“Are you kidding me right now?” She throws a pillow at me, waking me up almost instantly.
“Hey! What gives?” I sit up, feeling the strain in my lower back.
She’s already in the other room. I can hear the water running in the bathroom sink.
I look around her room. All the furniture is beautiful handcrafted wood. Amulets and colorful crystals adorn the window sill and the dresser. I can see at least three incense holders and some strange looking cards. It all looks so mystical and mysterious, like a witch’s cabin. I make a mental note to ask her what they are.
The bell rings again.
“Coming!” She calls out.
She rushes back into the room. I notice that she’s already wearing yoga pants and a matching sports bra.
“Didn’t you hear me?” She asks, noticing that I’m still sitting in bed. “I need you to leave.”
“Who is that?” I’m still groggy and half-awake as I squint into the light.
“Clients,” she says. “I need to get to work.”
“Clients?" I raise an eyebrow.
“Oh, please. It’s not what you think. Now come on. I’m already late.”
“What time is it?” I ask.
“Time for you to get out of bed.” She throws another thing at me. This time it’s my boxers rolled up in a ball.
Holding my hand over my junk, I climb out of bed. The sight of my mostly nude body in the daylight causes her to blush. She looks away as she pulls on a tank top.
I smirk to myself.
“There’s nothing you didn’t see last night,” I say.
“Here.” She tosses my shirt to me while still shielding her face. “I can’t believe I did that last night.”
“Don’t live with regrets,” I say. “It’s unhealthy.”
“So is alcohol.” She shakes her head. “Never again.”
“Hey,” I say defensively. “I had a good time last night. I thought we were really compatible together. But if you regret that, that’s on you.”
She looks back at me with wide eyes. “Are you gonna get dressed or what?”
Still naked, I spot my pants. “Almost. I’m just collecting my things first.”
As I grab my last few items of clothes, she decides I’m not moving fast enough and pushes me down the stairs and through the kitchen.
“Hey!” I say, trying to hop into my boxers.
“Sorry.”
She opens the door and pushes me out into the back alley before slamming the door behind me.
“What the hell?” I’m standing outside with nothing on. My bare ass is exposed to the warm August morning. “Thanks a lot, sweetheart!”
I look around and thankfully there’s no one else around to see me in my birthday suit. I pull my boxers on, followed by my jeans.
“That teaches me for sleeping with a witch!” I call out through her half-open kitchen window as I pull on my socks. “You’ll never curse me. You cursed yourself with your regret!”
The door pushes open. Her head pops out. Her wavy shimmery sun-kissed hair is up in a messy bun.
“Are you done?” She asks.
I inhale deeply.
“No,” I say. “This curse is called karma. And you’re going to think about me and what we did, and you’re going to fantasize about me. And when you realize that you can’t have me, you’ll regret more than just last night. You’ll regret this morning too.”
She rolls her eyes. “Is your ego always this huge?”
“It’s not my ego. It’s your behavior.”
“I told you this was a one-night thing.”
“Do your ‘special’ one-night things always end with the guy being kicked outside while butt-naked?”
Her mouth opens and closes. “You know, I thought you were attractive but now you just seem… judgy.”
I pause and smirk. “So, you admit you find me attractive?”
There go the eyes again. She retreats back inside and closes the door in my face.
I lean in and place my lips near the open kitchen window.
“The curse is out there!” I say through the window. “You’re going to fantasize about me!”
She shuts the window.
Pulling on my shirt followed by my socks and shoes, I make my way out of the alley. Having no clue where I am, I check my phone. It’s six in the morning. Only four hours of sleep, if that. Not the best sleep in the world.
“Damn,” I mumble to myself. This night was on its way to being a night to remember, and now it’s a morning I want to forget.
I rub my tired face again. Stumbling back to the main road, I finally message Connor so I can get back home, wherever that is.
***
After a quick taxi ride later, I’m crashing on the comfortable bed in Connor’s basement. It’s an uncomfortable and unpleasant sleep as I wake up a few hours later with a shooting pain in my back.
After a much needed hot shower that only alleviates the pain a little bit, I pull on a clean t-shirt and jeans and make my way upstairs.
“Hello, sleepyhead,” Daisy says in a chipper voice. She’s sitting at the kitchen table and typing on her laptop. “There’s still some coffee if you want some.”
“Yes, please.”
As I pour myself a steaming cup of black coffee, I lean back against the counter and take a big swig.
“So,” Daisy says, turning around to face me with her thick-rimmed glasses. “Where were you?”
“What do you mean?”
“You came home early in the morning. I heard the taxi.”
I furrow my brow. “Did I wake you up?”
She stands up and walks over to me. Despite being six inches shorter than me, she’s highly intimidating.
“This is Connor’s house, but it’s also my house. And Connor is your mentor. He’s too kind to say this to your face, but you can’t bring any trouble here. If you’re dealing with unsavory characters or dabbling with… you know… drugs, then we deserve to know.”
Placing my mug on the counter, I put my hands up. “Hey, I’m not doing drugs or anything. I was just out having a beer with the other new guys and I ended up going home with a lady. That’s it.”
