Brief Encounters_The Encounters Series

by Scarlett Hopper

  I let out a breath and close my eyes. My lips are still mere centimeters from his, but I know this can’t ever happen.

  I pull away from Jess and attempt to defuse the situation by making a stupid joke.

  “Well, I guess I’ve had more to drink than I thought,” I say through a forced laugh.

  Jess, still clearly as confused as I am, lets out a breath and reciprocates my smile. Both of us, clearly unsure of what to do next, stand there for a moment more before I speak.

  “It’s pretty late and I have to work tomorrow, so I’m gonna head home.”

  The uneasy smile on Jess’s face vanishes, and now he just looks sad, hurt almost. I hate to hurt him, but us being together isn’t an option. I don’t want to ruin our friendship.

  “Do you need me to take you home, Els?” he asks, more of a plea than a question.

  Knowing that wouldn’t be in either of our best interests, I shake my head. “I’m okay, just gonna catch a cab home. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Yep, I’ll see you then, Els,” he says with a small smile.

  I shoot him a quick smile back and quickly walk to the exit of the club, but not before asking myself, What the hell have you done, Eleanor Ivy?

  Runaway

  Seven a.m. and I’ve been tossing and turning all night. I can’t get last night out of my head, going over and over what happened—or should I say, what nearly happened. I know I need to talk it over with Jess, but I don’t know where to begin.

  Sorry I nearly kissed you, but it can never happen again because I have a whole set of baggage I know you’ll never want to claim.

  Yep, that would definitely go down well. I don’t know what came over me last night, but one thing I do know is that it can never happen again, not if I want to keep my friendship with Jess.

  After letting my mind consume me for the past several hours, I realize I need to pull myself together if I’m ever going to leave the house today. And today is not a day to be stuck in bed. I have to meet Jess at Dina’s by eleven a.m., followed by the team’s huge game this afternoon, something I definitely can’t miss, because lord knows the message that would send. Not to mention I’m probably going to have to call Roger back at some point today, you know, if I plan on keeping my job.

  I slowly pull myself out of bed and head toward the shower, hoping to scrub off the memories from last night. As I walk to the bathroom, I notice Viv still isn’t home, something I’m taking as a good thing for her and Will.

  I enter our icy bathroom, and the cold tiles give me goose bumps on contact. I hurry over to the shower and turn on the hot water, then let the steam fill up the tiny bathroom. The moment I step in and feel the hot water encompass my whole body, I feel a little bit of relief. This situation with Jess is only going to be as bad as I let it be.

  After literally and figuratively cleansing myself, I hop out of the shower and into a fluffy white towel that has my initials on it, something Viv got me as a housewarming gift. I dry myself, then throw on a pair of blue skinny jeans and a loose black blouse.

  Before I leave the bathroom, my phone rings.

  It’s Jess.

  Even though I’m unsure what to say to him right now, I know not picking up will be sending the wrong message.

  Taking a deep breath, I answer the phone.

  “Hey, Jess,” I say, attempting to feign normality.

  “Hey, Els, did you get home all right last night?” He doesn’t sound too annoyed or hurt, so I take this as a good sign.

  “Yeah, I was super tired, so I just went straight to sleep.” I pause, not knowing how to continue. Take a picture, folks, ’cause this is the first time Eleanor Ivy has been at a loss for words.

  As if knowing I’m stumped, Jess cuts in.

  “Els, do you want to talk about last night? Or forget it happened?” His tone isn’t hostile or hurt; he seems to be unaffected.

  Wait, is he serious? He’s almost making it harder on me because he’s being so cool about all of this.

  Realizing he’s probably waiting for my response, I answer.

  “Jess, it’s not that I want to forget. But last night—I just wasn’t in a good headspace. And you mean so much to me that I don’t want to ruin our friendship. You know me, I don’t do relationships, so I don’t want a brief moment to destroy everything. I’m not saying we forget this ever happened; I just think we acknowledge that we got caught up in the moment but nothing happened, so we move forward.” I pause, waiting for a response.

