4.

I almost cursed in the air as I read the text messages my teammate Derick Brassard sent me, five minutes after Pauline and I arrived in the restaurant.

: Yo! Something came up. We can't meet u guys 2nyt.

: Pauline is cool anyway. U'll enjoy her company. U already know!

: u 2 have fun. ;)

That winky face. I know that damn winky face!

I know what the hell is going on out here. Something didn't came up, Derick and his girlfriend just wanted to set me up with Pauline, again. The two of them have been doing this thrice now.

I'm super annoyed right now.

I drink the glass of water in front of me trying to calm myself, but I can't especially when I'm this disappointed with my friend and hearing Pauline blabbing something about a celebrity that I don't even know who because I am way too annoyed to care.

She was still talking when I cut her out. "Should we order now?"

"Oh!" She said looking a bit startled, I have might surprised her with my tone. "Uhmm... What about Derick and Lauren?"

"They can't make it." I said exhaling my annoyance and called for a waiter and my eye catched a familiar face few tables away from ours.

It's Jade.

And I can't help but notice how she became even more attractive wearing a corporate attire. This is the first time I saw her on her usual outfit on work because I only saw her around the house sporting baggy clothes and PJ's with a messy hair and I still find her really attractive.

But Jade on a corporate attire is stunning! No, it's even beyond that.

I can't help but admire her while she's enjoying a delightful conversation with a guy.

By the way, is she on a date?

Now as much as how desperate I am to call her attention and help me get out from this annoying situation, I don't want to be an asshole. You should never left a girl hanging, because that's douchebaggery.

Pauline is a nice girl and smokingly hot too. However, she loves attention way too much. We've been photographed together a couple of times before since she happens to be a model and she enjoys it.

To be honest, I don't like it. Despite of my fame, I still want to remain lowkey. Especially when it comes to my lovelife, in case I found one.

When the waiter arrives on our table blocking my gaze to where Jade is at, I came to the realization that I'm gonna be stuck here for the next hour. I'm not complaining though, just not in the mood.

I ordered my food and looked at Jade's direction again but she's now leaving the restaurant clinging into the guy's hands. I don't know what's up but I suddenly felt disappointed seeing her on the hands of another guy.

It's weird.

I just met her and I don't know her that well either, but I still can't ignore the strange pain on my chest as I saw her disappear on the door.

Despite of the negativity swirling on my system, I still managed to keep Pauline company but I didn't stick for dessert and I can see a huge disappointment on her face.

She's way too easy to read.

I paid for our dinner and ask her if she wanted me to drive her home and she said yes right away. When I pulled in front of her apartment building few moments later, she was silent for a bit.

"You want to come inside?" She asked, and I know where this is going. I've been with many girls and I definitely know that when they invite you to hang on their place after a dinner date, you already know the deal.

However, I'm way too distracted now. I'm distracted with Jade for fuck's sake!

I didn't noticed that I became silent for a long moment and just got snapped back to my senses when I hear Pauline sighed unbuckling herself.

"Guess not." She said unlocking the door.

"I'm sorry Pauline, I'm just-- I'm just tired." I reasoned out which was absolutely a huge lie.

She sighed again and placed a kiss on my cheeks before she gets out of the car.

Damn! That was awkward.

I arrived home and head straight to the second floor not bothering to check in with Ander and Tori who is surely on the living room watching a movie based on the noise I've heard as I enter the house.

I went to the mini-kitchen to grab some water first when I saw Jade on the breakfast bar sipping her cup of tea.

"Hey stranger!" I greeted as I open the fridge.

She smiled at me and said hi. She's still wearing her corporate attire and as I poured myself a glass of water I still can't help but stare on her.

There's an awkward silence in there yet I desperately want to chat with her. We may share the same floor, but this is the first time we catched each other on the same time.

"I saw you at Roma Italia earlier." I started.

She smiled and my heart just skipped a bit.

I don't like this at all. But that smile, goddamnit!

"You did? It's funny because I saw you too."

I chuckled and my words just came out of my mouth right before I stopped them. "I was so desperate to call you and help me get out from there."

She raised her eyebrows completely surprised with what I just said. "Are you kidding me? You're on a date with a hot girl! I'm even surprised you're home early."

"She's not my date." I announced giggling.

"Don't bullshit me Mathew." She said sipping on her tea again, and by the mention of my name.

I started aching for her.

Hearing my name coming from her mouth was next level shit. I'm used to being called Mat by all people, but being called Mathew by Jade feels so good, yet strange.

I might be crushing on my roommate.

I managed to stay cool and join her on the breakfast bar. "It's true she's not. I mean, my teammate and his girlfriend have been setting us up in the past couple of months so--"

"See? I was right. She's your date." She announced grinning sheepishly on me.

"Nah. I don't think so."

She sighed exaggeratedly rolling her eyes. "Boys!"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

She set her cup on the bar and turned to face me and I can't help but feel something when her knees brushed unto mine.

"Why do guys act like that? Are you guys just clueless or just plain dumb?"

I laughed on her question but seriously, were not on a date. Just two friends having dinner, I mean I don't know Pauline might be thinking we're on a date but I do not.

"Actually, we're supposed to have dinner with Derick and his girlfriend but they bailed on us for the third time." I confessed. "They are setting us up!"

"How did you know?"

"Because Derick told me so. You know Derick right?"

"Brassard? Yeah." She nodded.

"Seriously, it annoys me. I don't want to lead Pauline on but the two of them just can't stop doing it."

I don't know what the hell is wrong with me to fess up on Jade but I just don't have the willpower on stopping my mouth from talking.

"So I'm guessing, you don't like the girl?" She asked slowly and looked right on me with a disbelieving expression.

I nodded.

"Dude, are you blind? Based on what I saw that girl was smoking hot."

She's right. Pauline is oozingly hot that every guy on the room will surely fell for her. I can't deny that, but the feeling she's giving me is only plain lust and nothing more.

I shrugged. "She's fine."

"You're bullshitting me again." She said and turned away from me to drink on her tea.

"No, I'm not." I replied finishing the rest of my water. "She's just not my type."

She raised her eyebrows again and I can really tell that she's judging me hard again.

"Really? Humor me, so what's your type then?" She challenged.

"I don't know." I said shrugging. "I haven't figured that out yet, been way too busy with hockey to care about that."

"I see." She said.

"What about you? You're home early after a date." I asked since I am way too curious right now if she's seeing someone or not.

She snorted. "Because Collins and I don't have any plans after dinner."

"Oh that was your bestfriend?" I said in surprise tone, and somehow made me feel relieved.

She nodded. And then we spent the next forty-five minutes talking about almost everything. I enjoyed talking with her actually. I like it when she gives me that judgey cute face of hers and then laugh when she founds out she was wrong about me.

We may have just met but she's way too fun to be around, just talking with her is so much fun.

It's nice to have someone around to talk about small things rather than hockey and all that. Guess I'm gonna love having a girl roommate now, don't I?