Empty Net

by Toni Aleo

Tate’s chuckles ran up her spine and then he said, “Bye, Audrey.”

  Going slow since she was still worried about her head, she jogged off, thanking the Lord that she didn’t give in to her desire to ravish him in the park, but no one said she couldn’t fantasize about it as she ran.

  It would make the run more pleasurable in her opinion.

  ~*~

  Later that morning, Audrey lay at her desk with her face in a pile of paperwork. Her body was aching from the tip of her toes to the top of her head, complete with a new lump, thanks to a stupid pole. What was she thinking? She should just accept the cellulite, love it. Find a man who would love it too, who would eat icing off it. It would be way better than running and being all healthy.

  With a sigh, Audrey knew she would go again tomorrow despite her aching muscles.

  Trying not to move, she reached for her ringing phone to see that it was Fallon calling. Hitting answer, she groaned, “Hello?”

  “Jeez, what’s wrong with you?”

  “I went running this morning, my body hurts.”

  “Why on earth would you do that?”

  Audrey shook her head and grimaced in pain, “Some people don’t have a sexy Fallon body that can eat anything and not gain a pound.”

  “You don’t need one. You have a sexy Audrey body.”

  “Oh I do, and I want to stay that way, but I’ve been eating a lot of cupcakes lately.”

  “Yum, bring me some.”

  “Will do, so what’s up?” Audrey asked.

  “Nothing, just wanted to chat,” she said. Audrey could hear her moving papers and the phone ringing in the background as she continued, “Did you watch Survivor last night!?” Survivor used to be their thing when Fallon lived with Audrey. They loved Wednesday nights with their favorite show. A big bottle of wine for Fallon, beer for Audrey and a bowl of popcorn to share and they were in heaven.

  It hadn’t been like that for months, Audrey thought sadly. Fallon probably watched it with Lucas now. But that was fine; Audrey was going to start watching it with Tate.

  “Not yet, I’m watching it tonight.”

  “Why are you waiting?”

  Audrey shrugged as she said, “Tate hasn’t watched it yet either, so we are watching it tonight.”

  “Tate?”

  “Tate Ooooooodder,” she giggled then stopped since it hurt her head, “You know, Tate, Lucas’ friend.”

  “I know who he is, and why are you dragging out his last name?” Fallon asked but didn’t wait for the answer and went on, “But no, really, why are you watching it with him?”

  “We’ve been hanging out,” Audrey said simply.

  “Like, hanging out…or just watching TV.”

  Audrey smiled, “Just watching TV. He’s my neighbor, we’re cool.”

  “Oh, okay. Please don’t tell me you’re back with Levi?”

  “No,” Audrey answered, “but he hasn’t stopped texting me about how we should just keep fooling around.”

  “Ew, I think I just threw up in my mouth,” Fallon groaned, causing Audrey to giggle even if it did hurt her head. Fallon could be so funny sometimes.

  “Oh hush, I haven’t talked to him in a while, no big deal.”

  “Yeah, I guess. Too bad Tate isn’t older huh? I think y’all would be cute together.”

  Audrey paused, sitting up slowly, “So you think Tate is too young too?”

  “Well yeah, you’re close to 30, he just turned 21. That’s a big gap.”

  “So if we were to get together, you’d think it was weird?” Audrey asked. She didn’t know why she asked that. It was basically an opening for her to admit she liked Tate, but she needed to talk to someone other than Piper about it. Piper thought Audrey getting with Tate was the best idea since slice bread, but Audrey needed someone else’s opinion about it.

  Fallon paused, “Well no, I wouldn’t. I just want you to be happy. The guy could have one leg and nine eyes but if he made you the happiest girl on earth, nothing else would matter.”

  “Well that’s good,” Audrey answered, biting down on her lip.

  “Why? Is it more than just watching TV?”

  Audrey paused, trying to choose her words wisely. When she still hadn’t answer, Fallon asked, “Audrey?”

  “Yeah, I’m here,” she finally said, “No, it isn’t more, but he wants it to be.”

  “Wow, really?”

