by Nancy Adams
“Anchovies?!!” Kitty said, alarmed. “Aren’t those little smelly fish?”
Ash nodded his head sadly, as if it were some sort of great tragedy.
Kitty made faces as if she were about to be sick. “Yuck! Gross! Blah” She grabbed her tummy and attracted the looks of the other members of the team.
“What? What’s gross?” our goalie asked her. And the others turned and waited for her answer as well.
“Coach eats little fish on her pizza!”
“Ewww!” and “Why would she do that?” echoed across the table.
Before I could defend myself, Ash came to my rescue. Again. “Hey, hey! Simmer down kiddos. I’m sure coach doesn’t eat smelly little fish on her pizza. She eats things like mushrooms probably.”
I shrugged guiltily. “Yep, I sure do.”
“Mushrooms!!! Ewww. My mommy told me that mushrooms are a fungus. My dad had a fungus on his foot and had to put medicine on it,” added the goalie.
I groaned as the goalie’s father looked away from the table embarrassed and his wife smothered a laugh.
“How about an all-cheese pizza? How does that sound?” Ash asked, trying to salvage the moment.
I smiled at him gratefully. “That sounds delicious.”
He got up to order a pizza, and I found Kitty staring at me with a knowing look.
“My uncle likes you,” she said matter-of-factly.
I was caught off-guard by her words and I tried to downplay what she had said. “He’s a nice guy. We get along well.”
“No, he likes you likes you. You know like, Coach and Uncle Ash, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!” She said it in a sing-song voice, and I winced as the rest of table chimed in.
“First comes love, then comes marriage. Then comes Coach with the baby carriage!”
If there were a hole, I wished I could have disappeared into it.
Thankfully, the goalie’s father got them to settle down. “Kids do say the most unexpected things.” He shot me an apologetic look. And then lowered his voice as he said, “But I think they might be right this time.”
His wife looked at him with annoyance for talking to me, and I looked away. I knew she was the jealous type, and we really needed our goalie. I laughed to myself.
Thankfully, soon after that, Ash came back with my pizza. I was surprised that one side was all cheese and the other had mushrooms.
The kids saw my pizza and began to comment. Ash held up his hand and said, “Hey, don’t judge. I know you all love peanut butter and jelly, but I hate the stuff. You don’t see me judging you guys.”
“How could you hate peanut butter and jelly? That’s crazy,” another player said, and I couldn’t help but laugh.
Ash shrugged. “Well then, I guess that’s just because I’m crrrrrrrraaaazzzzy,” he said making a goofy face, which made all the kids laugh. He winked at me and I smiled back, feeling as if we were sharing some sort of secret. Ash seemed to like coming to my rescue. I wasn’t used to that, but it felt nice. Better than nice. Growing up, only my grandmother had been my personal cheerleader. I barely remembered my parents. And I had always been the boldest of my friends. Sarah had been too concerned about dogs. And Marie, well, to say she had been a bit uptight would be an understatement. Still though, I loved my Grandma and felt Marie and Sarah were the best friends a girl could have. I was just used to coming to my own rescue…and ordering my own pizza.
I took a slice of my pizza and bit into it. “This is delicious.”
He smiled at me. “You’re welcome.” He then leaned in close and said, “Don’t tell anyone, but I was a vegan for ten years. I love mushrooms.”
My mouth fell open and I punched him in the shoulder. “And yet you mock me.”
“I couldn’t help it.”
Suddenly, Mario’s filled with music, and I realized then that one of the patrons had selected a song from the jukebox. It was a popular pop song, and everyone at the table started singing, parents included.
The children jumped up and started pulling at my arms.
“Come on, Coach. Come dance with us!”
Never one to be shy, I readily jumped up and started bouncing around with the kids. The other patrons clapped and sung along. It was like a party in Mario’s. I saw Kitty trying to pull Ash up. He resisted, so I sashayed over to him and yanked him out his chair.
