Page 56 of Playoff
A server came immediately to get our drink order. I stuck with water, and she did the same.
“Sure you don’t want wine? A cocktail?” I was driving, so she didn’t have to worry.
“Not a smart idea. Work tomorrow. I need a clear head.” My paranoia wondered if the clear head was also to interrogate me. My cock wanted it clear for other things.
I shoved those mixed emotions down. “What looks good?”
We had a brief conversation about the food, and the server came back with sparkling water as soon as our menus closed. I chose chicken, she went with fish. We passed on an appetizer. The server left, and it was just the two of us.
I didn’t want any more true confessions. Time to switch topics. “So, you said you went to England. Where else have you traveled?”
She narrowed her gaze, staring at the fire. “My parents had the travel agency. So when we were young—well, school age so we were able to travel without needing too much caretaking—we went on trips with our parents for family vacations they wanted to promote. Disney cruises, some places in the Caribbean, and once an ‘immerse your kids in French’ one in a small town in France. Justin hated that. But we haven’t really gone anywhere but back to BC lately.”
“How did you like the French immersion one?”
“It was okay. The woman was really strict and my French improved a lot. Justin hated staying in a classroom though when we were supposed to be on summer holidays.”
I wouldn’t have liked additional classroom time either. “I sympathize.”
She set her glass down. “What about you? Have you traveled?”
I stared at the table in front of me. “We didn’t travel much when I was a kid. My sister is a lot younger, and by the time she could travel without constant supervision, I was going to hockey camps during school holidays.” I didn’t learn till later that it helped my parents hide what they were doing when they didn’t take vacations of more than a few days.
“And now?”
I checked on our server but didn’t see him. Feeling on edge, my foot jiggled as I answered. “I travel with the team. Across North America over and over again.”
She tilted her head. “And in the offseason?”
“I stay in the US.”
“Not fond of traveling?”
I leaned back in my seat, owning my shit. “If I travel, someone, whether a law agency or people my parents stole from, is going to suspect I’m meeting up with them. So I don’t.” Travel had been a poor choice of distraction it turned out.
Jess rested her chin on her hand, watching me across the table. “That sucks. It’s probably time to steer the conversation in a direction that’s not going to lead back to our families. So, how about…favorite superhero movie.”
I appreciated the pivot. “You like superhero movies?”
The corner of her mouth tipped up. “I may have a teeny crush on Simu Liu.” She held her fingers half an inch apart.
“Really?”
Her cheeks turned pink. “He’s an attractive guy.”
That blush was intriguing. “Is it the face or the body that’s making you blush?” I watched her cheeks turn pinker. It was nice not being in the hot seat.
“You don’t have to tease me. I know it’s shallow. It’s not like he’d have any interest in me if I ever met him.”
“He’s got a girlfriend, so it would be better if he didn’t. But now I’m even sorrier that I cut my hair off.” This was going in a risky direction but making her cheeks flush like that was addicting.
She took a quick glance around the restaurant and then leaned forward to whisper. “You don’t have anything to worry about.”
The words warmed my blood, bringing back memories of the night we’d met, and what we’d done together. “That’s good to hear.”
Our server appeared with our food, breaking the connection, but now there was tension in the air between us and the food didn’t dispel it.
The meal was good, though I didn’t give it the attention it deserved. Instead, I caught Jess’s glances, when she’d look at me and I’d smile back at her, bringing that pink to her cheeks every time.