  “Yeah, weird huh?”

  Fallon scoffed, “Hell no, it isn’t weird. You’re gorgeous and amazing, why wouldn’t he want to be with you?”

  “Because I’m older than he, shouldn’t he be with someone his own age?” Audrey asked, leaving out the part about her being a dried up hag who would never be able to give him children.

  Fallon paused before she said, “Are you really letting that bother you?”

  “I guess I am, but you just don’t understand,” Audrey said sadly, “I am scared that he only wants sex. I don’t want another Levi.”

  “Tate isn’t like that. He’s a good guy, Lucas thinks very highly of him.”

  “I know but I…”Audrey stopped, and shook her head. What the hell was Audrey doing? “I slept with him already.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Yeah, it was before I knew who he was.”

  “Wow, oh my gosh, when?”

  Audrey could tell Fallon was shocked. She was doing that sputtering thing she did when she didn’t understand something or was completely out of her element. She’d be okay, Audrey had to tell her. “The night of your bachelorette party.”

  “So what? Like a one night stand?”

  “Yeah.”

  “With Tate?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Oh my God, wow. I’m totally stunned. I didn’t know you did that kind of thing,” Fallon said slowly, “I am totally stunned.”

  “I don’t! It was a onetime thing, I got into a stupid fight with Levi and then I went to the bar where Tate was. He gave me a sexy grin, and batted those baby blues and I was a gonner!”

  “They are intoxicating,” Fallon agreed, “but Tate? Wow. I didn’t know it was this advanced.”

  “What do you mean, advanced?! It hasn’t gone anywhere. We are getting to know each other. I’m trying to figure out if I should…you know, advance it.”

  “Audrey Jane, you slept with him after knowing him for what…a few minutes? Then you proceed to get to know him afterwards. If you were really worried about him wanting more sex then you wouldn’t be getting to know him. I don’t believe this ‘I’m too old and he only wants sex crap’ so tell me, what is keeping you from moving forward with who I think is a great guy?”

  Audrey didn’t even think, she just said, “My insecurities.”

  “Audrey Jane, really? You are fantastic, you are--”

  “Fallon, stop,” Audrey said interrupting her, “I don’t need your ‘Audrey, you are fantastic speech’. I know I am awesome, but there are things about me you don’t know, things I’m not ready to tell you.”

  Fallon surprised Audrey by laughing. “Then why did you just say that? You know I’m gonna bug you till you tell me.”

  Audrey rolled her eyes, “Bye, Fallon.”

  Hanging up the phone, Audrey knew she had messed up, but maybe it was her subconscious. Maybe she really did need to tell someone. Maybe then she would know if it was worth the shot with Tate.

  Or maybe she was just an idiot.

  ~*~

  A couple hours later, Audrey was standing on her porch, knocking on Tate’s door. She was nervous, and she didn’t understand why. Was it because she had spent an hour trying to cover up the horrible bruise on her head and hoped she still looked good. Or was it because she had flirted with Tate earlier that day and really didn’t mean too? She didn’t want to lead him on, she wanted to be honest, but it was just so damn hard to do the right thing. She just wanted to know what to do. She wanted a handbook, one that would tell her who her husband would be, what he would want from her, and that they would live Happily
Ever After.

  When the door opened, Audrey blinked a few times to make sure her eyes were still in her head. Breathing wasn’t optional. Audrey felt like she had just run 20 miles. Her legs were numb and she found herself bracing her hand against the door frame to keep her from falling to the ground and praising the gorgeous man-pop who stood in front of her.

  Tate stood tall, his jeans hanging low, and unbuttoned. Oh, and, he had no shirt on.

  “Hey, come on in,” he said with no care in the world.

  Still standing in the doorway Audrey watched as he cleaned, making his way around the living room quickly. His pants kept falling, giving her a peek of the white skin that stayed hidden in the jeans. Tate would pull his jeans up and then continue whatever he was doing, like it didn’t matter that his ass was almost on display for her.

  “Your pants are undone,” Audrey said when her mouth finally started to move.