She raises her eyebrows.
“Hey, that judgy face looks familiar,” I say.
“You had sex with a woman you just met?”
I shrug. “Is that a bad thing?”
“I… well, no…”
“And you told me not to bring anyone back here, so I stayed at her place.”
“Well, that’s true.”
“And don’t worry, Mom. I used protection.”
Her cheeks become flush. “I’m not trying to be your mom. I’m just not used to people staying at my house.”
I lean back against the counter. “I really appreciate that you guys are hosting me. Honestly, last night was a one-night thing. I just wanted one last celebration of my young days before I become a full-fledged hockey player. A professional, you know?”
“Yeah.” She pushes her glasses up her nose. “I get that.”
“I promise I’m not some immature guy who’ll be out getting laid every night.”
She nods in approval. “That’s good to know.”
“You know, why don’t I finish these dishes for you?” I look at the two plates and butter knives that are leftover from breakfast. “I can do them after I’m done my coffee.”
“Sure.” She smiles. “Thanks.”
There’s that dishes trick again. It always works.
She sits back at the table.
“Hey, is Connor around?” I ask.
“He’s out for a run.”
“Oh, of course.” I finish the rest of my coffee and start filling the sink with hot water. As I lean over to grab a dish towel, I feel that strain in my back. I let out an involuntary cry of pain.
“Are you okay?” Daisy jumps to her feet.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I just slept funny last night.”
“Oh.” She pulls back,
horrified. “Do I want to know?”
I chuckle. “We shared a single bed. As a guy who’s six foot two, I can tell you it’s not comfortable.”
“A single bed? Seriously? What kind of adult sleeps in a single bed?”
“Right?” I rub my back. “Anyway, that’s never happening again.”
“You didn’t find love with a one-night stand?” She asks without any surprise in her voice. “Shocking.”
I laugh. “If I find love, it definitely won’t be with this woman.”
She looks up from her laptop again. “Why not?”
“I think she was a witch. She was all into crystals and intuition and shit. I’m surprised she didn’t ask me my zodiac sign.”
Daisy snorts.
“And she kicked me out at six in the morning. Naked. And trust me, I wanted to sleep in. I didn’t want to sneak back in and wake you up so early.”
“Yikes,” Daisy says. “Yeah, that’s a bad one-night stand. A single bed and a nude eviction? Ouch.”
“I need a massage. Or some yoga.”
“Oh, there’s a good place on Apple Tree Lane! It’s called The Zen Garden. I usually go to the women’s class but she has co-ed ones all the time.”
“Apple Tree Lane is the place with all the restaurants, right?”
“That’s it! That lane has everything.”
I continue rubbing my back. “Actually, yoga sounds amazing right now.”
Daisy types away at her keyboard. “There’s a class starting in twenty minutes. If you hurry, you can take Connor’s bicycle to get there.”
“But the dishes—”
“It’s fine.” She smiles. “Go stretch out that back.”
“Thanks.”
After putting on a shirt and a pair of gym shorts, I strap my yoga mat to my back and hop on Connor’s bicycle. Apple Tree Lane is only a ten-minute ride by bike and a pleasant one too.
Peddling as fast as I can, I finally get to Apple Tree Lane. After locking the bike up, I make my way down the cobblestone road. I check my watch. Only one minute until the class starts. I pick up my pace.
Apple Tree Lane looks completely different during the day. There are families and groups of friends with shopping bags. Runners are running by while children are playing and eating ice cream. The scene is slightly chaotic as I make my way down the cobblestone road looking for the yoga studio.
Each step I take makes my back ache a little bit more.
Where the hell is that yoga studio?
Finally, I see it. The Zen Garden. I check my watch. I’m only a few minutes late.
Pushing the door open, I see a room full of people already in tree pose. Not just people. Women.
A few of them look up at me with curious glances. I smile and give a polite wave as I tiptoe inside.
Looking for a spot in the back, I look up at the instructor when I see a familiar judgy face.
Uh-oh.
“Keep holding that pose, class,” Jemma says as she rushes over to me. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m here to do yoga.” I hold up my mat.
“This is a women’s only session,” she says in a hushed voice.
“Seriously? Can’t I just practice quietly in the back?”
“Absolutely not! The whole reason these women come to a women-only session is not to have a guy staring at their ass for an hour!”
“I’m not going to stare at their ass!” I say a bit too loudly as the words echo off the walls. All the women are looking up at me.
“Alright, hold your tree pose on the opposite foot now,” Jemma says, looking back at them. “Remember to breathe.”
She looks back at me.
“Is that all you think of me?” I ask. “That I’m just some pervert?”
“No, but rules are rules. You should go now.” She grabs my arm and guides me back to the door.
“Why does this feel familiar? How many times are you going to kick me out today?”
“Shh!”
I turn to face her. “I’m not a pervert.”
Once we’re outside, she looks up at me with her big doe eyes.
“You put a curse on me,” she says.
I smirk. “Yeah, I did. Is it working? Are you thinking of me?”
“Well, you’re clearly thinking of me because you’re here, aren’t you?”
