by Kris Bryant
We talk for over an hour and, when I hang up the phone, I’m smiling. It’s nice to be wanted and have a close friend again. The friends I had before Alison faded away because they got tired of Alison’s controlling ways. I’m still considering getting a cat though. I could use the companionship twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. My phone dings. It’s a message from the weekend answering service at Elite. I’m surprised they didn’t call me instead.
Sorry to bother you, Dr. Sims, but one of your old patients, Elizabeth Stone, wants your personal number.
Stone’s probably mad that I haven’t texted her yet. I’m just so confused. I need time to get my relationship with Alison out of my system. It’s only been a few weeks since we broke up. I’m just now starting to eat three meals a day again.
I have her #. I’ll give her a call. Thanks.
I know I need to at least tell her I’m not going to go out with her tonight. It’s the right thing to do.
Hi Stone. Doc here. I still don’t think tonight is a great idea.
I gently place the phone down and wait. I wonder which Stone will respond. The angry, bitter one, or the seductive, sexy one. Several minutes go by before my phone chimes.
What’s your address? She isn’t going to take no for an answer. My stomach flutters. I shiver, remembering Friday. What she did to me in less than five minutes was so raw and exciting.
We can’t.
Yes, we can. Don’t worry so much. Let’s just go out and have fun. Pick you up at 7. Early night, I promise.
Why does she have to make it so appealing? How am I going to resist her?
Come on, Doc. Don’t make me beg. Because you know I will.
Damn it. I sigh. I type my address, then erase it. Then, type it again. I stare at it for a long time. I hit send and squeeze the phone tightly.
I’ll see you in a few hours.
Holy fuck. I have no idea what to wear, where we are going, or what we are doing. I jump in the shower and even though I tell myself nothing is going to happen, I spend a great deal of time making sure I’m smooth in all of the right places. It’s too early to get ready so I spend some time unboxing clothes. I turn on the television, hoping it will keep my mind off Stone and last Friday, but I’m hopeless. Locker rooms will never be the same. The fact that it was all spontaneous made it ten times hotter. My cheeks heat up thinking about how strong and passionate she was with me. I’m disappointed in myself for agreeing to this date so soon after Alison. Not upset enough to cancel with Stone, but just enough to come down from my previous high.
Chapter Eighteen
By the time I hear the doorbell, I’m a complete wreck. My entire wardrobe is on the floor in my room. I finally settled on a pair of nice jeans, boots, and a cashmere sweater. I curled my hair an hour ago, but it fell from trying on everything in my closet and from running around trying to look good without looking like I was trying. I take a deep breath and open the door.
“I was worried you wouldn’t answer.” Stone looks sexy and dangerous. Always. Thankfully, I’m not overdressed. She’s also in jeans and a sweater. She’s wearing hiking boots, the right one partially unlaced and loose.
“How’s your leg?”
“It’s fine, Doc. I promise. A little swollen, but my therapist once told me it’s going to be swollen for at least six months.” She flashes me the sexy smile that’s only hers and I shake my head at her.
“Do you want to come in for a minute or do we need to leave?” I’m so nervous.
She reaches out and runs her hands up and down my arms. “I’ll be on my best behavior, okay?” Her eyes are happy and relaxed. Her hands are warming my arms and I can’t help but believe her. If this is her best behavior, I’m going to be in trouble when she misbehaves. “Let’s go. You can show me your place another time. I’m sure you’re still trying to get it organized.”
“It’s a total mess. Especially my bedroom,” I say, then groan. “I mean, I’m still trying to organize my closets and it’s a disaster.” She walks me to the passenger side of her SUV and opens the door for me. “Thank you.” I lean over and open her door after she closes mine. “Where are we going?”
“There’s a tiny restaurant near my place. Excellent food and a quiet atmosphere. I think it’s a great start for us.”
“Stone, let’s just take this day by day and not put too much into it. I still hate myself over being weak around you.”