  “Jess, is that okay with you?”

  The anticipation as I wait for his reply nearly kills me, but I finally get the answer I need.

  “Eleanor, this is me acknowledging we had a brief moment last night. And now this is me moving forward from it.” I can almost hear the smile in his voice as he speaks. “Els, you mean more to me than a stupid drunken mistake. You and I are all good. I just wanted to make sure we were on the same page.”

  I let out a deep breath, and a smile finally appears on my face.

  “Thank god, Jess Parker, because I don’t know what I would do without all of your inappropriate remarks throughout my day,” I say with a giggle. “So are we still on for today?”

  “Any chance we can reschedule that for tomorrow? My dad just called me saying he needs to see me today before my practice, and he’s not someone I want to piss off right now. He’s planning on coming to the game, so I don’t want to mess this up.”

  I don’t know a lot about Jess’s dad, only that his parents divorced when Jess was five and Jess took his mother, Caroline’s, maiden name. From what I’ve gathered, it was a very messy divorce and Jess grew up with his mom and stepdad, Bill. Jess and his dad had only reconnected a few years ago after a falling out, but I don’t have many details on it. Like me, Jess keeps it to himself, except for the night of the kickback. I’m not sure I like Jess’s father, but if he comes to the game, I’ll put on a good face for Jess’s sake.

  “Yeah, that’s completely fine, Jess. I’ll see you tonight at your game anyway. I’m sure you’ll spot me. I’m gonna be with Viv, and I’m sure she’ll be screaming her head off,” I say with a laugh.

  “Oh, I’m sure I’ll spot you both a mile away. Oh and Els, I wanted to ask you. Any chance you would want to drive to Boston with me tomorrow? My mom is having this gala at the house and she wants to meet you. Don’t feel any pressure, but it’s an option if you wanted to meet her.”

  I think my heart just grew by ten sizes. Jess wants me to meet his family. This is a big deal for our friendship.

  “I would love that, Jess,” is all I manage to get out.

  “Awesome. Anyway, I better go; we have practice soon. I’ll see you later, Els.” And with that, he hangs up the phone.

  Maybe everything is going to be fine after all.

  “Is there any way I can convince you to extend our agreement?” Roger asks.

  “No,” I answer almost instantly. “It isn’t you, Roger. You’ve been more than generous to me over the past two months, but—” I cut myself off, not wanting to give him any personal details, so I just lie.

  “I don’t do long-term engagements, and by the end we’ll have been seeing each other for nearly three months, which is longer than I ever intended. So no, I’m sorry, but I can’t extend the agreement.” My voice is stern and to the point. With things like this, there’s never any reason to beat around the bush.

  “I really thought I could make you want to stay, but I guess I’ll just have to make the most of the next two weeks then,” he says with a devilish grin.

  “I wouldn’t worry too much about losing me. I’m sure women are lining up for you,” I reply with a false smile.

  Shit, why did I say that?

  “Have you ever wondered why I hired you, Eliza?”

  I don’t answer, too freaked out over the fact that this is the one question I always try to avoid.

  “I don’t need to pay women to sleep with me, Eliza. Maybe that makes me a prick that I can so blatant
ly state that, but it’s the truth. With you, it’s not about that. Yes, I mean, if we could ever progress there it would be a bonus, but it’s not about that. I don’t know what it is about you, but your ‘don’t give a shit’ attitude entices me, and it’s your companionship I desire. For now, at least.”

  His words leave a bitter taste in my mouth and send a shot of fear down my spine. Not fear of Roger himself, but what he wants out of this whole arrangement. I quickly get up and begin looking around.

  As I walk around Brando’s town house, I note the lack of personality in it. There isn’t a single photograph on the walls; instead, they are all white with the occasional painting, each of which I assume is worth all four years of tuition for me at Breslin.

  As my hands graze across the grand piano, I can’t help but wonder about his family. Does he have one? Any children? And if so, what would they think if they knew about me?

  “What are you thinking about?” His question pops the thought bubble in my head, and I consider saying nothing, but my curiosity gets the best of me.

