Page 45 of Unrecognizable Player

He stays crouching for a second before standing up. “You’re sure?”

“Yeah. Sorry about coming in here like… you know.”

“It’s fine.” He shakes his head. “Any time. We’re roommates remember?”

11

STEFANOS

When I get up the next morning, Alexei’s at the counter waiting for the coffee machine to spit out his Americana. He’s wearing a black hoody with the hockey logo on and long sleep shorts. Thick black hairs run all the way from his toned calves to his powerful thighs.

He turns around and catches me looking at him and my face flushes.

“Morning.” He says.

“Morning.”

“The coffee machine’s being a dick.”

“Why what’s wrong with-” I try to go over and help, but he waves me away, like he doesn’t want me anywhere near him. I have to restrain myself from sniffing my pits. I know I just woke up, but I don’t stink that bad do I?

“What do you want?” He asks once he gets his coffee.

“I can get it.”

“I said, what do you want?” His tone is light, but his abruptness still hits me hard. Especially after seeing him soften to me last night.

“I’ll just have an espresso please.”

“Comin’ right up.”

He speaks with his back to me as I take a seat at the table. “Thanks for last night by the way. For helping me out, with the ice.”

“It was nothing. Anyone would do that. I was just being a decent human being.”

He spits out a laugh.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

When my espresso’s done, he turns and puts it down in front of me.

“You want breakfast?”

“I usually just have a pop tart.”

“A pop tart? Do we even have that shit here?”

“Yes, Mr. green smoothie. They’re in the top cupboard by the fridge.”

His phone buzzes and he looks down to read a text.

“Pawlowski, he’s asking me to go ice skating in the park.”

“I didn’t know you two were dating.”

He laughs while still looking at his phone, popping a dimple in the process. Of course he has dimples. He couldn’t get any more perfect. Except the attitude thing. That needs a little work.

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