She reaches out and squeezes my hand. “You’re not weak. You’re strong around me. You’re one of the strongest people I know.” She doesn’t know how hard it is to resist her, to resist my feelings for her. I’m holding so much of myself back. “Tell me how you found that house. Have you been looking?”
“No, Gloria knows the family. When I told her I needed time off to look for a place, she suggested it. It’s cute, but wouldn’t have been my first choice. I just needed to find something fast. I only signed a six month lease.”
“I think it’s great. Just quiet. I love living downtown. There’s always something going on and always something to do. Your neighbors are probably going to hate you whenever you come home late or have your TV up too loud.” She winks at me to let me know she’s kidding. She might be right. I know nothing about my neighbors. It’s just a matter of time before they come over to introduce themselves. I think both sides have kids and dogs, based on the toys in the yards and the barking I hear. Cats. They’re the answer.
“Are you allergic to animals? Do you have any pets?” I ask.
“No. Why? Do you have pets?”
“I’m thinking about getting a cat. I want to have an idea of what I’m getting into before I rescue one. Or two.” With a house that size, I should consider two.
“Cats are great. We have a few at the orchard. They’re outside cats that hang out in the barns. Some cats love to be inside, curled up, and sleep all the time. Our cats never seem to sleep. They’re always on the prowl,” she says.
“I want the inside cat who wants to curl up and snuggle with me,” I say.
“Then you better get a dog because you never know what you are going to get with a cat. Dogs are trainable. Cats have a mind of their own.” She’s serious about it.
“Maybe I should hold off then until I get settled and figure things out,” I say.
She nods. “Or get a cat that’s older and has already expelled most of its kitten energy.”
“You strike me as a dog person. Like a Labrador Retriever person. Or maybe a Husky. Please don’t tell me you have a pocket Chihuahua named Pip who is probably somewhere in the car right now.” I glance around as if a tiny dog might pop out.
Stone laughs a deep throaty laugh. “You’re right. I like big dogs. They’re fun to play with. I’m afraid of little dogs. They like to get underfoot and if I step on one, I could inflict serious damage. I’m not a tiny person.” That’s true. She’s all muscle.
“You’re very graceful so I doubt you would squash an animal. Plus, you’re not much taller than I am and I think I’m pretty quick on my feet.”
“Doc, I’ve been on crutches, in different casts, and braces. How could you possibly know I’m graceful? I’m the klutziest person in the world right now.” She pulls up to a tiny restaurant, parks, and turns to face me.
“Friday. On the ice. You make skating look smooth and easy. Watching you the other night was beautiful. You’re very talented. It’s going to be fun watching you in action during a game.” I quickly add that last part about a game because otherwise it just sounds so wanton. I’m not a brazen person. My sex life gives vanilla a run for its money.
“Thank you. I really have missed it. Honestly, I didn’t push myself. I just wanted to see how it felt to put skates on and if my leg and ankle would bend the way I need them to,” she says. We exit the car and walk up the tiny cobblestone sidewalk to the front door.
“Elizabeth! Where have you been? How is your leg?” A tiny Italian man greets Stone with open arms and she walks into his embrace.
&nb
sp; “Frank, I’m sorry I haven’t been around. I’ve been staying at the orchard. Nothing beats my mother’s fussing. You know that.”
“You will do anything for attention, won’t you?” They laugh for a bit. “Now who is this beauty on your arm?”
Stone turns to introduce me. “This is Hayley Sims. She’s the doctor who helped me get better.”
Frank leans forward to kiss my cheek. “Thank you. Hockey is everything to this girl. She and my Sophie used to skate all the time together when they were little.” He holds his hand at waist-level to show me how little they were.
“How is Sophie?” Stone asks.
“Very busy with the grandbaby. She’s beautiful. I have a beautiful family.” He walks us over to a small table in the back. “I’ll be back with the wine. Sit, please.” He pulls out the chair for me.
