8. Chapter Eight
I walk back into my apartment knowing that Mom is about to ask a million questions that I don’t really know answers to yet.
I grab my book off the counter and head back into the living room. I hid the pregnancy test in the pages before she got here. I am nervous to tell her and I wish I had asked Viktor to stay. At first I thought he was just talking out of his ass with that soulmate theory, but there’s a calming effect he has on me. He makes me feel protected and cared for. So, maybe there is something to this.
Collapsing on the other end of the couch from Mom, I place the book between us on the couch.
“Oh what are you reading?” She reaches for the book and when she picks it up the digital pregnancy test falls out. “Well that is quite the interesting bookmark.”
“Mom. ”
“Are you pregnant, Calliope?” Mom’s voice is low, and she’s staring intently at the test in her hands.
I suck in my bottom lip, chewing on it. A nervous habit that I’ve had since I was a kid. “Yes.”
She smirks. “And that man is the father of your baby? The one you met at TRNDZ?”
“Yes,” I repeat.
“I see.” She eyes me, waiting for me to say more. “How do we feel about that?”
I sigh. “What part?”
“Let’s start with the baby.” She leans forward placing the book and test on the coffee table before she scooches closer to me.
“I mean. All the feelings I guess. I’m scared, excited, nervous, happy. Did I see myself getting pregnant with a professional hockey player after a one-night stand? Scratch that. We can just say I never saw myself pregnant with a professional hockey player’s baby.” I laugh in a self-deprecating manner.
“How do we feel about that hockey player?”
“Still processing on that one.”
How do I feel? I had every intention of leaving and never looking back to keep those memories a perfect preservation of the one time I went outside of my comfort zone. A memory to push me forward on days I didn’t want to.
But now? Now that’s not an option. We’re at least going to be in each other’s lives as co-parents for the rest of time. Because let’s face it, you don’t stop being a parent the day the kid turns eighteen. My mom is living proof of that.
Even aside from the baby, he has started to show me the kind of man he is. He stepped in fast without a second thought to take care of me. But, so did Thad. It wasn’t until years later that he let his true colors shine bright. I did let a lot of red flags go with him though. Maybe I can task Joy with pointing out all the red flags with Viktor. Like his mental sanity, already wanting me to live with him points to a little bit of instability, even if it’s because he thinks we’re some kind of mythical soulmates.
Mom reaches out to hold my hand. “He looks at you like Daddy looks at me.”
“He does?”
“He does. And you know that your father and I barely knew each other when we got married. But we knew it was right. We knew we didn’t want to live life without the other.” A small smile graces her lips.
“He wants me to live with him. Like get rid of my apartment and move all my things into his penthouse.”
I internally laugh at myself whining like a spoiled child. God forbid the most attractive viking-like man I’ve ever laid eyes on wants me to move in with him.
“What do you want?” she asks .
“More time. I got hit in the head with a puck, got a concussion, saw Viktor again, found out I was pregnant and then was at his house with him asking me to move in. All within five hours.”
Thinking about it all again makes my head hurt. That was a doozy of a night. How different would things have been if I’d gone with Thad? I know exactly how they would’ve gone. He would have ignored me a majority of the game, either claiming to pay attention to the plays or be on his phone, then he’d make some dumb excuse that the boys were doing a boys’ night right down the street so he was just going to pop in for one or two . Only recently did I learn that it wasn’t the boys, it was the boss’ daughter.
How can I trust to move in with Viktor? If all five foot eight of Thad cheated on me, how the hell is a fucking Houston Havoc player not going to have the temptation of women throwing themselves at him? I’ve seen the photos of the girls he’s been with.
I’m not ashamed to admit that I stalked his social media while he slept last night.
The man I’ve come to know in such a short time is a different man than what is portrayed in the media. He is portrayed as a grumpy meathead with an anger management problem. Only toward the San Francisco Ice Men. It makes me wonder what happened when he got traded .
“You have as much time as you want to decide what you want to do. How about some lunch and a movie to mull things over?” Mom slides to the edge of the couch, standing up.
