7. Juliet
Juliet
First up this morning is our spa appointment.
I tried to convince Blair to cancel it last night.
Getting a couples massage with Parker? We aren’t a couple, and no way was I about to strip down to my underwear and have only a thin sheet covering me while he was getting a massage on the table next to me. No thank you.
But she wasn’t having it. So now the two of us are heading to the resort’s spa and I’m thinking of all the ways that this could end badly or awkwardly.
Mostly I’m worried about the fact that I’ll be naked under a sheet only a few feet away from Parker who will also be naked.
Under his own sheet. But sure, this is a great idea.
Maybe if I’d told her that I’m attracted to him, she would have let me cancel. But I can’t tell my best friend that I think her brother is hot. She’d make fun of me until we were ninety.
We head to the spa in agonizing silence. I’d love to say something, but all I can think about is the past few massages I’ve gotten and the fact that in less than ten minutes, I’ll probably be extremely uncomfortable under a blanket.
“Maybe we shouldn’t do this,” I say, stopping short in front of the spa entrance.
Parker gives me a sly grin. “You’re gonna be the one backing out on me? That, I didn’t see coming.”
I shift from one foot to the other. “It’s a couples massage.”
“So?”
“We aren’t a couple,” I state the obvious.
His grin only widens. “So? Would it make you more comfortable if we pretended to be one? Or would that make this entire thing more awkward.”
Okay, so maybe he thinks this is awkward too. Not just me. “That’d definitely be weird.”
“We could tell them we’re siblings.”
I scrunch my face. I don’t have a brother, but I’m pretty sure you don’t think about how attractive your sibling is at the sight of them in glasses. “No.”
“Alright.” He stuffs his hands in his pockets. “Well, I personally hate the idea of a stranger touching me, and as much as Blair assured me that ‘I would love it,’ I’m happy to go find something else to do.”
Tension leaves my body. “We should go find something else to do. We could go find the hot chocolate or something.”
“Love this plan,” he says. “I’ll go in and cancel the appointment.”
He heads into the spa to cancel our appointment.
And as much as I regret missing the chance to see Parker shirtless, I know we’ll have a better time if we skip this activity.
A few minutes later, he returns. “We’re good to go.
Should we go find that hot chocolate bar?
I think you mentioned it yesterday, or maybe it was Blair. I don’t remember now.”
“Yes.” We had a light breakfast of toast at the cabin, but hot chocolate sounds like the perfect holiday treat.
We find the hot chocolate. I add a candy cane to mine and Parker doesn’t add anything extra to his.
“I’m a hot chocolate purist,” he says, taking a sip.
“I have to add a little peppermint.” I sigh as I take a sip of the minty and chocolatey liquid. “This was a much better idea.”
“What? You didn’t like the idea of the two of us lying on tables super close to each other while strangers rub us down with oils that are probably supposed to make us feel romantic things,” he says with a straight face.
“Um, not particularly?”
He bumps my shoulder with his. “I’m teasing. It would have been weird. I don’t know what Blair was thinking.”
“I think she was thinking she wanted a massage and then she got sick and wanted us to do it.”
“She likes to gift things that she likes.” He chuckles. “It isn’t usually a problem. The two of you would have had a great time.”
I shrug. “Maybe. I prefer ice baths to massages.”
“I guess you’ll love the polar plunge then.”
“Well, I usually take an ice bath in the training room, which isn’t freezing outside, so this will be different.”
“Probably not that different.”
“I’m not going to be sore though. It’ll just be my regular self dunking my body into a freezing cold lake.”
He takes a sip of hot chocolate. “You’re really not making me look forward to that activity.”
I hold back a grimace. “I’m not all that thrilled either.”
“But hey, here’s to new adventures. Even if they’re terrifying.”
I look at him curiously, wondering if he’s terrified of going into the frozen lake or if something else scares him.
We hang around our cabin until it’s afternoon and time for the cookie decorating activity. I scroll through my phone, reading the instructions about this activity and where it is. “It says that the cookie decorating is in the fireside lounge, but I don’t know where that is.”
Parker, who hasn’t said much since we left the cabin, turns to me. “I’m sure there’s a map of the place somewhere, or we can ask someone.”
“Look at you, problem solving,” I say, but really, I’m just thankful that he seems to have his wits about him. I need to get into the fireside lounge and start decorating cookies so I can stop feeling so weird about the fact that I’ll be spending all week with Parker.
