CHAPTER 2 #2
“Paulie, come on man. If you don't stop swearing in public people are going to think you're a little asshole.” She tried to pull his hand delicately away from mine as she could tell he wasn't about to let go.
“But you do it all the time, LuLu.”
“So that is why you are Lucifer?” I took the moment she was pulling on her nephew to look her up and down. I was trying to figure her out. Was she a bitch? Was she stressed out? A sarcasm queen? Her mouth seemed to have snapping as it's default setting and yet she had a kindness to her.
“No.” She shot me a look and then turned to her nephew. “I don't swear all the time and when I do it's usually under my breath, so there's a difference young man.”
I laughed at the bickering between beloved nephew and aunt. They were cute together and I could tell how much she loved him by the way she looked at him while he couldn't stop staring at me.
“This is when you are supposed to introduce yourself and ask for a picture little man.” I tried to help the kid out as I don't think he blinked yet.
“No.” She chimed in again. “You're not on the ice right now so I'm guessing you're here with your family or girlfriend just having fun. We won't bother you like that.”
“But Lulu!” Paulie let out a low growl, thinking his aunt was about to mess it up for him.
What the kid didn't know is her expertly sly way of asking if I had a girlfriend made me want to move in even harder on her.
She even tried refusing the kid an autograph to protect my personal privacy.
Who even does that? Most people come up to me when I have food in my mouth or I'm taking a piss without a care in the world as to what I want.
“My sister is over there with her friends. I've been ditched by teens. So, it's really no trouble for a picture and an autograph. And no, no girlfriend.” I couldn't help but smirk as her eyes darted away with what I thought was a glint in them.
Damn. I felt it below my belt.
“I'm Paulie. It's my birthday.”
“Oh, nice. Happy birthday, Paulie.” I had forgotten the kid was even there.
Paulie threw his cellphone to his aunt and nearly strangled me as I dropped to a knee for a picture. His chest was heaving, his emotions not understanding what was going on.
But I could only smile at her. Our eyes locked. My stomach dropped. She forgot to take the photo for a long time as we were both frozen. But she broke away and pressed the button.
“Got it.” She smiled.
“Holy shit.” Paulie jumped up and looked at the photo. “I'm going to send this to Mom! This really is the best birthday, Lulu.” He jumped to her side and kissed her cheek before skating off.
The action startled her. A short gasp cooled her lips as she clutched her chest and watched him skate off after he thanked me for a picture and asked me to watch him skate.
“You okay there?” I chimed in.
“Oh, sorry.” She wiped a tear away. “His birthday started pretty down and he has said thank you every time I tried to make it better today, but he just kissed me.” She looked up at me in euphoria.
“I saw.” It was written all over her face. That pure love.
My heart was jealous. I had known the woman for twenty minutes and my heart was jealous with the way she loved her nephew. No one had ever looked at me that way.
“Sorry. I just love the little shit. Thank you for taking a picture with him on what I'm assuming is your day off.” She took a sip of her hot chocolate, her eyes darting out onto the ice.
I took a sip as well, wanting to know what her lips would taste like if I kissed her right then and there.
“Yeah.” I cleared my throat. “You're not acting much like a Lucifer right now. Though I am dying to know how you got that nickname.”
“It's Lucy usually.” She tucked that treacherous piece of hair that keeps falling behind her ear.
“Nice to meet you, Lucy. I'm Sasha.” I held out my hand waiting for her to put her glove against my skin but in a move that shocked the hell out of me, she took her glove off and placed her hand in mine.
My knees damn near buckled. She was so warm. And soft. And I probably held onto her a little too long but I wanted to feel her. I swear I've touched a woman before, but not one that felt like this.
“I have a temper. That's all.” She took another sip of cocoa and put her gloves back on, expecting me to drop the subject. But how could I when she dangled that carrot?
“Oh no, now I have to know.” I leaned in closer and rested my face on my hands because I wanted to see her tell me the story. I knew there would be a story. How does a girl get the nickname Lucifer if something bat shit crazy didn't happen? Names like that were usually reserved for hockey players.
“Fine.” She leaned back in the chair, still rubbing her shoulder and giving a little wave to her nephew now skating circles around everyone trying to impress me.
I gave him a wave as well.
“It's stupid really. In high school a bunch of jocks had this contest to see who could honk as many breasts as possible. They kept tally and the girls thought it was like an honor to get their boob squeezed.”
I growled at that. “That makes me pretty angry.”
“You and me both, buddy. I thought it was kind of horrible, but I was only a freshman and really it was a senior thing.
But I had developed early so they didn't discriminate.
Bobby Hart came up to me while I was with my friends and squeezed my breasts.
Everyone cheered. I wanted to cry. I just heard my dad's voice bubble inside me saying 'Don't hit first, but if someone hits you, knock them on their ass.
' So I got angry. I followed him over to his friends.” Her mouth went dry at the memory and had to take another sip of hot chocolate just to continue.
I was enthralled, I didn't even blink. A searing heat bubbled through my body and I needed her to talk faster in case I needed to hunt Bobby Hart down and shove a stick where he would not like it.
“So, I tapped on Bobby's shoulder thinking once he turned around I would grab his testicles and embarrass him. But I couldn't violate someone, you know?”
“What did you do?” My mouth salivated predicting she did.
“I punched him in the stomach. Then, when he was bent over, I elbowed him in the face, broke his glasses, knocked out a molar and knocked him unconscious.” Her mouth cringed in a slight embarrassment.
“No.” Small puffs of laughter rocked my body. My hand clapped over my chest because I might be in love with this woman with one violent story.
“Yeah, it wasn't my best moment.” She waved at Paulie again and gave him a thumbs up. The boy was visibly sweating as he weaved through skaters.
“Did his friends go after you, kick your ass?” I had to check.