lola is standing before us, with nowhere to hide and nowhere to go, her demeanor shifts. I see the exact moment she decides to own this introduction because the color fades from her cheeks and she straightens her spine. After drawing in a deep inhale, she sticks her hand in my direction and announces, “I’m Lola Daire.”
“Maisy Stratford,” I say, shaking her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lola.”
“I feel like this is a big moment,” Damien murmurs.
“Totally,” Mila agrees, slurping her margarita like she’s tuning into an episode of The Kardashians. She shakes her empty glass at Devon, the ice rattling, and he sighs, shifting over to the bar to order her a refill. “Keep going.”
Lola grins. “I was jealous my best friend met you before I did.”
Axel guffaws and Jasmine rolls her eyes.
But I like that Lola is being upfront and honest. After years of never quite belonging, I appreciate her direct approach.
“Well, I’m glad you came to meet me for yourself,” I admit. “I didn’t really have time to overthink how this could go,” I add, gesturing between us, “and now I’m glad because the moment is here, we’re doing it, and you should pull up a barstool and have a drink.”
I glance at Axel, wondering if it’d be weird for Lola to have a drink with us, with the Bolts, but she’s in Corks so…
“I’ll take a margarita.” She slips onto the stool beside mine.
“Make it two.” Jasmine grins.
River smirks. “I like these girls.”
Axel gives him a look that’s a clear warning and gestures to the bartender. Once the girls have fresh margaritas in front of them, I lift my glass and clink it against Lola’s.
“Tell me about yourself, Lola Daire.”
She gives the same half-smile as her dad, not giving an inch. “You first, Maisy Stratford.”
“Damn,” Jasmine mutters.
River rubs his hands together, his elbows dropping to the bar on the other side of Mila. He leans forward to watch my exchange with Lola. Behind me, I feel Axel’s presence, unsure how close to get, when to intervene, or if he should just let this moment play out.
But I’m enjoying it. I like Lola’s spunk. I wish I had more of it.
“I just got out of a shitty relationship,” I admit, surprising the whole bar. “He was cheating.”
“What a dick,” Lola sputters, disgust heavy in her tone.
“You knew he was cheating?” Devon asks.
Mila and I both whip our heads toward him. When he shoots Axel a helpless look, Mila, Lola, Jasmine, and my eyes follow.
“Shit.” River shakes his head, trying to disguise his laughter by coughing.
Axel holds up two hands and shuffles back two steps. “We thought you knew. I mean, when we went to get your furniture, he was with that girl but—”
“Axel, check out this game,” Cole interrupts, pointing to one of the televisions over the bar, and saving his teammate. Even on his birthday, Cole Philips is a stand-up guy.
Whatever.
The girls and I turn back to each other.
“I’m in the coding program, studying computer science,” Lola admits, taking a long pull of her drink. She shoots her dad a look but given how far away he now is, she feels it’s safe to continue. “So, no one wants to date me.” She wrinkles her nose. “Too nerdy.”
Jasmine nods in confirmation.
“They’ll outgrow that when you can hack into their social media accounts,” I offer.
“True. Story.” Jasmine’s eyes widen as she looks at me again.
Lola rolls her lips together, waiting for me to give another detail about myself.
“I just started a new job with the Thunderbolts. Human Resources. I like to craft, cross-stitch, paint, make pottery—anything to keep my hands busy. It helps me think. I take walks in the morning. Drink way too much coffee. Oh, and I’m trying to add more color into my wardrobe.”
Lola nods, her eyes holding mine. “Do you like Grey’s Anatomy?”
“Um, yeah.” I give her a look, surprised by the throwback. Is that what college kids are watching these days? “Meredith Grey is my spirit sister.”
Slowly, a smile works across Lola’s face. She picks up her margarita and clinks it against mine, taking another long sip, until she nearly drains it. “I’m glad you’re dating my dad.” She slips off her barstool.
“Well, I’m not sure if we’re da—”
“He could use more color in his wardrobe too. Be good to him,” she cuts me off before I can backpedal. Then, she’s ducking back into the crowd, disappearing from view with Jasmine trailing behind her.
I turn toward Mila. “What just happened?”
“I think you just got her seal of approval,” my best friend says, her own approval evident in her tone.
“You did,” River agrees, finishing his beer. “It was pretty fucking cool.”
“It was, wasn’t it?” I ask, impressed with my own ability to pull that off.
I spin on my barstool and search for Axel. When I find him, he gives me the biggest smile I’ve ever seen him sport and my heart skips a beat.
Maybe we are dating. Maybe this is the sign from the universe I’ve been waiting on.
And River was right; it was pretty fucking cool. I started tonight wondering if Axel and I were going on a date and now…I’m wondering if we have a shot at a future.