Page 80 of Slap Shot Surprise
Silence. And then, “Damn. This guy is good.”
“Heisgood.” I squeezed my eyes shut. “And he’s so hot. Like I was about to physically combust last night, he is so hot.”
“I don’t blame you. But nothing happened?”
“Nope. He was pretty quiet on the way home, and when we got back to his apartment, we just hugged good night and that was that.”
“What kind of hug? Like a close, lingering embrace?”
“Not really. Just more of a friendly or brotherly thing.”
“Boo.”
“Then I spent the next several hours lying in bed, talking myself out of knocking on his bedroom door.”
“Why didn’t you do it?”
“Mostly because I’m afraid of rejection.”
“Mabel, I highly doubt he would reject you.”
“Okay, but that could be even worse! Because then I’d be afraid of opening the floodgates for feelings I won’t be able to control. I could drown, Ari. Falling for him would be disastrous for me.”
“Are you sure you’d fall in love with him?”
I thought about Joe’s voice and his blue eyes and his laugh and his hand on my back—protective and strong. “Kind of.”
She sighed. “Well then, be careful.”
“I will. I’ll see you when I get back.” After ending the call, I lay there for another minute or two. When the baby gave me a little kick, I laughed. “Are you awake too? Are you hungry?” Sitting up, I swung my legs over the side and reached for my glasses on the nightstand. “Let’s go find something to eat.”
After pulling on some sweatpants and a Two Buckleys Home Improvement hoodie, I shuffled out toward the living room. I made a cup of decaf and popped a plain bagel in the toaster, then I took my coffee over to the living room window. Once again, the view took my breath away. The tree branches were bare now, their spindly fingers reaching up toward an overcast sky. Snow flurries danced outside the glass in a blustery wind. In the distance, the lake was gray and choppy. Sixteen stories below, people hurried up and down city streets, huddled in winter coats and scarves and hats.
I wondered what Joe and I would do today. If we were a couple, it was the kind of Saturday we might spend wrapped in blankets, cuddled up on the couch, watching nostalgic movies and stuffing our faces with bad-for-you snacks.
But we weren’t a couple, he probably hated old movies, and judging by the condition of his body, he didn’t eat things like potato chips and ice cream.
The toaster popped, and I headed back to the kitchen. I spread some butter on the bagel and ate it along with some strawberries. After breakfast, I took a shower and dressed in my maternity jeans, a ribbed white tank top, and a loose,fuzzy gray cardigan. I’d forgotten to pack my hair dryer and I didn’t see one in the bathroom, so I just left my hair to dry on its own. Barefoot, I wandered back out toward the living room.
On my way, I peeked into his bedroom. Not because I wanted to invade his privacy, but just out of curiosity.
He’d left the door open and his bed unmade. His clothes from the bar last night were still on the floor. Glancing over my shoulder, I pressed my lips together and took a step inside.
The room smelled like him, and my body’s reaction was swift and visceral. My nipples tingled. My core muscles clenched. Next thing I knew, I felt his bedroom rug under the soles of my feet. Knowing this was wrong and I was acting crazy, I hurried around to the side of the bed he slept on and stopped, listening for his key in the lock. Hearing nothing, I quickly slipped into his bed and pulled the blankets up to my shoulders. Closing my eyes, I inhaled the scent of his sheets.
Suddenly the heat clicked on, and the noise sent me bolting from the bed and scurrying out to the living room, my pulse pounding as hard as my heels on the wood floor. After catching my breath, I laughed at myself and vowed I would not do that again.
I had about an hour until Joe was due home, so I grabbed my phone and stretched out on the couch. But it wasn’t long before I began to doze off. Figuring I’d just take a quick catnap, I closed my eyes.
When I woke up, I discovered someone had removed my glasses and covered me with a chunky, cream-colored knit blanket. I sat up slowly and saw Joe in the kitchen. My phone and glasses were on the coffee table.
“You’re home already,” I said. “Did you get back early?”
“No. It’s two-thirty.”
“It is?” I blinked in surprise. “Oh my God. I had no idea I’d sleep for that long. I just meant to close my eyes for a minute.”
“That’s okay. Your body must need the rest.” He turned on the tap and filled a glass with water.
