Page 49 of Body Shot

“What? No. That’s not it.” She looks genuinely startled. “She’s wonderful and I adore her.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

“He has afamilynow. A fiancée. A baby on the way. A house. He’s responsible for so many important things; he can’t be responsible for me too.”

“He sends money to your grandmother, doesn’t he? To your dad? He bought them a new house, right?”

She nods. “Yes, but that’s different. He’s our father. He sacrificed a lot for Johan to get to the NHL. I sacrificed nothing, but he paid for me to go to college in the US. He’s paid for me to do a lot of things. I need to pay for myself.”

“You’re very stubborn, you know that?”

She lifts one shoulder in a wry shrug. “I may have heard this once or twice.”

“Look, I get it. Truly. But at the same time, Johan wouldn’t do it if he didn’t want to.”

“He does it because he feels sorry for me, stuck in our tiny town outside Bratislava. Where there are few good jobs and even fewer good prospects. The only plan most people my age have is finding a way to get into Czechia so they can live and work in Prague.”

“I’m sorry,” I whisper, wishing there was something I could say or do beyond talking to my bosses about her as soon as I started my new job.

“This isn’t on you,” she says with a faint smile. “Life isn’t always fair, and all I can do is work through my struggles. We all have them.”

“We’ll figure something out. You’ll see.” I hug her tightly.

“You’re the world’s best bestie,” she says, grinning.

“You could marry Aiden to get a visa,” I suggest playfully.

To my surprise, instead of laughing, she nods solemnly. “I’ve considered it, but I don’t want to do something like that with one of Johan’s teammates. That could get complicated.”

“You’re not serious, are you? How is that different than just letting your brother help you?”

“It’s different because it’s something I can do myself. I know it sounds crazy to someone like you, but you’re American. You have no idea what life in Slovakia is like. I have a wonderful family, and yes, there’s food to eat and a place to sleep, but my future is bleak. I’ll have to find a roommate or a husband. We’ll have to scrimp and save to be able to afford for me to stay home if we decide to have a baby. Yes, lots of people do it, but most people in my country are struggling. Healthcare is sub-standard in many ways. We are a depressed, frustrated culture. We’re just too proud to admit it.”

“Is that why you were interested in Felix?” I ask softly. “To get married and get a visa? No judgment, girlfriend. But he’s so not your type.”

“No, not exactly. I just thought someone like him, someone who isn’t my usual type, might be the type to want to marry me.” She sighs. “That makes me a shitty person, right?”

“No. It makes you a frustrated one.”

“Thanks for giving me a pass, but I kind of hate myself for thinking that way.” She shakes her head. “Look, let’s not talk about me anymore. Let’s go enjoy our day. Especially you.”

She nudges me.

I nudge her back, but I can’t help grinning.

Despite worry about my friend, I can’t wait to spend another day with Anders.

SEVENTEEN

Anders

Claudia looksadorable in hot pink shorts with a white lace ruffle at the bottom, and some kind of matching halter top that gives me a great view of her tits. Well, the shape of her tits. The nipples I know are lurking beneath the soft, cotton fabric.

It’s hard to pay attention to the baby alligators or the mischievous parrots because I can’t seem to focus on anything but Claudia.

Her long, shapely legs.

The way her tits bounce as we walk.

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