Page 16 of Just Friends
12:04, the clock read, as time continued to trickle through my fingers.
1:15.
2:27.
It felt like only twenty minutes ago when the sun was still up and my roommate, Jax, tried to convince me to go out with him and “the boys”—that’s hockey speak for his teammates. He’s been busily bonding with his new teammates, since they’re in their off-season.
I needed my rest for tomorrow, so I stayed home. Besides, I know I’m not that much fun at the clubs anymore, especially when I’m running on little sleep. But if I’d known this was going to be another sleepless night? Heck, I probably would’ve joined them.
At 3:02, I heard a jostling outside our condo door. When I heard the metallicthunkof a key sliding into the door lock, I knew Jax was home. The door opened and two bodies shuffled in.
“Be quiet, okay?” Jax said in a hushed whisper.
He’d brought a girl home. She stamped around clumsily in heels, giddily talking and laughing. No doubt she was thrilled to be going homewith a pro athlete.
Jax shushed her again,Shhhhh,as he whisked her away to his bedroom.
It felt like only a second later that I heard the dull thud of the headboard knocking against the wall. Then the hard clap of a muscular waist against softer flesh. I heard her shrieks in falsetto,yes!andharder!andohmigod!
I knew the mating nuptials were about to end when her performative moans climbed to an orgiastic crescendo.
Then, at long last—aaaaah,sweet silence.
Still, I couldn’t sleep.
With a sigh of surrender, I pulled out my laptop to check if I had any new work emails.
Not much later, Jax’s bedroom door creaked open. Was she leaving? No—those footsteps were too heavy, despite the care to deaden their sound. It was Jax. He headed to the kitchen. There, the cupboards gently opened and closed. Then I heard thetink-tink-tinkof a spoon stirring inside a glass.
Glug, glug, glug.
I cracked a grin.
That’s Jax for ya—always a protein shake after a workout.
He tapped on my open door and whispered as quietly as he could. “Pst.You up, Pipes?”
“Sure am,” I whispered back.
“I saw the light from your computer screen. Hope I didn’t wake you.”
“Nah. I’ve been awake.” I turned on the bedside lamp to prove it. “How was the club?”
He ducked as he stepped through the door—when you’re as tall as Jax, ducking through doors is a habit, or else you’re always bonking your head.
“Club was fine,” he said. He wore only tight sweatpants that clung to his thick legs. A sheen glistened on his muscular torso—a reminder that he’d been getting sweaty some, oh, twenty minutes ago.
“And who’s the lucky lady?” I asked, smiling.
He rubbed the back of his neck. “Oh, ah, just some girl from the club.”
“Ja~x,” I teased, “you’re such a dog these days!”
“I know, I know.” He wore a self-conscious smile. “I’ll slow my roll soon. I swear.”
I laughed. “It’s fine, Jax. I don’t mind. I’m just teasing you.”
“Yeah, but really,” he insisted, “I gotta start getting in shape for training camp, anyway.”
