Page 29 of Charming Crosschecks

“Gerry…” she whispered, her voice trembling, unsure if she was even saying his name or if the sound was just a prayer, a wish.

“Please?” he pleaded, his eyes searching hers, a quiet intensity that threatened to steal her breath. “I won’t give up on you. Not ever.”

And in that instant, as his touch grazed her cheek, as he waited, breathless, for her answer, Molly felt the weight of it all. The truth she’d been hiding from. The part of her that wanted to protect her heart but was terrified of missing out on something that might be worth everything.

She nodded, slowly at first, then more firmly, her heart catching in her throat. “Yes,” she said, her voice barely audible, but the feeling behind it was undeniable. “Yes.”

She was about to say something else, but before she could, his face transformed. The look in his eyes—green, brilliant, and full of joy—was like nothing she’d ever seen before. It was a look that made her feelseen, that made her feelsafe. That made her heart ache with the raw emotion radiating from him. It was pure joy, but it was mixed with something deeper, something yearning. A longing that mirrored her own.

And then, without a second thought, he moved toward her, his lips finding hers in a kiss that stole her breath away. It wasn’t a soft kiss. It wasn’t tentative. It was full of everything he had—everything he felt for her. But before she could even react fully, she pulled away from him, her hands still resting on his chest as she took a shaky breath.

“Don’t you think we should wait? Or maybe slow down?” she asked, her voice trembling, unsure of the words even as they spilled out. “We need to see if this even goes anywhere, right? I mean, it could all fall apart. We could end up in some terrible breakup or… or just ruin everything.”

Gerry’s expression softened, his gaze intense but filled with tenderness. He touched her cheek again gently, his thumb tracing the line of her jaw. “I’m not giving up,” he said quietly but with such conviction that it made her heart twist. “Not ever. I know where I want to be. And you are welcome to take as long as you need, Molly. I’m not going anywhere.”

His words lingered in the air, a quiet promise that wrapped around them like a gentle embrace, leaving room for her to breathe, to think, to decide. He was offering her time, patience, and love without conditions, a love that would wait for her to be ready. He was giving her the space she needed to figure out what this could be, even if it meant standing there, hoping with everything he had.

And in that moment, something shifted within her—just as she knew she was everything to him, she realized he was becoming everything to her. What had started as a simple crush on a guy at work had quietly, almost imperceptibly, grown into something deeper, something more. She wasn’t just standing on the edge anymore. She was teetering, knowing that the fall wouldn’t be easy because of their jobs—but maybe, just maybe, she was ready to consider what that could look like in the future.

“We can take a slow as you need,” he breathed softly, his thumb caressing her cheek. “So are you free this weekend, my beauty?”

My beauty?

He called her ‘My beauty’? Ohhh man.

Hook. Line. And sinker… yeah, I’m free,she thought.

“Yes.”

That night, Molly sat cross-legged on her bed, her room softly illuminated by the golden glow of her bedside lamp. A mug of tea sat untouched on the nightstand as she fiddled with the edge of her blanket, phone pressed to her ear. Her thoughts felt like a chaotic whirlwind, and there was only one person she could unravel them with—her mother. The familiar warmth of her voice always had a way of calming Molly's stormy emotions.

As soon as her mom answered, Molly didn’t hold back.

“Mom, why are relationships so difficult to understand sometimes?” she blurted out, her voice tinged with frustration. “I mean, one second he can be so sweet and nice—and the next your backbone, which is supposed to be made of sterner stuff, is actually Jell-O. And he betrayed me – but ooooh no! All he has to do is look at you sweetly, toss a few compliments, and somehow I just drool andfawn like some obsessed teenager…”

She let out an exasperated sigh, only to hear her mother’s knowing laughter on the other end of the line. It wasn’t mocking but filled with the kind of seasoned wisdom that Molly both loved and found maddening.

“Soooo, what’s his name?” her mother asked, her tone teasing yet curious.

“Gerard Thierry,” Molly admitted, her voice softening. “But he goes by Gerry.”

“One of the players?” her mother said sharply, her concern palpable even through the phone. Molly could picture her mother’s eyebrows knitting together, the familiar maternal warning about to drop. “Is this why you left the message the other night? Honey, how many times have I told you?—”

“You don’t eat where you shop,” Molly interjected dutifully, rolling her eyes though her lips curved into a small smile. Her mother’s advice was practically a mantra by now. She hesitated for a moment, her voice dipping into something more thoughtful. “This is different.”

“Aren’t they all,” her mom quipped, not missing a beat.

“No, seriously, Mom—this wasn’t something I was looking for. Neither of us was,” Molly insisted, her words coming out in a rush. “I knew to keep things professional, and he wasn’t interested either…”

“Then what happened?” her mother pressed, her curiosity piqued.

Molly exhaled, her mind flashing back to that pivotal moment. “I’m not sure,” she admitted softly. “I mean, he came into my office, we talked, and then… next thing I knew, we were going to dinner. He was so sweet, so different. And then—he kissed me.”

“You kissed this guy you work with on the first date?” her mom asked, her voice balancing disbelief and intrigue.

“Mom, let me tell you—it’s intense,” Molly said, her cheeks flushing as she fidgeted with the hem of her sleeve.

“Sometimes it is,” her mom replied, her tone understanding.

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