Chapter 18
Chapter
Eighteen
Jayne
For some reason, I’m nervous before our next date.
Nervous probably isn’t the right word. I’m excited and restless, eager for five-thirty to come and for Bodi to pick me up.
We close at five but I usually stick around a little while to help Kelly close up.
Today she shooed me into the ladies’ room the moment the clock struck five so I can change and get ready.
I didn’t want to wear the same boring skirt and blouse I wore to work today, not like our first date, so I change into a pair of beige capris that hug my curves and a fitted off-the-shoulder pink top with ruffles.
I have matching low-heeled pink sandals to round out the look, and for the first time in a while, I put in a pair of contacts.
I don’t wear them often because they make my eyes itch if I’m wearing makeup, but I’m going to try tonight. I’ll have my glasses in my purse so if I have to pop them out—they’re disposable anyway—I can.
I just want him to see me looking a little dressed up since I so rarely do it.
Kelly peeks in and smiles as I’m fluffing my hair. “You look lovely,” she says.
“Thank you.”
“Bodi’s here.”
“Thanks.” I smooth my hands down my legs. “You’re sure I look okay?”
“Beautiful.” She winks. “Have a wonderful time. I want to hear all about it tomorrow.”
I grin. “You got it.”
Kelly and I have become close the last month or so.
In a way, she’s filling a maternal role that I didn’t realize I was so desperate for until I met her.
She’s part mother, part mentor, and becoming a good friend.
She’s a wonderful librarian who’s teaching me a lot, but also a kind, empathetic human being who speaks five languages and is the most well-read person I’ve ever met.
I pick up my bag and head out of the bathroom.
Bodi is at the front desk chatting with Kelly and I take a moment to drink him in.
He’s absolutely gorgeous in a pair of khakis and a blue polo shirt.
I absolutely adore his arms, the way his biceps peek out from his sleeves, and his ass looks good enough to take a bite out of.
Not that I have any plans to do that…okay, maybe.
I’m not sure we’re at the sexual part of our relationship but I’m not opposed to it.
It’s been a while for me, so I’m game if he is.
I just hope I’m not too inexperienced for him.
I’ve only slept with two guys and both of them were mediocre in bed from my perspective.
I don’t have tons of experience but I do read a lot.
Not to mention I know how to take care of my own needs, so I figure there has to be something in between what I can do on my own and how bad the sex was with both of my exes.
At least, I hope so.
“Hi.” I put my hand on Bodi’s arm.
“Well, hi.” His eyes darken slightly as they move up and down my body. “Wow… You look gorgeous.”
“Thank you.”
“Ready to go?”
“I am.”
He takes my hand and we both say goodbye to Kelly then head outside.
“Our reservation is at six. Is that okay?” he asks.
“Of course.”
“How was your day?”
“Slow,” I say, “but I always enjoy working with Kelly. She’s incredibly knowledgeable.”
“Vik says her Russian is almost perfect.”
“She speaks five languages!” I say in admiration. “I need to up my game.”
“It’s not a competition, is it?” he asks. “Didn’t you tell me you speak fluent French?”
“Well, fluent-ish. I don’t have anyone to practice with, but yes, I minored in French in college and spent a semester there senior year.”
“Yeah? Paris?”
I nod. “It was amazing.”
“Have you been back?”
I shake my head as we get into his SUV. “Nah. Dad doesn’t believe international travel is worth the money and I can’t afford it on my own yet. Although he and Lourdes went to Greece for their honeymoon.”
“Your dad has…a lot of opinions.”
“You have no idea.”
“Actually, I do. Get this, he told West he wants him to be the team captain, except what he really wants is—”
“A spy.” I cut in knowingly. “Not my first rodeo. That’s always been my dad’s thing. He likes knowing what his players are up to so he can hold it over their heads.”
“You can’t treat NHL players the way you do college guys. Maybe not me, but some of the guys on the team are veterans who’ve been around a long time. Have ironclad contracts. A guy like West isn’t going to get jerked around.”
“What did he say?”
“That he’d think about it.”
I grimace. “Dad hates that.”
“He’s going to say yes because he feels like if Dad makes someone else captain, he won’t be able to protect us. This way, he’ll have at least a little control over any situation that arises.”
“That’s kind of sweet.”
“A combination of sweet and self-preservation.”
“Bodi, if you’ve changed your mind about our—”
“No.” His voice is firm, eyes intense. “Not even a little. I’m just letting you know what’s going on. I do think we’re going to have to be extra careful in the beginning.”
“That’s okay since we may not be able to spend a lot of time together because of our schedules.”
“Will you be at the games?”
“Absolutely. I love hockey.”
“Do you?”
How have we not discussed this before?
“Oh, yeah. My mom did too. We used to love going to Dad’s games. Lourdes, on the other hand, hates it.”
“Lourdes sounds like a gold-digging bitch,” he mutters.
“That’s the weird thing—Dad wasn’t that wealthy when they met. Don’t get me wrong, we were very comfortable, but he wasn’t making pro athlete money. I don’t understand why she would dump a guy who was, for a guy twice her age who couldn’t give her what Rome could give her.”
“Doesn’t make much sense,” he agrees thoughtfully. “You think there’s any chance she actually loves him?”
“Anything is possible but she doesn’t act like it. They’re always fighting about money or Lindy.”
“They fight about Lindy?”
“Oh, yeah. Dad didn’t want another kid. I don’t know for sure but I think Lourdes got pregnant on purpose even though he said he didn’t want it. Once there was a baby, though, what could he say?”
“Did you wind up being a caregiver?”
“Yes and no. It wasn’t required, but she was this tiny, innocent little thing—even my hormonal teenage heart fell in love with her. I certainly got up with her on weekends and changed more than my fair share of diapers.”
“That just means you’ll be well-prepared when you have kids of your own.” He pauses. “Do you want kids…someday?”
“Yes.” I nod. “Not any time soon, but maybe in five or six years. I’ve spent the last five years completely focused on school. I need a little adult time outside of school before I’m ready to be a mom.”
“I’ve spent my entire adult life up until this last year being a parent, so I’m looking for a break before I do it for real. Obviously, it’s different taking over with a teenager than a newborn, but you know what I mean.”
“We’re on the same page,” I say, chuckling.
We talk about anything and everything over dinner.
Hockey, my professional future, even touching on how much we miss our moms. It’s nice having someone to talk to about that because I haven’t had that since the six months after my mom died when Dad took me to therapy.
Once he met Lourdes, everything changed.
Including therapy. She said I didn’t need it—it had been over a year, after all—and Dad always listens to her, for some reason.
“Would you like to take a drive?” Bodi asks as we walk out to the car.
“Whatever you want.” I’m having a wonderful time, and the bottle of wine we shared has me feeling relaxed and amenable to anything he wants to do.
Absolutely anything.
He doesn’t say anything for a second and then reaches for my hand once he starts up his SUV.
“Want to go back to my place? The boys are out except Vik, and he won’t come out of his room. I was thinking it would be nice to just sit and chill. And that’s not code for sex, Jayne. We don’t have to rush into anything.”