“That sounds great.”
I get up to follow her before she turns to admonish me back to the couch. Seems Viktor isn’t the only one who thinks I shouldn’t be doing anything.
My eyes start to get heavy and the couch starts to feel a little comfortable as the credits for Just Go With It drone on in the background.
That should be my motto with Viktor. Just go with it. Let him take control like he wants. But keep him in check too. We’ll start with the fact that he and I can stay together but we’re going to split our time between our apartments. I’m not going to be the girl that gives up her whole life for a man she just met.
I’m self-conscious to have Viktor in my space. I stand from my desk to survey my small apartment. It was a fine space for Thad and I, but after seeing Viktor’s penthouse, I’m trying to see it through his eyes. It’s only eight hundred square feet with one small bathroom and one small bedroom with a larger space for the kitchen and living room with my desk where the dining room table should have been.
On the rare chance that Thad was home for dinner, we spent it watching TV on the couch while we ate. God forbid the man have a conversation with me that didn’t involve something else to distract him from my company.
A knock on the door drags me back from my thoughts. I shake my head as I go to answer it. Time to get Thad out of my head for good. No more dwelling on the past because my future looks a whole lot brighter.
Swinging open the door, Viktor barrels through and into my body. He picks me up and wraps my legs around his waist before taking my mouth with his.
“I missed you,” he says through the kisses.
Giggling at his antics, I hit his shoulder for him to put me down.
He drops his bags then carries us over to the couch, where he sits and places me on his lap.
I try to get up to sit next to him on the actual couch, but he holds me firmly in place.
“I have to be crushing you.” I wiggle in his lap.
“That is an insult, Skatten Min. Do I look like a man who would be crushed by a small woman?”
I snort at his response. Small is not something that’s ever been used to describe my body .
“What did I say about disrespecting this body that is mine?” He stares.
“Not to do it,” I answer sheepishly.
“Correct. Do I need to punish you?” He raises a brow, scrutinizing my reaction.
I squeeze my thighs together instinctively. “Maybe.”
“Hmm, what shall I do to punish you, Skatten Min? Should I rip those small barely there scraps of fabric from your body and redden your ass cheek? Or should I strip you naked so I can enjoy your glorious body as you give me a tour of my new home?” He taps his chin as if he’s seriously debating his options.
“What-”
“I think option number two will suit me just fine.”
He slides my tee over my head, followed by my bra. My feet hit the floor and he pulls both my leggings and underwear down in one swoop, leaving me entirely bare to him.
My first reaction is to curl into myself and try to hide the parts of me I don’t like seeing the light of day.
“Uh-uh, Skatten Min. You will not hide this body from me. You will learn to love this body as I do. This body is growing our liten b?nne.” He stands in front of me, taking my hand and placing it over the bulge of his jeans. “This body makes mine react with a raging hard on just thinking about getting to be inside of it.”
“Yes, Sir,” I respond involuntarily.
“Good girl.” He rewards me with a kiss while he cups my breasts in his hands. “Now, show me where I will be fucking you tonight. I think I’d like to start in the kitchen.”
Gulping loudly, I let him take my hand and lead me into the kitchen. He pauses at the island and places me on top of the counter. Then leaves me to go back and get his bags.
He returns with grocery bags, and begins piling things on the counter next to me, and my completely naked body.
“What are we doing?” Hopefully something fun with food. Thad was never into any kind of spicy play.
“First, I’m going to make us dinner, then you are going to be dessert.” He winks as he pulls out the last item.
I squirm on the counter. The cool granite is sending shivers along with the way he’s looking at me.
“What are we having? And why am I the only one naked?” I pout at him, desperate to be clothed, or covered by his body.
“Patience, Skatten Min. Patience.” He kisses my cheek and turns to the stove, pulling out the ingredients .
Based on what he bought it looks like the ingredients for chicken caesar salad. Just what I asked for, but he opted to make it himself.
"Why is watching you cook so sexy?" Hopping off the counter I reach around him and run my hands along his abs while he cooks the chicken.