“Oh, my God. He’s great. And how come he gets to call you Elizabeth?”
“I’ve known him since I was four. Sophie and I skated on the same team for ten years. Then she got interested in boys and hockey wasn’t important anymore. Frank and his wife still came to our games in high school because they knew everyone on the team. They have always supported me so I support them the best way I can by allowing them to call me Elizabeth.” She winks at me.
“You’re supposed to dial back the charm. You promised,” I say.
She straightens in her chair and stops smiling at me. “Yes, Doc. Would you like a recommendation?” she asks.
I smile. “Please. Tell me what you love most.”
“Any diet restrictions? Allergic to anything?” she asks. I shake my head.
“Then I recommend their lasagna, meat or vegetarian. You can’t go wrong with either.” I smile at her.
She winks at me again and quickly purses her lips together to keep from smiling at me. “Go ahead and smile. I was teasing anyway.” We order the lasagna and dig into the warm breadsticks Frank delivers to the table.
“Can I just say how nice it is to eat pasta and carbs?” I say, sighing as I take another bite of the freshly baked garlic breadstick. I almost moan with pleasure, but then I remember who I’m with and suppress it.
“I have to eat them.”
“Poor you. Every woman wishes she had your problem.” I smile so she knows I’m teasing.
“I burn so many calories every practice and every game. If I didn’t eat as much as I do, I would wither away into nothing. Truth. I tried some high protein juice diet thing some of the other players were doing and dropped a ton of weight. That made me weaker on the ice,” she said. I can’t imagine her skinnier. She’s perfect the way she is.
“I wish I had that problem,” I say.
“You look great just the way you are.” She’s not smiling this time. She gives me the same look she gave me down in the locker room. I shiver and look away. She is too intense.
“Thanks.” I was going to tell her the reason was Alison’s insistence that we eat healthy food, but I don’t. I’d rather not let Alison intrude on my evening. “I try to eat the right things, but sometimes I just want cheese and butter and everything that automatically finds its way to my hips. That’s why I’m so happy we’re here.”
“You know that if you started tae kwon do again, you could eat everything you wanted and still be fit and trim. I could help you with a work out. Hell, you could even work out with me.”
“Tempting, but I think I just need to get settled and see what happens. My life has been such a whirlwind this last month. I know, no excuses, but I feel like I’m free falling in a way and that probably doesn’t even make sense.”
Stone reaches across the table to hold my hands. “Look, I know I haven’t made your life easy either. I wasn’t understanding when you needed me to be. I should have been your friend.” She leans back in her chair and takes a sip of her wine. “I want tonight to be a fresh start for us. Let’s pretend you weren’t my doctor and we’re just two women who are out on a date. I think we can both relax if we just forget about the past.”
I sigh. “Thank you, but I don’t want to forget about our past. Without it, I wouldn’t be here with you. Want to know the truth?” She nods. “I feel guilty for spending time with you. I feel like we have two strikes against us already. I broke up with my fiancée and we kissed while you were still a patient at Elite. I feel like we’re racing. And the kicker is I don’t want to stop.”
Our food arrives so our conversation halts. Frank is animated and says he hopes I enjoy the food. He waits until I take my first bite. I nod the minute the cheesy noodles hit my tongue. After my approval, he finally leaves us alone.
“Hayley, I left Elite so that this, us, could happen. At least we could give it a chance. We both know that I’m attracted to you. Besides the obvious attraction, I genuinely like you as a person. You don’t care who I am or what I do. Do you know how refreshing that is? Seriously. The first day you had no idea about me, did you?” I shake my head. “So many women want to go out with me only because of who I am. My name. My job. Not me. Not the real Elizabeth Stone. I know that’s my fault. Sometimes that’s just easier. I don’t have to think. I’m tired of that life. I’d like to try to have something real and I’d like to try that with you.” Those sapphire eyes are so vulnerable right now, I want to get up and kiss her. My stomach is quivering again.
