Chapter 15
Charlie came back from his away game yesterday and we have yet to talk about what happened while he was away.
I was feeling bold when I sent the first text telling him to get his shit together on the ice. Even bolder when I told him to call me when he’s alone.
Though, in my defense, he seemed to be flirting with me and I ran with it full speed because one thing I’ve come to accept is that I want to have sex with Charlie Mann. Let’s be honest, I always have, but now I’m more determined to make it happen. Relationships aren’t my forte and I do not want one with him. But I’m dying to know what it would be like to sleep with him just once.
After years of talking as other people and knowing the chemistry we have with a screen between us, I’ve learned that the chemistry we have in person is tenfold. I know it will explode if I get the chance to find out for real what it would be like.
But I’m not going to push him. He’s not a virgin thank the universe, but it’s been a while he said. The pieces are slowly starting to come together, I would like to know the full story. At this time, I know his ex fucked him over, so he doesn’t trust anyone and sounds like ever since her he hasn’t really fucked many people.
I’m too nosy for this mystery, I just want to know what happened and why it messed him up so bad. I would ask, but we haven’t spoken since he’s been home. I’m hoping that will end soon. He has a home game tomorrow that Chandler invited me to, but I haven’t decided if I want to go or not.
As I grab my purse and double check that I’m not missing anything from my mental checklist, I head out to go meet Chandler for brunch. I’m dying for the mimosas we are about to have. I have my mind set on a minimum of three.
I close the door behind me and as I’m about to lock it a female voice speaks from behind me, and I jump.
“Hello,” the voice says cheerfully. I turn around to see a tall older woman with short dark hair smiling at me.
“Um hi,” I respond, wondering if this is one of Charlie’s neighbors or something.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize Charlie had company,” she walks closer, a smile still on her face and it looks genuine, though I feel like I’m missing something.
“I–uh, I’m sorry, who are you?” I ask because my mind is bouncing from this being a nosy neighbor to someone Charlie is seeing or has seen or been involved with. Oh fuck, is this the dreaded ex and I’m going to have to get her out of here? She looks a bit too old for him, but maybe he’s into older women. I was not prepared for a confrontation this morning, I’m too excited for my mimosas.
“I’m sorry, sweetie, I’m Martha, Charlie’s mom.”
I breathe a sigh of relief that is quickly replaced by a different set of panicking thoughts. His mom.
“Oh, um, hi. I’m Audrey,” I stretch my hand out toward her, but she waves me off pulling me in for a hug instead.
“Sorry, we are a family of huggers,” she pulls back, beaming at me. Something tells me Charlie isn’t a participant in the “hugging family”, but I don’t say anything, except I give her a tight smile as she leads us back inside.
Charlie comes around the corner, “Did you forget some–” his words are cut off when he sees the two of us. His eyes widen and I’m sure I look like a deer in headlights. “Mom, what are you doing here?”
“I came by to see my one and only son. I’m sorry I didn’t call, I didn’t think you would have company,” I hear the innuendo in her tone. I turn to correct her assumption, but Charlie beats me to it.
“Audrey is just a friend; she needed a place to stay while some work gets done at her house.”
“Right,” Martha winks and Charlie lets out a sigh.
“It’s true, Mrs. Mann, we are just friends, so I’m going to head out.” I try to avoid any more awkwardness, but it’s not working.
“Oh nonsense, please call me Martha. Mrs. Mann is my mother-in-law and I don’t need any reminders of her.”
“Okay, it was nice to meet you, Martha.” I try to leave once again, but she continues to involve me.
“Are you coming to the game tomorrow?” she asks.
“Uh, I’m not sure, I was thinking about it, but I haven’t decided yet.”
“Are you?” Charlie asks his mom. He doesn’t sound upset, but a little shocked.
“I am,” she answers excitedly, “your dad and I haven’t been to one of your games yet this season, so we decided to go. Plus, remember I ran into Tabitha? She wanted to join us, isn’t that sweet?”
I look over at Charlie to see his face pale at the mention of that Tabitha person. It hits me that must be the ex. The way Charlie looks more and more like he’s about to pass out all but confirms it. The longer I look at him I worry about possibly having to catch him if he does, in fact, pass out. He’s too big there’s no way I could catch him. He will end up crushing me, but maybe I could help him not hit his head or something.