Dragging my hands down his front, I find the button to his jeans and pop it open. Followed by the zipper. Then I’m pushing his jeans down, leaving him with his boxer briefs. I reach down as he steps out of his jeans, kicking off his shoes and socks along with them.
I slide back up his body, bringing his shirt up, except this time, I can’t reach to get it over his head. I get to his chest and pause.
Chuckling, he reaches behind his neck and pulls his shirt over his head, dropping it to the floor with his jeans.
“Do you feel better now?”
Hopping back up on the counter, I nod at him. “Sure do. I’m at least enjoying the view.”
He doesn’t miss a beat as he turns back to the counter where I’m seated to make the salad. Next he cracks an egg into a bowl, oil and parmesan follow.
“Hold on, are you making your own caesar dressing?” I quirk an eyebrow at him.
There is no way he can look this good, believe in true love, and cook. That should be illegal .
“I learned the recipe when I spent a summer in Greece and worked at a small café.” He adds the rest of the ingredients, mixing them with my immersion blender.
“Where the hell did you come from? And why did you choose me?”
“Skatten Min.” He admonishes while staring at me.
“I didn’t say one negative thing about myself.” I hold up my hands in defense.
“Being negative about yourself is the same as being negative about your body. And my instructions were clear.” He casually transitions to cutting up the chicken. “I choose you because you see me, the real me, not the Viktor Karlsen persona. I choose you because you are driven and intelligent, running your own graphic design business. I choose you because you have no problem leaving a man alone in his bed to get what you want. You are a strong, badass woman that I want by my side.”
I shake my head. I don’t believe this is my reality yet.
“Speaking of choosing you. I have a game coming up. I was wondering if you’d like to come. You can sit with the other wives and girlfriends.”
“Oh my God, are you asking me to go to the game and be a WAG? Like, sit with all the glamorous women of the team? ”
He raises a brow, “Careful, you’re awfully close to saying something derogatory about yourself.”
“I just mean, I’m not that glamorous. I don’t have designer clothes, or bags. I mean my fanciest clothes are from the boutique near your house.”
I hop off the counter and grab plates from the cabinets as he grills our wraps.
“You could own only paper bags, and I’d still be happy to strip it off you. Now come eat dinner. I’m getting hungry for dessert.” His eyes darken as he takes in my naked body doing a normal chore.
We sit on the couch to eat, and when I sit a cushion away, I’m promptly pulled down the couch so our thighs are touching.
“So will you come to my game?”
His childlike question makes my heart skip a beat. “I will, but I will be going shopping first.”
He doesn’t answer, just kisses me on my forehead before settling into the couch to eat. I cuddle into his side and enjoy my meal.
Walking into the stadium alone is intimidating. Last time I had Joy with me. And last time, I left in an ambulance, then went home from the emergency room with a hockey player .
A woman with long blonde hair, and a large basketball baby bump comes running up to me.
“Oh my gosh, are you Calliope?” she asks me out of breath.
“Yes?”
Who the hell is this woman?
“Oh thank goodness. I’ve been all over creation looking for you! I’m Claire, Craig Golden’s wife.”
I stare back at her blankly. I have no idea who Craig Golden is. “I’m sorry. I have no idea who that is, or why I should know that?”
“Oh, Viktor is right. You are different.” She smiles at me. “Craig is the Havoc’s goalie. I’m his wife. Viktor sent me out here to grab you and bring you up to the suite! I’m just so excited to meet you!”
This woman jumps and claps like she’s had about seven cups of coffee in the last two hours.
“That sounds great, I was nervous to be here alone. It’s a little intimidating to walk over there by myself.” But of course Viktor already thought about that.
“Oh I know, some of them are… a bit much. But most of the girls are sweet as can be! Some, well some we just tell ‘em bless your heart .”
She starts to walk off and I follow her blindly into the unknown of the wives and girlfriends club suite for the Houston Havoc. Shit this is a surreal moment .