I swallow and clear my throat. “I’d like that.”
She nods at me. We continue our meal in silence even though my thoughts are loud. What happens now?
Chapter Nineteen
“I probably owe you hundreds of dollars by now, huh?” Gloria is back in my office digging around for the chocolate donut flavor coffee. I toss her a vanilla latte flavored one instead. We ran out of the other days ago.
“No worries. How’s it going?” I ask. I know she’s in here for a reason.
“I’m just checking in on you. Are you moved in okay? Need anything?” What she really wants to know is if I’ve heard from Alison.
“The house is cute. It’s quiet and peaceful. And yes, Alison and I spoke on Saturday.” Gloria lifts her eyebrows in mock surprise, holding her hand to her heart as if what I’m suggesting is preposterous. I wave her off. “The phone conversation was about five minutes. She’s upset that I won’t tell her my new address. I just don’t think she needs to know.” I’m sure I’ll eventually tell her, but right now the wound is just beginning to scab over. I’m starting to feel strong again.
Last night was great. Stone stayed true to her word. We had a nice dinner and I was home by ten. She walked me to the door, said good night, and left. I was slightly disappointed that she didn’t try to kiss me, but we both agreed to take it slow. It felt like a real date. I closed the door and giggled. I can’t remember too many first dates and how I felt after them, but I went to bed with a smile on my face and our date playing on repeat in my mind.
“She called me.” Gloria drops that bomb.
For a split second, I think she is talking about Stone, but then I realize she means Alison. “Who? Alison? Why? I mean, I’m sure I know, but what did she say?” I’m mad, and I’m trying to be understanding, but it’s hard when your ex-fiancée starts calling your boss.
“Alison is concerned that there’s someone else. She thinks breaking up was a mistake and just wanted to know if there is anything I could do to convince you to go back to her.”
I put my forehead down on my desk and groan. “I’m sorry, Gloria. I really am. She should have never reached out to you.” I finally lift my head up from my stack of folders.
“Don’t worry about me. I can handle it. I just wanted to make sure you’re one hundred percent with your decision.” She patiently waits for my confirmation.
“Yes, I promise. I can already feel the difference in myself. I feel lighter, and as bad as this sounds, happier. Does that even make sense?” I get up and start pacing. “I do love Alison, but there is no future for us. I’ll make sure she doesn’t bother you again. I wonder if she’s already reached out to other people h
ere in the office.” I can just see Tina crying with her over the phone even though she’s never met her. I roll my eyes.
“I don’t think she’s called anybody else at Elite. She knows you and I work closely together. The only other person she might reach out to is Matt.”
“I’ll talk to him. We both have therapy at nine. Thanks for letting me know.” She nods and grabs her cup of coffee.
“You do look happier, Hayley. It’s nice to see you smile again.” No way am I going to tell her it’s because Stone and I went out last night. She will be the last person who finds out about that fledgling relationship.
* * *
Whatcha doing?
I smile and send Stone a picture of my yogurt and apple slices. Not as wonderful as the lasagna from last night. That was incredible. And, no, not one of your apples. I throw in an unhappy face emoji at the end.
The next time I see you, I’ll bring apples. Maybe you can make me another pie?
She’s such a charmer. I understand why so many people want to be with her. I can’t blame her for having a past. It must be difficult to form meaningful connections.
When will that be? I can’t believe I just said that.
How does your week look? We have exhibition games this weekend, which I’m attending, but not playing in.
How’s your leg doing? The doctor in me will always want to know how she’s healing.
I had PT this a.m. The new doc thinks I should be ready to play in a few weeks.
I’m sad that I’m not the one healing her until the end, but I understand. She did what she did so that we would have a chance. Are you skating today?
I will but only for a bit. I have to wear a ton of padding. It’s helped so thanks for the advice. I haven’t pushed myself. I promise.
I trust you.