  Tate looked down, and then looked up at her, smiling sheepishly, “Yeah, these pants are a little tight.”

  Audrey blinked twice as he continued to move through the living room, picking up odds and ends. Her eyes did a trail down his beautifully sculpted back, before stopping on a great ass for a guy. When he turned, reaching up to put a book on a shelf, Audrey’s head tilted to the side, and her mouth fell open as she took in the beautiful view. Not only did Tate have mouthwatering abs, along with a V cut pointing to his groin, but that damn vein that drove her mad was there, pulsating, calling her name, begging to her to lick it.

  Ahh! Look away Audrey!

  Looking up at the ceiling, she groaned, “Isn’t there a shirt you can put on?”

  ***

  Tate looked up at his guest and smiled. He had gotten back from the Sportsplex later than he would like. It was a long, grueling practice, (Coach Bacter wasn’t holding back) and Tate’s body was aching, but it was a needed practice. The Assassins were about to face some tough competition in the southeast. The guys needed the points, so they needed the practice. After taking a quick shower and finding the nearest jeans, he proceeded to make his condo presentable for Audrey. He was excited to have her over and nervous all in one. It was weird to feel like that, and he found that only being in goal and Audrey could do that to him.

  Tate didn’t understand it, but he liked it.

  Now he was standing, shirtless, in his living room with Audrey gawking at him. He didn’t know what to do. Should he play it cool, ignore her roaming eyes, or should he let his pants fall and hope for the best? The latter was a Lucas move and since Audrey was still in this ‘just friends’ thought of mind, he decided that was maybe too much.

  So he only let his pants drop a little. When he heard the intake of breath, he smiled and pulled them up, slowly, before moving on to the next thing to clean. Looking over his shoulder, he saw that Audrey had finally made it inside, and was standing beside his couch.

  “How’s your head?” he asked, turning to look at her.

  Her eyes fell to where his hands were holding his jeans and then back up to his face. She blinked twice before swallowing loudly, “I think I might have run into another pole and not known it.”

  Tate’s mouth picked up at one side as his gazed zeroed on hers, “Why’s that?”

  Audrey shook her head, “No comment, anyways,” she said turning to face his couch as he chuckled softly. She wanted him, and she was fighting it. He would let her fight it, because when she finally gave up, it was going to be glorious acting on all the sexual tension that was building between them. “What the hell is this?”

  “My couch,” he answered looking over at the hanging couch he had brought from home. It was a beige color and hung from four chains that were braced to the ceiling. He had four nice plush green pillows that matched the rest of the décor. The couch used to hang in his room in his parents’ house and he liked being able to put it in his own place. It reminded him of home and he missed it when he lived in Florida.

  “That’s a weird couch,” she said before running her fingers along the back of it, “I’ve never seen one like this.”

  “I brought it from home; it is one of my favorite pieces.”

  Audrey smiled as she nodded, “That’s cool.”

  “Yeah, dinner should be here soon. I ordered from SATCO, the taco place.”

  Audrey nodded, “Awesome, I love tacos.”

  “Me too. Oh! I got you something today,” he said, heading to the kitchen. He reached for the pink sparkly cupcake stand and turned to hand it to her. Audrey’s eyes lit up as she took the stand, examining it before flashing him a grin.

  “Oh, Tate, I love it.”

  Tate smiled, “Good, you said you wanted to collect stuff, I thought cake stands would work. What do you think?”

  She hadn’t stopped grinning as she nodded, “I think it’s a fantastic idea.”

  “And when you open your own cupcake place, I forgot what you called it,” he said, waiting for her to supply the word.

  “Cupcakery,” she said with a bright smile.

  “Yes, cupcakery,” he said slowly since the word was sort of hard to say, “when you open that, you can display your creations on the stands you’ve collected.”

  Audrey nodded, “Thank you, Tate.”

  Tate nodded, feeling good about his gift, “You are welcome. So, question,” he said moving around the kitchen, getting out two waters for them.

  “Shoot,” she said as she reached for the bottle he had out for her.

