11. Lucia
eleven
Lucia
“Feliz Navidad!” I chime from my perch on the kitchen island, mustering as much cheeriness as I can.
Things between Ari and me have been less awkward for the past few days, but we’re still not entirely comfortable around each other. But to his credit, he’s trying hard to keep things amicable between us. I owe him that same respect in return.
“Meri Keuriseumaseu,” he smirks, pouring himself a cup of coffee.
I let out an exasperated sigh. “I’m going to assume that’s Korean for Merry Christmas.”
“Yes,” he chuckles.
“Is it weird that I didn’t realize you spoke Korean?”
Ari stares at me, dumbfounded. “I literally lived in South Korea until I was ten. I’m fluent.”
“That makes sense,” I state awkwardly. “I guess I just don’t know that much about you.”
“Who’s fault is that, Spitfire?” he laughs.
I take a sip from my mug, enjoying the peppermint flavor, before looking at him curiously. “Why do you call me that?”
Ari pulls himself up to sit on the counter across from me, and I mentally curse him out for looking as good as he does.
Since he came back from Korea, he appears to now be allergic to his shirts since he never wears one, so combine that with the glasses he’s wearing and the ink I see scrawled over his ribcage, and I have to begrudgingly admit what I’ve always known.
Ari Morgan might be a total playboy, but he’s hot as hell.
He answers my question before he realizes I’m basically gawking at him. “Because you’re a spitfire. I’ve always known you to be feisty and quick-tempered.”
I nod in agreement. “Yeah, I’ve pretty much always been that way.”
“There’s nothing wrong with that,” he shrugs. “You don’t put up with anyone’s shit, and that’s not a bad thing.” Ari sets his mug down beside him and leans back on his hands, and I will myself to not get distracted by the cut of his muscles. “My turn. Why do you call me Casanova?”
I can’t help but laugh. “I thought that was self-explanatory.”
“I guess I’m just not familiar with it then.”
“Well then, a Casanova is a man who seduces a lot of women. So, you know… literally you.”
“So it’s just a nicer way of calling me a fuckboy,” he laughs.
I shrug. “I guess so.”
“I haven’t fucked anyone in over a month,” he blurts before visibly cringing. “I’m not sure why I just told you that.”
“So not since Taylor?”
Ari looks at me in surprise. “You remember that?”
“Well, I did tell you she sounded pretty,” I smirk.
I can’t quite place the look on Ari’s face right now. He almost seems… uncomfortable.
“Yeah,” he finally says. “I haven’t actually hooked up with anyone since Taylor.”
“Must be a record for you.”
He rolls his eyes in annoyance. “I can go without sex, you know.”
“Maybe you’ll be less annoying if you get laid, though.”
I don’t miss the way Ari’s eyes darken, the way his tongue wets his bottom lip. “You offering, Torres?”
I about choke on my coffee. “I’m not fucking you, Ari.”
He throws his head back and howls with laughter. “Man, it’s going to be fun to mess with you, isn’t it?”
“You’re insufferable,” I huff as Ari’s phone starts vibrating next to him. He quickly grabs it before groaning when he looks at the screen.
“Can’t ignore this one,” he sighs, sliding off the counter and padding off to his room.
I don’t know who called him right now, but thank God they did.
What the hell was that all about?
I don’t know much about Ari, but we have the same group of friends. We’ve been out together more times than I can count, and I have never seen that look on him before.
That look of desire and want was directed at me.
And if I hadn’t said no, I’m wondering if he might have actually jumped at the opportunity…
I call and talk to my parents while Ari is still on the phone before I grab another cup of coffee, load it up with peppermint creamer, and flip through Netflix before I find a random Christmas movie to throw on.
I’m not really filled with Christmas spirit. I may be over traveling by the end of the season, but that doesn’t mean I don’t wish I could see my parents right now. I talk to them as often as I can, but with how busy I am with my job, I don’t really get out to California to visit.
I miss them.
Maybe I’ll actually go to Spain with them next Christmas.
I curl up under a blanket on the sofa and get lost in the movie for a bit before Ari comes stalking in, plopping down on the chair and sinking back against it.
“Everything okay?” I ask, pausing the movie.
“Just fucking peachy,” he bites.
I glare at him. “Thought you wanted to be amicable, Morgan. What the hell?”
Ari takes a breath and closes his eyes. “You’re right. Sorry. I shouldn’t have taken that out on you.”
I relax a bit. “Thank you. Anything you want to talk about?”