“Be gentle with me,” he joked, before starting to dance with me. He did a funny two-step and I laughed at his lack of rhythm. I spun around him, doing the robot, and we were both laughing our heads off. He then grabbed my hands and began twirling me. It looked like some sort of tango and I was out of breath from laughing so hard.
It wasn’t until a few seconds later after the music stopped that I realized Ash was still holding my hands. I looked down at his hands, which completely obscured mine, and then I looked up and met his eyes. He was smiling down at me and didn’t seem in a rush to let me go.
It was then that I felt someone tugging at my shirt. It was Kitty.
I extracted my hands from Ash’s grip, immediately missing the feel of his hands as I let go. I studiously didn’t meet his eyes, but I could feel his gaze on me.
“What’s up?” I asked, grateful for the distraction.
“We’re going to go to the cupcake bakery down the street after this. You’re going to come too, right?”
I was about to say yes when I remembered my date. “Uhh, I don’t know…What time is it?”
Ash reached for his back pocket and pulled out his cell phone. “Just after three thirty.”
My eyes widened and I went to reach for my purse, when he caught me by my hand. “What’s the rush? Stay awhile. What? Do you have a hot date tonight or something?”
For some reason, I felt bad as I said, “As a matter of fact, I do.”
The amusement in Ash’s eyes disappeared and his expression became closed. “I hope it’s not with that yahoo from the other week.”
“Nope. I don’t have the habit of making the same mistake twice. But thanks for your concern,” I said, more snappish than I intended.
He held up his hands and said, “Hey, I’m not telling you who to date. Just maybe you could make better choices when it comes to men.”
I didn’t like his tone. I didn’t like his advice. And I especially didn’t like him telling me what to do.
“Watch yourself, Ash. Don’t overstep your boundaries.”
“Wow,” he said, taken aback. “Excuse me for even saying anything. Have a great time tonight.” He took Kitty’s hand and walked away. Kitty shot me a questioning look, but then shrugged and waved bye.
I said bye to the other kids as well and then made my way out. I walked to my car, and before getting in I glanced back at Mario’s. I watched as Ash turned around and looked towards my car. Our eyes held and then he shrugged, gave me a little smile and turned away.
Was I interested in Ash Jefferson? Because Ash definitely seemed interested in me. Sighing out of frustration because I hated being confused about my own emotions, I slipped behind the wheel and drove away.
Chapter Four
I was so angry. I was running late to my date and I wasn’t exactly happy about my chosen outfit. I was supposed to be meeting Hugo at a dog park not too far from his home. I honestly didn’t know what to wear to a dog park. Short? Jeans? I also didn’t know what to bring. Purse, no purse? It was all a mystery to me, and I started to wonder why I had agreed to an afternoon date at a dog park.
I guess it was because we had met online. I felt it was safer to meet in the day and in a very public place. He had suggested the dog park, and I had readily agreed.
I was a little nervous as I pulled up. I had decided on a pair of polka-dot shorts and a pink tank top. I had great legs, and I figured why not show them off a little. I wore pink sneakers that matched my tank top and didn’t feel silly about my outfit until I pulled up. What was I thinking? I looked like a five-year-old girl had dressed me.
I figured spending so mu
ch time with the soccer team was to blame, which made me think of Ash again. Did he actually have a thing for me? Or was he just interested because he was on the rebound? Wasn’t he recently divorced? I pushed thoughts of Ash aside; after all, I was on a date. Sort of.
I felt a little awkward that I was the only one there without a dog. I belatedly thought about borrowing a dog from Sarah. I was sure she had plenty.
I was trying to avoid being run down by a giant German Shepherd chasing a ball when I heard someone call my name.
I turned in the direction of the voice and smiled wide. It was Hugo. And he was just as gorgeous in person as he was in his online photo.
He walked up to me with a wide smile. He was dressed in shorts and an athletic t-shirt. He was kind of on the stocky side, not fat, just a naturally big man with wide shoulders and a barreled chest. He seemed huggable, and when he enveloped me in his arms, I realized that he totally was.
