by Jackson Kane
Judy came back with a pile of clothing and began handing them out. I noticed she had her own puffy coat in the pile.
“Would you mind dropping me off?” she asked with eyebrows turned up slightly. It wasn't an urgent pleading expression, but she obviously didn't want to be here anymore. “I know it’s bad out there, but I don’t think I'm too far out of your way.”
I couldn't blame her; I sure as hell didn't want to be here either.
“Sure,” I replied, helping Jackie into the last of her winter coat, gloves, scarf, and hat. “My driver, Byron, is a Marine vet. He can drive anywhere.”
The snow had picked up while we were at the King residence, enough so that the ride to her place took twice as long as it would've otherwise. My limo driver was from here and assured me it wouldn't be a problem, as long as they went slow.
At some point, Jackie had fallen asleep laid out between us; she had her head on my lap and her legs on Judy. I'd asked Judy if she minded, but she didn't. It looked like she enjoyed it even.
“You ever thought about having kids?” I asked.
“I've thought about it.” Judy laughed, looking down at Jackie wistfully. “I love kids, but come on....”
“You're great with her,” I said. Judy shrugged and looked out the window. Odd. Was that a sore subject? “I understand kids aren't for everyone. Hell they definitely weren't for me back in my MVP days.”
“What changed?” Judy asked distantly, gazing at the heavy snowfall through the tinted windows.
“Fate, I guess.” Fate was also cruel. It gives and it takes away.
For a few minutes we sat in silence and the lights automatically dimmed into a low, cool driving hue. I pushed away thoughts of Heidi.
Judy battled whatever was going on in her own head. I wished I knew her better. I wanted to remove some of the anguish that was plainly written across her face.
Five years ago, Judy danced into my life so briefly at the exact wrong time, and now again at the exact wrong time we had these three not-dates before we parted ways forever. It was almost déjà vu, but so much worse.
We we're reliving a moment that never happened.
“What happened in Germany?” Judy asked abruptly. “I mean, I know the story, the one on the news at least. Luke naked and drugged out of his mind, crashed through all the band equipment during a show. But...” She turned to face me. The soft blue lighting in the accents, doors and ceiling cast her in an ethereal glow. “What role did you play?”
It looked like she was made of stardust.
Beautiful.
“Why did he deck me, you mean?” I glanced at her. The dull pain throbbed like it was taking a nap and woke up by me mentioning it.
“That. Yeah.” She cringed at what I might say. Her face crinkled up as if it were sore too.
“The reason Lucas was naked was because he was fucking my date during the band's instrumental solos.” I said the words flatly. I barely remembered the girl now, but I was fuming back then. At the time, I was angrier that he made me look like a chump than I was upset about my date.
I was such a different person now, that it felt like it happened to someone else.
“Really?” Judy was all wide-eyed and jaw agape. She couldn’t believe it. “How did you not kill Luke for that? I'd have been pissed.”
“I was there for the all-star games that year. I was going to beat the shit out of him, but he was already such a mess on drugs that it wouldn't have been satisfying. I told the tourism committee that one of us was leaving in a body bag if they didn't get him the fuck out of Berlin. They ended up banning his whole band from playing anywhere in that city.”
“That's why his band dropped him.” Judy pushed her air out, as if finally putting some puzzle pieces together in her head.
“I guess.” Once I flew back home, I buried myself in pussy and football until I eventually met my wife. I kept that part to myself, not because I was ashamed of any of it, it just led to... dark places that I didn't want to think or talk about.
“He never actually told me the whole story,” Judy mused.
“Probably because it made him look like an asshole,” I replied. Jackie stirred on my lap, so I brushed down her hair until she settled again.
“What was he talking about? Who's Aaron Miller? Luke mentioned him earlier. My dad actually mentioned him to me, too, right before you jumped out of your helicopter.”
Fucking Aaron Miller.
I rubbed my forehead. “He was my coach. This short, angry man with a sadistic chip on his shoulder. He felt that I owed all my success to him because he originally scouted me. I broke my contract and retired right before the championship game that would’ve made him statistically one of the best coaches of all time. They lost because of it and the history books passed him by. To put it nicely, we didn't get along.”
We fucking hated each other.
“Oh yeah!” Judy lit up. “I saw his interview on Oprah. Well, part of it. I turned it off when he went on and on about you diluting the 'integrity of the game'.”
“That whole thing was part of his retaliation against me.” I exhaled darkly. That was right after the accident. That fucking asshole.
That was a long time ago, I reminded myself. I took a deep breath and changed the subject to something less infuriating. “Why can't the King family fund the stadium? Their net worth has only risen since Richard took over all facets of the family business.”
“They didn't want it built in the first place.” Judy shrugged
I chuckled and muttered, “Of all the things to agree with them on... but still, Caldwell Hope is synonymous with that family.”
“It's... a long story. But due to some crazy shenanigans that brought the brothers back together, they're kind of broke now. I mean by billionaire standards,” Judy clarified. “Gloria explained it once to me and it made my head spin.”
The car slowed to a stop just outside Judy's condo.