“That is basically what I do for a living, solve problems. Though, they’re usually math problems.” He gives me a charming smile that has my stomach doing flips.
I really should shut this down; what he said wasn’t even flirting, but…
what would be the harm in a little flirting this week?
It’s not like Blair will notice. And it’s obvious with how he’s been smirking at me that it wouldn’t be difficult to flirt.
Right? I’ve only ever dated one guy, and it wasn’t exactly a healthy relationship.
But I feel so inexperienced. It’s not like I’m old—I’m not even thirty yet—but I haven’t really flirted with anyone in years, I’m a little rusty.
“I love a man who can solve problems,” I say, my voice cracking at the end like it decided my terrible attempt at flirting was truly terrible and had to save me from myself.
Parker stumbles on the completely clear path; the tips of his ears are pink, which is cute. He doesn’t respond, though, which wasn’t the reaction I was hoping for. But I surprised him, I think. So that’s something.
The lodge is warm and smells like cinnamon when we step into the lobby. There’s a sign to our right pointing to the ballroom that says “rehearsal,” but there are no other signs anywhere for any of the other events.
“Let’s ask over there.” Parker points to an information desk, off to the side of the check-in counter. There are people dressed in Mr. Mynt’s athletic gear everywhere around us, so you’d think we could find where we need to go on our own.
The man sitting at the information desk doesn’t look up when we approach. Parker clears his throat. “Could you help us find out where—”
The man cuts him off by holding up a finger before going back to typing furiously on his computer.
Parker looks at me and I just raise my eyebrows and shrug.
Whenever I travel with the team, our manager takes care of things like this while the rest of us hang out until we’re told where to go.
I’m not used to figuring things out for myself, which now, as I’m standing here, feels incredibly silly.
I’m twenty-eight. I should know how to find out where to go without leaning on an adultier adult to do that for me, even if that is her job.
Parker plays with the little business card on the counter. It’s green with little peppermints all around the edges. Finally, the man looks up at us. “Can I help you?” he clips.
“Uh, yeah,” I say. “We’re looking for the cookie-decorating activity.”
“That’s for athletes and their guests,” he says snootily.
“Well, she’s an athlete,” Parker jumps in. “And I’m her guest.”
The man eyes us warily, like he can’t believe someone is asking him for information, at the information desk.
“I’m going to need your name.” He looks back at his computer, fingers poised, ready to type.
“Juliet Morgan,” I say.
He types, then scrolls and clicks on something.
“This is her,” Parker says, holding out his phone. I catch a glimpse of my sports profile on the U.S. team’s website. “She’s a pro.”
“Mm-hm,” the man murmurs. “The two of you can head to the fireside lounge.”
“Which is where?” I ask, grinding my teeth together. Can this guy just give us directions so we can be on our way to all of the Christmas things? Why does he work at such a festive resort if he’s so grouchy?
“Down the hall, you’ll find stairs, and you can take them to the third floor. The fireside lounge is down the hall and to the left once you get up there.” His mouth turns to a thin line before he sighs. “Can I help you with anything else?”
“Nope, we’re all set, thanks.” Parker grabs my hand and tugs me away from the information desk.
Just like earlier, when we shook hands, it feels like flames move up my entire body which is funny because there’s a spread of goosebumps that I’m grateful are now covered by my coat and sweater.
Why do his hands have to feel so perfect?
There’s movement across the lobby, and my stomach drops as my eyes connect with my exes.
I cling to Parker’s hand as I see Axel moving toward us.
The good feeling I had only a second ago flees my body as I see the last person I expected to see here.
The guy who broke my heart. No, that’s an understatement of the century.
Axel completely destroyed me, and seeing him sends me back to six months ago, when I couldn’t even get out of bed after the last time I saw him.
“Juliet?” He breaks out into a wide grin when he reaches me, and my stomach rolls with nausea.
“Hey, Axel,” I manage to say. Beside him is one of his teammates on the U.S. men’s soccer team. “I didn’t know you’d be here.”
“It was kind of a last-minute thing.” He glances at Parker, whose hand I’m still clinging to. “Who are you?”
Parker’s eyebrows rise almost to his hairline. I squeeze his hand tighter, wishing I could just walk away. “Who are you?” Parker repeats the question back to Axel.