  “Your family,” I reply honestly. “I mean, do you have one?”

  His expression changes, and I feel as though I’ve crossed a line. “I’m sorry. That’s none of my business. Just forget I asked,” I say as I turn to stare out the glass wall that overlooks the city.

  I hear him get up from the leather sofa he’s on and walk over to me. He surprises me by wrapping his arms around my waist. Although I’ve been with him nearly two months, I still feel a sense of awkwardness when he touches me. My relationship with Roger hasn’t gone past the occasional goodbye kiss, but I know he always wants more. That’s one thing I will never do. One thing I can’t do. Jobs like this one with Roger are not normal for Vivian and I. Men almost always want more when it is a long-term agreement.

  “Don’t apologize, Eliza. Your honesty is what I like about you. Don’t feel the need to censor yourself around me.” He pauses before answering my question about his family. “I was married once, but it didn’t work out. I guess I’m not the marrying type.”

  “I’m sorry,” I whisper, but I can’t tell whom I’m sorry for.

  “Don’t be. I was never family material. I only let them down.”

  Before I can say anything, my cell goes off. It’s Viv, so I excuse myself to take it.

  “Hey,” I answer.

  “Ellie! Where are you? The game starts in an hour and we decided to do pre-drinks with Claudia, remember?”

  Shit.

  “Crap, Viv, I totally forgot. I’ve been with Brando all afternoon, and time got away from me. I’ll leave right now, but I don’t think I can make it to pre-drinks. Can I meet you at the game?” I ask as I rush into his living room and begin collecting my stuff.

  “Yeah, that’s fine, Ellie. We’ll meet you there, but hurry!” I hang up the phone and pull on my shoes. Unfortunately, I’m wearing a tight black miniskirt and a white chiffon blouse that shows way too much cleavage. Definitely not the appropriate attire for a hockey game, especially when combined with my black suede high-heeled boots.

  “I’m so sorry,” I say hastily as I get myself together. “I have to be somewhere, and I totally lost track of time. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  Roger doesn’t seem mad at all while he calls his black town car for me. I insist on taking a taxi, but he makes it clear that Sam, his driver, will be taking me.

  I guess I can’t argue with a free ride.

  It only takes me forty minutes to get to the stadium, but even though I’m early, it’s still packed. There are fans painted in orange and blue with the words Go Breslin Tigers written across their jerseys. Two months ago I had no idea who our school mascot was, but since becoming friends with all the guys, it’s become something I need to know.

  I spot Viv and Claudia at the entrance and hurry over to meet them before I lose them in the crowd.

  “Ellie!” Viv yells as she spots me. “Thank god you’re here! Now we can all go inside. The guys left us passes so we could see them right after the game.”

  “Nice,” I say with a smile and then go and greet Claudia. Since I met her, we’ve hung out with her and the guys a bunch but never just the three of us. It’s nice having a new person in the mix, and I think Viv thinks so too.

  As we walk into the arena, I can’t help but notice Vivian’s getup. She has bright-blue skinny jeans on with an oversized Tigers jersey that says “17” on the back. It’s Will’s jersey number, something he gave her before his first game. Viv’s hair is in a high ponytail with orange-and-blue ribbons springing out of it, encompassing her blonde curls. She almost reminds me of a peppy cheerleader with the two orange stripes across her face.

  Claudia, on the other hand, is more toned down in appearance. Her dark hair is down as usual, and she’s also wearing a jersey to support Wren. Then there’s me, in a miniskirt and high-heeled boots. I know Jess is going to have a field day about my outfit.

  I haven’t seen him since last night, but when we spoke this morning, he told me everything between us was fine. Although I believe him, I’m still anxious.

  As we find our seats, we get into a deep conversation about an econ professor at Breslin and the apparent affair he’s having with one of his students. The next twenty minutes go by pretty quickly as our conversation shifts from affairs, to romcoms, to a possible shopping day we might be going on next week.

