Page 218 of Well Played

“So she’s encouraging you to get out and meet other people? To enjoy yourself?” She drew her index finger along my jaw. “Because we do enjoy ourselves when we’re together.”

She tipped my chin, so I met—and held—her gaze.

“But you’ve never been conflicted.”

“Well…” I bit my lower lip. “There’s a man. Who’s interested in her. And I feel like she’s oblivious, but that he’s waiting to pounce.”

“And you’re worried he would be bad for her? Or that he’d be competition? That she might leave you for him?”

I wasn’t until you brought it up. Jesus…is that why my stomach’s in knots?“I hadn’t really thought of that. She’s…” I sought the right word. “She’s strong, you know? But she’s also a bit naïve. What we have is special. I can’t see anyone coming between us.”

“But you’re not certain.”

My stomach sank. “No, I’m not certain.”

She tweaked my nose. “Then I think you might want to go.” She grinned. “I’d ask for a quick fuck for old time’s sake, but your heart isn’t in it, and my self-respect means I don’t have sex with someone who isn’t fully present. I’m not that hard up.”

Her smile warmed something inside me. She understood. Perhaps even more than I did.

I leaned over for a kiss.

She reciprocated.

Leading to…a quick but satisfying interlude before I climbed into a cab to head back downtown.

After I paid the cab driver, though, I stood in front of the hotel.

I’d told Yaz I’d be gone for the entire night. I wasn’t exactly being fair by just randomly showing up. I never did this. The couple of times when I’d ended evenings early—very rarely, but things did happen—I’d go to an all-night café and play games on my phone. Or compose silly poems I didn’t share with anyone.

Tonight was different. Tonight I needed to talk to her. Tonight I needed to know how she felt abouthim.

Nick. Nick Taveras.

I’d researched him thoroughly after the debacle on that first day.

Jacques’s wife delivered a beautiful baby girl. But premature. So our head rigger would be off for a while. That kind of loyalty and family obligation, I understood.

What was going to happen when Yaz decided she wanted a family.If she wants a family.Would she choose me to father any children? Would she give up the trap forever? I couldn’t fathom doing that, but traveling about the world with young children didn’t work either. So…would I give up the trap for children? Another question I didn’t have the answer to. Being twenty-four, I had the world at my feet. Too much hubris…and yet I didn’t care. I’d deal with thereal worldwhen the time was right. Until then, I intended to have the maximum amount of fun with the minimum amount of fuss.

Yasmine.

Fun, fuss, both, or neither?

I just didn’t know.

With resolution in my heart, I entered the hotel, stalked over to the elevators, and headed up to confront my past, my present, and my future.

6

Nick

ThankGod I’d brought a condom.

When I slipped into Yasmine’s hotel room bathroom for a piss, I found an open box of rubbers. Somehow, taking one of Kaden’s felt wrong. He and Yasmine continued to use them because of his…other companions. He swore he wore a condom all the time, but Yasmine preferred prudence. Plus, she really didn’t want to get pregnant. She’d confided that on the walk back from Chinatown.Kids one day. Not now. So she had an IUD and insisted on condoms. Perhaps overkill, but everything had a failure rate.

I washed my hands and headed back into the room. The space was more like a studio apartment—with a small kitchen, a dining room table that sat four, a large bed, and an awesome television. My two-bedroom condo dwarfed it, but this was cute in its own way.

After I finished theater school—with a focus on production—my parents gave me the down-payment for my place. Twelve years ago, Vancouver condos were still affordable.

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