Page 48 of Dump and Chase

“Nothing you can really see,” I said. “And I’m not modeling for you.”

“Party pooper,” Wolseley said.

“How are the living arrangements going?” Jill asked.

“Good, I guess. We don’t see a lot of each other, and that’s fine with me. But he’s planning to stay for a while. Something about not wanting to move when the season is about to start.”

Jill groaned dramatically. “He’s screwing around with you. He wants to stick around and worm his way back into your life.”

“What’s wrong with that?” Wolseley asked. She’d dyed her short hair pink, and it looked good on her. “They’re destined to be together.”

“Destined or not, don’t jump the gun too soon. The guy just got out of a serious relationship,” Jill said, sipping coffee.

“I don’t have any intention of getting back together with him. I’m just so …” I paused for a long time, trying to figure out how I wanted to say this. I didn’t come up with anything eloquent. “I’m angry. I’m also bitter that we dated for nearly seven years and he didn’t want to get married, and he knew Brandi a whole six months before he popped the question. Does that make any sense?”

I could see sympathy on both my friends’ faces, but I knew for two very different reasons.

“You met Brandi. She probably forced him to do it at gunpoint,” Jill said. “I had one short conversation with her, and she made some suggestions on how to run my event. Do not get me wrong, I’m not cutting Ethan any slack, but she was insufferable.”

“I have a different take,” Wolseley said. Of course she would. She and Jill were about as different as two people could be, yet we had a friendship that was impenetrable. “Three years have passed. Ethan’s probably matured a lot. Why he picked Brandi as a future wife is anyone’s guess, though. But now he’s at a point in his life where he’s not immature anymore.”

“He’s immature,” Jill said.

“You don’t even know that,” Wolseley argued.

“Regardless, don’t fall for his puppy-dog eyes,” Jill said to me. “He’s going to lay it on thick since he’s not moving out anytime soon,” Jill said.

We moved on to talking about Wolseley’s restaurant opening, and then Jill’s job at Richardson’s. They filled me in on the gossip back home, and as we wrapped up our call, Wolseley asked if I was still planning to come to her restaurant’s opening.

“Of course! I’ve only got two days off, a favor from Allan, my boss. But I’ll be there.”

We signed off and I realized how much I missed my friends. With a day off and nothing to do, I explored the neighborhood, had my one coffee of the day, then ate lunch at a small café. I would have killed to have Jill and Wolseley with me to explore, but instead I went home to an empty condo.

I was browsing online for lunch recipes I could make for the week when Ethan got home. He said a quick hello, dumped his stuff, and was gone before I had a chance to ask where he was going. So much for Jill and Wolseley’s theory that he was trying to win me back. He certainly wasn’t showing it.

* * *

Coach Fontaine had begun cutting some players from the bloated training camp roster, sending some to junior and others to the Ravens farm team down in Washington State. Some didn’t take kindly to that, and went to parts unknown. I guessed most went to play in Europe and maybe others went to other minor leagues. Maybe some gave up. I wondered how many dreams were dashed during training camp.

Sundays were optional for the players, but as expected, Brandon was there. Nothing was going to stop his progress, and as I got him on my table to examine him, I was happy to see that much of the tension in his neck was gone, and the right leg wasn’t so inflamed.

“Would you rather get treatment today and work out tomorrow, or vice versa?” I asked, pulling out my laptop to make a few notes.

“Treatment today, if you don’t mind.”

“All right,” I said, setting my laptop down. “And how were you feeling last week after acupuncture?”

“I was a little sore, but nothing I couldn’t handle. I’ve felt a million times worse.”

I got started, massaging the tender muscles and working all the pressure points. He was quiet all through his leg stretches and acupuncture. Not until I was done and had put the hot compresses on his abused muscles did he get chatty.

“How long were you and Grant dating?”

“How long was your longest relationship?” I asked as I made more notes on Brandon’s file. I wanted it as detailed as possible for the Kodiaks team when Brandon was called up.

“Almost three years,” he said cheerfully.

“Why’d you break up?”

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