Page 36 of Wilder Puck
I wipe my face, wondering if this is some sort of test. “No.”
“I’m sorry. I got stuck on the phone with Jess and she had a lot to update me on.” Jess is her childhood girlfriend who lives across the country. Addie sits on the couch next to me and smiles. “You look so tired.”
“Yeah, my dad has us doing suicides. The guys want me to tell him to ease up on the drills, but they’re fooled if they think I have any say in how he does things.”
“Okay,” she says, leaning over me. The closeness has me smelling vanilla oranges with a hint of her perfume, and toothpaste. This isn’t normal Addison behavior, but I don’t want to read too heavily into this because she grabs the remote and turns off the TV. “The reason for being a couch potato is now off.”
A smile spreads across my face.
“What?” she asks.
I shake my head. “The TV is not why I’ve melted into the couch.”
“Yeah? Then what’s your reason?”
I resist every urge inside of me that wants to lean in and grab her. Instead, I stare. A man without self-control is not the man I want to be.
I shrug. “I’ve been waiting for you.”
She jumps to her feet and extends a hand. “Let’s get you into bed.”
I take it and don’t let go. She pulls me through the house until we’re in my bedroom. She grabs the nicely made blanket on my bed, so I joke, “Are you tucking me in?”
She nods. “Get in.”
I’m too tired to protest, so I get in and ask, “Are you going to join me?” I pat the bed beside me.
She sits at my feet and says, “I know your feet ache sometimes because of those high heels you work in.”
I breathe in and close my eyes. We’ve had this argument before. Skates are not high heels, but she says her feet know no difference. I told her that her skates were probably too big, so clenching her feet the entire time would make them ache.
She grabs my right foot and squeezes it, rubbing it nicely.
“Baddie,” I mutter. “You don’t have to.”
“Okay,” she says. “Just a few minutes on each side and I’ll be done.”
I attempt to pull my foot away, but she has a tight grip on it.
I inhale as her thumbs dig into the arch of my foot, her fingers working magic on my sore muscles. Hockey practice was brutal today, but I would do it a thousand times over if this was how I got to end the day.
I'm relieved to know that things haven't gotten weird between us. I was anxious about seeing her tonight but at the end of the day, Addie is still my best friend. Nothing’s going to change that.
“You're the best, Baddie. Thank you,” I mumble, my eyes slipping closed as her hands work their way up to my calves.
She chuckles. “I know. You're lucky to have me as a best friend.”
“Yeah.” I crack one eye open to peer down at her. “Although I seem to remember making you feel really good the last time we saw each other.”
A blush stains her cheeks, and she ducks her head, focusing on my legs. “Yeah, well, I'll change my score if you keep embarrassing me.”
I grin, enjoying the fact that I can playfully tease her. Addie's always been confident and self-assured, but there's something about knowing I can make her blush, make her come undone––
“Minutes up,” she announces, patting my leg and snapping me out of my X-rated thoughts.
I sit up, flexing my feet. “Thank you.”
“Happy to help you relax.” She stretches her arms overhead and yawns. “I know I just got here, but I’m going to head out.”
