Chapter Eleven
Hearing Ali Porter say she really liked kissing her was the best Christmas present JT could have received. Her inner teenager celebrated while she tried to remain looking calm and normal. It was really hard not to grin like a fool but JT did her best.
“Okay, so the kissing was good. Does that mean you want to do it again or it was a onetime thing?” JT wasn’t sure what she wanted Ali to say.
If she said they could keep hooking up or even dating JT would like that on the one hand, but even the idea of it scared the crap out of her.
She was sure the bro code had a lot to say about dating your best friend’s older sister, and she was going to be leaving at the end of the week.
She didn’t even know yet where she would be going.
The new women’s hockey league hadn’t given her any indication of where she would be playing, and she had made a point of saying she didn’t want to be in Boston.
It was too close to her family. The only thing worse than not being supported by your family was knowing they were close enough to come support you and decided not to.
She decided for her own sanity she would ask to be placed on a team as far away from New Hampshire as possible.
That way she could at least pretend that the reason they never came to see her was distance and not disinterest.
“Is it okay if I say I don’t know?” Ali asked, looking nervous for the first time. “I’m not sure if I want to get into it with everyone in town. Can we still do the contest as friends?”
JT nodded. “Of course! The contest is kind of its own thing, right? I meant apart from the contest. But maybe that’s too complicated and it would be better for us to avoid mixing kissing fun with the fun of crushing everyone in the various absurd tasks they have made up for us.”
Ali stood up and walked to the kitchen.
Shit, did JT say something wrong?
She came back with two cups of water and noticed the concern on JT’s face. “I was thirsty and thought you might be, too. You’re leaving after New Year’s, right?” JT nodded. “I don’t know whether that makes us hooking up a better or worse idea.”
JT laughed. “Me neither. What if we keep it light, casual? I’m happy to help you with your house.
I’m great at putting together Ikea furniture and painting and anything else you might want help with.
And if you decide you find me irresistible, that’s fine.
But if you’re more comfortable simply using me for my handywoman skills, that’s okay, too. ”
Ali smiled, her lips damp from the water. Entirely lickable. But not when JT had just finished saying that all of this was up to Ali. Maybe that had been stupid because she really wanted to kiss Ali. But it was the right thing to do. The ball had to be in Ali’s court.
“Light and casual sounds nice. It would be new for me. Marrying the guy you met in high school is the complete opposite of light and casual. And I would appreciate your help with this place. I know I can ask my brother, but I feel bad and it’s embarrassing that this place isn’t more put together and I don’t want to have to explain to him that his older sister is a big old mess. ”
JT took her hand. “You’re not a mess. You’re figuring out your design aesthetic.
It takes time to figure out what you like, and I bet you had to compromise when you were married.
Time to unlearn that shit! You can make this place anything you want!
And I’m happy to help you with anything you need while I’m home. ”
Ali leaned in to kiss JT on the cheek. It wasn’t anything other than a friend kiss but JT loved the way Ali’s lips felt on her skin. Even a chaste kiss made her feel all warm inside. Sure, she could do light, casual, friendly. But what she really wanted was light, casual, and naked in Ali’s bed.
JT swallowed her lustful feelings and hopped up. “We have another hour before I have to be home for Christmas Eve dinner. What should we do before I leave?”