“Why would you let her?” he finally speaks, pulling me from my thoughts of figuring out the best way to catch him.
“Oh, sweetie, you should have heard her, she just wants to see you again. Probably make amends, be friends. Especially if you’re interested in someone else,” she sends a wink in my direction.
“Oh no, that’s not–” I start to say, but Charlie cuts me off.
“Tell her not to come. I don’t want to see her, and I won’t talk to her.”
“Charlie, don’t be rude. She can come to a game if she wants, you can’t control every single person in that arena,” she dismisses him and I’m struggling with how to help Charlie right now because it’s clear he does not want her there. I’m not sure why his mom can’t see that.
“I won’t talk to her. You don’t understand, Mom, but we are done. It was over when we broke up four years ago and it will never happen again, okay?”
“I’m going to head out,” I say a little louder than I intended, but I’m getting more and more uncomfortable the longer I stand here.
“I hope we will see you at the game tomorrow, it was so nice to meet you,” Martha pulls me in for another hug. She sounds genuine, and I can’t decide if she’s a really good actress pretending to be nice to me, extremely oblivious or in denial about her son’s discomfort.
“Yeah, I’ll be there,” I decide, looking directly at Charlie when I say that. His shoulders seem to relax the slightest bit. I give him a small smile before rushing out.
Once I step off the elevator at the bottom level I get a text, I’m sure it’s going to be Chandler asking where I am since I am now officially late, but it’s not.
Charlie: You don’t have to come tomorrow, don’t feel like you are obligated it’ll be okay.
Audrey: I’m going, and if you want, I can make it very clear to your ex that she should leave you alone if you want.
Charlie: …Do I even want to know how you would do that?
Audrey: You don’t have to know. Just trust me she won’t bother you again. *smile emoji*
Charlie: That’s not scary at all…
Audrey: Tell me what happened between you two and I’ll make her disappear.
Charlie: Murder is wrong, Audrey.
Audrey: NOT LIKE THAT!
Audrey: Just trust me.
Charlie: I’ll think about it.
Audrey: Clock is ticking. See you later. *wink emoji*
“You’re hidingthings and I’m going to need you to spill all of it,” Chandler says as soon as I sit down at the table she got us.
“I’m sorry I’m late, thank you for checking on my wellbeing, I love you too,” I retort sarcastically.
“To be honest, I thought you were late because you were sleeping with a certain hockey player you’re living with.”
“I lived with you for over a year, and we never slept together,” I tease, still deflecting her original comment.
“You know if you had a dick, you’d be the one for me.”
“I wouldn’t be enough for you since one doesn’t satisfy you. You need three,” I wink at her. She throws her head back laughing.
“You’re not wrong,” she says through her laughter. “But back to you, what has happened with you and Charlie?”
“The same thing I’ve been telling you, nothing more than a kiss or two,” I shrug.
“Nope, there’s more.”
I groan but am saved from answering right away when our first round of mimosas are delivered. I take a giant gulp of mine; the mix of orange juice and champagne instantly relaxes me from the chaotic morning and the glare from my best friend across the table.
“Okay, okay,” I start, and she perks up, clearly waiting for the juicy details. “He knows I’m Lacey.”
“How did that happen?” she questions because that’s not information I offer up to just anyone in my real life. I have friends who do cam as well and even with them we call each other our alter ego names to make things less complicated when we collaborate.
I explain everything that has happened from him seeing my cam room and figuring it out, but not telling me, to when I figured it out. Then finally I tell her about our second kiss that didn’t go as far as I wanted it to.
We have our second round of mimosas by the time I’m finished with my story, and I drink the entire thing like a shot and signal for a third.
“So, you do want to fuck him,” Chandler finally says.
“That is what you got from all that?”
“Well yeah, because now it’s more obvious than ever that it should happen.”
I sigh, “It’s more complicated than that apparently. He has an ex that fucked him over and so he has major trust issues and doesn’t sleep around.”
Chandler scoffs, “I get that.”
I nod, even though I have never been in a relationship or experienced heartbreak in that way I have had a front row seat to it through friends, including Chandler.
“So, yes I want to have sex with him, and I’m pretty sure he wants to have sex with me. I’m just not sure if it’s going to happen.”
“But you’re you. You’re Audrey Hudson. You’re Lacey.”
