Page 36 of Heat It Up (Off the Ice)
“So, after what your old boyfriend did to you, you’re ready to trust Kyle with your heart?”
I stop abruptly. “Who said anything about my heart? I’m just having fun with him, like I’m having fun with you.”
“Except you’ve never kissed me like you kissed him,” he mutters.
My face heats at the memory of what else I’ve done with Kyle that I haven’t with Joni.
Tension brushes against us like the hot July breeze. This isn’t how I wanted things to be between Joni and me. I wanted us to be friends. I thought we were friends. But I can’t be friends with him if he’s going to be jealous over something that might not amount to anything. It’s not like Kyle is my boyfriend. I’m not really sure what he is.
And it’s not like I’m looking for a boyfriend. Maybe summer fling is a better description—like Claire suggested. Once Kyle and I return home, we’ll go back to our own lives, which won’t include each other. He has his degree and there’s no guarantee he’ll stick around Minneapolis.
I straighten and start to cross the road. Joni follows. “I hope it’s okay with you, but I won’t be able to help out with your soccer team next week. The physical therapist where I work asked if I could cover for one of his staff members who will be away. It will be great experience.” I’m practically bouncing up and down at the news, like a cheerleader buzzed up on caffeine.
“That’s great. Are you still able to help out this week?”
“Absolutely. How’s your grandmother?” If he’s here, it must mean he was visiting her.
“I haven’t seen her yet. I was visiting yours.”
That can’t be good. “Mine? How come?”
“I went to see if you were home yet, so we can begin your Finnish lesson.”
I cringe. I never told Muumu where I was going after work. Usually I get home late from exploring Helsinki with Kyle. But he had something else he had to do today after work, and even though I’d told Muumu I was coming home early, I ended up shopping with Maija.
“Sorry, I went shopping with a friend from work,” I say. “Let me drop my stuff off and we can get started.” And hopefully he doesn’t tell Muumu what I’ve been up to and she doesn’t ask to see what I bought.
We go upstairs to the apartment, the tension between us a little lighter than before, but not by much. I can’t tell if it’s because I can’t help out with his team next week or because I’m spending the weekend with Kyle. Or maybe both.
I open the front door and moments later Muumu pops out of the kitchen. She asks me a question and I look at Joni for the translation. He doesn’t give me one. He replies to whatever she said. Her expression brightens and she looks at me expectantly. When I don’t respond, because I have no idea what I’m responding to, she rushes out another sentence or two. She wants to see what I bought.
“Clothes. Nothing exciting,” I explain.
He tells her some version of that and she replies. “She said even better,” he says. “I don’t think you’re getting out of this. You might as well show her.”
It could be worse. I could have raided Victoria’s Secrets and really given Muumu something to freak over.
I unzip my backpack and remove the skirt and tank tops. Before I realize what’s happening, the bikini gets caught on the skirt’s zipper and tags along for its grand unveiling. It falls from the offending piece of metal and flops on the floor.
Muumu picks it up while I inwardly groan at her anticipated reaction.
She inspects it, turning the skimpy pieces of fabric in her hands. Laughing, she says something else to me and hands the swimsuit back.
Joni chuckles. “She says you will look much better in it than she would. And I have to agree with her. She also suggested that you wear it for our Finnish lesson.” He laughs at what is no doubt a confused expression on my face. Why would I want to wear a bikini to learn Finnish? Unless this is an ancient Scandinavian trick I don’t know about to appease the language gods so learning the language will be a breeze. And if that’s true, I’d wear a thong if it will help me speak fluent Finnish.
If I had a thong.
“I’m taking you to the lake for our lesson,” Joni explains. “And your grandmother made us a picnic to bring with us.”
While I’m not sure the bikini part is a good idea, I’m all for studying by the lake. I put my stuff away, hiding the condoms in my suitcase so Muumu doesn’t accidentally find them. Then grab my Finnish language books I bought back in Minnesota. If Joni is disappointed that I didn’t change into the bikini, he doesn’t show it.
My cell phone weighs down my pocket as we walk to the lake, impatiently waiting for me to call Kyle. But I can’t do that in front of Joni. That’s not fair to him. He wants to spend time with me. He doesn’t want to spend time with me while I’m talking to Kyle on the phone—or texting him.
The beach, which is just a long, narrow stretch of sand that extends to the wooded area surrounding the lake, is busy when we arrive. We find a location not far from a group playing soccer, and spread out the blanket. Joni passes me a soda and we settle in for some serious studying.
“You need to roll your R’s,” he tells me after fifteen minutes of trying to teach me how to pronounce numerous words.
“Iwasrolling my R’s.”