I put my hands up in defense. “I had no clue you worked here. I swear.”
“Yeah, right.”
“I swear!” I’m getting more stares from the women inside. Some of them are looking extremely annoyed. I look back at Jemma. “Listen, my back really hurts and it’s all because of your stupid tiny bed. Either point me to another yoga studio or provide me some of your services. I beg you. Please.”
She stares at me for a moment as she contemplates what to do.
“I’ll pay for a private session,” I say. “How much can it be? Two hundred dollars?”
Crossing her arms, she watches me for a moment.
“Five hundred,” she says.
“Fine.”
Her eyes widen. “Really? You have that kind of money?”
“I’m a major league hockey player. Of course, I do.” I wince as I rub my back.
She stares at me with hesitation. “Fine, I’ll help you. But in an hour. This is still a women’s only class. Please don’t interrupt us again.”
She steps back inside and closes the door, leaving me outside.
“How many times is that going to happen to me today?” I mumble to myself.
I make my way to a nearby bench as the muscle in my back burns. I can’t believe that I’m relying on this woman to make my pain go away—the very woman that inflicted this pain on me in the first place.
I pull out my phone to look for another yoga studio nearby but the nearest one is a thirty-minute bike ride and the idea of walking to my bike hurts just thinking about it.
Putting my phone back in my pocket, I recline on the bench and stare up at the sky. Maybe I’m the one that’s cursed.
JEMMA
“Okay everyone, close your eyes and breathe,” I instruct the class.
I’m silently freaking out. My heart is pounding in my chest. I’m tired beyond belief from waking up early and getting into an argument with a guy who thinks I’m a witch. And now he’s waiting outside my yoga studio.
And of course, there was that curse.
I’ve never placed a curse on anyone but I don’t take them lightly either.
Especially since this one’s been working. I’ve been thinking about Jack all morning. And now he’s waiting outside like a ghost haunting me.
He’s the ghost of bad decisions.
All morning I’ve been feeling guilty for letting myself give in to such a temporary temptation. But I can’t deny that last night was amazing.
“Okay,” I say. “Channel that feminine energy forward into downward dog.”
As I follow my own instructions and bend forward, placing my hands on the floor, I’m reminded of a position I was in last night.
Dammit.
There he is again, living rent-free in my head.
“Lift back up onto your feet and look straight ahead.”
As I lift my gaze and look up at my class, I can’t help but look out the windows at Jack who is reclining on the bench in front of my studio.
“Close your eyes,” I say, talking to myself just as much as I’m talking to the class. “Take a deep breath and clear your mind of all intrusions. Let all your cares melt away as you bring your hands together in front of your heart.”
I breathe in deeply.
“Connect with the divine feminine inside you, that warrior woman who stands strong and tall. Feel your energy rooting through your feet to the ground, to the earth, to mother nature. Breathe out all your insecurities, all your doubts. You can do this. Namaste.”
“Namaste,” the class says in unison.
Everyone peacefully gathers their things.
“Bye Jemma!” A client ca
lls out.
“Bye, Jane!”
Madison rushes over to me from the corner of the room.
“What the hell was that?” She asks in a hushed voice as people start to leave. “Was that the guy from last night? The one who called you a witch this morning?”
I nod. “He wants me to do a private class with him.”
“Wow. He’s got balls coming back here after putting a curse on you.”
I exhale heavily. “I may have left out a pretty big part of the story.”
Her blue orb-like eyes widen. “What didn’t you tell me? Jemma Reeves, you tell me right now!”
“I kicked him out at six in the morning.” I bite my lip. “And he was naked.”
“What?”
“Which is probably why he called me a witch, in hindsight. Still, he didn’t have to put a curse on me. I bet he doesn’t even remember my name.”
“Well, the issues between y’all can’t be that bad if he’s here.”
I turn to her. “You know, I’m always looking for signs from the universe, and being cursed by a guy is a pretty fucking big red flag.” I cover my mouth. “Oops! I’m not supposed to curse in here. Sorry goddesses!”
My voice echoes through the big empty room. I see Jack through the window. He’s patiently waiting outside the door for his turn to come in. I look back at Madison.
“Oh, this is going to be so awkward.”
“You need to relax, hon,” she says.
“I can’t relax. We were so intimate last night and he was so rude this morning! And now he wants me to fix the kink in his back?”
“Oh, you’ll fix the kink alright.”
Ignoring her, I continue. “You know what this is? Karma. Karma for our debaucherous behavior during such a reckless night, especially so soon after my breakup with Brendon.”
“Karma for you? Or for mystery man standing outside?”
“For both of us. This is purgatory.”
There’s a knock at the door. It’s him.
Madison gives me a wicked smile. “Maybe you should take this as a sign from the universe.”
She winks before pulling away.
“I’ll call you later,” she calls out. “Enjoy those crystals!” Her voice echoes off the tall walls. She passes Jack as he enters. She makes sure to check him out as she passes him. She’s never been one for subtlety. She gives me a thumbs-up before leaving the studio.
Jack: An Enemies To Lovers Sports Romance (Bad Boys of Hockey Book 2) Page 4