I laugh, “I love your confidence in me.”
“Seriously, if you both want each other then why not?”
Shrugging, “I’m not saying it’s not possible, just up in the air right now. Oh, apparently this ex of his is going to the game tomorrow and is using his mom to get to him.”
Chandler’s face twists in disgust, “Fuck that. We are going and we are going to make sure she stays away.”
“Oh, I have a plan for that. I told Charlie I wanted to know the full story of what happened, and I’ll make her go away.”
“I like the sound of that, I’m in.”
“I knew you would be.”
Another round of mimosas are delivered and we talk about the different approaches for dealing with Charlie’s ex. Some are petty, okay a lot of them are, but if he wants her out of his life for good then leave it up to us to get it done.
Chandlerand I arrive at the arena early to get drinks before going to the glass for warmups. She will never pass up the opportunity to watch her boyfriends stretching on the ice. And I might be looking forward to seeing Charlie out there. We haven’t seen each other today, but he knows I’m going to be here.
We are in the WAGs suite for the game, which is open to friends and family. But Chandler and I will head up there after we watch the best part of the game down here.
The players skate out onto the ice, knocking down a stack of pucks to shoot with during their warmups. My eyes bounce around the rink to the players skating around catching on the familiar numbers of Chandler’s boyfriends and then on thirty-six, Mann. My focus is solely on him as I watch the way he moves and how focused he is.
Charlie weaves around his teammates on the ice stretching, taking a puck with him and then shooting it directly into the goal. He repeats this multiple times, and my eyes never leave him. It’s so amazing how easy he makes skating look because I know if I attempted it, I would fall right on my ass.
Chandler is drawing the attention of her men; Brent sending a subtle wink her way, Vince being a bit more obvious with blowing a kiss in her direction and mouthing I love you multiple times as he skates by. Matt, the showboat he is, lingers in front of her and makes a lewd gesture that has him being yelled at by someone.
“Charlie!” I hear a woman yell, and while I’m sure this happens a lot to them, for some reason I seek out the source of this particular voice.
It’s a woman around my age, and she’s really pretty. Her blonde hair looks natural and falls in waves around her shoulder. She’s model thin and wearing super tight jeans along with a jersey with his name and number on it.
I glance out on the ice and see the moment Charlie sees her; his relaxed face turns anything but. She’s waving at him and he’s scowling at her while frozen until someone bumps into him and he starts moving again, slapping a puck much harder than before. I glance back at the woman; she’s staring intently and looks…hopeful? I’m not sure what part of his reaction would make her feel like that, though. For some reason watching her look at him gives me a misplaced feeling of jealousy. I try to shake it off, but it’s lingering in the pit of my stomach.
I nudge Chandler, “I think that’s the ex.”
“Where?” she practically yells with venom in her voice.
I nod in the woman’s direction right as Matt skates back up to the boards. “Get Charlie to come here for a second,” Chandler tells him through the glass. I wasn’t sure it was possible for them to hear us through it, but apparently, they can.
“Why?” Matt asks.
Chandler rolls her eyes, “Just do it.”
They don’t have much more time out here and I want to know for sure before doing something stupid.
Matt skates over to Charlie and points him in our direction. The scowl he’s sporting seems to soften slightly when his eyes lock on mine, but I refuse to acknowledge that. Charlie comes over to us and I refuse to look at the woman to see if she’s watching, though I’m sure she is.
“Is that her?” I ask him, knowing he knows who I’m talking about.
His lips pinch together tightly before he nods.
“You’ll owe me,” I tell him with a wink.
The look he gives me is unsure, but he just nods again before going out and finishing warmups and going back into the locker room before the game starts.
I look over at who I know now is Tabitha, she watches until Charlie is off the ice then turns and looks over at me. Her eyes narrow before they look me up and down, clearly wondering who I am. I wait to see if she will say anything to me, but she doesn’t. Instead, she flips her hair over her shoulder and walks away.
“I’m confused,” Chandler says. “I thought we were going to make her go away.”
“We are, I want her to say something to me first. For now, I want her to drive herself a little crazy wondering who I am.”
“I’m glad we are friends because I don’t think I would ever want to cross you.” We link our arms together as we head to the suite bar.
Once we have our hard seltzers in hand we go to the friends and family suite. We are greeted by Vince’s sister, Em, and her two daughters who immediately run to Chandler for hugs.