His body dwarfed my own, and I was caught off guard by his affection. I found it sweet, endearing even. I liked Hugo already. And if the way he smiled at me was any indication, he was also very interested in me. Or he at least liked what he saw.
I decided to flirt a little. “So what do you think of my polka dots?” I asked, placing my hands on my hips and posing like a pin-up girl.
He placed his hand on his chin, which I noticed was covered in a five o’clock shadow. He looked as if he was really concentrating, but his eyes lingered on my legs. I smiled smugly and he met my eyes.
“You wore those tiny shorts on purpose, didn’t you?”
“What? You don’t approve?” I was enjoying myself.
“No, I definitely, definitely approve. A-plus.”
I smiled at him and said, “Are you kidding me? Just A-plus?”
“A plus, plus?”
“Now that’s more like it,” I said flirtatiously, and then I said, “Ok, my turn.”
He looked at me confused. “Your turn for what?”
“My turn to blatantly check you out. Come on, do a little turn.”
I began to chuckle as he did a little spin and then smiled at me from over his shoulder.
He was silly, and I liked that. Obviously, he didn’t take himself too seriously, and that frankly was a relief, especially after my date with Leo.
“So what do you think?” he asked as he turned around.
I copied his expression from earlier, putting my hand on my chin as if in profound thought. “Gosh, this is a tough call.”
“Do I at least get a passing grade?”
I tapped my chin, squinted my eyes and said, “I think you get a C-plus.”
“Are you kidding me, woman? I’m more than a C-plus. I’m obviously above average. Did you check out my calves? I have the calves of an Olympian.”
I motioned for him to turn around again. He did so and placed his hands on his hips.
When he turned back to look at me, I said frankly, “You’re right, your calves are a very strong B.”
“And the rest of me?”
“About average,” I said decisively.
His laugh caught me off guard. It was rich and deep. I secretly began to think that Hugo was definitely a real catch. A man who could laugh at himself definitely was relationship potential.
“So which one is yours?” I said, turning to look around at the dogs that seemed to be everywhere. It was like standing in the middle of a doggie playground. There was a doggie splash pad area. There was a doggie obstacle course. There was even a pond, and several dogs were splashing in and out of it.
One particular dog was coming out of the pond when he stopped at the shore and started to fling his hair around to dry off.
I laughed, and then Hugo whistled and the dog came barreling towards him. The animal in question was a golden lab with too much energy, and apparently it was unstoppable. It lunged towards Hugo and knocked him over, standing on his chest as it covered the man with sloppy kisses.
“Wow, Hugo. Get a room,” I joked.
He attempted to sit up and said a command to his dog in French. Before I could ask what it meant, his dog happily came over to me and began to rub its damp fur against my legs. In a few seconds flat, I was covered in wet dog hair.
“Gross, gross, gross!” I said, trying to push him away. Apparently he thought it was a game, since he then jumped up on me, his front paws landing on my chest.
Hugo came to my rescue, issuing a command, and his dog licked my face and fell back down to the ground. He sat and looked at me with eager eyes as his long tail repeatedly hit the ground in excitement.
“Libby, this is Olivia, my sweetheart.” He then leaned down and said, “Olivia, say hello to Libby.” Olivia raised her paw, and even though I was covered in fur, I couldn’t be angry with her. At least I hadn’t worn dark jeans, or else I would have been spending all night with a lint brush.
I bent down slightly and shook Olivia’s outstretched paw. “What a classy lady. Very polite. She’s a charmer.”
“You’re being diplomatic, given that she’s covered your legs with fur. It’s kind of cute. You look like a modern-day cave woman.”
“Oh shucks, thanks Hugo,” I said sarcastically. I then turned to Olivia and said, “Do you think maybe you could teach your human companion to be as charming as you are?”
“What do you mean? I taught her everything she knows.”