“This is me.” She scooched as carefully as possible, trying to prevent Jackie from waking up. Jackie flopped over gracelessly and did her best sleeping starfish impression.
“It's slippery out there.” I prevented my daughter from falling off the seat, then laid her down more comfortably. I grabbed a small blanket to cover her, then stepped out of the car. “I'll walk you out.”
“Oh, you don't have to,” Judy said, carefully walking around the back of the limo to the walkway. Then she fell.
I reached out, snapped my arms around her shoulders and just barely caught her. I was surprised that I didn't topple over with her.
“You were saying?” I asked, looking down at her.
“I'm okay.” Her feet kicked out and slid against the ice-covered walkway, then eventually found their footing. “You're fast. How'd you even do that?”
“I'm good with my hands.” I held her a little longer than was necessary before letting her go. It felt nice to have her in my arms.
“I'm sorry about dinner,” she said when we reached her door.
“You didn't know.” I put an arm against the wall for extra support. I couldn't believe how icy everything was. Someone could get really hurt. Who was supposed to maintain this area?
Judy unlocked and opened the door slowly. Despite what happened at the King's house, I didn't want the night to end just yet. Time slowed when she turned to face me; her green eyes shone brightly in the dim light. Red, from the cold, touched her cheeks. The air quietly crackled between us. I felt like a high schooler bringing his date home.
Had I ever had this moment? I wondered. Even back then I'd never been on traditional dates. Between studying and football practice, I never had the time.
“I had a lot of fun kicking your ass in video games earlier.” Her lips spread mischievously; the winter chill robbed them of their rosy glow. The snow had tapered off. Residual flakes were swept up in the cutting breeze. Judy recoiled against a burst that peppered the side of her face.
“What did Molly whisper to you at the arcade?�
�� I pulled my glove off and thumbed the cold white specks from her cheeks.
“She said that you were the best kind of trouble and warned me to be careful.” She opened her eyes and stared into mine.
“That’s at least two warnings now.” I slid my hand into the back of her hood and pulled her closer. “Do you think she’s right?”
“I think you’re a lot of things.” Judy closed her eyes again and allowed herself to feel my hot breath on her lips. Her words became nearly inaudible. They were meant only for me. “Trouble is definitely one of them.”
Her lips were tinged with cold, but beyond that, she was fire and lust. She all but fell into me as the brief peck I gave her turned into something more. I took my time with her, tasting and feeling her mouth with my own. Every flick of our tongues was magic, and lights, and warmth.
I wanted to stay in that moment until the sun burned out of the sky.
“Dad?” Jackie asked loudly through a crack in the window.
All good things..., I thought, with no small degree of disappointment. Our lips parted with a small pop. Judy lurched forward a few inches, not wanting the kiss to end either. Being a parent was the best thing that ever happened to me, but Goddamn if it wasn't inconvenient now and then.
“Mr. Walker... I—” Judy gasped in breath, as if she'd only now remembered that she needed air to survive.
“Call me Garrett.” I smiled at her, then turned back toward the limo and my daughter.
Thirteen
Judy
I sipped my coffee and gazed into the spitting, crackling fire oblivious to the families and couples that wandered around me. The Twin Pines lodge at the base of Beaverkill Mountain thrummed with activity, but I was too lost in the kiss from last night to notice any of it.
Call me Garrett.
Those three words echoed in my mind and heart as I stared into the dancing flame of the central hearth.
My mind had been drifting all last night while I painted and throughout the day today. I was beyond useless at work. Monica sent me home after grilling me on every detail about my meetings with Garrett. I told her everything.
Everything but the kiss.
That was mine.
Two young lovers came in from a long day's worth of skiing. Their infatuation was so strong that it was impossible not to notice them. They'd removed their bulky coats and snuggled up together on the long bench near me. Whispered words, stolen breaths, and countless kisses passed between them.
Watching them was like stepping into a time machine. They were a glimpse at what we could've been, had our lives been different when we met. Could Garrett and I have had this?
A wave of sadness rolled over me at the sight of such exuberant love. They didn't have a care in the world, other than themselves. How nice that must feel.
What am I doing?
I looked back at the fire feeling stupid. Stupid for dreaming. There was no future for us. There wasn't even a present. I was here to sell him a deal, and he was obligated to listen to me for one more day.
It didn't mean anything. It was just a kiss—a warm, soft, exploratory kiss that ended far too soon.
My mind started drifting again to seeing him in the gym. It made my body ache to be crushed beneath him. I could still feel his big, strong hands close over my shoulders from when he caught me last night.
A shiver rocked me, from between my shoulder blades straight down to my inner thighs. Just the thought of him began to get me wet. I had to start carrying an extra pair of underwear in my purse if I knew I was going to see him.
How could one man be so sexy?
“Hi.” The crisp, deep voice from behind the long bench spoke into my ear.
“Jesus!” I startled in my seat, and pressed a hand to my chest. Was I thinking about him so hard that I actually summoned him? I wished I went to Hogwarts so I could learn that spell.
“I've never been called that before,” Garrett said carelessly as he rounded the bench. He pointed downward. “Typically they associate me with the other guy. I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long.”