“Audrey! I’m so glad you made it,” Martha wraps me up in a tight hug. She does seem really nice. A little oblivious, but nice.
“Me too, this is my best friend, Chandler,” I introduce.
“So nice to meet you,” Martha pulls Chandler in for a hug as well and my friend looks over at me, very confused.
“Hi, um…” Chandler starts.
“I’m sorry,” Martha pulls back from the hug. “I’m Martha, Charlie’s mom.”
“Ooh,” Chandler makes a knowing sound. “Nice to meet you.”
“My husband couldn’t make it. He wasn’t feeling well, but Tabitha is here. She just went to get a drink I think, but you both will have to meet her. Her and Charlie were the best of friends in college until they went through their breakup senior year.”
There’s a timeframe.
“He’s never mentioned her,” I say with a smile in the direction of the blonde in question that just entered.
Martha waves off my comment like it’s not a big deal. “My son is such a typical man who doesn’t talk about much. I don’t even know why they broke up. Tabitha has just said she would love to see him again.”
“I’m sure she would,” I smile tightly.
A phone starts ringing, and Martha pulls hers from her purse. “Oh excuse me, it’s my husband. I hope everything is okay, I’m going to take this.”
She goes out into the hallway to take her phone call and Tabitha takes the opportunity to finally come up to me. I feel Chandler fold her arms across her chest, already ready to back me up if needed.
“I’m Tabitha,” she announces before looking me up and down again. “Who would you be and how do you know Charlie and his mom?”
“Oh, I’m Audrey,” that’s all I give her because I really want her wondering and stewing over who I could possibly be. “This is my friend Chandler.”
“Funny, Charlie’s never mentioned you before.” She’s trying to make me believe she talks to Charlie, and I want to laugh.
“Funny,” I mock, “Charlie has never mentioned you either, but I guess he wouldn’t have a reason to.”
Her eyes narrow at me. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“We just don’t sit around talking about irrelevant people from the past. Usually, we are too busy doing lots of other things. Lots,” I let the innuendo simmer between us.
Her face morphs from curious to slimy as she smiles, “Oh, I see. Aw, that’s actually cute you’re here when you’re his booty call. You think that will make him commit to you? You’re not his type, but you can keep on dreaming.”
I bark out a laugh, I can’t help it. I’m going to lie through my teeth, and I don’t even care. “That’s cute you’re here as his ex who he wants nothing to do with. Yet you show up here desperate and hoping to get the slightest bit of attention from him.”
“You don’t even know what you’re talking about. You’re just another slut who wants to use him for what he can give you. It’s never going to happen. He was always going to come back to me.”
I’ve been called every name in the book, most of which have come from my own family, so it doesn’t even phase me to be called a slut. Especially by her. In fact, I embrace it because yeah, maybe I am a slut and that’s nothing to be ashamed about.
“You’re delusional if you think he’s coming back to you. And he didn’t seem to mind how much of a slut I am when he was fucking me earlier.”
Chandler coughs out a laugh, Tabitha just ignores her.
“Enjoy it for now, but you aren’t long term for him. I am. The sooner you accept that, maybe you won’t get hurt.”
I get closer to her now, my voice low. “You think you’re so much better than me? You think that’s really going to happen? You’re wearing his jersey, but his cum is inside me. We are not the same.”
She rears back in shock. I don’t give her a chance to say anything else, the lights in the arena dim signaling the start of the game. I grab Chandler’s hand and pull her toward the seats, drinking half of my seltzer in one swig.
We sit down and watch the introduction for the team that takes over the arena.
Chandler leans over to speak into my ear, “You know how you’ve told me I’m your role model because of the guys? You are my role model with how you handled that.”
I laugh, “My goal is always to impress you, Chan.”
We watch the game without any more interruptions from Tabitha, and I’m so beyond thankful for that. It makes me want to learn more about what happened between them from Charlie, especially since she thinks he would get back with her and he has made it extremely clear he can’t stand the mention of her.
I know she’s the reason he doesn’t trust easily and now, more than ever, I want him to trust me enough to let go. Because I want him. I may not be someone to be in a relationship with and I think that’s exactly what makes me the perfect person to help him work through his little problem. I’m not a long time, but I’m a good time and I want to have a good time with him.