I stood up and said, “Oh? I really couldn’t tell.”
He extended his elbow to me. “Care to join me for a walk, my fur-covered lady?”
I pretended that I didn’t understand. “Are you talking to me or the dog?”
He smiled at me teasingly. “Both.”
I tucked my arm around his, and together we walked with Olivia around the dog park. I found myself enjoying Hugo’s company. He was easy-going and so fun to talk to. He spent most of his time teasing me, and I enjoyed our banter.
“So you’re a soccer coach in your spare time?”
“Yeah. I played soccer when I was younger.”
“Why didn’t you go pro? Haven’t you seen Bend It Like Beckham?”
I laughed. “I had other ideas for a career that didn’t include being a professional athlete.”
“Ahhh…so what were those career aspirations?”
“Well, to be my own boss was one.”
“And I’m guessing you made that happen?”
“Yep.”
“Of course you did. You’re the type who knows what she wants and goes after it.”
“Really? You can read me that easily?” I said, suddenly feeling a little self-conscious.
“I’m just good at reading people.” He shrugged boyishly and gave me a small smile. “So what exactly is it that you do?”
“Actually, it’s more like what don’t I do? I have so many businesses. I had an online jewelry business. I sold that, bought a couple of more online businesses. I then expanded them. Sold them for a profit. Now I’m looking for the next venture that will hopefully net me a profit.”
“Wow, so you’re like an angel investor?”
I laughed. “I definitely wouldn’t go that far. I don’t nearly have that much capital. I’m small time.”
“You’re being modest. You’re like an online corporate raider and you just don’t want to admit it. You’re like the Genghis Khan of the online world.”
“You flatter me. Keep it up. I like it.”
“Your wish is my command, my lady.”
“So tell me about what you do.” I realized that we had only talked about me and we had barely discussed him.
“I don’t do much of anything.”
“Oh, are you a trust fund baby or a vagabond?” I said, stopping to stare up at him.
“A little bit of both.”
I was intrigued. “What does that mean?”
“I manage my family’s foundation. That’s pretty much my main job.”
“Your family in the U.S. or in France?”
“France.”
“Do yo
u travel there often?”
He shook his head. “I avoid being there as much as possible.”
“Ouch. Does your family there drive you crazy?”
“You have no idea.”
He led me to a bench and we sat down together. He gave me space, not sitting directly next to me, and I appreciated that. He was definitely a gentleman. I’d dated guys who would deliberately sit super close just to look down my top. I was starting to give my grandmother some credit. Maybe she had been on to something with this whole online dating thing.
“So, do you spend part of your year here and part of it there?”
He shook his head. “I go whenever I’m needed.”
“That must be expensive.”
He shrugged. “The foundation pays for it. Have you ever been to France?”
I shook my head. “Honestly, growing up with just my grandma we were barely scraping by, so I didn’t really have the luxury of backpacking through Europe.”
“You should go sometime. You would love it.”
“What makes you so sure?”
He shrugged. “Because I said so.”
I shook my head while smiling. “How can you be both cocky and charming at the same time?”
“I don’t know. Just blessed, I guess.”
“Blessed? Your Southern roots are showing,” I teased.
“Yeah, my mother’s mom made sure that every time I visited I went to church. She was Baptist. I grew up Catholic. How about you?”
“Hmmm…we went to a Presbyterian church, a Methodist church, a Church of the Nazarene and I think a Lutheran church at one time.”
“Wow, you made your rounds.”
“Religion was sort of an adventure for my grandmother.”
“I can tell. If you don’t mind me asking, what happened to your parents?”
“They died in a car accident.”
“I’m so sorry.”
I met his gaze and knew from the look there that he was one-hundred-percent genuine. His apology was heartfelt. “I lost my father at an early age. So I can identify.”
I found myself opening up to him then. We talked about growing up without our parents. As we talked, I watched Olivia run around in circles, having a ball. And before I knew it, the sun was going down.