“No,” I said, trying to calm myself. Fuck, his voice was hot.
Garrett wore black-and-red snow pants and a coat. Even the bulkier winter clothing looked neatly tailored to him. It fit snug but was still loose enough to move. He also wore a face mask that was pulled down to the chin and goggles that were slid up over his eyebrows.
Was he planning on skiing? I thought we were here to talk with management and go over their numbers. This was part of his “community gauging”. He wanted to see how the other big tourist attraction in the area was doing.
“I think we'd better hurry though.” I straightened myself. I wasn't kitted up like he was. All I had on was boots, pants, a blouse—with a bust line a little lower than what was work appropriate—and a cardigan. “I think the mountain is closing up early today. I thought it was from the blizzard they say is on the way, but now I'm not so sure. I think there might be some sort of special event going on tonight.
“We'd better hurry then.” Garrett replaced the goggles and face mask with a low-slung baseball cap.
It wasn't until we reached the executive elevators, and after he was stopped by some bubbling fans, that I realized why he wore the ski gear. It was for anonymity. Duh!
Garrett Walker was handsome, powerful, sexy beyond belief, and amazing at everything. But by being so close to him these last few days, it was easy to forget that he was also a celebrity. A big one, too.
It wasn't just that he was a football hero. He'd been in movies, and had cameos in music videos. In his prime, before he stepped away from it all, he had been an A-list public figure. Everyone knew his name and face.
Garrett politely signed a few autographs, which included a little boy's shirt, then took a selfie with the kid's mom. Soon the few people that surrounded him became a small mob, all of them wanting his picture and signature. Fortunately the elevator doors opened before we were completely overwhelmed.
I immediately felt claustrophobic. I liked people, but this was quickly becoming too much. It was all so aggressive. How did he deal with that everywhere he went?
“Does that ever get old? The whole being famous thing? I can't imagine what it's like to have everyone know me wherever I go.”
“It's something I had to accept a long time ago.” Garrett shrugged easily, then after a short time he added, “It does bother me a little when I'm with my daughter. I've sold myself to the public, but they have no right over her.”
Garrett's expression darkened a little.
I opened my mouth to comment, but thought better of it. It must be hard to know that strangers were taking pictures of your little girl and saying whatever they wanted about her in the press. It wasn't my place to talk about that sort of thing with him.
I was still basically a stranger to him too.
“Did you have someone clear my walkway?” I asked half-jokingly, wanting to lighten the mood a bit.
“No, of course not.” He scoffed at the absurd notion. He was a billionaire, that sort of thing was extremely beneath him. The doors chirped, then opened onto a landing before a floor lined with cubicles. A young man in a polo and khakis was armed with a broad smile and waited patiently for us. Garrett held the elevator doors open for me to exit first. “I did it myself.”
“Yeah, I didn't think so. I just thought it was weird that—” I mindlessly walked out, then stopped and jerked my head back toward Garrett in disbelief. “Wait, what?
My overactive imagination pictured him out front of my condo tossing heaping shovelfuls of snow to either side of my walk way. In my head, he was naked to the waist, and the windswept snow that struck him steamed off his corded muscles.
“I wanted to make sure it was done right. I couldn't risk you slipping and breaking your neck before our last… meeting.” Garrett stepped past me and shook the hand of the man waiting for us.
I couldn't help but smile when no one was looking at me. That couldn't hav
e been the real reason. Could it? Gah! Garrett was so frustrating. The second I thought I had him figured, he threw me a curveball.
We were soon joined by the resort's owner and his wife. They took us on a tour of the facility and answered all of Garrett's questions. Garrett's customary surgical precision came across in the conversation. He quickly put the owner back on his heels.
Everyone scrambled to accommodate the Grim Reaper of Wall Street any way they could. When Garrett turned on his corporate tone, he was downright terrifying. Sharp and thorough, he could slice right through people to get to the truth. I wondered if anyone could hide anything from him.
And God help the poor fool that gets in his way.
Garrett eventually got what he needed from the shaken couple and ended the meeting curtly. He wasn’t impressed and he let them know that, but ever the professional, he thanked them for their time.
Honestly, I was a little surprised by the ski resort’s lack of certain safety precautions. They were staggeringly understaffed for what they needed. It wasn’t my problem, so I tried to put it out of my mind. I had enough on my plate. By the time we got back into the lodge, the sun was just about to set and all of the guests, tourists, and customers had all left.
The mountain was now closed.
“Care for a drink?” Garrett asked, making his way to a nearby bartender in an adjacent room.
“Here?” I asked. “I think they're closing.”
“That wasn't what I asked.” Garrett turned away and nodded to the bartender. He ordered two glasses of wine.
I slowly made my way toward him as I glanced around. An employee put another log on the fire, then began tidying the area up and tending it. Behind him, I saw the ski shop and cafeteria were still open. All the staff was present in fact. Through the big windows I could see that the mountain itself was lit and the ski lifts were all on.
They only thing that was different was the lack of patrons.
So they weren't closing. It must be a private function then. Either way we'd still have to leave.
Garrett tipped the man, then handed me a glass. “Have you ever been night skiing?”