“Not really,” he says, not opening his eyes.
We sit in silence for a few more moments before I start the movie back up again. I’m trying to follow along, but I keep finding myself glancing at Ari. He’s clearly upset about something, and he honestly looks miserable.
He may not realize it, but he needs to talk.
And I suppose I can take charge of that.
I pause the movie again before looking over at Ari. “It was Logan.”
He finally opens his eyes, staring at me with a furrowed brow. “What was Logan?”
“The other day,” I sigh. “When I came back from lunch with the girls and went off on you. I ran into Logan while we were out, and that’s why I was so angry when I came back.”
Ari sits up now, and I can see irritation wash over him. “What the hell did he do?”
I shrug, trying to appear nonchalant. “Insinuated that the only reason I’m the favorite trainer is because the team wants to fuck me.”
“He said what?” Ari looks furious. “The guys like you because you’re a good trainer, not because they want to take your pants off.”
“That’s what I told him. He’s just trying to undermine me and get under my skin. Dave is retiring after next season, and Logan and I are both gunning for the Head Trainer position. He hates the fact that he might not get it over a woman.”
“Misogynistic fucking prick,” he mutters under his breath.
“Didn’t realize you were such a feminist,” I smirk.
Ari finally cracks a small smile. “Eomma taught me well.”
“Eomma?”
“Korean for mom. That’s what I call her.”
“Is your mom the one you were on the phone with?” I ask, seeing if he wants to open up now.
Ari looks at me for a few moments before letting out a deep breath. “No. That was my dad who called.”
“Did he say something?”
“He always does,” he gripes, sitting up and resting his head in his hands. “My dad and I don’t get along very well.”
“I figured you were close with him,” I admit. “You grew up mostly in the US, so I assumed that was because you were close to your dad.”
He laughs derisively. “Tom Morgan isn’t close with anybody. He’s just an angry, bitter man.”
“What does that mean?”
“My dad is as conservative as they come. Quite frankly, he’s an asshole.”
“Wow,” I reply in surprise. “I had no idea.”
“That’s because I don’t talk about him. We don’t talk much at all, but he makes sure to call me on holidays so he can tell me all about what I’m not doing right.”
“Fuck him,” I state emphatically. Even if I don’t like Ari, no child ever deserves to hear shit like that from their own parent.
I don’t know what reaction I expected to that, but it sure as hell wasn’t for Ari to burst out in laughter. “Damn, Torres. Starting to think you might actually like me.”
“Oh, God no,” I reply, my tone slightly playful. “I’d never like you. But you might not be as annoying as I thought you were.”
Ari places his hand over his heart, resting it on his still-shirtless chest. “Lucia Torres, that is the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”
“Don’t get used to it,” I tease.
“Oh, I’d never,” he chuckles. “I’m sure I’ll say something that’ll make you want to rip my balls off later.”
I mutter in Spanish as I shake my head. And when I do, I catch another glance of the ink across Ari’s ribs. “What does your tattoo say?”
He follows my gaze. “It’s just my name,” he answers.
“So it says Ari?”
“No,” he shakes his head. “It says Jae-Hyun. That was my birth name.”
“Was?” I question.
He sighs. “My mom wanted me to have a Korean name, and my dad didn’t give a shit, so he let her do what she wanted. She named me Jae-Hyun. It means worthy. When my parents divorced, my dad brought me to the US with him and had my name legally changed to Ari.”
“Why?”
“Because he’s vindictive and wanted to hurt my mom. But he’s a dumbass because if he ever learned Korean at all when they were married, he would have realized Ari is a woman’s name in Korea.”
I can’t help but laugh. “He gave you a girl’s name?”
“Only in Korea,” he chuckles. “Ari seems to be more neutral here. But when I travel back to visit my mom, I still go by Jae-Hyun, so it doesn’t make a difference.”
“Why do you still go by Ari here?” I ask. “You mentioned that you aren’t close with your dad, so why did you keep that name? Why didn’t you change it back to Jae-Hyun?”
“By the time I was eighteen, I had already been Ari for eight years. I was being scouted as Ari, not Jae-Hyun. It was just easier to keep with it when that’s what I was already known as.”
I softly grin before tossing the remote at him. “Well, it’s Christmas. Why don’t you pick what we watch? This movie kinda sucks anyway, Jae-Hyun.”
Ari’s response to that is the largest smile I’ve ever seen on him.
I think I like that.
I think I like seeing Ari smile.
And I think I might like that I’m the one who put it there.