“Jolie is my bestie from the team’s girls, but she’s also a dancer so she won’t sit with us, but you’ll meet her after. You’re going to love her, she’s the sweetest.”
Claire continues to ramble on about the others, who to avoid, who to talk to, and who their other halves are. She’s still chatting as she slows down to open the suite door.
“The best part of being up here, is you can’t get hit in the head with a puck!” She laughs to herself but holds the door open for me.
Reaching up to feel my stitches, I’m suddenly more self-aware of how this looks. Viktor has a one-night stand, hits her in the head, then finds out she’s pregnant. What a great first impression that would make when they find out.
“Hey girls!” Claire waves wildly, walking over to a small group of girls.
I head over to grab a drink. No one wants the new girl to latch onto them and follow them around like a puppy. I peruse the drink selection, and listen to the conversations around me as I try to make a choice.
Snickering comes from a table of women who are all maybe a size zero, and have their Diet Cokes in front of them.
I try to glance over my shoulder, but it doesn’t do me any good since I don’t know who they are .
“Where the hell did he find her? Dairy Queen?” Hushed tones come from the group.
Claire steps in, “Hey Becky! Heard about that,” she leans in to whisper, “little infection, hope it clears up, boo!”
I can’t contain the laughter that bubbles up and try to cover it up with a cough.
I choose the full sugar Sprite and walk off to the small table where Claire is.
“Oh girls! This is Calliope Miller, she belongs to Viktor.” She winks in my direction.
“I don’t belong to him, but I am here to watch him play.”
“How’s that independent thing working for you with Viktor?” One of them asks with a smirk.
“Girls.” Claire admonishes them in a loving way. “Can we ease her into this? Let’s not push her into the special brand of crazy we are.”
“Bring it on. I’m strong. And it’s going… okay. He’s not a fan of it, but he’s going to learn to like it.” I slip into the chairs next to them by the window, amazed by the crowd for this game.
“Oh shit. Our Vikkie-boy is in for it this time.” Two women, one who’s with a rookie and the other is with the newest center. The center that I know is Kayce Bicknelle, Viktor’s best friend. But he’s single .
I’ve heard him on the phone with Kayce, and I’ve been instructed to never, under any circumstances call him kay-see, it’s “case”, or he gets pissed.
“Does he bring a lot of girls?” My curiosity takes over.
“Never. I don’t think we’ve ever met one. He just has a little complex of being controlling and overbearing when we’re out at clubs or in public. Not in a bad way, just a big brother type of thing. But I can imagine seeing him wanting all the control. And I mean all the control.”
I just wink in response. I’m not confirming or denying.
As soon as the game starts, all of us flock to the edge of the suite to watch in awe as the guys skate across the ice.
I never paid much attention to hockey, or any sports, but I have a new appreciation now seeing Viktor’s dedication day in and day out to the game.
When the game ends, and Havoc wins, the crowd is so loud the floors vibrate. It’s infectious to be a part of, especially knowing Viktor is down there, working his ass off to win this game.
It’s so damn sexy.
Following the other girls down to a room off the locker room, I’m in awe at the amount of fans screaming out for the players.
Viktor walks out, laughing with another player. His eyes scan the room until they land on me. The intensity in his eyes is unmatched as he takes in every inch of my body.
I’m pulled into his arms as he approaches me. “Do you know what having you here waiting for me after a game is doing to me?”
I press my hips into him. “I can tell.”
A smirk grows on my face, and his eyes darken at the thoughts we are both thinking.
Claire slaps Viktor on the back. “Let’s go ladies! Oh, Calliope, this is Jolie!”
She loops her arm through mine. “So nice to meet Viktor’s girl!”
Claire loops her arm through my other, and I’m being pulled away from Viktor.
“Hey! Bring her back!” he shouts.
The girls laugh, but don’t let go or stop pulling me forward.
When we get stuck waiting to cross the busy Houston streets, the guys have time to catch up to us after they pulled me away. Claire and Jolie find their men and leave me with Viktor. Finally.
“You played so good, I loved watching you.” I rest my head on his chest.
