Page 43 of Unmasking Love
I want to ask deeper questions. I want to understand why she and her mom moved. I want to know where her dad is. I want to hear about her in high school. Did she play sports? Was she into art? Theater? Student council?
My high school experience was hockey.
Until it wasn’t.
Again, this isn’t about me. This is about Harper and her breakup from 72 hours ago.
“How was the flight to Dallas?” Harper asks and I return my attention to my conversation with her.
“Flight was fine. I usually try to nap but Felix had other plans for us this time.”
She laughs, “You can’t just say something like that and not expand on it!”
I chuckle too, “Fine. He used the flight to lead the team through a presentation with all the possible ways we could bond as a group.”
“Ha, really? What were some of his ideas?”
“Cooking classes, ax throwing, beer pong trick shots.” That last one was followed by a twenty minute detour to watching videos of Emmett’s grandmother who has a huge TikTok following for her elaborate shots.
“Do you drink during the season?” She asks.
“Not really. Maybe a beer here or there.”
“Yeah, I didn’t think Felix did either, so I’m surprised he suggested a drinking game.”
“Oh, no this isn’t really playing beer pong. It’s about setting up an obstacle course for the ping pong ball before it drops into a cup.”
“Oh! Wait, I think I’ve seen those. Actually it was like some grandma doing it I think.”
“It was probably Emmett’s grandma. She’s internet famous for it.”
“No way,” she laughs before it gets muffled, probably by another bite of food. “That’s awesome actually.” She finishes chewing and asks, “What’s your schedule like tomorrow?”
“We have team breakfast and a skate at the arena. Then back to the hotel for lunch and a nap. We take the bus back over to the arena at 4.”
“Are you playing?”
“Nope, I don’t think I’m on until next week.”
“Gotcha.”
“What’s your day like tomorrow?”
“Following up with this family I saw today. A few other things are still open. I dunno, I might putz with my designs for this house.”
“Your house?”
“Yeah.” She pauses to chew. I wait. “I bought it two years ago thinking I’d convert it into a single family home one day. I also thought the man I was seeing at the time would be my husband and we’d fill the house with dogs and kids but… that was five boyfriends ago.” She laughs at herself and it hurts like a crack in my chest.
Who the hell has she been dating? Why can’t they see the amazing person she is? I’ve known her all of five weeks and have only hung out with her a few times but each interaction leaves me smiling. Her impact on my emotional state lingers. I feel lighter.
Calm.
“Is the first floor rented out?” I ask.
“Not right now. It was but I didn’t get a new tenant last month when the couple living there bought a house and moved.”
“You’ll have to show me the designs sometime.”