  “If you did get a cupcakery, what would you call it?”

  Audrey smiled shyly, and Tate lost his breath, he loved that smile. She moved her fingers slowly along the label of the water bottle before looking up at him, “It’s so cliché.”

  “What?”

  “Audrey Jane’s,” she said without looking at him.

  Tate smiled fully, “It is perfect.”

  She looked up quickly, her cheeks a bright red as she looked at him like he had just held the Lord Stanley Cup above his head. “You think?”

  “Hell yeah, it suits you. I bet the shop would be bright pink with sparkles huh?”

  She giggled as she nodded, “I found these amazing tables that are actually made to look like high heel shoes! Amazing, right?!”

  Tate shook his head as he chuckled, “You really should do it Audrey, I for one, would be there every day.”

  Audrey smiled, smacking his arms softly as she rolled her eyes, “It’s a pipe dream.”

  “That could be a reality; you’ve just got to believe in yourself.”

  Audrey stopped smiling as she laid her bottle on the counter, “I do believe in myself.”

  “Then do it.”

  “I can’t, I’ll disappoint my dad and--”

  “Who cares? This is about you, what makes you happy.”

  Audrey didn’t answer as she looked down at the counter. Tate felt like he had crossed the line, but he was a blunt person, and he believed in Audrey. She had this amazing talent and she was wasting it, sitting behind a desk. She could do so much more if she would let herself do it.

  “Question,” she whispered.

  Tate looked up, “Yeah?”

  “What would you do? If your dad didn’t want you to play hockey but be a part of the family business?”

  Tate eyes never left hers as he said, “I would do what makes me happy. Call me selfish, if you must, but I’m not living this life for anyone but me right now. My dad did what made him happy, and encouraged me to follow my dreams.”

  “You know what you want, huh?”

  “Oh yeah, always have.”

  “I wish I could be like that,” she said sadly.

  “I think you could be. You should give it a try.”

  “Maybe.”

  Tate smiled as he came around the counter, “Come on, let me show you what my mom wanted me to do with my life.”

  Audrey gave him a bright grin before he turned heading up the stairs. He showed her the bathroom, which was extremely plain, then his bedroom that was done in
a soft beige color with black accents. Grabbing a t-shirt off his bed, he threw it on, before walking across the hall. Looking over at Audrey, he said, “I think this is the room that is connected to your closet. By the way, how do you like it?”

  Audrey’s eyes went wide and glossy as she nodded in delight, “Oh my God, I love it. It took me hours to put up my shoes, but man, was it worth it.”

  Tate chuckled before opening his door, “Good, so this is the room that keeps me for hours when I’m not at the rink.”

  He watched as she walked past him, and stood in the middle of the stark white room. Along the middle of the walls was a large musical staff that started with a large treble clef before heading into the notes of his favorite classical song. In one corner were Matilda’s and his violins. In another were his acoustic and bass guitars and in the middle of the room was his vintage piano that had been passed down from his great, great, great, grandma. It was a dark wood finish, with bright white keys that he had just had redone. It was a beauty, and his favorite thing, other than his goalie helmet that Matilda had designed for him.

  “Wow.”

  Tate smiled as he glanced over at Audrey, “This is my favorite room.”

  “It’s spectacular. What song is that?” she asked pointing to the wall.

  “Ludwig van Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata, it’s my mom’s favorite,” he said as pain ripped in his chest. How many times had he played the sonata for his mother? Millions?

  God, he missed her.

  “That’s so cool, can you play it?” Tate only nodded as she looked around the room, “You play violin too?”

  “Yeah,” he answered again.

  “Wow,” she said again, running her fingers along the strings of his violin, “Will you play it for me?”

  Tate didn’t even think, he just nodded, picking it up, along with the bow. He shot her a grin before bringing it to under his cheek and slowly moving the bow along the strings. Audrey watched his every move, but he was too lost in the music to be affect by her intense gaze. His eyes drifted shut as he hit the crescendo of the song, moving his bow as quickly and efficiently as he knew how. When he finished, he opened his eyes to Audrey clapping for him.