“I loved knowing you were up there watching me. But I think next time I want you to have glass seats. I want to see your face while I play,” he whispers in my ear.
“Look at Vikkie-boy in love!” one of the other guys hollers out .
The look he gives him is murderous. “What did I fucking tell you about calling me that?”
He holds his hands up in defense. “Hey, Claire started it. Get mad at her.”
“You fucker. No one gets mad at Claire. You chose to poke the bear.” Craig, the goalie and Claire’s husband, smacks the guy upside the head as the rest of the team laughs.
The glowing neon sign for The Penalty Shot shines in the distance. Joy had told me that this was a popular bar for the team to come to after a game and I guess she was right.
“Do you come here a lot?” I ask Viktor.
“Usually after home games. But I’ve never brought someone with me.” He kisses my forehead gently.
“I heard earlier.”
“Oh, yeah? Don’t believe everything those girls say.” He stares directly at the girl who made the jab at my weight earlier.
I wonder what the story is there. I’ll have to ask Claire later.
“Shots for everyone!” Joaquin walks around with a tray full of shots for everyone after we get settled at our table.
I panic when he gets close to me. Everyone but Claire grabs a shot.
“Come on Calliope, take one and toast your official induction into the Houston Havoc team! ”
“Oh no thank you, I, uh… well, I…”
“What are you pregnant?” He laughs at his joke.
I don’t respond, and neither does Viktor.
“Holy shit. You are. Vikkie-boy! You’re going to be a Daddy?”
All eyes turn to us. Every. Single. Pair.
“You fucking asshat.” Viktor stands to address the rest of the team. “It’s true, Calliope is pregnant. But it’s early. So we aren’t telling anyone, so if you could all keep your mouths shut, that’d be best for you.”
He stares each one of them down. A round of cheers and back slapping come for Viktor. Only Claire and Jolie come to me with a few of the girls we sat with at the suite.
“Oh, I’m so excited to have another pregnant woman! Finally someone to commiserate with!” Claire beams at me.
I notice that the woman from earlier is staring death glares at me.
“Hey, what is her deal?” I nod in her direction where Claire and Jolie pick up on who I’m talking about.
“Oh Becky? She’s a puck bunny. She has it bad for Vik, but only some of the rookies will give her the attention she wants. But she keeps getting into the suite and Vik is about done with her.” Jolie shrugs. “I’m willing to bet it’s about to get a lot worse too. ”
Viktor pulls me away from the girls and into him. I settle between his legs.
“You know you just made all of this very public. And there’s definitely going to be gossip.”
“These fuckers won’t talk.”
I motion around us as other patrons snap photos of me in Viktor’s lap. “I think they’ll be posting. And I don’t think Becky will be willing to keep a secret.”
He growls in response to her name. “Then let’s beat ‘em to it.”
He takes his phone out of his pocket, and opens the camera to take a selfie of us together. He pulls me in for a kiss and snaps the photo.
I watch as he opens his rarely used instagram account, posting the photo with the caption, “ Lucky to have this woman by my side for the Havoc’s win tonight.”
“What do you think? Are you ready for this to be public?”
I hesitate before answering him. Am I ready? I feel like we’ve barely had time to live in this bubble of bliss before we let people in. But my face is semi-hidden by his so it shouldn’t be too bad.
“We don’t have to, it’s completely up to you. I’m here for whatever you’re comfortable with.”
I suck in a deep breath. “Post it.”
I reach over and tap the post button on his app. When I turn to face him, the smile he has is blinding. I feel like I made the right choice, even if this goes bad, our blissful bubble popped the moment I found out I was pregnant.
It takes all of five seconds for my phone to vibrate with a text from Joy.
Joy: Girl! screenshot of Viktor’s post Are you fucking kidding me?! heart eye emojis
I laugh at her, and promise myself to respond later. I know that she will call me for all the details before I can even finish a text.
Viktor whispers in my ear, “Are you ready to go? I can’t wait to get inside you.”
Shivers run down my body. I’m so fucking ready.