  Finally, the speakers come on. The announcer introduces the teams playing, the Breslin Tigers and the Boston Hounds. Seriously, though, who comes up with these names?

  The arena then falls silent until the captain of the Tigers skates out. I think Jess said his name was Charlie Rhodes, but I could be wrong. The crowd suddenly goes wild, screaming out to the players. Eventually the guys all skate out, including Will, Wren, Wolf, and finally Jess. Viv is going crazy next to me, screaming, and I see Will look up and wink at her, which takes her over the edge.

  “I LOVE YOU, WILLIAM RUSSELL!” Vivian screams in my ear, and I think it nearly deafens me. Claudia is the complete opposite of Vivian in this moment; she’s standing with a huge smile on her face but is keeping the screaming to a minimum. Looking at the players on the ice, I can’t help but notice how attractive all of them are. Each and every one of them is extremely different visually, but attractive nonetheless. I can see why there are so many girls in miniskirts here.

  Crap. I’m wearing a miniskirt.

  As I finish admiring the players, my gaze lands on good old Jess Parker. He has his usual grin, but this time he’s directing it toward me. He eyes Vivian, and we both know he’s laughing at her overt display of affection. Suddenly my phone vibrates, and I look away from Jess to read the text.

  Haven’t seen you in a while.

  Let’s catch up soon.

  —D

  Good old Dylan Scott. I haven’t really “hung out” with him since Jess told me how much he disliked him. I mean, we still talk in class and he gives me the occasional tip on how to pass an upcoming test, but besides that, I haven’t gone out of my way to see him. It just hasn’t felt right. I decide it would be rude to completely ignore the poor guy, so I shoot back a quick reply.

  Been v. busy.

  I’ll text you.

  —E

  Now that I’ve gotten that squared away, I can focus on the game. Well, I can at least try. I honestly have no idea what’s going on, even though Jess has explained it to me multiple times.

  We’re on the third period of the game, and there’s only thirty seconds left on the clock. The Tigers are up by two goals, but the other team is coming fast. I’m so lost at this point that all I know is Jess and Will basically have to defend their goal area so the other team doesn’t get a point.

  Watching the game is giving me anxiety, and I’m freaking out as the clock counts down and a member of the other team attempts to get a goal. Players skate back and forth, invading one another’s personal space on a whole new level.

  My eyes attempt to follow the puck as Wren skat
es down the ice with it, but then a member of the opposing team cuts in, stealing the puck. Everyone is on edge as it gets closer and closer to the Tigers goal. Closer and closer to Jess and Will.

  The other team is about to score, mere feet away from the Tigers goal. Everyone seems to be focusing on this player, number 13, the one about to score. But Jess and Wren don’t seem fazed. Wren and Wolf have managed to block the other team’s distracted defense, and Jess is more alert than ever.

  Then it happens.

  On the last three seconds, Jess Parker gets the puck from the other team and shoots. The offensive team’s goalie dives at the wrong time, crashing into the ice. Jess shoots from all the way at the other end of the rink, and the puck goes in. It fucking goes in!

  The crowd goes wild, and I can’t help but stand up and cheer too. This shit is exhilarating. Jess’s teammates surround him, and the crowd starts chanting, “Parker.”

  And then he does it. He freaking points to me and nods. Dozens of heads spin in my direction to see whom he’s pointing at, and I feel my cheeks burn red hot. Vivian is going crazy next to me, and for some reason I can’t get the goofy grin off of my face. God, I’m going kill him.

  I don’t know what it is, but something in me tells me to give the crowd what they really want, so I do. I slowly lift up my right hand and blow him a kiss. The crowd loves it and starts screaming even louder. Jess, being his usual self, shoots his hand out to “catch it” and then pretends to put it in his pocket with a wink. I’m mortified by my own actions, but I can’t help laughing, and lord knows I’m not the only one. Claudia and Vivian are in stitches next to me.

  As we circle through to where the guys are postgame, Vivian can’t help but freak over what I did.

  “It was just so unlike you, Ellie. I loved it!” she gushes.